This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
CONFIDENTIAL.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
No. 1.
[June 15] 7 JUL OS
SECTION 5.
(No. 193.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received June 15.)
Peking, April 30, 1908.
IN a despatch, No. 106 of the 27th April, 1899, to the Marquess of Salisbury, Mr. Bax-Ironside inclosed a translation of a Memorial of the Tsung-li Yamên fixing the relations to be observed between the Provincial authorities and the Roman Catholic clergy in China, which had been approved by an Imperial Rescript of the 15th March, 1899. The extraordinary privileges conceded by this document, which were negotiated by Mgr. Favier, formerly Roman Catholic Bishop of Peking, gave rise to much comment, generally of an unfavourable character.
The desirability of acquiring similar privileges for themselves and their clergy was considered by the Bishops of the Anglican Commission, and by a Resolution of the 21st October, 1899, which was passed at a Conference held at Shanghai, they decided that it was not advisable to take such a step. A copy of the Resolution was sent by Mr. Bax-Ironside to Lord Salisbury in a despatch, No. 817 of the 31st October, 1899, and his Lordship referred the matter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who approved the conclusion arrived at by the Bishops, and considered that both as a matter of principle and of policy it was undesirable that the Protestant missionaries in China should claim the privileges. In this opinion His Majesty's Government concurred.
The wisdom of this course is now justified by the fact that the Chinese Government have found it necessary to cancel the rules of March 1899. This was done by an Imperial Rescript of the 10th April, approving a Memorial of the Wai-wu Pu, which appeared in the "Official Gazette" of the 16th April, and a translation of which is inclosed herewith. In the Memorial the Wai-wu Pu point out the impolitic character of the rules, which gave to a Catholic Bishop the status of a Viceroy, and mention that cases arose where missionaries arrogated the use of the official insignia of territorial authorities in a way which misled the common people as to their true position in the country. With the abolition of the rules the relations between Catholic missionaries and Chinese officials revert to those of ordinary courtesy.
I should add that it is well known that the present action of the Chinese Government in this matter is mainly due to advice continuously given to prominent Chinese statesmen by Dr. Morrison for some time past. The nature of this advice is shown in the Memorandum, copy of which I inclose, and which, he informs me, was written by him in May 1907, translated into Chinese, and communicated to Yuan Shih-k'ai, Tuan-fang (Viceroy of Nanking), Chao Erh-hsun (Viceroy of Hankow), Tong Shao-yi, Liang Tun-yen (a Vice-President of the Wai-wu Pu), and others to whom he had also spoken on the subject.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Extract from the "Official Gazette" of April 16, 1908.
Memorial submitted by the Wai-wu Pu proposing the Amendment of the Regulations governing the Relations between Territorial Officials and Missionaries.
(Translation.)
ON the 16th March, 1899, an Imperial Rescript was issued approving a Memorial submitted by the Tsung-li Yamên on the subject of the relations between territorial officials and missionaries, and embodying five proposals. In this Memorial it was
Page 5
[B]
38
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] ©).
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[20531]
No. 1.
24461
[June 15] 7 JUL OS
SECTION 5.
(No. 193.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received June 15.)
Peking, April 30, 1908. IN a despatch, No. 106 of the 27th April, 1899, to the Marquess of Salisbury, Mr. Bax-Ironside inclosed a translation of a Memorial of the Tsung-li Yamên fixing the relations to be observed between the Provincial authorities and the Roman Catholic clergy in China, which had been approved by an Imperial Rescript of the 15th March, 1899. The extraordinary privileges conceded by this document, which were negotiated by Mgr. Favier, formerly Roman Catholic Bishop of Peking, gave rise to much comment, generally of an unfavourable character.
The desirability of acquiring similar privileges for themselves and their clergy was considered by the Bishops of the Anglican Commission, and by a Resolution of the 21st October, 1899, which was passed at a Conference held at Sbanghae, they decided that it was not advisable to take such a step. A copy of the Resolution was sent by Mr. Bax- Ironside to Lord Salisbury in a despatch, No. 817 of the 31st October, 1899, and his Lordship referred the matter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who approved the conclu- sion arrived at by the Bishops, and considered that both as a matter of principle and of policy it was undesirable that the Protestant missionaries in China should claim the privileges. In this opinion His Majesty's Government concurred.
The wisdom of this course is now justified by the fact that the Chinese Government have found it necessary to cancel the rules of March 1899. This was done by an Imperial Rescript of the 10th April, approving a Memorial of the Wai-wn Pu, which appeared in the "Official Gazette" of the 16th April, and a translation of which is inclosed herewith. In the Memorial the Wai-wu Po point out the impolitic character of the rules, which gave to a Catholic Bishop the status of a Viceroy, and mention that cases arose where missionaries arrogated the use of the official insignia of territorial authorities in a way which misled the common people as to their true position in the country. With the abolition of the rules the relations between Catholic missionaries and Chinese officials revert to those of ordinary courtesy.
I should add that it is well known that the present action of the Chinese Govern. ment in this matter is mainly due to advice continuously given to prominent Chinese statesmen by Dr. Morrison for some time past. The nature of this advice is shown in the Memorandum, copy of which I inclose, and which, he informs me, was written by him in May 1907, translated into Chinese, and communicated to Yuan Shih-k'ai, Tuan-fang (Viceroy of Nanking), Chao Erh-hsun (Viceroy of Hankow), Tong Shoa-yi, Liang Tun-yen (a. Vice-President of the Wai-wu Pu), and others to whom he had also spoken on the subject.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Extract from the " Official Gazette" of April 16, 1908.
Memorial submitted by the Wai-wu Pu proposing the Amendment of the Regulations governing the Relations between Territorial Officials and Missionaries.
(Translation.)
ON the 16th March, 1899, an Imperial Rescript was issued approving a Memorial submitted by the Tsung-li Yamên on the subject of the relations between territorial officials and missionaries, and embodying five proposals. In this Memorial it was
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