This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[26859]
No. 1.
425
[August 23] 1908
SECTION 14 SEP 08
Mr. O'Beirne to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received August 4.)
(No. 333.) Sir,
St. Petersburgh, July 23, 1908.
WITH reference to your despatch No. 183 of the 1st instant, I have the honour to state that a case has now arisen where the Russian Government have exercised jurisdiction in regard to the estate of a person believed to be a British subject who died at Harbin. I have received a note verbale dated the 27th June (10th July) from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs forwarding to me a report from the Russian Consul-General at Harbin relative to the death in that town of a person described as a British subject whose name is given as John Charles MacDonoug (? MacDonough). The Consul-General's Report, with the documents annexed to it (a précis of which I have the honour to inclose), shows that the estate of the deceased, who resided within the Railway Concession, was sold by auction and realized 39 r. 67 c., which sum was transmitted to me with the note verbale.
The steps connected with the realization of the estate were taken under the direction and by the authority of the Russian Consulate-General; and the police which carried them out were Russian police belonging to the Railway Concession.
The documents give no indication as to the place of origin of the deceased, nor as to the place of residence of his relatives, if any. It is stated, however, that the deceased's baptismal certificate and passport were forwarded to the Russian Consulate-General. It would be desirable, with a view to the disposal of the proceeds of the sale, to request the Russian Government to forward those papers to the Embassy; but as this request, made without any reservations, might seem to imply acquiescence in the Russian Government's claim to jurisdiction over British subjects in Harbin, I have refrained from making it pending your instructions. Meanwhile I have confined myself to acknowledging the receipt of the money, the equivalent of which I propose to credit you with in the next quarterly account of extraordinary expenses.
I have, &c.
(Signed) HUGH O'BEIRNE.
P.S. Since writing this despatch, I have received from the Russian Government a further sum of 283 r. 20 c., which, they inform me, represents the deceased's balance at the Russo-Chinese Bank.
Inclosure in No. 1.
H. O'B.
Précis of Report from the Russian Consul-General respecting the Death of Mr. MacDonoug at Harbin.
The dragoman of the Russian Consulate-General at Harbin sends seven documents (dossier No. 290) relative to the case of the British subject John Charles MacDonoug, who died in Harbin on the 18th April, 1908:
No. 1. Extract from the register of the dragoman Popoff, Usher ad interim to the Russian Imperial Consulate-General at Harbin. (29th April (7th May), 1908.)
According to the statements of this extract, the estate of John Charles MacDonoug was sold by auction on the 7th May, 1908, by order of the Russian Consul-General at Harbin. The sale realized the sum of 46 r. 16 c., out of which 6 r. 24 c. were retained for expenses in connection with the sale. The rest (39 r. 92 c.) was transmitted to the Russian Consulate-General at Harbin.
No. 2. Report forwarded to the Russian Vice-Consul at Harbin by the Police Inspector of the section Novo-Pristansky of that town, dated the 23rd April, 1908, stating that the Inspector sends to the Vice-Consul the dossier relative to the case of J. C. MacDonoug, consisting of the following documents:—
[1905 d-1]
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
0.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[26859]
No. 1.
425
[August 2381
SECTION 14 SEP 08
Mr. O'Beirne to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received August 4.)
(No. 333.) Sir,
St. Petersburgh, July 23, 1908. WITH reference to your despatch No. 183 of the 1st instant, I have the honour to state that a case has now arisen where the Russian Government have exercised jurisdiction in regard to the estate of a person believed to be a British subject who died at Harbin. I have received a note verbale dated the 27th June (10th July) from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs forwarding to me a report from the Russian Consul-General at Harbin relative to the death in that town of a person described as a British subject whose name is given as John Charles MacDonoug (? MacDonough). The Consul- General's Report, with the documents annexed to it (a précis of which I have the honour to inclose), shows that the estate of the deceased, who resided within the Railway Concession, was sold by auction and realized 39 r. 67 c., which sum was transmitted to to me with the note verbale.
The steps connected with the realization of the estate were taken under the direction and by the authority of the Russian Consulate-General; and the police which carried them out were Russian police belonging to the Railway Concession.
The documents give no indication as to the place of origin of the deceased, nor as to the place of residence of his relatives, if any. It is stated, however, that the deceased's baptismal certificate and passport were forwarded to the Russian Consulate- General. It would be desirable, with a view to the disposal of the proceeds of the sale, to request the Russian Government to forward those papers to the Embassy; but as this request, made without any reservations, might seem to imply acquiescence in the Russian Government's claim to jurisdiction over British subjects in Harbin, I have refrained from making it pending your instructions. Meanwhile I have confined myself to acknowledging the receipt of the money, the equivalent of which I propose to credit you with in the next quarterly account of extraordinary expenses.
I have, &c.
(Signed) HUGH O'BEIRNE.
P.S. Since writing this despatch, I have received from the Russian Government a further sum of 283 r. 20 c., which, they inform me, represents the deceased's balance at the Russo-Chinese Bank.
Inclosure in No. 1.
H. O'B.
Précis of Report from the Russian Consul-General respecting the Death of Mr. MacDonoug at Hurbin.
The dragoman of the Russian Consulate-General at Harbin sends seven documents (dossier No. 290) relative to the case of the British subject John Charles MacDonoug, who died in Harbin on the 18th April, 1908 :---
No. 1. Extract from the register of the dragoman Popoff, Usher ad interim to the Russian Imperial Consulate-General at Harbin. (29th April (7th May), 1908.)
According to the statements of this extract, the estate of John Charles MacDonoug was sold by auction on the 7th May, 1908, by order of the Russian Consul-General at Harbin. The sale realized the sum of 46 r. 16 c., out of which 6 r. 24 c. were retained for expenses in connection with the sale. The rest (39 r. 92 c.) was transmitted to the Russian Consulate-General at Harbin.
No. 2. Report forwarded to the Russian Vice-Consul at Harbin by the Police Inspector of the section Novo-Pristansky of that town, dated the 23rd April, 1908, stating that the Inspector sends to the Vice-Consul the dossier relative to the case of J. C. MacDonoug, consisting of the following documents :—
[1905 d-1]
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