CO129-353 - Public Offices - 1908 — Page 288

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Prince Ch'ing to Sir J. Jordan.

Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.

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[November 2.] 24 NOV 08,

FAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

SECTION 8.

(Translation.) Sir,

Peking, September 12, 1908. ON the 20th July the following Imperial Decree was communicated through the Ministers of the Grand Council:-

"The recent depression of commerce and the embarrassments arising from the necessities of public expenditure, have rendered it impossible to initiate immediately many of the numerous reforms which should be undertaken. The preservation of good government being thereby seriously affected, we now appoint Tong Shao-yi to be Commissioner for the study of Finance, and to proceed to various foreign countries for the purpose of carefully investigating their methods of financial administration, upon which he shall report to us from time to time, that we may adopt such measures as may upon consideration appear advisable."

In transcribing the above Decree, I have the honour to request your Excellency to communicate it to His Majesty's Government for their information.

I avail, &c.

No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received November 2.)

Peking, September 14, 1908.

No. 412.)

I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton reporting a further case in which a launch, supposed to belong to the Canton Government, refused to comply with the Port Regulations at Macao.

No further negotiations have taken place between the Portuguese Chargé d'Affaires and the Wai-wu Pu on the general question of Macao since my despatch No. 368 of the ultimo was written.

I have, &c.

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ch'ing.

(Signed)

J. N. JORDAN,

September 14, 1908.

Your Highness,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Highness' note of the 12th instant, in which you communicated to me, for transmission to His Majesty's Government, copy of an Imperial Decree appointing His Excellency Tong Shao-yi a Commissioner for the study and investigation of the financial systems of foreign countries with the view of facilitating the execution of the reform measures which the Imperial Government is now adopting in China.

I shall lose no time in forwarding a copy of your Highness' note to His Majesty's Government, who will, I feel sure, heartily sympathize with the object of this Mission and afford to its distinguished head the fullest facilities and assistance in conducting his researches in England.

I avail, &c.

639. Confidential.)

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Acting Consul-General Fox to Sir J. Jordan.

August 29, 1908.

M. DE MORAES, the Portuguese Consul-General at Canton, called on me this morning and informed me that an incident, similar to the one reported in my despatch No. 28, Confidential, of the 29th June, had occurred at Macao on Sunday last the 23rd instant.

A Chinese Government launch, coming from Canton, anchored in the inner harbour, and on being boarded by an officer from the Harbour-master's office, refused to make the customary declaration. She was given two hours in which to comply with the Port Regulations, failing which she was ordered to leave the port. The launch did, as a matter of fact, leave within an hour after her arrival, no attempt having been made to register at the Harbour-master's office.

M. de Moraes is of opinion that the launch captain was acting under orders from Canton authorities who, he believes, took this means of testing the attitude of the Governor on the jurisdiction question. The Governor, Captain José Augusto Alves Roçadas, who took over the seals of office on the 19th August, shares this view of the incident, and his Excellency has, I understand, addressed a dignified protest to the Viceroy at Canton against this renewed deliberate infringement of the Colony's Harbour Regulations by a vessel in Government employ.

Lieutenant-Commander Walcott, R.N., of His Majesty's ship "Moorhen," who was at Macao at the time, is inclined to think that the offending vessel was not a Government launch; but he believes that her refusal to register was deliberate and probably inspired by the Chinese authorities.

The Chinese newspaper "Shih Min Hsin Pao" had an article on the Canton-Macao Railway on the 27th August, translation of which I have the honour to inclose. M. de Moraes informs me that, while it is true, as far as he is aware, that the Portuguese Government have no intention of building this railway themselves, they have not officially surrendered their Concession. The Government, in M. de Moraes' opinion, would not think of doing so unless they obtained satisfactory guarantees with regard to the construction, direction, and terminus of the line, or received some quid pro quo in the shape of a recognition by the Chinese Government of their territorial rights in the neighbourhood of Macao.

Sir Chentung Liang Cheng mentioned, in the course of the interview reported in my immediately preceding despatch, that he had wired to one of the Vice-Presidents of...