CO129-361 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 550

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a strict adherence to the rule of non-intervention is calculated to disarm the opposition of the mandarins, to help in the preservation of peace between converts and non- converts, aud to further the spread of a genuine Christianity among the Chinese.

I have, &c.

(Signed) ERNEST SATOW.

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received from the Acting British Consul-General at Shanghae, forwarding copies of correspondence with the Viceroy of Nanking on the subject of the arrest at Shanghae of the Chinese charged with sedition in connection with the "Supao" newspaper.

I have, &c. (Signed)

ERNEST SATOW.

į

Inclosure in No. 19.

Circular addressed by Sir E. Salow to His Majesty's Consuls in China.

(Confidential.) Sir,

CASES have come to my notice in which missionaries have addressed themselves

Peking, August 31, 1903. directly to Chinese officials, either verbally or in writing, on behalf of their Chinese converts, instead of acting through the proper channel, which is one of His Majesty's Consuls or the head of His Majesty's Legation.

Such intervention, I presume, would be defended on the ground that some action has been taken in regard to the convert which is in violation of Article VIII of the Treaty of Tientsin.

It is necessary, however, to point out that missionaries are not accredited Agents of the British Government for the enforcement of the Treaty, and Article VIII was not intended to confer upon missionaries any right of intervention on behalf of native Christians.

I do not see any objection to a missionary addressing the local Chinese authorities directly on any matter affecting himself personally, such as, for instance, a robbery that has been committed at his house, or any similar private affair.

If, however, a missionary has to complain on behalf of himself that his teaching is interfered with, or that a Chinese preacher or convert has been interfered with or persecuted, his proper course is to lay the facts before the Consul of the district in which he resides, who after due examination will make such representations to the Chinese authorities as the case may require.

His Majesty's Consuls are not authorized to delegate their duties in this respect to missionaries.

I have reason to know that this view is shared by the managing bodies of British Protestant Missionary Societies who carry on Mission work in China, and I under staud that it is accepted and acted on by most of the missionary bodies in China.

The fact that a missionary or the convert on whose behalf a complaint is made resides at a distance from one of His Majesty's Consuls is not sufficient reason for the missionary taking upon himself the duty of the Consul, and his intervention could only be justified when there was imminent danger of an extreme character threatening the safety of converts.

I have accordingly to request you to act upon what is laid down in this Circular, and to acquaint missionaries with its contents whenever it seems likely to be departed from.

I am persuaded that if missionaries uniformly refrain from direct intervention on behalf of native Christians, and confine their action to representing to His Majesty's Consuls cases of actual persecution, such a course will redound to the preservation of peace between converts and non-converts, and to the spread of a genuine Christianity among the people of China.

No. 20.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

ERNEST SATOW,

(No. 318.) My Lord,

Sir E. Satou to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received October 26.)

WITH reference to Mr. Townley's despatch No. 302 of the 17th August, I have

Peking, September 8, 1903. the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith a copy of a despatch which I have

(No. 26.) Sir,

Inclosure 1 in No. 20.

Acting Consul-General Mansfield to Sir E. Satow.

Shanghae, September 1, 1903. I HAVE the honour to inclose copies and translations of correspondence exchanged with his Excellency the Viceroy Wei on the subject of the "Supao" case since the 22ud July, the date of

my

last report.

(Translation.)

Sir,

I have, &c.

(Signed)

R. W. MANSFIELD.

Inclosure 2 in No. 20.

Viceroy Wei to Acting Consul-General Mansfield,

[Received August 8, 1903.] I LEARNED from the Taotai Wang Chia-tang, who returned a few days ago to Nanking from Shanghae, and from telegrams sent by the Taotai Yuan, of the capture of the criminals, and the closing of the "Supao " priuting office.

I am really exceedingly grateful to you for your great trouble and assistance. But the Municipal Council has not yet handed over the criminals, contrary to Treaty Regulations.

In the Treaties with various Powers, it is clearly set forth that "If criminals, subjects of China, take refuge in the houses or on board the vessels of British subjects at the open ports, they shall not be harboured or concealed, but shall be delivered up, on due requisition by the Chinese authorities, addressed to the British Consul." (Tien- tsin, 1858, Article XXI.)

The purpose of a Treaty between the two countries is the settlement of inter- national matters, and it is clearly laid down in such Treaty that the Contracting Parties shall mutually observe its provisions.

Moreover, the admissions made by Chang, Tsou, and the other criminals, and the seditious matter contained in the 'Supao Gazette," have both been proclaimed by the Taotal of Shanghae, and with these you also at an early date were fully acquainted.

Vagabonds all the world over who want to raise the standard of revolt ever seize upon some pretext.

At the present time the country is full of evil characters; if these criminals are not severely punished the tendency is that great numbers of them should follow the example set: the evil accruing therefrom will never end, and both China and foreign nations will suffer thereby,

And so in this matter, in accordance with Treaty Regulations, with respect to the circumstances and particulars, the criminals ought to be handed over to the Chinese Government to be dealt with, so as to be able to nip this rebellion in the bud and give peace to the country.

In any matter rising between us colleagues, we must, of a necessity, determine it in a spirit of anity in the hope of securing the peace of all.

I sincerely hope that you will strongly advise the Municipal Council to hand over the prisoners, according to Treaty Regulations and to the promotion of friendly relations.

I have, &c.

(Card of Viceroy.) "

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