Sessional_Paper_1899 — Page 521

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tween the Consulate and the Yamên had been washed and cleaned, and were lined with troops throughout the entire distance. There were between 1,600 and 1,800 men, armed with muzzle loaders and rifles of various patterns, in addition to which a large proportion carried revolvers. I noticed that all the arms were quite clean and apparently well kept. The streets were decorated with flags on long poles and there were dense crowds who were perfectly respectful. I was received by the Viceroy with the usual ceremonies and at once entered upon the business of my visit, Mr. PITZIPIOS, the Vice-Consul, interpreting most admirably.

After some preliminary observations he remarked that the friendship between England and China had been of long standing; on which I assured him that England was China's best friend, and it was with the most friendly feelings that I had done myself the honour of visiting him to request his immediate attention to certain acts of intimidation and attempts to lead the people of the leased territory astray by an inflammatory placard that had been posted in many villages, a copy of which I handed to him with the name of the person who had written it. Knowing the friendly feelings of His Excellency and feeling that he would take immediate action, I had determined to bring the matter personally to his notice rather than telegraph to London and Peking that disorder was threatened in his Province. I therefore requested that the writer of the placard should be made answerable and punished.

He answered that he could not possibly find the person who wrote the placard. To this I demurred. He said I did not know China or I would realize the difficulty. I answered that I knew China sufficiently to know that if His Excellency wanted to find any person in his province that person would be forthcoming. He said the name given might not be the real culprit. Whom did I want punished? I an- swered that I had not come to him to demand the punishment of any person other than the real culprit, but to insure that the territory leased in extension of Hong- kong should not be allowed to become a prey to agitators pending the taking over of the territory by me; that I had postponed the taking over of the territory to the 17th instant for the purpose of having matsheds erected in which to house the officials and police who would be stationed there while proper houses and barracks were being built, and to give him time to arrange the stations for the Customs now that the boundary had been settled. On this His Excellency said that there was no occasion for erection of new Customs stations as the Customs would remain where they were. I answered that such a course was impossible. He said this country is only leased. It is China, and there is nothing about Customs in the Convention. I answered that whether leased, lent, or ceded, as soon as the British flag is hoisted it becomes for the time as effectually British territory as Government House, Hong- kong, and the Chinese Customs flags must be hauled down. I pointed out that all the waters of Mirs Bay and Deep Bay as well as the coast line to the South becoming British under the Convention, it was impossible that the Chinese Customs authorities could act, as even if a vessel were found in these waters with contraband on board she could not be seized for having them in Chinese waters or territory, and if resist- ance were offered to search and life was lost the Customs officers would be put on their trial for murder in the Courts at Hongkong. He demurred at this, declaring in such a case that they would be tried in China; that if the Customs were to be mored the Convention was at an end; that the boundary question was not yet settled as he had not signed the delimitation, and other arguments. I pointed out to His Excellency that the provisional boundary had been settled by two officers regularly accredited and gazetted in Hongkong and Canton and was therefore in accordance with the Convention, and that if timely ineasures were not taken by him for the protection of that frontier China must suffer serious loss of revenue by smuggling.

His Excellency then said, "It is not in the Convention. I cannot remove them. If you insist on this then all is at an end. The Convention is at an end and there is no boundary."

"Your Excellency is mistaken," I answered. "The Convention has been made by the respective Imperial Governments. Neither you nor I can alter that." "Is it then agreed that the boundary is as delimited?" he asked. I said, “It is." (I had received the telegram from Peking that any further extension had been firmly declined.)

I then called His Excellency's attention categorically to my complaints. 1 said the people who were erecting the matsheds had been threatened and were obliged to cease working, and that this inflammatory placard handed to him was being extensively posted. I had no wish to use language that was not of the most