3
September 2, 18999] ||
that if the Customs were to be moved the Con- vention was at an end; that the boundary ques- tion was not yet settled as he had not signed the delimitation, and other arguments. I pointed out to His Excellency that the provi- Bional 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 mea sures were not taken by him for the protection of that frontier Chins 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 Con-
ion is at an end and there is no boundary. "Your Excellency is mistaken, I answered The Convention has been made by the respec- tiver 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
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE/REPORTU
THE VICEROY ON THE CUSTOMB QUESTION
It will be observed that in the above, despatch His Excellency states that he clearly informed the Viceroy, that the Customs Stations must be On the 10th April the Viceroy in a despatch to Mr. Consul Mansfield wrote
removed.
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch stating that the Governor of Hongkong proposes to take over the New Ter- ritory on April 17..
i
?
I strongly
must be removed. they could on nosoco the Governor was leaving, I tation was to be regar cellency replied the it was not necessary tion of: the removal u vernor replied that it refer to it. I regarded. The words are still in my ears understand.
"I am again sending Tsot, shiuɛ to Hongkong: to person
On the 17th the Viceroy "I have received your note
you had received a telegram of Hongkong roquésting me, been hoisted, to remove every Chinese and soldier from the New Territor
Peking that any further extension had been said that it was not neccessary to mention this the Tsung-li Yamên that ; the Chinese c firmly declined.)
1910
"The Kowloon Kuan is Chinese territory. but, on account of the friendship existing betake sotion, and I shall feel obl tween England and China, it has been leased to England. On April 2, when the Governor of inform His Excellency the Gore insisted that the Customs Stalions could on no I firmly Hongkong came to Canton to see me, account be removed, to which the Governor of Just as he was. Hongkong personally agreed. leaving, I again said that it was not neccessary
"It is set forth in the Convention mad to allude to the question of the removal of the Customs. The Governor of Hongkong also,
stationed in Kowloon City shall continue to again, and that he had only to ask me to send
fore there can be no question of removing them. soldiers to the place to restore order. I forth-perform their duties as heretofore. *t. The with sent 600 men take up their quarters at Kowloon, thus paying due regard to friendly. As regards the soldiers, the Governor
requested that they should be sent to keep so I sent 300 men of the Chien Battalion to up their quarters at Kowloon and 300. the Fang Yen Battalion to Shin Chow hand to preserve order. At the present time the dung Yen detachment are still at Shin while the Chien detachment have been may: Sha Ton Chio. I have telegraphed to D Wang to inform the Governor of Hongkong
relations.
"Yesterday in a telegram (marked Yen) from the Taungli Yamen it was stated that a de- spatch had been received from the British Minister to the effect that the Chinese Customs could not be allowed to remain within the New Territory. Thus the agreement made between Wang Wei-yuan and Mr. Lockhart and the statements of the Governor of Hongkong, made at the interview of April 2, are insufficient as proof, and we will cease to discuss the proposi- tion to take over the territory on the 17th.
"I then called His Excellency's attention categorically to my complaints. I 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 friendly character, but I felt it my duty, to call upon him to take without delay the necessary steps, first, to have the placards removed and the person who wrote them brought to justice; second, to supply ample protection for the parties working on mat-sheds; third, to supply similar protection to parties surveying roads that we proposed to make for the benefit of the people. He said, I will send a telegram to the San On Magistrate to do what you ask said, "I must demand something more definite from Your Excellency. As for the San On Magistrate I can expect no help from him. I am informed by Mr. Stewart Lockhart, our Commissioner for delimitation, that he has been only: hindrance and thrown diffenlties in the way of delimitation on every occasion. I must beg that Your Excellency will yourself give the necessary order, and I must also beg that I be in formed that they have been obeyed by Tuesday
His Excellency the Governor regrets to next, otherwise I will proceed to hoist the find that the Viceroy has so entirely misunder- British flag and take over the territory on stood the repeated statements made to him on Wednesday. At present I do not propose to the subject at the interview between their res do so until the 17th instant, when the mat-shedspective. Excellencies on the 2nd instant, as will be ready for occupation.
"I beg you to at once inform the Governor of Hongkong that it will be needless for him to proceed to Kowloon on the 17th."
On the 15th April the Colonial Secretary wrote to the Consul :-
"I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th instant enclosing copy of a despatch addressed to you by the Viceroy on the subject of the removal of the Chinese Customs from the New Territory leased to Great Britain by the Chinese Government.
64
nothing could have been more distinct than the Governor's emphatic statement to the Viceroy that the Customs Stations could not be per- mitted to remain in the leased Territory.
|
THE GOVERNOR ON CHINESE AL
OFFICIAL CONNIVANCE. 40 In a comprehensive despatch of the 28th April, setting out in detail' the whole occurrences, the Governor writes to the tary of State:
I have reported the cironmstances of my visit to the Viceroy in my despatch No. 87 of 7th instant. He accepted all the responsibility for the protection of the mat sheds, which in- volved his permission to erect them, and, "accordance with his promise, telegrap once to the Colonel 'stationed at Kön prepare for 300 men who were to any portion of the leased area desire Government, so as to afford protect mat-sheds being erected, also to sureying and generally to preserve order. These were sent down within three days, and places to which we wished them to be sent indicated by the C Colonial Secretary, Viceroy also issued a proclamation to be in various villages calling upon the of good behaviour and stating that of China. Thus the entire respons the peace and good order of thể fea undertaken by the Viceroy, as I war det not to send any armed men into until I was about to take po
"Under authority received from Her jesty's Government, His Excellency the Go- vernor has made arrangements to take over the administration of the leased Territory on the 17th instant, and will hoist the British Flag at 1p.m. on that date at Taipohu.
that exist between the two nations.
His Excellency, having consulted with several Mandarins at the table, said he did not think that all the men could be there before Wednesday. I said that I would not in that case make any move before Thursday, but while I knew how anxious His Excellency was to do everything in his power I was aware that in China orders are not always carried out with necessary promptitude. I would therefore im- press upon His Excellency the necessity of my
His Excellency will, therefore, be glad if being informed on Wednesday that they had been carried out to prevent my acting on Thurs. His Excellency the Viceroy will députe an day. I would also request that the San Onger of suitable rank to be present at the Magistrate be ordered to personally visit the ceremony a mark of the cordial relations villages accompanied by other officials and issue a proclamation by order of His Excel- lency warning the people against disturbances or interference with any working parties or surveyors. This His Excellency, promised to do. I said I had a more pleasing duty to perform in assuring His Excellency that the Government of Hongkong had determined to bring in an Ordinance the effect of which, I hoped, would render opium smuggling into China almost impossible, and also that I had issued a proclamation under the provisions of which I had prevented the export of arms to China. His Excellency expressed much pleasure at this information.
The interview, which had lasted over two- and-a-half hours, then ended. His Excellency apologised for being unable to return my visit, as I informed him that I was returning to Hongkong forthwith. During the interviews the Audience Hall was crowded, the place being apparently open to all-comers. Immediately
р
return to the Consulate two mandarins bearing the Viceroy's cards, who said ent telegrams had already been send in nce with my request. Loft Canton and arrived at Hongkong
DOBBERS
days in the New Territory.
This is a narrative of the even
other facts that have a direof “As the entire administration will be assumed whole matter. It will be remem by this Government on the 17th instant, the there was a diffonity about the questi necessity for the presence of Chinese troops intention of the Customs stations in t the New Territory will cease on that date and as I pointed out that by the ant their place will be taken by British troops and the Convention, the Chineso Police.
1
"The functions of all Chinese Officials will, of course, cease at the same time, and no doubt arrangements will be made by the Viceroy for their withdrawal on the 17th instant,
could not continue to exercise. while the leased area remained
the Viceroy jurisdiction, to wh On the 10th instant, the Viceroy Consul that there was no use in, to hoist the flag on the 17th in to hand it over, because, the Ch were not to be allowed to remain
To that despatch Territory
replied that unde
Government
17th to hol
our
"In communicating the above to the Viceroy, am to ask you to be good enough to again express to His Excellency an expression of the Governor's thanks for the promptitude with which His Excellency sent troops to maintain order in the New Territory pending His Excel from He lency the Governor's assumption of the Goceed at 1.
middag, and vernment."
On the 15th April the Viceroy wrote to the Official Consul as follows
***I am in receipt of your despatch stating | Wa that the Governor of Hongkong had written the effect that I had altogether misunders
the question of the Custom. him with
Stations discussed at our
* During our intervie
ril 2, the Gov
of Hongkong first mid that the Custor
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