Mr. Jenkins to Consul
Shepard.
Sir: Referring you to my letter of the 1st of
November, 1878, I have to give you the following facts:
On the 29th of December, 1878, a boat left Chung Ching (Chinese characters)
with 15 packages gull-nuts, weighing 28 peculs. This boat arrived at Kwei
Chow (Chinese characters) on the 2d January of this year. On the arrival of
the boat at the tax station the transit pass, covering the 15 packages
gall-nuts, was presented to the official in charge, but the boatman was
informed that the goods could not pass the station until the regular native
charges were paid. According to the latest dates which I have from Kwei
Chow, January 16, of this year, the goods were not released So you will
notice the officer at Kwei Chow has been as good as his word.
I am very sure that the officer in charge at Kwei Chow has received, the
letter from the board at Peking to grant protection to the transit passes
which have been granted to me to bring produce from Chun Ching, but he has
determined to carry out his own idea as stated in my letter of the 1st of
November, 1878.
I have to ask your kind assistance, and would recommend as a measure to save
time that you will ask his excellency the minister to request the foreign
board to send an order for the release of the goods direct to the officer in
charge at Kwei Chow, through the Tartar general at Kin Chow (Chinese
characters), with orders that he will hand it to the Ichang taotai, who
resides at Kin Chow (Chinese characters), for his excellency
[Page 218]
the taotai to forward to Kwei Chow, as well as
the hoard’s usual order to the Szchuen viceroy. A letter sent to the Kwei
Chow officials as suggested will reach Kwei Chow in about thirty days (a
month), which is a saving of fifty days. I must ask that you will give this
case your earliest convenient attention, for besides the loss sustained by
the detention of the 15 packages gull-nuts, there are goods waiting to be
shipped under the other transit passes granted me in July last, 20 in
number.
I am, sir,
[Inclosure 3 in dispatch No.
133.]
Mr. Holcombe to
Prince Kung.
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your imperial highness’s
dispatch of the 23d ultimo, in the matter of the ten transit passes
taken out by Mr. M. A. Jenkins at Hankow, to cover the export of certain
native produce from Szchuen. In it your imperial highness informs me
that you are in receipt of a report though the Szchuen viceroy, from the
deputy in charge of the Lekin station at Kwei-Chow, to the effect that
upon the 23th of December last, Tsusi-Chishan, the agent of Mr. M. A.
Jenkins, entered 15 boxes of gall-nuts, covered by transit passes Nos.
31 and 32 of 1878, and that the merchandise was examined and passed the
same day; that Mr. Jenkins has presented only these two passes at the
barrier; that he is very dilatory in transacting his business, and that
no obstacles have been put in his way, &c.
I regret very much the necessity which I am under of troubling your
imperial highness further in this business, but I yesterday received
information from the United States consul at Hankow, of a nature
diametrically opposed to the statements of the Lekiu tax deputy as
quoted above. Mr. Shepard writes me that upon the 29th December, 1878,
Mr. Jenkins’s agent shipped from Chun-Ching 15 boxes of gall-nuts
weighing 28 peculs. They arrived at Kewei-Chow upon the 2d of January.
The transit passes covering the produce were presented to the deputy who
refused to allow the goods to proceed until the Lekin tax had been paid.
Upon the 16th January the goods were still detained at Kwei-Chow with no
prospect of being released. The other transit passes have not been
presented because the Lekin deputy still refuses to recognize those
already in his hands, &c.
Your imperial highness will see at a glance the wide discrepancy between
these two reports. I beg leave to ask that stringent orders be sent with
all possible speed direct to the Lekin deputy concerned to release the
goods in question at once.
Mr. Jenkins has already been a heavy sufferer by the wrongdoing of this
officer, and I doubt not your imperial highness will take proper
measurers to put an end to this illegal and unfriendly conduct. It will
be for your imperial highness to decide what steps should be taken
towards an official who, if my information be correct, refuses obedience
to the orders of his superiors, and then seeks to cover up his
presumption with falsehood.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 4 in dispatch No.
133.]
Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith makes
a communication in reply:
I have had the honor to receive your dispatch of the 7th instant, in the
matter of the transit passes for Szchuen produce taken out by Mr. M. A.
Jenkins, at Hankow, stating that you had received my dispatch of the 23d
ultimo, stating that upon the 28th December last, Tsusi Chishan, the
agent of Mr. Jenkins, entered 15 boxes of gall nuts at the Kwei-Chow
Lekin station, which, according to the report of the deputy in charge,
were examined and passed the same day; that from the 3d day of August
last, when the ten passes were issued at Hankow, down to the 28th
December, Mr. Jenkins had presented only these two passes; that he is
dilatory in transmitting his business; and that no obstacles have been
put in his way, &c. And you add that you are in receipt of
information from Mr. Consul Shepard, of Hankow, to the effect that upon
the 29th December, 1878, Mr. Jenkins’s agent shipped from Chung-King 15
boxes of gall-nuts; that they reached Kwei-Chow upon the 2d January,
1879; that the transit passes were presented to the deputy for the usual
examination and he refused to allow the goods to proceed until the Lekin
tax had been paid; that upon the 16th January the goods were still
detained at Kwei-Chow with up prospect of being released. You state that
the report of Mr. Consul Shepard is diametrically opposed to the
statement of the Lekin deputy, and you request me to send stringent
orders with all passible speed direct to the Lekin deputy concerned, to
release the goods in question at once, &c.
[Page 219]
I have the honor to state that upon the receipt of your dispatch, now
under reply, I instructed the viceroy of Szchuen to order the Lekin
officer at Kwei-Chow to release the goods mentioned at once, and to
report his action to the viceroy.
Upon receipt of the last-named officer’s response I will inform you of
its nature.
Chester Holcombe,
&c., &c., &c.
