No. 141.
Mr. Denby
to Mr. Bayard.
Legation of
the United States,
Peking, January 7, 1887.
(Received March 7.)
No. 282.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the losses of
the missionaries of the Methodist mission at Chungking have been finally
adjusted.
I inclose herewith a translation of the agreement made by Mr. Frederick S. A.
Bourne, acting for me, with the Chinese officials.
By the terms of this agreement the walls, masonry, pillars, etc., remaining
on the property are to be preserved. The missionaries are to return to
Chungking and rebuild, under the protection of the authorities, when deemed
advisable. The present sites are to be exchanged for others. Twenty-three
thousand taels are to be paid at specified times.
Mr. Bourne writes to Her Britannic Majesty’s minister that the local
authorities desired to insert in the agreement a period of delay in the
missionaries returning to Chungking, but he refused to allow such a clause
to be inserted. Mr. Bourne is still a quasi prisoner in the yamên, and the
French missionaries are barricaded in their house. As soon as the French
commence building our missionaries can return. The local officials were
desirous of inserting in the agreement a clause that the head of the ward
chosen by the literati and the head of the ward chosen by the people should
control the selection of new sites, but Mr. Bourne would not consent,
because the treaties do not warrant such an arrangement.
Mr. Bourne has rendered us signal service in this matter. He has displayed
great zeal, ability, and kindness. There was no other person in Chungking
who could attend to our business, and no American was allowed to go
thither.
The agreement has been submitted by me to the superintendent of the mission,
and has been approved by him. I have notified Her Britannic Majesty’s
minister of my approval of the agreement. The matter may therefore be
considered as having reached a favorable termination.
I am just in receipt of your dispatch No. 118, of date November 8, 1886. You
therein authorize me to go to Chungking, or to send thither
[Page 180]
Mr. Franklin or a member of this legation. It
is a six weeks’ trip to go thither, and I hope the necessity of sending any
one will not arise. * * *
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure in No. 282.]
Mr. Bourne to Sir
John Walsham.—Proposed
arrangement of the American case arising out of Chungking riots of
July 1, 1886.
The acting governor-general of Ssú Chuan, Yu, having deputed the
expectant prefects Lo and Fang, to arrange this affair at Chungking,
together with I, taotai of Eastern Su Chuan, Heng, prefect of Chungking,
Fu and Kwo, magistrates of the district of Chungking, and the minister
of the United States in China, having requested the British minister,
Sir John Walsham, bart., to instruct Mr. Bourne, British resident
consular officer at Chungking, to settle this case on behalf of [the
American minister], the above parties have now agreed to the following
terms:
- 1.
- The local officials, civil and military, are to take measures
to preserve all that remains on the American sites within the
city in the Tai-Chia Hang and the Chin-lung Hang—walls, masonry,
pillars, etc. Damages to this property will not be
allowed.
- 2.
- The American missionaries are to wait until the district is
quiet and men’s minds quite settled before rebuilding their
houses in the city. As soon as it is advisable for foreigners to
build in the city, the local officials, civil and military, will
extend strenuous protection to the missionaries, and will
appoint police to look after them.
- 3.
- The American missionaries paid originally 2,300 taels for the
site at Ihang-ching, and 200 taels for the site at
Liang-feng-ya, exclusive of the stamp duty. As the people are
not willing that the American missionaries should build on these
sites, it is now decided that these sites shall be given up in
exchange for others, according to Mr. Gamewell’s letter to Hsia,
taotai, dated July 12 last. As soon as suitable sites have been
found a fair purchase price will be decided. If the price is
more, than 2,500 taels the American missionaries will make good
the balance, and if the price is less than 2,500 taels the local
officials will make good the balance after the purchase has been
completed. The sites at Ihang-ching and Liang-feng-ya will be
given up, and the foreign grave at Ihang-ching will be moved
over. When the district outside (the city) is quite settled and
the American missionaries build on the new sites given in
exchange, the local officials, civil and military, will again
take strenuous measures to protect them.
- 4.
- The list of losses made out at the time by Mr. Gameweil
amounted to 28,000 taels, exclusive of the value of the four
sites. Now that the affair is being settled by way of
compromise, the American minister is willing to reduce the
amount to be paid in compensation. It is promised that 23,000
taels, note silver, by the Chungking balance shall be paid;
5,000 taels in the twelfth month of this twelfth year of
Kuang-hsii; 6,000 taels in the third month; 6,000 taels in the
sixth month, and 6,000 taels in the ninth month of the
thirteenth year of Kuang-hsii.
- 5.
- Both parties will report the above terms to their superiors
for their approval, settling the case.
TaotaiPrefect,
Magistrate
,
and
Mr. Bourne.
