Mr. Denby to Mr.
Olney.
[Telegram.]
Commission started to-day.
[Page 157]
[Inclosure in No. 2390.]1
Mr. Denby to
Mr. Olney.
imperial edict degrading liu
ping-chang.
Churches having been established in China by various nationalities,
edicts have been repeatedly issued commanding the governor-generals
and governors of the different provinces to strictly enjoin upon the
local officials that they give extra care to their protection, in
order that on all occasions peaceful relations may be observed
between the people at large and the religious societies. But in the
fifth month of the present year, at the provincial capital of
Szechuan, evil characters, intent on causing disturbance, destroyed
the church buildings at the Tung-chiao-ch’ang, an act which was
followed by numerous similar cases outside the provincial city. The
whole of this disorder is due to the local officials neglecting to
issue proper instructions for securing obedience to the edicts, so
that disturbances have been fermented among the people. Again, after
the occurrences there has been a want of dispatch in punishing the
offenders.
The governor-general of the province in question, Liu Ping-chang, is
guilty of criminal incapacity of the most serious kind. According to
Censor Wu Lang-kuei’s report, when the disorders commenced Liu
Ping-chang persistently disregarded them and made no disposition of
troops whatever for their suppression, the result being that crowds
of irresponsible idlers gathered together and numerous cases of the
same kind arose elsewhere. The said governor-general has recklessly
betrayed the trust reposed in him, and we hereby command that he be
deprived of office and be never again mentioned for employment, as a
stern warning to all others against incapacity in office. We further
order Liu Chuan-lin to institute the strictest examination into the
conduct of intendents and prefects, with a view to discriminate and
punish as may appear advisable. Rescript.
