Mr. Denby to Mr.
Olney.
Legation of the United States,
Peking, October 16,
1895. (Received Nov. 29.)
No. 2403.]
Sir: In my dispatch No. 2400, of the 15th
instant, I referred to an imperial decree which was issued on the 4th
instant relating to the punishment of the subordinate officials in
Szechuan for their culpability in connection with the antiforeign riots.
I now inclose a translation of that decree.
This decree states that Wang Shui-ting and 22 others, leaders and
accessories in these riots, have been arrested, and of these 6 have been
[Page 162]
tried and executed and 17
have been sentenced to banishment, to be cangued, or to be beaten.
Five officials have already been reported to the Throne for removal from
office.
In addition to these, Expectant Taotai Chou, the chief of police, is
removed from his post and is to be handed over to the board to decide
upon his punishment, and 5 other officials are to be handed over to the
board to decide upon their punishment.
Effective protection of missions is enjoined upon all officials, who are
ordered to instruct the people as to their conduct. The paper concludes
with the expression of the hope that tranquillity will be preserved.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure in No.
2403—Translation.]
Imperial decree promulgated October 14, 1895, and
printed in the Yellow Gazette October 15.
A decree was recently issued punishing severely Liu Ping-chang, the
ex-viceroy of Szechuan, for his failure to deal properly with the
uprisings in his province, in which many mission chapels were
destroyed.
According to a memorial now at hand from Kung Shou1 and Lu
Chuan-lin,2 Wang Shui-ting, and 22 others, leaders arid
accessories in these outbreaks, have been arrested, and of these 6
have been tried and executed and 17 have been sentenced to be
banished, to be cangued, or to be beaten, thus to illustrate the
severity of the law and to serve as a warning for the future.
The following officials, who failed to do their duty in this matter,
viz, Chou Feng-tsao, department magistrate of Yachou; Chen Hsin,
acting district magistrate of Ta-yi Hsien; Hsin Yuan-liang, acting
district magistrate of Mien-ning Hsien; Su Ping, district magistrate
of Hsin-chin Hsien; Fan Wan-hsuan, district magistrate of Kuan
Hsien, have already been reported to the Throne for removal from
office it is commanded that in addition to these Expectant Taotai
Chou, the chief of police, be removed from his post and be handed to
the board to decide upon his punishment; and that Tan. Cheng-lien,
acting prefect of Chengtu; Hwang Tao-ping, expectant district
magistrate and acting district magistrate of Hwa-yang and of
Chengtu; Hsiang Tsu, acting colonel of the garrison at Chengtu; Hung
Tsu-nien, district magistrate of Lo Shan, Hwang Cheng; Cheng-lien,
acting lieutenant of the military post at Lo Shan, all to be handed
to the board to decide upon their punishment.
There are many mission chapels of various nationalities in Szechuan.
It is the imperative duty of Lu Chuan-lin and the other officials of
the province to strictly order the authorities under them to afford
effective protection and to permit no further troubles to arise
through their remissness. They are also directed to order the
department and district magistrates in their jurisdictions to give
opportune instruction to the people as to their own interests in
this matter. It is earnestly to be hoped that suspicion may be
dissipated and that the Christians and the people may dwell in
harmony, thereby realizing the Throne’s great desire to restore
tranquillity to these localities.
Respect this.
