Mr. Denby to Mr.
Olney.
Legation of the United States,
Peking, March 24, 1896.
(Received April 30.)
No. 2496.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a
translation of a communication from the Tsung-li Yamên concerning the
agreement made by the members of the Szechuan commission and the Chinese
officials as to the payment of the claims of the American Methodist
Mission.
[Page 49]
I inclose, also, a copy of my answer to this communication. It will be
seen that the Yamên is ready to take up the claims of the Southern
Baptists’ Union, which were not presented by the commission.
In my dispatch No. 2479, of February 14, 1896, I transmitted to you a
copy of the claim of the Southern Baptists’ Union and asked instructions
as to whether I should present it in the form in which it reached
me.
Since the date of that dispatch I have written to the consul at Hankow to
procure from the claimants a more accurate and definite statement. It is
quite likely that the claims would have been allowed if they had been
presented at Chengtu by the American commission, but it is, on the other
hand, most probable that claims made for “enforced traveling to Shanghai
and return,” “extra incidental expenses,” “two passages to America”—for
which you see the dispatch cited—if presented by me to the Yamên, will
meet with vigorous objection.
The bill on its face shows that some of the missionaries only went to
Chungking, and for these the charge for traveling expenses is only $100,
while others went to Shanghai at a cost of $350, and two went from
Chungking to America at a cost of $700. * * *
I await your instructions.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
2496.]
The Tsung-li Yamên to
Mr. Denby.
Your Excellency: In September last we
received a dispatch from you announcing the appointment of three
officials—Messrs. Read, Barber, and Cheshire—as a commission to
proceed to Szechuan to investigate the missionary cases in that
province, and this Government ordered the provincial judge of the
province to cooperate with them.
We have now received a dispatch from the governor-general of Szechuan
stating that the judge and the taotai in charge of the bureau of
foreign affairs have made a joint report as follows:
On the 28th of May, 1895, at the English dispensary in Chengtu, near
the Shrine of the Four Sacred Men, a dispute arose with the
populace, leading to a row in which the dispensary was destroyed.
Rowdies profited of the incident to stir up trouble, and the
disturbance was resumed on the next day at the chapel on Shensi
street. These incidents were reported in a memorial, and thereafter
the most active leaders were arrested, of whom Wang Shui-ting and
five others were tried and were reported to the Throne for
execution.
Just as the question of indemnity was under consideration we learned
that the American Government had ordered Mr. Read and his
fellow-commissioners to come to Szechuan to investigate these
matters. In connection therewith the Tsung-li Yamên detailed the
provincial judge of this province to cooperate with said
commissioners in their investigations and also ordered the taotai
Lai Ho-nien to enter the bureau of foreign affairs as director. Mr.
Read and his companions arrived at the capital of Szechuan on the
15th of last December. The judge and the taotai fixed a time for a
conference and were engaged with them in deliberations daily until
the 28th December. By that date a conclusion had been arrived at
between them as to the chapel on Shensi street, where the damage to
house and furniture had been comparatively heavy, and as to the
missionaries at Silver Hill, in Lin Shui department, who had
suffered from fright. Both these cases were of the
[Page 50]
Methodist Episcopal Mission and it was
proper to deal with them together.
It was agreed that in these Methodist cases payment should be made of
30,325 taels of the weight known as “nine-seven,” and it was decided
that of this sum 10,325 taels, at the city of Chungking, was to be
delivered in two installments to Rev. O. H. Cady in full
settlement.
As to the case of the residence on White Pagoda street, in the city
of Lo Shan Hsien, the case of the five-room straw house at Five
Stars Mountain, in Ching Fu Hsien, the case of the glass flower pot
at the Lu Chia Gardens in the city of I Pin Hsien, and the case of
the missionary Pei Chi-i, also known as Pei Chi-i (using different
characters with same sound), who lost his baggage on the boat, Mr.
Read and the other commissioners said that these were all affairs of
the Southern Baptists’ Mission; that the members of this mission not
having yet submitted a statement of their losses it would be
necessary to report the matter to Mr. Denby, American minister at
Peking, who would communicate with the Tsung-li Yamên as to the
settlement thereof. Mr. Read and the other commissioners having,
therefore, stated that each mission must attend to its own affairs,
and that it was inconvenient for them to delay longer, we assented
and acted accordingly. We made out an agreement in Chinese and
English, signing and sealing three copies thereof in English, in
conclusion of the business, and on the 1st of January Mr. Read and
his companions left Chengtu for Tientsin.
We request your examination of the terms of the agreement we have
entered into as to those missionary cases in the province of
Szechuan, which we have settled by our deliberations.
This Yamên observes that the Methodist Mission’s Shensi street and
other cases have all been amicably settled by commissioners
appointed by our respective Governments, so that no further
correspondence regarding them will be necessary. It can not be said
that China is unmindful of her relations with other States.
Regarding the cases at Lo Shan Hsien and elsewhere, mentioned in the
foregoing document, which are the affairs of the Southern Baptists,
we are constrained to await a communication from your excellency as
to whether or not a report of their losses has been submitted by the
members of that mission, whereupon we will discuss the settlement
thereof.
In anticipation of such a communication we forward this dispatch to
you and request a reply.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
2496.]
Mr. Denby to
the Tsung-li Yamên.
Your Highnesses and Your Excellencies: I
have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of
the 19th instant wherein you set forth a copy of the report of the
judge and the taotai at Chengtu to the governor-general of Szechuan
touching the proceedings of the American Szechuan commission.
You therein state that the claims for damages done by rioters in May
last to the property of the American Methodist Missions were settled
by the commission and the Chinese officials. This fact is confirmed
by the report of the commission to the Government of the United
States, a duplicate copy whereof has been received by me.
[Page 51]
You further state that the claims of other American missionaries for
damages were not settled because they had not been presented to the
commission, and you particularly mention the Southern Baptists.
You farther state that you await a communication from me touching the
said claims, upon receipt of which you will discuss the settlement
thereof.
In reply to your communication I have to state that I will transmit
the claims of the Southern Baptists to you as soon as they reach
me.
The report of the American commission has been forwarded to the
Government of the United States, and I await its instructions
touching the same.
