Mr. Wu to Mr. Hay.

No. 251.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note, No. 231, of the 2d instant, relative to certain complaints brought against Mr. Yang Wei-pin, Chinese consul at Honolulu, Hawaii, by Wong Leong, Ng Fawn, and seventeen others, Chinese residents of Honolulu, and informing me of the result of an investigation made by the acting governor of Hawaii relative to the complaints referred to.

In reply I beg to state that I have also received a petition from those same Chinese residents of Honolulu, complaining of the conduct of Consul Yang Wei-pin; that some time prior to the receipt of the petition Consul Yang preferred charges against some of those people for misappropriation of the funds of the Chinese Benevolent Association at Honolulu, and that by my direction an investigation is being made into the truth of all the charges and complaints brought to my notice by Consul Yang and the Chinese residents referred to.

I may state in this connection that recently Consul Yang, for domestic reasons, has tendered his resignation, which has been accepted, and that the vice-consul, Mr. Goo Kim Fui, has been appointed in charge of the consulate there.

Accept, etc.,

Wu Ting-fang.