Foreign Relations of the United States, 1901, Appendix, Affairs in China, Report of William W. Rockhill, Late Commissioner to China, with Accompanying Documents
Mr. Rockhill to Mr. Hay.
Peking, China, August 19, 1900.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit to you herewith translation of a letter addressed by the Chinese plenipotentiaries to the dean of the diplomatic corps under date of the 17th instant, informing him of the objections raised by the Superintendent of southern trade, the Viceroy Liu K’un-yi, to the Whangpu River conservancy scheme, and also the reply of the dean of the diplomatic corps to the same, stating the concessions made to Viceroy Liu’s views and the reason for not making further alterations in the scheme.
The letter of the Chinese plenipotentiaries was written on my suggestion, Viceroy Li Hung-chang having told me that he was bound to put on record the Nanking viceroy’s views, although he and Prince Ching were willing to accept the plan drawn up by the diplomatic representatives, with the amendments offered in Articles XXXIII and XXXIV of the Regulations.
I am, etc.,
Chinese plenipotentiaries to Mr. De Cologan.
On receipt of the dispatch and the annexed regulations concerning the conservancy of the Woosung River, which was sent us a few days ago by your excellency, we hastened to submit the question to the examination of the Superintendent for southern trade.
We have received to-day from the latter the following telegraphic reply:
“I took up these last days, with several foreign consuls, the question of carrying out (this scheme). The British consul told me that his minister had confined himself to telegraphing to him to inform me of it, without having directed him to enter into a discussion on the subject. Consequently I confined myself to asking him to submit my views on the matter, without being able to discuss the question.
“This subject being part of an international agreement, it is naturally to you that it belongs to discuss it with the foreign ministers.
“As my consent has already been given to the deepening of the river, it is proper that the execution of the work should belong to China, and it is necessary that the sovereign right of China should be recognized. It would be proper that the proposed board should be a Chinese board rather than a foreign one. I beg, therefore, that you will take steps to preserve to us the control, following the lines laid down clearly and in detail in my different telegrams, so that no disagreement shall arise in the future. This is much to be desired for the general interest.
“As to junks and Chinese-owned land, the British consul told me orally that there had originally been no intention of taxing them. Some time after the German consul assured me also that no tax would be levied on native boats, and that the land of Chinese would be subject to a very light tax of one-tenth of 1 per cent. Considering the poverty of the common people, it would seem that this tax might be given up, and that if the seven-tenths of the revenue of the tonnage dues should be insufficient—the three other tenths being reserved for the expenses of the ministry of foreign affairs—it would be necessary for the carrying out of these works to use customs receipts. I would also ask of you in this matter to take some decision and to submit a memorial to the Throne. The ministers of America and Japan have telegraphed to me to beg me to give my consent, and I at once consented to the opening of the river. But it is necessary that we should be preserved in our sovereign rights. The board in question should be organized by the customs taotai and the commissioner of customs. The control over the expenses necessitated for the works will be exercised jointly with the delegates of the powers. The agents employed on the works will be engaged jointly by the different powers, but all the other questions are subject to the sovereign authority of the taotai and the commissioner of customs. After the completion of the works the taxes should be abolished, the board dissolved, and the future management should return entirely to the taotai and the commissioner of customs.
“The above are the points on which I beg you to negotiate with the ministers and obtain their acceptance.”
We, prince and minister, have therefore to state that the Superintendent of southern trade has already given his consent to carrying out the works of deepening the Woosung River, but, as that high official adds, the sovereign rights of China should be recognized. The board should appear as a Chinese board, and be organized by the taotai and the commissioner of customs. The control of the expenses of the undertaking, however, shall be exercised conjointly with the delegates of the powers. It will therefore be necessary, in such articles as the twenty-seventh, thirty-third, and thirty-fourth, which require the agreement of the consulate body, to make mention of the taotai of Shanghai before the consular body. By so doing the rights of sovereignty will remain unimpaired.
As regards junks and Chinese-owned land, since the British consul has not expressed the opinion that they should be taxed and the German consul has given assurances that junks would not be taxed, and that it is also possible to give up the idea of levying taxes on Chinese-owned land, we think that the foreign plenipotentiaries will agree with us on this point. We have therefore to ask that paragraphs 1 and 2 of article 30, concerning revenues, shall be stricken out, and that, in case of insufficiency of tonnage dues, we will take upon us to submit to the Throne a report proposing to make up the deficit by means of the 5 per cent effective customs dues.
We deem it therefore necessary to address the present official communication to your excellency, and to beg you to submit it as soon as may be to the examination of the foreign plenipotentiaries, so that they may, without any delay, come to a favorable decision upon it, which we beg you will communicate to us.
This in consideration of our friendly relations.
Mr. de Cologan to the Chinese Plenipotentiaries.
Highness, Excellency: I hastened to transmit to my colleagues your letter dated the 17th of August, in which you informed me of the observations and requests of His Excellency Liu Kun-yi concerning the regulations for the improvement of the course of the Whangpu, and I have the honor to inform you of their reply.
The representatives of the powers direct me unanimously to inform you that they consider the question of the regulations for the Whangpu as being finally agreed upon, and that it is consequently impossible for them to reopen the discussion on that subject. They insist that you shall immediately submit this reply to the Throne, so as to obtain from it in the shortest time authorization to sign the final protocol.
This point being dismissed, my colleagues wish you to remark that they have never had the intention of infringing upon the sovereign rights of the Chinese Government.
Nevertheless, they do not see their way to comply with the request of the Superintendent of southern trade as regards the formation of the board by the taotai and the inspector-general of customs, for this request goes against the steps which they have taken to maintain an equal division between the important interests concerned. It can not be conciliated with the guaranties the powers have been led to ask of China, and which they have chosen after careful study. Furthermore, the presence of the taotai and the commissioner of customs on the board gives to China an important representation, sufficient to safeguard its rights and its interests.
As you may convince yourself, the regulations in question only impose taxes on shins of non-Chinese type; that is to say, that native junks are exempt from these duties.
The taxes on property situated along the Whangpu do not constitute a heavy burden, especially in view of the appreciation of value the improvement of the course of the river will give to this property. This consideration, which can not escape the superintendent of southern trade, obliges the representatives of the powers to insist on the taxation of real estate along the bank of the Whangpu.
The remark of the superintendent of southern trade concerning handing over the completed works to the Chinese Government after a term of twenty years is premature.
As regards the telegram of His Excellency Liu Kun-yi referring to the inadequacy of the tonnage dues to cover the portion to be contributed by the Chinese Government, the representatives of the powers have to recall to you that these tonnage dues, being assigned to foreign loans, China will be, under all circumstances, obliged to pay the amount of its contribution for the expenses of the works in question from other sources.
Articles 33 and 34 stipulate that the board shall submit for the approbation of the Consular body at Shanghai such increases of taxes as it may have to decide upon, and also its report on the annual accounts. Your highness and your excellency have asked that the approbation of the taotai should be also needed, and that the official should be mentioned before the consuls. My colleagues have the honor to call your attention to the fact that the taotai, being also a member of the board, can not be invested with the power of approving the decisions of this assembly, and that in no case is it possible to place him before the consular body of the powers. But being, nevertheless, desirous to show their spirit of conciliation, and to give your highness and your excellency and also His Excellency Liu Kun-yi proof of high esteem, the representatives of the powers agree to stipulate in articles 33 and 34 that the decisions of the board shall be communicated to the superintendent of southern trade, and to mention this high official before the consular body.
Finally, my colleagues insist that I shall call your attention to the fact that the improvement of the course of the Whangpu is one of the conditions made by the powers for their acceptation of the raising of the tariff on maritime imports to an effective 5 per cent; that the above-mentioned regulations form an integral part of the clauses resulting from the note of the 22d of December, 1900, and that it has been approved by all foreign governments. In consequence of this, they put the said condition to the concession mentioned above.
I avail myself, etc.,