sent petty officers to make thorough search, and on the 26th of the first moon (February 23, 1903) they arrested Kan Lin-ch'iang and others, men and women, ten in all, who were practicing Boxer arts, and we now ask for orders as to how we shall deal with them.' To this reply was received as follows: "The contents of the report have been carefully noted. Proclamations have been issued repeatedly, strictly forbidding any revival of the disturbances of 1900, which were originated by the Boxers, but Kan Lin-ch'iang and his party, having no regard for the law, assembled a lot of people to form a band of Boxers and drilled them in the dead of night. When they were being searched for by the civil and military officials, they dared to resist arrest and killed and wounded several soldiers. Thereupon seven of them were killed, men and women, and their heads exposed as a warning. Ten others, men and women, were arrested and their swords, spears, flags, pennons, charms, and pledges, all proofs of their evil designs, were brought to light. I shall depute Taotai Chang Hsi-luan, of the military secretariat of the regular force, to proceed at once with all haste and make a thorough investigation, and deal with the matter according to the regulations already in force. As to the ten men and women already in custody, let them be carefully tried and afterwards beheaded, and let their heads be sent to the place of their rebellion and suspended as a warning to all and a testimony to the rigor of the law. We shall expect also that some plan be devised to secure the remainder of the band. Let every exertion be made to root it out, so as to prevent further trouble. Forward this with all haste. [Inclosure 2.] Proclamation of Viceroy Yuan Shih-k' ai. This proclamation is issued to clearly set forth certain prohibitions. Whereas on my taking charge of this office in the middle of the eleventh moon of the XXVII year of Kuanghsu (January, 1901), after the troubles which the province of Chihli had experienced, certain lawless bandits leagued themselves together to excite the people, again bring on calamity, and revive the dying embers of sedition, it became most urgently necessary to prepare severe regulations and by heavy penalties suppress disorder. At that time I decided upon eleven regulations, which were printed and published far and near, giving information to all, and I ordered all my subordinates to strictly enforce the prohibitions, all of which is a matter of record. For more than a year these regulations have been uniformly observed, and the province has been entirely quiet. But, perhaps because a long time has elapsed, Some have grown careless and have not given special attention, so that they have secretly incited the people and caused the remnants of evil to sprout again, thus occasioning trouble and bringing calamity upon the country people. It becomes necessary, therefore, to again set forth these prohibitions, which have been printed and published for information, admonishing all to exert themselves to observe them and put away evil, that they may enjoy the blessings of widespread peace and prosperity. Let everyone tremblingly obey. An urgent special proclamation. ELEVEN REGULATIONS FOR TEMPORARY USE IN THE SUPPRESSION OF DISORDER. 1. Those dealing in magical spells to befool the people shall be beheaded. 2. Those propagating evil teaching and practicing evil arts, no matter whether leader or followers, shall all be beheaded. 3. Those who band together to plunder or who employ weapons to commit violent crimes shall be beheaded. 4. Soldiers and runners connected with the yamens who are in sympathy with evil societies or Boxers shall be beheaded. 5. Householders who furnish quarters for evil societies or who harbor Boxers shall, after an examination demonstrates their guilt, be imprisoned for five years, and their property shall be confiscated to reward (informers). 6. In case of clans or villages some of whose people may be connected with evil societies or Boxers, the chiefs of such clans or the elders of such villages, together with the local constable, must at once report the same to the officials, that they may FR 1903-6 -racticed, immediately upon its becoming known to the local official he shall destroy he said altars and confiscate the property. If there be any informers, the property hall be given for a reward to the informers, whether men or women. 8. All who may arrest members of evil societies or Boxers and bind and send them o the officials shall be rewarded with 200 taels for every leader and the same amount. or every five followers delivered. Those who report rumors upon which any arrests nay result shall be rewarded with one-half of the above amounts. 9. The suppression of Boxerism simply requires that the department and district nagistrates shall be more diligent in making inquiry and in following up their lues and dealing with the matter conscientiously, so as to nip these disorders in the oud. Hereafter if it shall appear upon investigation that there are Boxers in any listrict who have set up their altars and preached and practiced their doctrines, hen the official of the said department or district shall be impeached and severely lealt with according to the statute provided in case of leniency toward rebels. 10. These prohibitions are especially prepared for those who may hereafter propagate or practice evil teachings, thus stirring up trouble and rebellion. As for those who have formerly been Boxers, aside from the leaders, all who have been coerced nto joining, if only they shall truly repent and immediately turn over a new leaf, hall not be involved. 11. Should anyone, cherishing a grudge, make a false accusation, hoping thereby o share the reward, on its being shown by examination that there is no truth in the charges, he shall at once receive the punishment due the crime which he shall have ried to fasten upon others. In no case shall any leniency be shown. Imperial Governm drign consulates a Gera Government ha depowers in the af equater required for the che asked for, in t The jurisdiction of t Arangtung, to the e des rated by the that Russian legisla runals are establi paratives beyond t Expire. In the interes ty with the admini prim their province. representative of th ted to intervene in th OF UNITED STATE INI Mr. L RIGHT OF CONSULS ENGAGED IN BUSINESS TO TAKE PART IN No. 1219.] Mr. Conger to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to inclose copies of correspondence with Con- E. H. CONGER. lose herewith for Department, inclo from the command lation to visits by S arts of the upper he Navy Departmen The Acting Secre CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES, re the honor to inclose SIR: There has grown up a practice in this port of appointing consuls, vice-consuls, etc., without any interests to safeguard, and of late myself and my professional coleagues do not view this with equanimity; in fact, I, as senior, have been repeatedly sked why I allowed these commercial consuls to attend our consular meetings. In Chefoo there are the British, Japanese, German, and United States consuls, French and Russian vice-consuls, who are not engaged in other occupations, but conine themselves exclusively to consular duties. Of these I am the senior. We claim hat the above six constitute the consular body now, and such consuls that other nations may send here who are likewise excluded from commercial pursuits; but besides the above, there are the Netherlands consul, Norwegian and Swedish conul, and the Austro-Hungarian vice-consul. ed from the comma te by small gunboat such comment as the pectfully, Rear-Admiral Era amit herewith for yo July 30 (inclosing a copy 4, from our minister y and August 11, 1903 s at Dalny (Talienwan). has decided to admit the presence of consular repreaforesaid city on the following terms: the assumption of functions by the representatives in n the ordinary way, through the foreign office at St. of these representatives extends throughout the whole e exclusion of Port Arthur and other fortified points, he local military authorities. gislation is enforced throughout the said territory and ablished there, foreign consuls at Dalny will have no d those which are accorded to them throughout the rests of good administration of affairs, these consuls ainistrative authorities of the territory in all questions f the powers, excepting the one established at Dalny, 1 the affairs of his nationals in the territory referred to. ATES WAR VESSELS TO VISIT CHINESE INLAND WATERS. . Hay to Mr. Conger. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 7, 1903. for your information a copy of a letter from nclosing copies of correspondence recently ander in chief of the United States Asiatic by small gunboats of the United States Navy per Yangtse. A copy of this Department's ment's letter is also herewith inclosed. JOHN HAY. [Inclosure 1.] Secretary of the Navy to Mr. Hay. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 2, 1903. lose for your information copies of correspondence ommander in chief United States Asiatic fleet, with nboats in certain parts of the upper Yangtse, China, s the State Department may desire to make. CHAS. H. DARLING, Acting Secretary. [Subinclosure 1.] l Evans to the Secretary of the Navy. COMMANDER IN CHIEF'S OFFICE, FLAGSHIP KENTUCKY, to occur at any time, and upon which occasions the presence of an armed force would be necessary to insure proper protection. 3. Upon the receipt of the reply from our minister at Peking I will inclose a copy of it to the Department for its information. Very respectfully, Mis., No. 1877.] R. D. EVANS, Commander in Chief United States Asiatic Fleet. [Subinclosure 2.] Mr. Conger to Rear-Admiral Evans. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to inclose herein, for such action on your part as the provisions of our treaties and the protection of American interests warrant, a translation of a communication from the taotai at Kiukiang to the United States consul-general at Hankow, requesting him to notify the commanders of all the United States gunboats that they must not go inland where there are no treaty ports in order to prevent trouble. I am, etc., [Subinclosure 3.-Translation.] E. H. CONGER. Taotai Shwai to the United States consul-general at Hankow. KWANGHSU, 29TH YEAR, 5TH MOON, 14TH DAY, SIR: I hereby communicate to you that on the Kwanghsu, 29th year, 5th moon, 7th day, I received instructions from Governor Kuo, saying that on the 5th moon, 3d day, of this year, Magistrate Duo Ning Kwang, of Sin Jieu district, petitioned to his excellency, stating that the constable reported the arrival of a French gunboat at Wang Jar Duo. Two of the officers, named Mei-din and Pu-lo, went to the capital in a small boat to buy some supplies and returned to Wang Jar Duo. His excellency says as the people of Nan-chang are very rough, and it is not a treaty port, if trouble occurs who will be responsible? Therefore his excellency instructs me to inform all the consuls that in future it is strictly forbidden for gunboats to travel at will, so as to prevent trouble, which might occur. In accordance with the treaty, foreign gunboats can only travel to treaty ports. Nan-chang is not a treaty port, and the people there are very rough. that as the report is ter inom the taotai wa med the comman the purposes for which i offer, he is author boats to Poyang La in the past; that the bal men;" that if a is these "had men" the g artbermore, that if the desirable character, I the visits of our gunboats gest that the Kikiang of the visit of prope letify the taotai that o purpose for which the gunboats of the variou Last autumn the general foreign affairs office informed the southern viceroy to inform all the consuls-general at Shanghai to instruct all the captains of their gunboats not to go to Poyang Lake and inland to travel, which is on record. Therefore I write to the honorable consul to please look over this dispatch and inform all gunboats not to go inland, so as to prevent trouble, and please give me a reply. [Subinclosure 4.] Rear-Admiral Evans to Mr. Conger. SHWAI, Taotai. COMMANDER IN CHIEF'S OFFICE, UNITED STATES ASIATIC FLEET, FLAGSHIP KENTUCKY, Chefoo, China, July 30, 1903. pectfully, are to acknowledge rece e to the movements of sidered with much car contents of the letter arang, reporting that a Fr Ean River to Wang Cha you state, with the m mean that vessel. Furth ld be prohibited and th t to send gunboats to t SIR: 1. The following extract from a report dated the 25th instant, from the commanding officer of the U. S. S. Villalobos, one of our gunboats operating in the Yangtse and neighboring waters for the purpose of watching over and protecting the lives and interests of Americans in those waters, is furnished for your information: ne that there seems little doubt the reference is to us. correspondence with our diplomatic representatives, made to visit the Americans residing in Nanchang the protection of their lives and property. ter that such visits should be prohibited and that the previously been warned not to send gunboats to the of this district are 'bad men.' Apropos of this statetest evidence of bad feeling throughout my trip to p for the last 10 miles. Arms in arms curtain bags fully able to protect themselves against bad men.' officers who have cruised in the Poyang district that I until they number at least 10 to 1 to the foreigner. nderstand, we are at liberty to navigate the inland taotai at Kiukiang shows in his letter an apparent is bad men' a proper respect and line of conduct ly nation, I am of the opinion that his action is overke. This attitude of the taotai recalls the fact that I Chinese officials at Nanchang during my short visit not thought of it in the nature of a snub at the time, ear understanding regarding relations with Americans -t is written from Hankow that the consul-general to i was written is the one at that place. manding officer of the Villalobos that his trip to Nanich it was made meets with my approval, and that, if thorized to inform the taotai at Kiukiang that the g Lake and neighboring waters will be carried on in t these gunboats are amply provided with means for if any acts are committed against American life and the gunboats will deal immediately and severely with f the Poyang district is to be considered as containing ter, necessitating more careful watching over foreign oats will be more frequent than heretofore. proper Chinese officials be informed of the report of isit of the Villalobos to Poyang Lake, and that they be hat our treaty rights permit the navigation of these h the Villalobos is there, and that also it has been the various foreign nations to make similar visits. R. D. EVANS, Commander in Chief United States Asiatic Fleet. [Subinclosure 5.] he commanding officer of the U. S. S. Villalobos. COMMANDER IN CHIEF'S OFFICE, › STATES ASIATIC FLEET, FLAGSHIP KENTUCKY, Chefoo, China, July 30, 1903. ge receipt of your Nos. 177-03 and 13-03 of the 21st nts of the U. S. S. Villalobos. uch care paragraph 16 of the letter above referred to, letter read to you by our consul-general from the at a French gunboat had gone through Poyang Lake ig Chai-tu, and thence by boat to Nanchang, which the movements of the Villalobos and is presumably Further, that the taotai insisted in this letter that I and that the foreign representatives had previously Jo theron bouta |