'Volume II. MEMORANDA REGARDING OTHER EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. 1905.' [‎100r] (204/228)

3
vali(Uty 1 ' Cl 'an(l 'll com P ,ete ar »l of full
r itbo»lwlS^ ,1%^—
2?;s,:r“s “Sss: “ »“»•'
teleBranh^tlft^ November > Sir E. Satow
n S il w r° m e Un0fflcial ^versations
initiated by Wutmgfang and Tang Shaovi
e had derived the conviction that the Chinese’
Government were much disconcerted at the
negotiations with Mr. Chang having been
ordTr' to* 1 * 1 - . T1 ;« ^tter suggested that! in
order to arrive at a settlement, he might be
authorised by Prince Ching to discuss the
matter with Sir Ernest. Sir Ernest replied
that he had no instructions nor any information
further than the fact of Mr. Eraser's com
munication to Mr. Chang, and that it would
be useless to bring him any proposals for
negotiating, but that, if the Chinese Govern
ment were to offer to sign the draft as it
stood, with, if necessary, the omission of
clause I, he might transmit the proposal
to Bis Majesty’s Government for their con
sideration. In Sir Ernest’s opinion a wholesome
effect will he produced on the Chinese Gov
ernment by adherence to a firm attitude.
2. On the 14th November, Sir E. Satow
telegraphed that he had received from the
Wai-wu-pu a note communicating a decree,
commanding that, in view of the poverty of
the Tibetan people, the indemnity of twelve
hundred thousand taels arranged for in con
sequence of the British expedition should be
paid by the Chinese Government. The note
concluded by notifying that the first instal
ment would be paid on the due date. Sir
Ernest considered that this meant that the
Chinese Government would pay it direct for,
and on behalf of, the Tibetans, and he advised
that they should be told that paymeni; could
not be received from them. On the 16th, Sir
Ernest further telegraphed that the Board of
Revenue had approached the Hongkong and
Shanghai Bank, with a view to ascertaining
their terms for remitting two and-a-half
million rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. to Calcutta in three instalments,
beginning with 1st January 1906.
On the 17th November, Mr. Henderson,
the Chinese Plenipotentiary’s Assistant,
brought Sir L. Dane an informal letter from
Mr. Chang, stating that the Amban at Lhasa
had asked him to enquire as to the place of
payment of the indemnity and the name of
the official to whom it should he paid. Sir
L. Dane said he had no commission to nego
tiate with Mr. Chang, and suggested that any
enquiry regarding the Tibetan Convention
which Mr. Chang wished to make should be
addressed to Mr. Eraser as Commissioner. Mr.
Henderson replied to Sir L. Dane that the