Slike strani
PDF
ePub

had been agreed, after some debate, we should, by the steps on the western side, and, entering the pavilion, found ourselves at once in a large hall divided by wooden pillars in the usual northern style, into five sections. We came into this by the second section from the west, filing into the centre section until we were opposite the throne on which the Emperor was seated at the north end of the hall. We then bowed to the Emperor, advanced a few paces and bowed again, then advanced a few paces farther bowing again, and halted before a long yellow table about half way up the hall, I should say some ten or twelve paces distant from the throne.

The throne was, I think, raised above the floor of the dais on which it stood by a couple of steps. The dais itself was separated from the hall by a light rail broken right and left of the throne by low flights of three stairs each. The Emperor was seated Manchu fashion, that is, cross-legged. Upon his left were the Prince of Kung, his brother, known as the seventh Prince, and another Prince, the son of the famous Sangolinsin, who repulsed our attack on the forts of Taku in 1859. To the right of His Majesty stood two other magnates, the nearest being the senior of the hereditary Princes not of the Imperial house; the other, I belive, a son-in-law of the old Emperor, whose name was Pao-kuang. Below on either side was a double rank of high officials, which spread outwards from the throne towards us, until their flanks reached the columns marking the outer line of the centre section in which we were standing. In rear of these were others filling the flank sections east and west up to the walls.

On the whole the spetacle was fair to see, although I should not go so far as to style it imposing.

Our party having halted as I have described, the Minister of Russia, General Vlangaly, as Doyen of the Corps, read aloud an adress in French, of which I inclose a copy. A Chinese translation of it had been already shown to the Prince of Kung, and this was then read by M. Bismarck, Secrétaire Interprète of the German Legation, who, as I have reported, had been selected from the first to act as Interpreter-General at our Conferences. In this capacity he entered the hall with us, and took his place behind. M. Vlangaly.

As soon as the address was delivered we laid our letters of credence upon the table. The Emperor made a slight bow of acknowledgement, and the Prince of Kung falling upon both knees at the foot of the throne, His Majesty appeared to speak to him I say appeared, because no sound reached my ears. We had been told, however, that the Emperor would speak in Manchu, and that the Prince would interpret. Accordingly, as soon as His Highness rose, he descended the steps, and informed us that the letters of credence had been received. Then returning to his place, he again fell upon his knees, and the Emperor having again spoken to him in a low tone, he again descended the steps, and coming up to us informed us that His Majesty trusted that our respective Rulers were in good health, and expressed a hope that foreign affairs might all be satisfactorily arran

ged between foreign Ministers and the Tsungli Yamên. This closed the Audience, which may have lasted a little more than five minutes.

We then all withdrew in the usual fashion, »à recolons«, and bowing, with the exception of M. de Geofroy, Minister of France, who had a reply to deliver from his Government to the letter of explanations carried to France in 1870 by the Minister Chunghow. That with which M. de Geofroy was charged may be considered to close all discussion regarding the Tienstin massacre.

It had been conceded, not without debate, that M. de Geofroy was for this second audience to be allowed the use of his own interpreter, M. Deveria. As we retired, therefore, that gentleman was introduced. The second audience was over as quickly as the first, and M. de Geofroy presently overtook us at the Shih-ying-K'ung, whence, after a short session, we were conducted to our chairs by the Ministers of the Yamên, the Grand Secretary joining the rest at the gate.

There was a strong disposition to establish a rule by which no audience should be granted except to a quorum of five Ministers. The Japanese Ambassador was nevertheless granted his audience alone, and the second audience accorded to M. de Geofroy will always be referred to as a precedent for the admission of any single Minister who is charged with a written message from his Government.

Considering the antecedents of the discussion, I regard M. de Geofroy's separate audience as the most important result of the whole, always with a single exception. That exception is the concession of the audience, at all, to a number of foreigners declining not only to perform the kotow, but even to bend the knee. We must remember the long-standing pretension of the Emperor of China to this act of homage, and the tradition of isolated supremacy on which that pretension has been based. The Empire has, for the first time in its history, broken with the tradition; not, it may be, with a good grace, but still has broken with it past recal; and while I would anxiously deprecate a too sanguine estimate of its results, immediate or remote, I am as little disposed to undervalue the significance of the change that has been effected. We are not free to forget the conditions under which but a century ago the Representatives of friendly States were admitted into the presence of the Sultan at Constantinople, and the extract which I inclose will remind us of what but three years since was the position of a foreign Minister before the Mikado of Japan. In a country like this, therefore, where forms of longer standing far than in the sister strongholds of immutability, so largely usurp the place of substance, it is not to be disputed that in its present departure from precedent an important beginning has been made. There may be there is very much in our late reception that falls short of the standard of our requirements, as authorized by the usages of the Western world; but we appeared face to face with the Emperor, standing, because we represented Governments the equal of his own, and in the recognition of this equality China has commenced her retreat from the maintenance of that claim to be greater and better than her neighbours, which has proved, more than

any other, a cause of hindrance to her improvement at home, and as a consequence, a standing danger to the security of her relations abroad.

(Translation.)

Inclosure 1.

The Prince of Kung to Mr. Wade.

The Prince of Kung makes a communication.

The Yamen having presented a Memorial to the throne, showing that the foreign Ministers resident in Peking have begged for an Audience to present letters from their Governments, had the honour to receive, upon the 20th day of the 5th moon of the 12th year of the reign Fung Chih, the following decree:

>The Tsung-li Yamên having presented a Memorial to the effect that the foreign Ministers residing in Peking have implored [us to grant] an audience that they may deliver letters from their Governments, we command that the foreign Ministers residing in Peking, who have brought letters from their Governments, be accorded Audience. Respect this!<<

It is the duty of the Prince to communicate a copy of the Imperial Decree, reverently made, to the Ministers of Russia, the United States, England, and France (named as usual and titles given in full).

Fung Chih, 12th year, 5th moon, 21st day (June 15, 1873).

Inclosure 2.

Revised Edition of a Memorandum of Etiquette to be observed at the Audience, forwarded by the Tsung-li Yamên to the Foreign Ministers on the 26th June, 1873.

(Translation.)

The Foreign Ministers will bring with them M. Bismarck as their interpreter in common. M. de Geofroy will bring M. Deveria as his interpreter in particular.

The Ministers will alight from their chairs. or horses, at the Fu Hua Gate, and they will there be received by the Ministers of the Yamen who will accompany them, in the first instance, to the Shih Ying Kung, where for a short time they will rest. If His Majesty by pleased to bestow refreshment upon them, it is here they will partake of it.

Their escort will remain in a tent outside the Fu Hua Gate, where there will persons to attend to them. Their retinue will also remain hereabouts. Neither escort nor retinue will enter the Fu Hua Gate.

As soon as His Majesty, coming from the eastern side of the building, reaches the inner (lit. rearmost) hall of the Tzu Kuang Ko, the Ministers of the Yamên will accompany the foreign Ministers and the Interpreters to a marquee to the west of the Tzu Kuang Ko, where they will wait a short time, until His Majesty shall have entered the Tzu Kuang Ko. The Ministers of the Yamên will accompany the foreign Ministers and the Interpreter, M. Bismarck, up the western flight of steps into the Tzu Kuang Ko by the space west [it is assumed, of the centre space].

The speech (or speeches) of the foreign Ministers ended, they will each one spread his Letter of Credence upon the Yellow Table.

His Majesty the Emperor, making some special sign of affability (probably a bow), will say (lit. answer) that the Letters of Credence have now been received, and make gracious remarks and put kindly questions.

These will be interpreted with solemn reverence by the Prince of Kung. [Foreign Ministers] when they come into the door [of the hall], when they are speaking, or stating their names, as also when questions are addressed to them, and when they make answer, also when they retire, will, in token of extraordinary respect, make reverences, as it was originally agreed (or proposed) they should.

When

The forms will be settled by rehearsal before the Audience. the ceremony is ended, the other four foreign Ministers and the interpreter. M. Bismarck, will retire by the western flight of steps. The Ministers of the Yamen will accompany them to Shih-ying-K'ung, where they will wait a short time, M. Deveria being meanwhile brought in by Ministers of the Yamen into the Tzu Kuang Ko.

M. de Geofroy will speak, and will spread upon the Yellow Table the answer to the letter of the Chinese Government.

His Majesty will, as before, acknowledge the receipt [of this letter]. The Audience (lit. business) thus concluded, M. de Geofroy and M. Deveria, the interpreter, will retire, the Ministers of the Yamen accompanying them to the Shih Ying Kung. Thence, the whole party being reassembled, they will conduct the foreign Ministers and their interpreters out of the Fu Hua Gate.

The arrangements set forth above are made because the Emperor having to receive Letters of Credence, a Decree has been received from His Majesty according an Audience. Hence the liberality of the ceremonial.

Inclosure 3.

Address to the Emperor of China, delivered by M. Vlangaly, Minister of Russia, as Doyen, June 1873.

Sire,

Les Représentants de la Russie, Vlangaly; des États-Unis d'Amérique, Low; de la Grande-Bretagne, Wade; de la France, Geofroy; et des PaysBas, Ferguson, ont l'honneur d'offrir au nom de leurs Gouvernements à votre Majesté Impériale leurs félicitations à l'occasion de sa majorité et font des voeux pour la durée de son règne et la prospérité de son peuple. Ils espèrent voir dans le règne de votre Majesté la continuation du règne de son illustre aïeul, l'Empereur Kang-hi, qui, en élevant la Chine au sommet de sa gloire et de sa puissance, y donna accès aux sciences et aux arts de l'Occident.

La Chine, Sire, retrouvera sous le Gouvernement de votre Majesté ces heureux jours, et les Puissances étrangères, qui ont des Traités conclus avec votre Majesté Impériale, verront avec plaisir le développement des relations et le raffermissement du bon accord qui existent avec votre vaste Empire.

Nous avons l'honneur, Sire, de déposer les lettres qui nous accréditent en qualité d'Envoyés Extraordinaires et de Ministres Plénipotentiaires auprès de votre Majesté Impériale.

185.

ALLEMAGNE, AUTRICHE-HONGRIE, BELGIQUE, DANEMARK, ÉGYPTE, ESPAGNE, ÉTATS-UNIS D'AMÉRIQUE, FRANCE, GRANDE-BRETAGNE, GRÈCE, ITALIE, LUXEMBOURG, PAYS-BAS, PORTUGAL, ROUMANIE, RUSSIE, SERBIE, SUÈDE ET NORVÉGE, SUISSE, TURQUIE.

Traité concernant la création d'une Union générale des postes, signé à Berne, le 9 octobre 1874; suivi d'un protocole final en date du même jour, et du protocole d'échange des ratifications, signé à Berne, le 3 mai 1875.

Reichsgesetzblatt, 1875. p. 223.

I. Traité.

Les soussignés plénipotentiaires des Gouvernements des pays ci-dessus énumérés, ont d'un commun accord et sous réserve de ratification, arrêté la Convention suivante:

Art. 1. Les pays entre lesquels est conclu le présent traité formeront, sous la désignation de »Union générale des postes, un seul territoire postal pour l'échange réciproque des correspondances entre leurs bureaux de poste.

Art. 2. Les dispositions de ce traité s'étendront aux lettres, aux cartes - correspondance, aux livres, aux journaux et autres imprimés, aux échantillons de marchandises et aux papiers d'affaires originaires de l'un des pays de l'Union et à destination d'un autre de ces pays. Elles s'appliqueront également à l'échange postal des objets ci-dessus entre les pays de l'Union et les pays étrangers à l'Union toutes les fois que cet échange emprunte le territoire de deux des parties contractantes au moins.

Art. 3. La taxe générale de l'Union est fixée à 25 centimes pour la lettre simple affranchie.

Toutefois, comme mesure de transition, il est réservé à chaque pays, pour tenir compte de ses convenances monétaires ou autres, la faculté de percevoir une taxe supérieure ou inférieure à ce chiffre moyennant qu'elle ne dépasse pas 32 centimes et ne descende pas au-dessous de 20 centimes. Sera considérée comme lettre simple toute lettre dont le poids ne dé

« PrejšnjaNaprej »