The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-11 00:00:00

No. 5.

" CAPTAIN OSBORN'S REMARKS UPON PRINCE
KUNG'S LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS.

" Pekin, Sep. 28, 1863.

" In the first place these instructions are in direct
cDntra.ven',ion of my formal agreement with Mr.
Lay, which runs to the following effect :

"'That I was to be Commander-in Chief of the
European Chinese Navy, with entire control over all
vessels of European construction as well as native
craft manned with Europeans in the employ of the
Emperor of China, or under his authority, in the
employ of natives, and I was to have an authority
from the Emperor to cover my acts as the Comman-
der-in-Chief of the European• Chinese Navy. On the
other hand, I bound myself to act upon all orders
from the Emperor convoyed through Mr. Lay, and
not to attend to those delivered through any other
source.

" A copy of this agreement was furnished to the
Prince, yet, in spite of it, and, indeed, ignoring it
entirely (for 1 am told he has not even acknowledged
the document), the Prince sends me orders to place
myself and my people under the authority of the
Foutai Le, as well es that of no less than three
other provincial authorities.
"Prince Kung acknowledges that the appoint-
ment of Commander-in-Chief of my force was filled
up by the Governor-General of Keang-soo, and
merely confirmed by the Emperor ; and, further, he
(Prince Rung) directs the said Chinese Commander-
in-Chief to repair on board a ship at Shanghai.
This would virtually suspend me from the post I at
present hold, by virtue of a temporary commission
granted me by the Inspector-General, Mr. Lay,
upon the authority of Prince Kung's instructions
and premises of last year.
" Apart from the conclusions which Mr. Lay has
arrived as to the want of good faith displayed in
the document before me, my own suspicions are
aroused by the crafty wording of its contents. In
one paragraph I am superseded, and have, apart
from the Emperor, Prince Rung, and the Board
called the Chinese Foreign-office, all provincial high
officers placed over me ; in another I am enjoined
to act in a friendly spirit of co-operation with my
superiors ; and this is immediately followed by a
carefully worded sentence, in which I am distinctly
warned that the distribution of the force will be
dependent upon the whim of the governors and
governors-general of the provinces, that lam to
follow their instructions in all things, and, as the
original document runs, I am ' not to act, advance,
retire, or remain stationary without conferring
with those dignitaries, and to consider their decision
as final.'
"Mr. Lay says very justly in his marginal notes
that those conditions would practically place me
under the orders of the lowest officer on the list of
either of the officials named.
"I have no intention of submitting to such terms,
and for the following reasons
" 1. Naval operations for the suppression of all
the disorders enumerated in the Prince's orders
could not be successful, fettered as I should be under
such a system. It may be the Chinese system ; if
so, it explains their unfitness for war or naval
operations.
"2. I came here to serve the Emperor, and under
him the Regent, not to be the servant of mere pro-
vincial authorities. On that point I stand distinctly
upon the terms of my agreement.
" 1 The officers and men of the force were en-
tered upon a specific agreement to serve me as Com-
mander-in-Chief. Directly a Chinese officer steps
in as my superior in that force the agreement is
null and void, and without it all law and order
would cease and my power be at an end.
" 4. By submitting to such instructions and vio-
lation of my original agreement I should at once
deprive myself of the power to assist in carrying
out in China the policy of Western civilisation. My
force, powerful as it will be for good or evil, might
be directed against the interests of oommeroe or of
common humanity. Brutal butchery might be per-
petrated, and I should be powerless to prevent it.
My men and officers, the pick of many from the
Royal Navy of England, would be associated upon
equal terms with the rowdies and pirates the Foutai
might be pleased to employ.
" My power to restrain my own men within the
bounds of ordinary discipline would be nil, and the
European-Chinese force, instead of being a blessing,
would become a curse to the Chinese people and to
the best interests of Europe in this empire.
"5. If I was weak enough to forget what is due
to my own position, and attempt to act upon such
instructions, I am certain that I should come to a
dead-lock with the provincial authorities within a
month, exeetly as is at present the case with Major
Gordon,R.E. He is insulted by his Chinese superior,
the pay of his men suddenly stopped at the will of
the Foutai, he is called upon to attempt impossibili-
ties and deprived of adequate forces, and he has
again, for the second time, virtually resigned office
as the military coadj itor of the Foutai. Yet they

* These conditions would practically place you under the
orders of the lowest officer on the staff of either of the offi-
cials named. Prince Kung has seen that our military offi-
cers will act under Taoutais and Foutais, and hence it has
occurred to him that if you could be persuaded to occupy a
similar position the Imperial Government would be relieved
of all trouble and responsibility. I have told the Ministers
that I would rather see the force disbanded and the ships
sold than consent to such a proposition ; there can be but
one naval Commander.in-Chief, yourself, and but ono
maoter, the Imperial Government. IL N L,

wish me to be ' the naval assistant of such a Man-
darin.'

"6. To the argument advanced by the Chinese
Foreign-office that the course proposed by Prince
Rung is a usual one in China,' I reply I did not
come here, or my followers either, to accustom
ourselves to the treatment usual with Chinese
sailors or soldiers, or to assist them in a retrogres-
sive policy in the treatment of European employes
or Europeans in general. The employment of
ships of war and war steamers of European con-
struction is an innovation, that of European
officers and gentlemen slid more so. I and my
force are part and parcel of a new order of things
indicating progress in China.' I will be no party
to her lapsing back into her ancient system and
treating Europeans as if they were Chinamen.
"European commerce in China, and consequent
intercourse, is a departure from all foregone ens-

toms.
" The presence of Europeans at the open ports is
the same.
"The residence of European I,Pgations in Pekin
strikes at the root of China's most ancient prej
dices.

" The entire responsibility of the conduct of the
provincial authorities towards our merchants and
missionaries being forced upon the Ministers at
Pekin is another departure from the most cherished
institutions of these people.
" I merely claim for the European force under my
command another stride in the same wise direction,
and I will not, on all the foregone grounds, depart
from a line of policy decided upon by Mr. Lay and
myself after long and careful discussion—a line of
conduct approved, I am sure, by my countrymen
and profession, and which I see more and more
reason not to swerve from since I have noted the
present bearing of the Pekinese authorities towards
foreigners.
" I may edd in general terms that if I required any con-
firmation of my opinion of the utter impossibility of serving
the Chinese Government upon the terms the Prince sug-
gests, I should find ample grounds in my own experiences
while at Shanghai, as well as in the information General
Brown gives me of Major Gordon's present position. I
found on my arrival at Shanghai that the Foutai's agents
had tampered with the crews of the vessels under my orders.
They were told that the Foutai would give them higher
wages than those I engaged them at, that they would all be
made officers, and that the discipline existing among the
Europeans in his steamers was far pleasanter than the order
I enforced. Puzzled to find such a different system existing
in what was called the Imperial service, the men became
naturally disaffected and anxious to leave me to join the
Europeans employed by the Fouati ; and to enable them to
do so without prejudice to their pockets I found they were
actually offered £ .2 a head bounty, the money to be lodged
in the names of the deserters in an English bank. I had to
discharge 14 men, and was de.tained several days at Shan-
ghai in consequence. It was no fault of the Foutai'e that
I was not detained there altogether.
" Foutai IA is an able Chinaman, and as unprincipled as
all Chinese officials, His plan would be to render me power •
less, and then to use or toss me aside, just as he does all
European leaders in his force. He is a civilian by educa-
tion, ruling over military and naval affairs without the
slightest knowledge of either. He is squandering the re-
venue of the province as well as that derived from European
trade, and is in league with unprincipled traders in Shang-
hai. Although he can procure from the British stores all
such military supplies as he can require, he is encouraging
the import of munitions of war by private firms, and grant-
ing permits to land the same in spite of all our proclama-
tions against the importation by foreigners of goods contra-
band of war, Having secured the services of an excellent
officer in Major Gordon, who appears to have entered his
service, not that of the Emperor of China (for he holds no
authority from the latter), Foutai Le proceeds to render
him powerless, and to hamper his action in too ways—first,
by depriving him of the means to carry out any decisive
measures ; and next, by placing in exactly similar positions
a number of other Europeans, and playing one off against
the other. Major Gordon wishes to attack Souchow-fog,
and asks for 100 Europeans. The Foutai agrees, but says
the 100 men must only be entered for one month. Gordon
declines to enter into any such arrangement, seeing its in-
justice and folly. The Foutai insults him by questioning
his desire to fight the rebels, and proposes tnat the assault-
ing column shall be formed of all the European officers in
his employ, and that over their bodies the Chinese would
advance to victory.
" Again, what faith can I have in any mandarin's listen-
ing to my advances as a subordinate, when I am told by
General Brown, Commander-in-Chief of our military forces
in China, and the supet ior of the Foutai, that he will listen
to no advice or suggestion the General offers, that he pur-
posely avoids all conference with him ; and when an inter.
view is sought by General Brown insolently replies that ho
is too busy to see him ? and be it remembered that Foutai
Le is not a bit more unreasonable than'other mandarins,and
hat he is an average spe,,imen of his class.
SIIERARD OSBORN."

No. 6.

INSPECTOR•GENEILAL H, N. LAY, C. 8., TO CAPTAIN
SIIEICAItD OSBORNE, IL N., C.B.
"Pekin, Oct. 13, 1863.

" Sir,—l regret to say that at an interview which I had
to-day by appointment with the President of the Foreign-
office, Wansiang, he requested me to intimate to you that
the Prince of Kung would decline to ratify the agreements
entered into by us under his letter of instructions of October
1862.—1 have, &c,,

"IL N. L.ty,'

No. 7.

CAPTAIN' SIIEBARD OSBORNE, R.N. C. 8., TO TILE
DUNCE OE KUNO.

" Pekin, Oct. 15, 186
" Your Royal Highness,—l have the honour to reques
that you will be pleased to furnish me officially, and in
writing, with your decision relative to the agreement entered
into between your agent, Air. Horatio N. Lay, C. 8., In-
spector-General, and myself.
"The Inspector-General informs me:that after a delay of
four months and a half, dnring which time your Royal
Highness has neither acknowledged a single letter nor
that you intended to adhere to your manifest intention of
re-
ferred to the agreements, '\Vtnsiang informed him formally
ignoring all such agreements, as evinced in your instruc-
tions already addressed to ma.
"I may remind you that I have now been three weeks in
Pekin fruitlessly endeavouring to point out to the members
of your Foreign-office, through Mr. Lay, that your instruc-
tions to me aro entirely contrary to the understanding under
which her British Majesty's Government permitted myself
and others to agree to servo the Emperor of China, and that
I declined to act except upon the terms explicitly laid down
in our agreements.
"To all these representations no attention has been paid.
" I therefore avail myself of this opportunity to remind
you of the circumstances under which the force I command
has been placed at your disposal. Last year (1362) you ap-
plied in an unofficial form to the British Minister of Lega-
tion in Pekin for assistance to procure men-of-war of an
European construction; you were recommended to employ
your own official, the Inspector-General, as the best agent.
You set aside a large sum of money; you ordered the ves-
sels, and you gave instructions to both Mr. Hart and Mr.
Lay to procure not only ships, but proper officers and mon
to fight and manage them ; and, lastly, you furnished your
Inspector-General with a formal authority to enter into all
such agreements as he might think necessary to carry out
the object you had in view. Upon the strength of that au-
thority to your ageni, and supported as your wishes were
by the official representations of his Excellency Sir F. Bruce,
her Majesty's Government were pleased to suspend in favour
of China the Neutrality Act, and the Admiralty of Great
Britain granted me and other officers permission to serve the
Emperor of China for a stated period, and every assistance
was given by all departments to aid the Emperor to carry
out the wishes expressed in your instructions to Mr. Lay.
" The Inspector-General having satisfied me that the
powers you had given him were ample, I entered into cer-
tain agreements with him, subject to your ratification as
Regent of China. It only
retahis for sue to say that my
power to maintain order and discipline in the force is now
at an end, and that if I do not receive a favourable reply
within 48 hours it will be necessary to immediately disband
the force,--,I have, dm, " SIIFRAItII OSBORN."

No. 8.
" CAPTAIN SHERARD OSBORN, R.N., C. 8., To His
EXCELLENCY SIR F. BRUCE,, $.C.13., &c.
“Pekin, Oct. 19, 1863

" Your Excellency,—Prince sung having failed to ratify
the agreements entered into between Inspector-General 11.
N. Lay, C. 8., and myself, it becomes neeessary for me to
disband the European-Chinese naval force.
" I have the honour to enclose you copies of the agree •
ments in question, as well as all correspondence, and to re-
quest you wi►l inform me whether you see any objection to
my surrendering to Prince Kung the S ships which I have
brought to this country. They are Imperial property, and
I have no right to detain them; but I would submit that
that there might b 3 some danger if vessels of so formidable
a character were trusted to the rowdies and pirates now so
numerous in Shanghai, and who, I dare say, are quite ready
to serve the provincial authorities without agreements or
guarantees.
"Directly I receive your Excellency's official instructions
upon that point I shall, in conjunction with Mr. Lay, pro-
ceed to dissolve the force, sending the officers and men to
England in detachments, and reporting all the circum-
stances to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and
sending them an exact description of the ships if you decide
upon not surrendering them.-1 have, &c.,
SHERARD OSBORNE."

No. 9.

"HIS EXCELLENCY SIR F. BRUCE, K.C.8., TO CAP-
TAIN SITERARD OSItORN, C.B.
"British Legation, Pekin, Oct. 20, 1563.
" Sir,—l have received your letter with its enclosures,