Evening journal., 1895-03-11

month Of the twenty-eighth year Of Meiji
English translation accompanied by the |
Chinese original:
"ro the plenipotent!aries Of His Majesty |
the Emperor of JHpan:
II Mo have the honor 10 state that you |
handed 60 us on ,he seventh day OF the |
FIRST moon Of the twcnty-frst year Of Ku-
ang-Su your commission from your Inn
ptrial majesty, and at the same time
memorandum ia which you ask Of Us
written reply respecting our full powers.
I'VE beg TO state in reply that our com
missions, handed to you at the same time
IN exchange, embody full powers given by
our imperial majesty for the negotiation
and conclusion of peace. with authority to
conclude articles to that end and TO sign
them.
In order TO insure the more prompt ex
ecution OF the treaty we may agree upon,
we shall wire the terms for imperial sane
tion and fix the date for signature. after
which the same shall be taken to China
for examination by his imperial Chinese
majesty, and being proper and in good
and due form will be ratified.
Eighth day Of the first moon Of the
twenty first year Of kuang-Su.
Count itofs ram M0russ
The following speech was addressed by
Count Ito to the excellencies Chang Yen
Hoon and Shao Yu Lien at the conference
oil Feb. q:
Instances are not wanting in which
Chinese commissions after having formal
ly agreed to international compaots, have
refused to afllx their seals, and cases might
be cited in which treaties solemnly con
without apparent reason repudiated.
"Those unfortunate occurrences find
sufficient explanation in the fact that Chi
ma was not on those occasions seriously in
earnest, but beyond that it might be said
with truth that the officials who were des-
ignated to carry on negotiations had not
been clothed with the necessary authority
for the purpose
= 1t has from the first been the wish Of
Japan TO avoid results which history
| teaches her are liable to be tho outcome Of
| negotiations with Chinese officials who
arc not clothed with full power in the
sense in which that term is usually under
stood. Consequently the imperial govern
ment made it a condition precedent to any
peace negotiations that the Chinese pleni-
potentiaries should be furnished with full
| powers to conclude peace and it was only
upon receiving positive assurances from
| the Chinese government that that condi-
tion precedent has been complied with, and
that the Chinese plenipotentiaries were on
their way to Japan, that his majesty the
emperor Of Japan conferred upon my col
leagues and myself full powers to conclude
and sign prelminaries of peace with the
plenipetentiaries Of China.
THAT your excellencies' powers are,
Notwithstanding that assurance, fatally
defective, is to me sure indication that
the government Of China Is not yet really
solioitons for peace
Criticism is nearly exhausted by sim
pie comparison Of the two instrument.
which were reeiprocally exchanged at this
board Yesterday, but it is not out Of place
to point out that one fulflls the definition
which IS usually given among civilized
states to the term full powers while thu
other is destitute OF nearly ill those quail
tics which aro re garded AS essential TO sucl
powers. 1t even fails to indicate the sub
ject upon which your excellencies arc Il
negotiate 1t does not authorize your ex
cellencies to conclude or sign anything. I
Is silent on the subject Of tho subsequen
imperial ratification Of your cxoellencies
! acts. In short, il would seem that the au
thority which has been conferred upo
I your exoellencies would be completely FIJI
2 filed by your reporting to your govern
ment what my colleague and myself Nigh
) have to say.
? I'm this situation 1t would be imposs
bic for us TO continue negotiations TIL
] terms which Japan agrees to will be scru
pulousiy observed by her and she will a
5 the same timc insist upon a like obsery
Q auGc of the terms with China
Whenever therefore, China finds hel
7 self seriously and sincerely desirous {
peace and will con1de actual full power
0 to Chinese officials whose names and pos
i tions will serve as an assurance that th
terms which they may agree to will
1 confirmed and carried out in good faitl
+ Japan will be prepared to enter upon ne
e negotiations.