The people of Tient-sin not only have cherished groundless suspicion and stirred up animosity in disregard of their authorities to be quiet, but suddenly went to such a daring length as to kill more than twenty persons; and what was still more atrocious, brutally murdered the Sisters of Charity in their asylum. Tsang Kwoh-fan and his colleagues have seized the guilty participators in the riot, and after clearly ascertaining the degree of their guilt, have sentenced Fung and fourteen others to death, and Wang and twenty others to banishment to the army. Since the sentences accord with the crimes, let them now be carried into effect. Let Fung and the others be immediately execnted; and Wang and his party sent by couples to different places of banishment. These severe sentences being carried out, let the local authorities throughout the provinces issue the most peremptory orders to the people to observe the laws, and not again stir up riots. Whatever may arise that concerns both natives and foreigners, let it be managed with justice, and settled according to treaty stipulations. It is henceforth to be hoped that they will both, of whatever calling they may be, now live amicably together, and that the land will be quiet everywhere. Respect this. I have now the honor to send the above to your excellency for your information. His Excellency FREDERICK F. Low,

U. S. Minister to China.

D.

TUNGCHI, 9th year, 9th moon, 16th day, (October 10, 1870.) Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith makes a communi cation.

I have already informed your excellency that a decree was received on the 6th instant, in relation to the Tientsin affair, in which it was ordered that the severe sentence on the prefect and district magistrate should be strictly carried into effect; that Fung and others, fifteen in all, who stirred up the riot, be executed; and that Wang and twenty others be banished to different regions.

I was honored by receiving a second decree yesterday upon the same matter; "Tsang Kwoh-fan and his colleagues report that they have further examined persons implicated in the riot at Tientsin, and have sentenced them according to their guilt. These persons were arrested after the others, and a list of their names has been sent up, with particulars of the trial, and degrees of punishment to be inflicted. These decisions are approved. Let Liu and the other four be summarily executed, and Táng and the other three be sent into banishment to different places. Respect this."

With the punishment of these men now arrested in addition. The cabinet ministers Tsang Kwoh-fan and Li Hung-chang report that the trial and sentence (of persons connected with the riot) has been brought to a close; and my object in this communication is to inform you of the same.

His Excellency FREDERICK F. Low,

United States Minister to China.

E.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
Peking, October 17, 1870.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Highness's two dispatches of the 5th and 10th instant, the contents of which I have carefully noted. In the first, you mention the reception of imperial decree in relation to the riot at Tientsin, ordering that the prefect Chang Kwang-tsao and the district magistrate Lin Kieh be banished to the region of the Amoor to toilsomely work out their time; that Fung, with fourteen others, be executed; and Wang and twenty others be banished to different regions; in the second, you state that another decree has been received condemning Liu and four others, since arrested, to death, and Táng and his fellows, five in all, to banishment.

The sentences on the criminals connected with the dreadful tragedy at Tientsin, involving the loss of many lives and producing momentous consequences, must necessarily be reported to the President of the United States, for his information; and when I have received his instructions upon the matter, I shall again address your Imperial Highness.

I have, &c.,

His Imperial Highness PRINCE KUNG, &c., &c., &c.

FREDERICK F. LOW.

F,

TUNGCHI, 9th year, 9th moon, 18th day, (October 12, 1870.) Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith makes a communication.

I have been this day honored by receiving the following decree:

"Let Li Hung-chang still remain at Tientsin, and not hasten his return to Pao-ting, for (the provincial capital,) as it is important for him to attend to every detail connected with the pacification and repression of disorder there, in order to firmly settle the whole affair; which when done, both in relation to foreigners as well as natives, let him report for further instructions. Respect this."

In conformity to usage I now send this for your excellency's information.
His Excellency FREDERICK F. Low,

United States Minister to China.

G.

Copy of a dispatch from the acting French consul at Tientsin to the French chargé d'affaires, describing the execution of sixteen criminals.

OCTOBER 19, 1870.

With reference to your dispatch No. 29, of the 15th instant, I have the honor to report that the senior officer of the French navy here having expressed himself much averse to the sending of any one but a commissioned officer to witness the execution of the criminals now under sentence of death for the murders of the 21st June, we, after consultation with each other, decided that it was best, in view of the importance of the affair, to depute one of the commanders of the gun-boats stationed here, and Mr. Interpreter Frater, to be present on the occasion.

The whole subject of the proceedings at the execution was then discussed at an interview between the prefect and myself yesterday. He informed me that it was the desire of the governor general, as there was a possibility of a disturbance taking place among the already excited population, that the sentence of death should be carried into execution before sunrise to-day. The prefect insisted on the necessity of the French officer and Mr. Frater proceeding to the spot during the night, and in small chairs, under a guard of fifty men, which he would supply; and he hoped the attention of the crowd, which would be composed, notwithstanding the early hour, of weeping friends and relatives, and numerous rowdies, would not be attracted to them. I objected to these two officers proceeding in the undignified mode desired by him, and told him that I should not send any one to an execution that was to take place in the dark. He still maintained the necessity of putting the criminals to death at the time named; and after some discussion, during which the prefect gave unmistakable proofs of excitements having shown itself to a large extent among the people for the last three or four days, on account of the intended fate of these men, and did not conceal from me that the governor general was afraid of serious disturbance. I said that I would send no one to the execution under the present proposed arrangements, but that I should leave the whole matter to be settled by the governor general as he pleased. I added, however, that I wished to have some proofs of the reality of the executions supplied to

me.

These the prefect thought might be afforded by the spectacle of the coffined remains, and he invited me to send some one to inspect them after the execution was over. He also asked whether a formal dispatch from the superintendent of trade, announcing the fact of the decapitation having taken place, would be received by me as evidence. This I consented to accept. The prefect said he was glad that his presence would not be required at the execution, and confessed that he himself would be afraid to go in any case. Before leaving, the prefect informed me that it was actually true that money payments were being made to the relatives of the men condemned to death, but that the sums were raised by public subscriptions.

I had previously directed Mr. Frater, the interpreter, to call in the early part of the day on the prefect, and arrange about the presence of the French naval officer and himself at the execution, and to tell the prefect, in my name, that it was expected of the Chinese authorities that steps would be taken to secure foreigners from molestation

and insult.

The prefect thought it right to retire with Mr. Frater into a private room, where, after the exclusion of all the domestics and official attendants, who were ordered to retire, he conversed on everything relating to the execution in a whisper, and even then kept starting now and again, thinking some one was engaged in listening. The reason of his conduct was a fear that a distrust of the people of Tientsin felt by all the

authorities, which he had to communicate to Mr. Frater, would leak out. The prefect' in fact, felt so ill at ease in his own yamen, (office,) that he at last desired that the discussion of the subject of the execution might be transferred to this consulate, whither he proceeded for that purpose shortly afterward, and this led to the abovementioned interview I had with him.

In the night-time I sent one of the consular messengers to Tien-tsin, and instructed him to take note of what went on at the execution, and to bring back with him, if possible, the death-warrants attached to the bodies of the criminals, an inspection of which would furnish me with the names of the persons actually put to death. Mr. Frater gave the messenger his official card to be used in the event of his being driven back by the police. The messenger made a greater use of it than was intended, for by means of it he made his way to the district magistrate's yamen (office) before the criminals were brought out of jail, and saw the whole proceedings from that time till their death. He has reported to me that about two hundred police and soldiers escorted them from the jail to the district magistrate's court-room, where they were marshalled, sixteen in all. None of them would kneel to be bound when ordered to do so. They were all dressed in what is every where stated to be a government present, viz: new silk clothes, and wore on their feet shoes of elegant manufacture; their hair was dressed after the female fashion, in various modes, and ornaments such as those seen on the heads of Chinese ladies were stuck in their head-dresses. While in the court-room one of them vociferated abuse of the Hsie-tai, who had probably caused his arrest to be made. On the way to the execution ground the criminals bawled to the crowds, which even at that early hour in the morning had collected, "Have we changed countenance?" and were answered immediately that they had not. They also accused the Chinese authorities of selling their heads to the foreigners, and called out to the people to honor them by the name of "brave boys," which was done by the united voices of the crowd. A large number of the personal friends and relatives of the condemned followed them along, giving vent to tears and lamentations. On the arrival of the procession at the execution ground outside the west gate the criminals commenced singing, on hearing which the presiding magistrate, the Fiat-Sing-Hsien, gave the order for their decapitation.

The criminals themselves stretched out their necks to receive the blow, and the executioners, five or six in number, all of whom were southern soldiers, soon finished the proceedings.

This occurred about 5.30 a. m. The ground was kept by numerous soldiers. The consulate messenger was allowed to pick up the 16 death warrants and to bring them away, and I now have them in my possession.

The men who murdered the Russians were not, I believe, among those who suffered. The execution has passed off more peaceably than I expected, and this is probably Owing to the secret nature of the arrangements made by the Chinese authorities. From all that I have heard lately, the death of the murderers is not likely to impress the people much, and will probably only deepen their resentment against foreigners. There is no doubt but that the men who have been put to death have received, in the eyes of the populace, and, I am afraid, if all the reports that have been made to me are true, in the eyes of the authorities also, the fate of martyrs.

W. H. LAY.

No. 37.

No. 21.

Mr. Low to Mr. Fish.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Peking, November 22, 1870. (Received January 25.) SIR: During the recent visit of Admiral Rodgers and Consul General Seward to Peking, an opportunity was afforded for the admiral, the consal general and myself, to consult together in regard to carrying out the instructions contained in your No. 9, with reference to opening

negotiations with Corea.

It seemed in every respect desirable to select a favorable season for the visit to the coast of Corea, of which so little is known, and at the same time it was my desire to so arrange it as to interfere as little as possible with the plans of the admiral and the requirements of the

naval forces in other places.

It is now determined-subject however to any change which may be rendered necessary by circumstances, either to the admiral or myself— that the expedition shall start from Shanghai, or Chefoo, the latter if possible, between the 1st and the 15th of May next. The line of procedure will so much depend upon the temper of the Corean officials that no definite plan can be decided upon at the present moment.

I shall be glad to avail myself of the services of Mr. Consul General Seward, and shall expect to profit by his experience, if he goes. He was shown your instructions to me, and invited to join the expedition. If he reaches China in season after his visit to India, where he goes for the winter, he may accompany me.

In order that the Coreans may not have any grounds on which to base technical objections, I have, most respectfully, to request that a commission may be sent, by the steamer leaving San Francisco not later than the 1st of March next, authorizing me to negotiate and sign on behalf of the United States such treaty or treaties with the government of Corea as may be deemed advisable.

During the winter I shall use every exertion to obtain information in regard to this unknown country from the Chinese authorities, and also, if possible, from the Corean officers accompanying the Tribute, which reaches Peking annually in December or Jannary.

The North German minister in Japan attempted to open communication with Corea last summer. To facilitate his proceedings, he took a Japanese official with him, hoping by this means to reach the government of Corea. I inclose copy of an extract from a letter from the minister in Japan to the North German minister in Peking, (inclosure A,) giving a brief account of his visit and hasty departure. From this it appears that the Coreans are disposed to seize upon any subterfuge to oppose the entrance of foreigners into their dominions.

As stated in a former dispatch, I am not sanguine of favorable results; at the same time the object aimed at is worthy of the trial, and no effort on my part shall be wanting to accomplish it.

I have, &c.,

FREDERICK F. LOW.

[Translation from the German.]

Extract from a letter from M. Von Brandt, minister of the North German Union in Japan, to Baron de Rehfues Peking.

The vicinity of Corca induced us to make a little trip in this direction, and we arrived there on the forenoon of 1st June.

The harbor of Fusang is excellent, but the country dreadful; quite bare and yellow, only in some few places overgrown with wood, and quite deficiently cultivated. The Japanese station is a miserable colliery, most houses of which are in ruins. They are inhabited by half a dozen officials, and thirty or forty coolies, who are not allowed to absent themselves farther than half a mile from their lodgings, and are altogether very badly treated by the Coreans. My chief object was to obtain a clear insight into the whole matter, and through the interposition of an officer of the Japanese foreign office, whom we had on board, I requested the Japanese chief of the factory to tell the Corean officials that, in case they were desirous to receive a communication regarding shipwrecked German subjects, I could give them such information either on board or in the Japanese factory.

The answer to this proposition is highly characteristic, and will convey to you the plain truth about the state of affairs in these parts better than anything else. The Corean authorities thought it exceedingly impudent that the Japanese had delivered a message of this kind, and they also declared it quite improper that some Japanese had dared to come to Corea on board a foreign vessel. For these reasons the relations between the Japanese officials and the Corean government must be broken off immediately, and were not to be resumed until a Japanese on board the foreign vessel had

left the country. This proof will be sufficient for you. I hastened, of course, to assure the Japanese officials that I should be inconsolable if any difficulties were likely to result to the Japanese from the circumstance that some of their officers were on board our ship. We would start, therefore, as soon as possible. This Captain Kohler did, on the 2d of June, after some gun-practice.

During a walk on shore, the people we met in the fields were tolerably courteous, but as we approached a village the whole of the inhabitants assembled in the street, offering passive resistance, and declaring that the Japanese were not allowed to go any farther. Of course we retreated courageously, and cannot complain about the people generally, who behaved themselves toward us in a more civilized manner than the brave Germans would have done toward the Coreans. They are strapping fellows, all dressed in white, as they are represented on pictures. Their villages and towns are miserable, like their junks and boats.

No arms whatever are to be seen, and are said to consist solely of matchlocks. During the gun-practice, a few thousand people with flags had assembled from a large town in the neighborhood, but on this occasion, too, no arms were seen.

No. 22.

Mr. Low to Mr. Fish.

No. 43.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Peking, December 15, 1870. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that a careful estimate of the loss and damage sustained by the North China Branch of the American Board of Foreign Missions, by the action of the mob at Tien-tsin, on the 21st of June last, fixed the amount at 4,785,1% Tien-tsin taels, about $6,700.

The property destroyed consisted of one chapel building, with rooms adjoining suitable for a residence, the property of the society, and another small chapel in another part of the city, which was rented of the Chinese. The damage to the latter was estimated at 285,500 50 taels.

The vice-consul, at Tien-tsin, by my authority and direction, presented the claim to the local authorities; and a settlement was made by their agreeing to rebuild the rented premises in a manner satisfactory to the owner, and the payment in money of the claim for damages to the larger chapel. This has all been done to my entire satisfaction. For more full particulars in regard to the adjustment of the claim, and the disposition of the funds, I beg to refer you to the vice-consul's dispatch to me, a copy of which accompanies this, (inclosure A.)

With reference to the additional claim mentioned by Mr. Meadows in his dispatch, which is preferred by the Rev. Mr. Stanley for losses and damage sustained by native Christians, and my decision upon this as well as upon all claims of a similar character, I have, most respectfully, to refer you to my dispatch to the vice-consul, a copy of which forms the inclosure D in my dispatch No. 40, of December 5th, to the Department. The settlement of this matter adjusts all legal and proper claims for losses or damages sustained by citizens of the United States in consequence of the riot at Tientsin, so far as I am at present informed. Trusting that my action in the premises will receive the approval of the President, I have, &c., FREDERICK F. LOW.