FOREIGN RELATIONS.


shunned, but nothing worse than hard words seems to have yet been
experienced.
   One thing is observable in this trial, No evil conduct was charged
against the native Christians by their countrymen, and no excuse was
offered by them for cutting down their fruit-trees, robbing their houses,
or assaulting and wounding them, except that they were followers of a
foreign faith, A testimony of this kind to their blameless living can
hardly fail to have a beneficial effect in that region, and the report of
these things in other parts of Shan-tung will perhaps tend to restrain
future outbreaks. The circulation of news is not very rapid in the in-
land parts of the province, especially among the agricultural and labor-
ing classes; but the notoriety of the trial, and the willingness of the
intendant to do justice in punishing his guilty countryman for acts done
to a foreigner, will, it may be hoped, give this an exceptional influence
for good.
  Another thing may also be referred to. The intendant is very careful
in his report (inclosure 11) to particularize certain charges of ill-usage
suffered by converts at Chi-mi, contained in Mr. Cornabe's letters to him,
and to state that they had all been ruled out of court as not being under
its jurisdiction, adding that this was done with the full consent of the
United States consul. He alludes to this right of the Chinese govern-
ment to exercise exclusive jurisdictiopi over its own subjects, in the
proclamation issued to be posted in Chi-mi; and it is a point on which
the authorities are becoming more and mnore sensitive, especially in ref-
erence to missionary operations. In that proclamation he quotes the
twenty-ninth article of the treaty, and then sets forth most distinctly
the independent jurisdiction of each nation over its own subjects. This
distinction appears easy enough in theory, but even some of our best-
informed countrymen appear to have come to the conclusion that because
the article says that those who peaceably teach and practice Christianity
shall not be molested, it involves the right to compel the Chinese to take
up the cudgels when their own people are molested for professing Chris-
tianitv.
  The result which has been attained in this trial is owing mainly to
the decision and perseverapce of Mr. Sheppard in asking only for the
rights guaranteed by the treaty, and convinCing the intendant that he
must maintain them and punish the guilty before the case would be
dropped. He was materially.assisted by the missionaries at Chefoo in
translating and interpreting, and the list of the men concerned in the
attacks on Mr. Corbett furnished by the native converts, with their evi-
dence of the part each one took in the acts of violence, was of material
advantage in fixing the guilt on the right persons. I would respectfully
suggest that Mr. Sheppard's action in 'this Case may receive your special
approval.
       I have,, &C.
             I  hS. WELLS WILLIAMS.


                            [Inclosure 1 in No. 44.]
                        Statement of Bell. I-f. Corbett.
                                                    DECEMBER 22, 1873.
  On the 1st of December, as 1was passing through the market-town of Hwa-yin,
  about forty ii south of the city of Chi-mi, I was followed by a crowd of
men attending
  the theatre there, who attacked me with stones, crying out at the same
time"Hitbhim
  "hit him ;" and "Kill him,"."kill him."'
Returning in the *evenig, and passin"g bythe
  same place, the crowd rnshed forward to meet me, fully occupying the road
on both
  sides andpleaving but a narrow passage for me in the middle. When I came
up to them


276