To the Bditor of the Dear Sim,—I received the enclosed,* cut from the Daily Press, by my last courier, and thought it my duty to root up the facts, which are as follows.
The telegrams in question were received by student telegraphist at the Kiachta Station, from the Kiachta Post Office. They were ina cover addressed to the chief of the Kiachta Telegraph Station, but the word Telegrams was not written on the enveloped. The student having written his name in the Post Office receipt book, placed the packet in the Telegraph receipt book for ordinary papers—forgot to mention to his chief that the packet had been received; and there it lay until the next time the receipt book was opened, ten days after.
The telegraph receipts were not made out until the telegrams had been dispatched from Kiachta.
Suppesing one month in transmission by Russian Post to and from Pekin, and ten days in Kiachta, the receipts could not have been received at Pekin for 40 days after the dispatch of the telegrams from Pekin.
Therefore the Chinese have not practised a " most subtile piece of chicanery;" " Mr. Wade has not been to blame," and no "undening at the Kiachta telegraph station has been bribed by the Chinese."
Furthermore, I" myself dispatched the news of the Tientsin massacre, to London, ten days after its occurrence.
Tam, dear Sir, Your obed. serve., Mircnent Grant.
Kiachta, 11th Nov., 1870. that the history of the 1 non-delivery of We are informed, upon reliable authority, telegrams from Peking concerning the Tientsin Massacre, is simply as follows. It appears that, shortly after the receipt of the intelligence, Mr. Wade, in common with several, if not all, of the Foreis Ministers, sent dea-patches to Kischta, for transmission home.
Wade forwarded three despatches in the space of two days, and a receipt fr them from brought back to him, Te is thus evident that Russian Agent at Kiachta was duly
8 most subtile piece of chicanery has been practised. Some underling connected with the office at Kiachta has no doubt been bribed by the Chinese to give receipts for the telegrams, without transmitting them, 90 that not only would the transmission be interrupted, but Mr. Wade and the other Ministers would be thrown off their guard too, and would not think it necessary to send telegrams by the Galle route, when they were placed in possession of the receipts showing that the news would be duly sent via Kiachta. The explanation is very satisfactory, as showing that the various comments that' were naturally made upon Mr. Wade's action were unfounded; and, so far as this paper was concerned in them, we are glad of this opportunity of pointing out the serious misconception upon Which they based. Onthe other hand, the matter to white inful, as showing the miserable shifts the Chinese at Peking are prepared agreed with Int. Burlingame be taken by the British Minister until he has communicated home, and received a reply, and his telegraphic despatches are then intercepted. Such is dealing with the Chinese Government upon a footing of equality.—(Daily Press.)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.