John A. T. Meadows to Frederick F. Low, November 18, 1870
Mr. Meadows to Mr. Low
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s dispatch dated 17th ultimo, instructing me to obtain from the Chinese authorities the sum of taels 4,785 19/100 for the chapels destroyed in Tientsin City, on the 21st of June last, by the Chinese people belonging to the North China Mission of the American Board of Foreign Missions. Immediately after the receipt of your dispatch I addressed his excellency Chung-lin on the subject, and handed him translation of the paper received from you, giving in detail the losses sustained, and the particular claims for each. Later, I had several interviews with Ma, the prefect, at my office, on this subject, and it was finally arranged by us that as he had, previously to the receipt of my dispatch, already begun erecting the second chael near the west gate of the city, for which there were charged taels 285 50/100, by the wish of Rev. Mr. Stanley, that he should proceed with the work and finish it, and that the sum of taels 4,499 69/100 should be paid in cash as liquidation for the claim sent to me from the legation. I have now to inform your excellency that I last night received a dispatch from Ma, the prefect, inclosing a customs banker’s order for the above-mentioned amount of taels 4,499 69/100, and that I this morning handed the order to Messrs. Russell & Co., of this post, with instructions to hold the amount to the credit of the North China Mission of the American Board of Foreign Missions; and I beg to inclose Messrs. Russell & Co.’s receipt for the amount which I obtained, in duplicate. I have further to inform you that the Rev. Mr. Stanley called on me a few days back to say that he had another claim to present to the Chinese authorities on account of some Chinese connected with the mission. I shall be obliged to you if you will give me instructions on this head for my guidance when I am called upon to address the authorities, as I take it for granted, although I have received no instructions from you on this matter, that the further claims meet with your approval.
I have, &c.,