LORD, United States Consul to Koo, Intendant of Circuit, Ningpo, September 30, 1873

Mr. Lord to Koo, intendant of circuit.

Sir: I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s dispatch, dated the 25th instant, informing me that you had received a communication from his excellency Yang, the lieutenant-governor, in which he states, “I have received a petition from the gentry of Hang-chow, to the effect that,” &c.; and requesting me, in accordance with the instructions contained in said communication, to bring the matter referred to before the missionaries, and use my endeavors to induce them to consent to remove, in order to meet the wishes of the people and promote harmony.

In reply I have to say that wherever missionaries go, in accordance with the treaty, to propagate religion, their object is to exhort men to do good and to be on terms of amity with both officers and people. Inasmuch as those who give attention to the art of fung-shuy regard the missionary-houses on Kwan-me hill as harmful; and as the gentry are willing to secure for the missionaries residing there another place, and to indemnify them fully for the expenses of their removal, I have deemed it right to address a communication to said missionaries, and to advise them to consent to remove, in compliance with the wishes of the people.

Moreover, as the commissioner, Chu, waited on me on his arrival at Ningpo, I have arranged with him as to the time when I will go to Hang-chow in order to arrange the matter with the missionaries in connection with him and Mr. Chân.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,