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This 1897 diplomatic despatch, issued by the General Consulate of Portugal in Shanghai (No. 38B, 5 November 1897), transmits confidential correspondence between Consul General Joaquim Maria Trindade Valdez and the Portuguese Minister in China concerning a protest by the Diplomatic Corps in Peking against Tung-ly-ga-mou’s prohibition on the establishment of *bukchins*—indigenous Chinese money shops—for the circulation of silver currency. The restriction is attributed to a misapplication of treaty provisions. The document includes an annexed report dated 26 October 1897, authored by Valdez in his capacity as Dean of the Consular Corps, which contextualises the issue within broader challenges to monetary reform in late Qing China. It details efforts by Viceroy Zhang Zhidong to standardise a national silver dollar, undermined by provincial emulation and lack of centralised regulation, resulting in multiple non-uniform coinages and persistent reliance on Mexican dollars. The report further references the Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895), which permitted free importation of foreign coinage, complicating Beijing’s attempts to control minting machinery imports. The annotation in red ink summarises the diplomatic protest, while marginalia in blue and black ink, archival numbers, and official stamps reflect administrative handling. This primary source offers critical insights into Sino-foreign treaty port diplomacy, late-Qing monetary policy, and transnational financial governance at the close of the 19th century.
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This 1897 Vatican archival document comprises a series of formal ecclesiastical letters, financial records, and administrative transcripts concerning the episcopal appointment of José Emmanuel de Carvalho to the See of Macau, a Portuguese colonial diocese within the Chinese Empire. The material includes papal bulls issued by Pope Leo XIII, financial accounts from 1899 detailing expenditures related to the apostolic provision, and sworn oaths of fidelity, alongside descriptive reports on the ecclesiastical and territorial status of Macau. The Cathedral Church of Macau, dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is recorded as suffragan to the Archdiocese of Goa, with a structured chapter, active parishes, a seminary, and defined revenues. The appointment process reflects the patronage rights of Charles I, King of Portugal and the Algarves, under the Luso-Vatican agreement of 1886. Despite Carvalho’s lack of a doctoral degree, a papal dispensation is granted based on his demonstrated learning, moral integrity, and prior service as Professor of Ecclesiastical Sciences and Promoter in the Episcopal Curia of Viseu. The documentation further outlines canonical requirements, including the oath *ad limina*, provisions for consecration, and faculties conferred upon the new bishop. Financial records itemize costs totalling over 4,300 florins associated with processing the apostolic letters through diplomatic channels. This collection constitutes a critical primary source for the study of late 19th-century colonial ecclesiastical administration, church-state relations in the Portuguese Empire, and the Roman Curia’s role in transnational episcopal appointments.
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This 1897 report, originating from the Portuguese Consulate in Shanghai, provides a detailed account of the social, economic, and institutional condition of the Portuguese community—predominantly Macanese—in late 19th-century Shanghai. It highlights the challenges faced by the Consul General, who operated without formal support staff despite extensive responsibilities under extraterritorial jurisdiction, including legal, notarial, commercial, and diplomatic duties. The document notes the doubling of the Portuguese population to around 800 over the previous decade, with increasing numbers registering with the consulate, reflecting growing trust in Portuguese protection since the 1887 arrangements with Macau. Approximately twenty wealthier Macanese traders, aligned culturally and commercially with Portugal, are identified as a key economic cohort. The text analyses three major community institutions: the "Recreio" Club, fostering national identity through cultural activities; the Mutual Aid Association, providing financial and social support; and the Jesuit-led "Shanghai Catholic Circle," which also serves as a social hub but is criticised for undermining Portuguese national education due to its use of English curricula and exemption from state oversight. The report laments the absence of proper Portuguese-language education and critiques the continued economic subordination of skilled, literate Macanese workers—employed widely in clerical, commercial, and technical roles—to British enterprises, despite their multilingual abilities and collective earning power exceeding £1,300 monthly. Drawing on the Rochdale cooperative model, it advocates for government-supported cooperative societies across Portuguese communities in Asia to achieve economic autonomy and reinvigorate colonial-commercial ties.