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Carta do Consul para para o Ministro e Secretario do Estado dos Negocios Estrangeiros sobre situação social e financeira do consulado

Carta do Consul em Cantao para o Ministro e Secretario do Estado dos Negocios Estrangeiros, relativamente tumultos contra europeus e missões e necessidade de aumentar presença da marinha

Carta Carta do Consul em Cantao para o Vicerei de Cantao, relativamente os tumultos contra os europeus e os missionários e necessidade dos autoridades locais a proteger residentes.

Carta do Consul de Cantao sobre a tradução do jornal Chines Ling Man Chi Bao (Diario do Sul) que Portugal não va vender Macau

This 1891 diplomatic despatch, authored by Demetrio Cinatti, Consul of Portugal in Canton, constitutes a formal protest addressed to Sir Ly, Viceroy of the Two Guangs under the Qing Dynasty, concerning the destruction of Portuguese missionary properties in Hainan during civil disturbances in 1884. The document details the legal and historical grounds upon which the Portuguese mission’s claim for restitution is based, refuting Chinese provincial authorities’ assertions that the destroyed chapels were locally owned Christian structures dating from the Ming dynasty. Drawing on ecclesiastical law, treaty obligations, and empirical evidence—including financial records, prior compensation precedents, and official correspondence—the consul demonstrates that the chapels in Giang-tó (Siang-tô) and Wang-fo were constructed in 1795 by Portuguese missionaries on legally acquired land, maintained through foreign ecclesiastical funding, and remained under the exclusive ownership of the Catholic Church. The text further establishes that local officials were fully aware of these institutions, citing administrative actions from 1854 and 1880 as proof of official recognition. It condemns the Hainan authorities’ failure to protect the properties despite treaty guarantees, their fabrication of local consent, and their contradictory claims regarding the events. The despatch also invokes Portugal’s strict neutrality during the Sino-French War (1883–1885), contrasting it with the targeting of its missionaries, and appeals to the Viceroy’s sense of justice and diplomatic reciprocity in demanding full reparations.

Annexo. Traduçoes dos pasquis antirreligiosos durante as tentativas de perseguição as missões em Quangtung,

Carta Carta do Consul em Cantao para o Vicerei de Cantao, relativamente os tumultos contra os europeus e os missionários e necessidade dos autoridades locais a proteger residentes

This is a diplomatic correspondence dated 1 June 1891, authored by Demétrio Cinatti, Portuguese Consul in Canton, and addressed to the Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. The document forms part of an official dispatch series from the Portuguese Consulate in Canton during 1891 and includes multiple annexes and indices referencing subsequent pages. It discusses Sino-Portuguese relations with particular focus on Macau’s territorial integrity and Chinese administrative encroachments. Key issues include opposition from Chinese authorities regarding Portuguese jurisdiction in Macau, tensions over Green Island (Ilha Verde), and the activities of local mandarins such as Sse and Chang Chi Tung, identified as the Viceroy of Liangguang. The consul reports that obstacles to diplomatic operations have eased due to interventions by the Governor of Macau, enabling access to interpreters. He expresses concern over growing Chinese influence in Taipa and Coloane, noting the significant disparity between the small European population and approximately 8,000 Chinese residents on these islands, which facilitates covert assertions of jurisdiction. The text highlights fears that Chinese officials may replicate tactics used in northern disputes within southern territories. Administrative practices, including falsified inspection reports by mandarins, are detailed as mechanisms to erode Portuguese sovereignty. Additional matters include the Hainan question, where delayed responses from the Viceroy reflect increasing indifference toward foreign claims, and anti-Christian unrest in northern China, attributed to secret societies and popular rumour. Economic observations note high rice prices in Guangdong and reliance on cheaper Siamese imports. The document also references ecclesiastical disputes over property rights in Hainan, asserting that chapels destroyed in 1884 were built and maintained at mission expense, thereby entitling Portugal to indemnity. Later sections address anti-foreign agitation in Canton, including inflammatory placards and arson attempts against missionary residences, prompting consular advisories and calls for naval reinforcement. The proposed appointment of a Chinese consul in Hong Kong is reported as withdrawn due to colonial opposition. Finally, press reports alleging Portugal’s intention to sell Macau are refuted, with emphasis on treaty prohibitions against alienation and recommendations for economic development instead. The material provides critical insight into late 19th-century colonial diplomacy, jurisdictional conflicts, and cross-cultural tensions in southern China under Qing administration.

This is a formal ecclesiastical dispatch dated 1 June 1891, issued by António, Bishop of Macau, to the Governor of Macau and Timor, in response to an official inquiry concerning the destruction of Catholic chapels in Hainan during the 1884 persecution. The document details the historical presence of Portuguese missionaries in Hainan since their initial establishment in 1630 by Father Bento de Mattos, including the founding of chapels in Kim-tchau-fu and interior settlements. It outlines the expulsion of Jesuits in 1769, the re-establishment of the mission in 1795, and subsequent French involvement until their withdrawal in 1876, after which Portuguese missionaries resumed control. The Bishop refutes claims that Chinese Christians owned or destroyed the chapels, asserting that all properties were constructed and maintained with mission funds—totaling nearly 3,000 taels by 1890—and thus belonged exclusively to the Catholic Church under canonical and treaty-based rights. He rejects the validity of forced apostasy declarations and denounces the Viceroy of the Two Quangs’ evasive responses to diplomatic inquiries, drawing parallels with prior cases involving French, British, and Spanish claims. The text includes detailed expenditures, administrative correspondence, and arguments for indemnity, emphasizing that just reparation is essential for the resumption of missionary activity. Attached documents substantiate financial outlays and diplomatic efforts, positioning the dispute within broader Sino-foreign treaty relations and colonial religious policy in late 19th-century South China.

Carta do Consul em Cantao Demetrio Cinatti para o Ministerio de NEgocios Estrangeiros sobre a questão das “dependências” de Macau, incluindo questão de Hainan

In official correspondence from Canton during June and July 1891, the Portuguese Consul, Demetrio Cinatti, reported to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on multiple issues. A primary concern was Chinese jurisdictional encroachment on Macau's dependencies, particularly the islands of Taipa and Colovane, by officials from Chinsan acting on the principles of Viceroy Chang-chi-tung. The Consul also detailed efforts to secure reparations for Portuguese Catholic mission chapels destroyed in Hainan in 1884, a claim supported by detailed historical arguments from Antonio, the Bishop of Macau. In late June, Cinatti described escalating anti-foreigner and anti-missionary tensions in Canton, including inflammatory posters and an arson attempt, which prompted the foreign community to plan for a potential evacuation and the Consul to request the gunboat "Diu" for protection. Subsequent reports in July noted the withdrawal of a proposed Chinese consulate in Hongkong and the Consul's actions to counter a newspaper rumor, originating from a proposal by deputy Ferreira d'Almeida, that Portugal intended to sell Macau.

Carta do Consul em Cantao para o Bispo de Macau, relativamente os relações franceses, portugueses em Hainan