レイ・オズボーン艦隊事件の外交史的意義について

Abstract

In 1861 the newly-established Tsungli Yamen (總理衙門, the Foreign Board) proposed a scheme of purchasing a small fleet of Western-style vessels to aid in suppressing the Taiping rebels. This was an expression of the Yamen's policy of assigning first priority to overcoming the Taiping forces. The flotilla scheme was entrusted to H. N. Lay, the Inspector-General of (Maritime) Customs, who was then in England on leave. Captain Sherard Osborn, who had got to know Lay during the Arrow War, received a mandate to organize the flotilla as operational commander, hence it came to be known as the "Lay-Osborn Flotilla". The scheme became entangled in a dispute concerning authority over the flotilla between Lay and the Chinese government ; eventually the ships were returned and put up for sale and Lay was dismissed from his post on account of the affair. This study aims to clarify the diplomatic significance of the flotilla incident, which has been studied up to now mainly from the viewpoint of the development of the Chinese navy. From an assessment of the role of the opium trade, the revenues from which were allocated to pay for the flotilla, the author concludes that the Inspector General was essentially a mouthpiece for British interests in China. Through an anlysis of the "Thirteen Agreement" entered into by Lay and Osborn, the author also examines the new developments in British China policy dating from this time. The policy of Britain during the Dao-guang 道光 and Xian-feng 咸豐 periods, which was based on an overoptimistic view of the potential of the Chinese market and involved the frequent use of armed force, began to change in the late 1850's under the influence of the Mitchell report (1852). Britain's new policy was to take advantage of the diplomatic pressure exerted by the foreign legations in Peking. To this end it was indispensable that the central government be both co-operative with the foreigners and strong enough to control the provincial authorities. It was natural for Britain to aim at strengthening the Tsungli Yamen under the leadership of Prince Kung 恭親王. The "Thirteen Agreement", which the Chinese government found arrogant, also aimed to bolster the authority of the Tsungli Yamen (especially Article Four). The author feels little doubt that the flotilla scheme was the first expression of the new British China policy, albeit indirectly by Lay who acted as the representative of British interests. From its failure. Britain learned about the complicated structure of late Qing government, notably about the weakness of the Tsungli Yamen in comparison with the provincial governors (in particular Zeng Guo-fan 曾國藩 and Li Hong-zhang 李鴻章). It became necessary for Britain, which until this point had dealt only with the Tsungli Yamen, to reconsider its policy in the light of this new understanding.