「李─阿思本艦隊」案新探

Abstract

「李─阿思本艦隊」案是一件在1861年至1863年之間，大清中央政府藉由李泰國──大清海關總稅務司──和赫德──署大清海關總稅務司──向聯合王國政府購買艦隊的案件。「李─阿思本艦隊」案是大清中央政府「自強運動」的開端，目的是攻打太平天國和鎮壓海盜行為。然而，它因為一些像是費用和「李─阿思本艦隊」應置於何種位置的理由而失敗；最終，「李─阿思本艦隊」被遣散了。在這案件當中，赫德自願地幫助總理各國事務衙門秘密地「對付」李泰國，然後總理各國事務衙門使赫德取代李泰國成為大清海關總稅務司。本研究是探討「李─阿思本艦隊」的前因後果。過去的研究對赫德與李泰國的關係──特別是在「李─阿思本艦隊」案──並未被充分討論，亦未能對「李─阿思本艦隊」的購買、談判、合約簽訂、遣散與拍賣，有深入且多方面的史料，進而留下一些未解決的疑問。本研究主要在一手史料的基礎上重新探討此案，並試圖與1972年葛松(Jacob J. Gerson)出版的《李與中英關係》對話、延續和擴展其中的觀點。本研究所運用的史料包括大清、聯合王國和合眾國的檔案，以及私人日記和信件。此外，本研究不但使用了「天朝」觀和「歐洲中心觀」，還使用了赫德和李泰國的觀點來研究「李─阿思本艦隊」案。以上緣由即是為何本文命名為「新探」。

“Lay-Osborn flotilla” is a flotilla purchase case that Qing government buys flotilla from U.K. government by Horatio Nelson Lay, the Inspector General of Chinese Customs, and Robert Hart, the Acting Inspector General of Chinese Customs, in 1861 to 1863. “Lay-Osborn flotilla” is the beginning of Qing government's “Self-Strengthening Movement” which aimed to attack the Taiping Rebellion and suppress piracy. However, it’s failed for some reasons like the question of money and what the position of “Lay-Osborn flotilla” should be. At last, “Lay-Osborn flotilla” is disbanded. In this case, Hart voluntarily helps Zongli Yamen “deal with” Lay secretly; then, Zongli Yamen has Hart replace Lay as the Inspector General of Chinese Customs. This study discussed the cause and effect of “Lay-Osborn flotilla”. In the past, the studies of relationship between Hart and Lay, especially in the case of “Lay-Osborn flotilla”, are not fully discussed as well as can’t use deep and more historical records on the purchasing, negotiating, contract singing, disbanding and selling of “Lay-Osborn flotilla”; thus, they leave some unsolved questions. This study is based on used primary historical records mainly to rediscuss this case, trying to talk to, to continue and to expand the views among of Jacob J. Gerson’s study Horatio Nelson Layand Sino-British Relations, 1854-1864, which is published in 1972. The historical sources used in this study include the archives of the Qing Dynasty, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as private diaries and correspondences. Moreover, this study is used to study “Lay-Osborn flotilla” not only the view of the “Celestial Empire” and the “Eurocentrism” but also the opinion of Hart and Lay. Based on the above reasons, this paper is titled “new exploration”.