1860年清朝給英國賠款第一筆--英國外交檔案

1860年12月13日，英國駐中國公使布魯斯（Bruce）給恭親王的信：賠款首付已收到，應該是50萬兩多銀子--具體是500947.4兩，他們雇傭了中國銀匠幫他們稱銀子的份量，負責交付銀兩的中國官員，命令銀匠不許報告那些份量不足的銀錠。布魯斯說，隻有等到真實的銀子份量確定後才會開出正式的收據。
該份檔案有10頁，這裏英國檔案館隻給出一個題要，下麵是原文：
Bruce to Prince Kung. Has received first instalment of indemnity, sum of 500, 947.4 taels of silver, and has employed Chinese silversmiths to weigh the ingots. Chinese officials, who delivered the silver, ordered the silversmiths to keep quiet over ingots deficient in weight. Will issue formal receipt only after true weight of silver is ascertained.
然後1860年12月23日，恭親王回信，對天津官員威脅檢查賠款銀錠的銀匠表示遺憾，將派兩名誠實的銀商（silver mongers）從北京去與天津的主管（Magistrate，不知怎麽翻譯）張裕清（譯音）一起檢查銀兩：
Prince Kung to Bruce. Regrets that Tientsin officials have intimidated Chinese silversmiths employed to inspect the silver paid as indemnity. Will send two honest silver mongers from Peking to inspect silver in conjunction with Magistrate Chang Yü-ch'ingto Tientsin.
還有另一份檔案：是Bruce在1860年11月24日給恭親王的信，說這第一賠款將於1861年1月9日到期，要求通知廣州、潮州（？Ch'ao-chou），廈門、福州、寧波和上海的海關部門，潮州的錢款將轉到廣州，廈門的轉到福州，寧波的轉到上海，再從那些地方移交給英國領館。
Bruce to Prince Kung. First instalment of indemnity is due on 9 Jan 1861. Requests that customs authorities at Canton, Ch'ao-chou, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo and Shanghai be notified of this, that the money at Ch'ao-chou be transferred to Canton, that at Amoyto Foochow, and that at Ningpo to Shanghai, for delivery to British Consuls.
3天後，1860年11月27日，恭親王給Bruce回信，表示同意將錢從比較小的港口城市，移至較大港口城市來支付賠款，已經通知了相關部門
Prince Kung to Bruce. Agrees that money in small treaty ports should be transferred to major treaty ports for payment of indemnity; has notified authorities concerned.