严复与开平矿权纠纷 YAN FU AND KAIPING'S DISPUTE OVER MINERA...
清末思想家严复（1854—1921）在天津生活了20余年，曾利用其掌握的法律知识，陪同开平矿务局督办张翼到伦敦高等法院起诉英国开平矿务公司。这是中国人第一次到国外参与中国公司的诉讼维权活动。
Yan Fu (1854-1921), a thinker in the late Qing Dynasty, lived in Tianjin for more than 20 years.He used his legal knowledge to accompany Zhang Yi, the supervisor of Kaiping Mining Bureau, to sue British Kaiping Mining Company in London's High Court.This is the first time that Chinese people have gone abroad to participate in litigation rights protection activities of Chinese companies.
严复字几道，初名传初，福建侯官（今闽侯县）人。光绪三年（1877）赴英国抱士穆德大学学习，后入格林尼次海军大学学习。其间，严复广泛接触英国社会，遂成为一个具有西方民主思想、向西方寻找真理的先进的中国人。光绪六年（1880），北洋大臣李鸿章在天津创办北洋水师学堂，调严复任总教习，光绪十六年（1890）任总办。七年后，严复与夏曾佑、王修植在天津创办《国闻报》，成为维新派在北方重要的宣传阵地。这一时期，严复还集中精力介译西方学术名著，如《天演论》《原富》《法意》《名学》《群己权界论》《名学浅说》《群学肄言》《社会通诠》等。光绪二十六年（1900）义和团运动发生后，严复离开天津，迁居上海，从此脱离水师学堂。此后，严复曾协助马相伯创办复旦公学（复旦大学的前身），担任袁世凯总统府外交法律顾问、约法会议议员等职。
Yan Fu was named Jidao, original name of Chuanchu, born in Houguan(now Minhou County), Fujian Province.In 1877, he went to the University of Portsmouth in England to study, and then went to the Greenwich Naval College.In the meantime, Yan Fu made extensive contact with British society, and became an advanced Chinese with western democratic thoughts and seeking truth from the west.In 1880, Li Hongzhang,Minister of Beiyang, founded Beiyang Marine College in Tianjin, and transferred Yan Fu as the general teacher.In 1890, he served as the director.Seven years later,Yan Fu, Xia Zengyou and Wang Xiuzhi founded Guowen Newspaper in Tianjin, which became an important propaganda position of reformists in the north.During this period, Yan Fu also concentrated on introducing and translating western academic classics, such as Evolution of Heaven, The Wealth of Nations, Spirit of Law, Ming Xue, On the Group's Right Boundary, On Ming Xue, The Study of Sociology, General Interpretation of Society and so on.In 1900, after the Yihetuan Movement, Yan Fu left Tianjin and moved to Shanghai, and then left the Naval Academy.After that,Yan Fu helped Ma Xiangbo to establish Fu Dan College (the predecessor of Fu Dan University), and served as diplomatic legal adviser to Yuan Shikai's presidential palace, and a member of the conference on treaty making.
光绪二十六年五月（1900年6月），开平煤矿被八国联军霸占。开平矿务局督办张翼以保护开平矿务局产业之名，授权德璀琳全权处理，并委托德璀琳吸收洋股投资，将开平矿务局变为中外合办的公司。德璀琳以开平矿务局代理总办的身份，与墨林公司的代理人胡佛签订了卖约，把开平的股权卖到了胡佛名下，后在伦敦依据英国法律注册成立了新公司——开平矿务有限公司。光绪二十六年十二月（1901年2月），张翼又签订了移交约和副约，将原开平矿务局的产业移交给开平矿务有限公司。虽然副约中有“督办、中国股东享有的权利”及“设立中国董事会”等条款，但这些规定并没有得到认可和执行。
开平矿务局办公楼
Kaiping Mining Bureau Office Building
In June 1900, Kaiping Coal Mine was occupied by the Eight-Power Allied Forces.In the name of protecting Kaiping Mining Bureau's industry, the official of Kaiping Mining Bureau Zhang Yi, authorized Gustav von Detring to handle the industry with full authority, and entrusted Gustav von Detring to absorb foreign investment,turning Kaiping Mining Bureau into a Sino-foreign joint venture company.As acting general manager of Kaiping Mining Bureau, Gustav von Detring signed the Sale Contract with Hoover, the agent of Morlin Company, and sold the equity of Kaiping to Hoover, and then registered and established a new company Kaiping Mining Co.,Ltd.in London according to English law.In February 1901, Zhang Yi signed the Transfer Contract and the Sub-Contract, transferring the former Kaiping Mining Bureau industry to Kaiping Mining Co., Ltd.Although there are clauses such as“supervision, rights enjoyed by Chinese shareholders” and “establishment of Chinese board of directors” in the Sub-Contract, these provisions have not been recognized and implemented.
光绪二十七年正月（1901年3月），严复应张翼之邀，从上海回到天津就职开平矿务有限公司华部总办。不久，严复参与制定了《开平矿务有限公司试办章程》，并公告老股东更换新公司股票。不过，由于英方的私下操纵，开平矿务局实际上已被外国资本控制。此后，由于英方不允许在唐山的厂矿悬挂龙旗，因此袁世凯十分愤怒，上书《请饬外务部声明产地权利折》，弹劾张翼。于是德宗皇帝责成张翼赶紧设法收回。
In March 1901, at the invitation of Zhang Yi, Yan Fu returned to Tianjin to work for the General Office of China Department of Kaiping Mining Company.Soon, Yan Fu participated in the formulation of Kaiping Mining Company's Trial Articles of Association, and then announced that the old shareholders would replace the shares of the new company.Due to the private manipulation of the British side, Kaiping Mining Bureau has actually been controlled by foreign capital.Subsequently, the British side did not allow the dragon flag to be hoisted in Tangshan factories and mines.Yuan Shikai was very angry.He submitted to the Foreign Affairs Department a memorial named Petition to Foreign Affairs Department to Declare Ownership of Real Estate to declare the right of origin and to impeach Zhang Yi.Emperor Guangxu instructed Zhang Yi to try to recover it quickly.(https://www.daowen.com)
张翼让严复代拟《遵旨回奏开平矿务情形折》，不过收回开平矿务的事毫无进展。光绪二十九年十一月（1903年12月）和转年二月（1904年4月），袁世凯又两次参劾张翼，张翼只能被迫选择法律途径解决问题。光绪三十年（1904）年末，在张翼的再三邀请和委托下，严复同其一起赴英国伦敦高等法院进行诉讼。
Zhang Yi asked Yan Fu to draft a memorial named Response on the Situation of Kaiping Mining, but there was no progress in recovering Kaiping.In December 1903 and April 1904, Yuan Shikai participated in impeaching Zhang Yi twice, Zhang Yi was forced to choose legal means to solve the problem.At the end of 1904, under the repeated invitation and entrustment of Zhang Yi, Yan Fu went to London's High Court in England with him for litigation.
1905年1月，伦敦高等法院正式开庭，张翼在英国委托的代理律师列举了大量原始资料，控诉墨林公司和开平矿务有限公司的欺诈行为。诉讼要求主要有两点：一、判令副约有效，并要求被告履行副约条款；如认为副约无效，则应宣告移交约是由欺诈手段获得的，应予撤销，被告无权取得移交约中的权益。二、向英方索赔经济损失。同年3月，伦敦高等法院作出判决：一、副约与移交约合法有效，二者视为一份文件，副约应当遵守执行。被告如不遵守副约，就不得享受移交约所载产业及其利益，法院将尽力把矿产及产业收回，交还原告。二、不支持索赔要求。判决后，被告提出上诉。1906年1月，法庭经过审理后判决：墨林公司及开平矿务公司应遵守副约的约定；按照副约的条款，张翼取得不超过该公司章程给予董事兼总经理的权利，副约中没有给予张翼督办的权利，张翼不得行使；驳回张翼其他主张赔偿的要求。张翼和开平矿务局一无所获。
In January 1905, London's High Court officially opened its session.Zhang Yi's attorney in England cited a large number of original materials and accused Morlin and Kaiping Company of fraud.Litigation requirements: first, order the Sub-Contract to be valid and require the defendant to perform the terms of the Sub-Contract.If the Sub-Contract is considered invalid, it should be declared that the Transfer Contract was obtained by fraudulent means and should be revoked;the defendant has no right to acquire the rights and interests in the Transfer Contract.Second, claim for economic losses from the British side.In March of the same year, London's High Court made a judgment: first, the Sub-Contract and the Transfer Contract are legal and valid, and they are regarded as one document.The Sub-Contract shall be observed and implemented.If the defendant fails to comply with the Sub-Contract, he will not enjoy the property and its benefits as stated in the Transfer Contract, and the court will try its best to recover the minerals and property and return them to the plaintiff.Second, do not support the claim.After the verdict, the defendant appealed.In January 1906, after trial by the court, it was decided that Morlin Company and Kaiping Company should abide by the agreement of the Sub-Contract.According to the terms of the Sub-Contract, Zhang Yi obtained no more than the rights granted to the director and general manager by the company's articles of association.The Sub-Contract did not give Zhang Yi the right to supervise, and Zhang Yi could not exercise it; reject Zhang Yi's other claims for compensation.Zhang Yi and Kaiping Mining Bureau achieved nothing.
在庭审期间，被告的举证内容暴露了张翼中饱私囊的问题。严复识破张翼的嘴脸后，加上张翼始终不兑现答应给严复的法律服务“代理费”，严复就终止了对张翼的法律服务和翻译帮助，并离开了伦敦。几年之后，严复撰写了《关于开平矿案的说帖》，分析了案件，指出：“今有限公司系英国法人，既非条约，又未经特别允许，并未向中国农工商部正式挂号，其在开平执管地产，开采矿苗，实属违背中国法律。”纵然如此，在当时的政治环境下，以严复微不足道的一己之力也是无法为开平矿务局争取利益的。
During the trial, the content of the defendant's evidence exposed the problem of Zhang Yi's self-enrichment.After Yan Fu saw through Zhang Yi's face, and Zhang Yi never fulfilled the promise of “agency fee” for Yan Fu's legal services, Yan Fu terminated his legal services and translation assistance to Zhang Yi and left London.A few years later, Yan Fu wrote Notes on Kaiping Mining Case, analyzed the case, and pointed out that: “Today Limited Company is a British legal person,neither a treaty nor a special permission, and has not been officially registered in the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce of China.It is against Chinese law to manage real estate and develop mining seedlings in Kaiping.” However, in the political environment at that time, it was impossible to win benefits for Kaiping Mining Bureau with Yan Fu's insignificant efforts.
严复与林文德律师的通信
Correspondence between Yan Fu and lawyer Edgar Pierce Allen
光绪二十六年（1900）以后，严复开始翻译法国启蒙思想家孟德斯鸠的名著《法意》（通译为《论法的精神》），至宣统元年（1909）脱稿。原书31卷，严复据英译本译出29卷。《法意》是探讨法律的性质、研究国家政治制度的法学和政治学理论专著。就律师制度而言，严复在《法意》所撰按语中说：“夫泰西之所以能无刑讯而情得者，非徒司法折狱之有术，而无情者不得尽其辞也，有辩护之律师，有公听之助理，抵瑕蹈隙，曲证旁搜，盖数听之余，其狱之情，靡不得者。而吾国治狱，无此具也，又况诪张之民，誓言无用，鹘突之宰，惟勘不明，则舍刑讯，几无术矣。”严复明确指出了律师在取证、诉讼中的重要作用。
After 1900, Yan Fu began to translate French Enlightenment thinker Montesquieu's famous book Fa Yi (now translated as The Spirit of Law), and the manuscript was released in 1909.The original book consists of 31 volumes, and Yan Fu translated 29 volumes according to the English version.Fa Yi is a monograph on the theory of law and politics, which explores the nature of law and studies the national political system.As far as the lawyer system was concerned, Yan Fu pointed out the important role of lawyers in obtaining evidence and litigation in the preface of Fa Yi.He said, “The reason why western countries cannot extort confessions by torture is not only because of the judicial and prison system, but also because the accused cannot fully defend themselves.I have heard of many cases.However, in China's criminal system, there is no defense link, and the examination is not clear.Therefore, we should establish a defense system by lawyers.”