CANTON--0001-RAILTAY.
789
VIKURA OF DECOLD MEETING HELD AT R.7.2.CONSULARE-OLITRAL, CANTON
DE TUESDAY 19th DECEMBER 1905, BETWEEN THE VICEROY OF CAUTOR'S
DERGIES & THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BRISIM & CHINESE CORPORAT¬
IOE Led.
PRESEUT. Yasors II, TEN & KIDIG, reprozenting th: Vigoros of
Canton, & Me 0.H.ROSS representing the ORITISE & CHIN-
ESE CORPORATIO: Ltd.
NT TIDOITT, H.D.E. Vice-Conmu
boing also present.
Mr YEK,on behalf of hir collongues, said, they had explain-
od the Corporation's proposals to the Vingroy, (though on
account or the delicate state of His Excellency's health a bare
outline only of the proposed Agreemont had boun mubaitted), and
had beon instructed to poply that since the Preliinsary Aren
-aont had been sighed, circumstances had changed, & particularly
a varied change had come over the apirit of the peopin, who nom
desirod to the selves build thie ruilray, & the Viceroy was rot
prepared to oppose this feeling which had been exprosced in
unsdotckeable tonga by the local gontry.
In the Viceroy's opinion, the Frolizinary Agreement mas A
nonbindias docwent, vaich although authorised by tla Taung-ki-
Yea, had not formally roonivad the Emperor's sabotion, and
moreover Clauge 3 of this Agreement seemed specially to psovide
for a state of affaire much as no existed.
BY ROSS, replying to the foregoing remarks, told the Inpu-
tiee that if they would refer to their archives, date he believ-
on about tho and of the year 1896, they would discover noITOS-
pondence which passed botveen Shang Kungpao & the then Viceroy
o Cantor, on the subject of tale railway. In the letters
referred to (oopies or which Mr Ross had read) Shong orplained
the instructions he had received from the Throne, quoting thou
in full with the Imperial rescript. Under such circumstances
it was therefore quite incorrect to state that the retter had
not received the Emperor's sanotion. (Mr Tebbitt hope stato:
stataL
that the date of the Imperial Biot lui question was about Dot-