[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[20648]
No. 1.
484
[June 18.]
SECTION 2. C.O.
24600
RECO
REG 7 JUL 06
Sir E. Satow to Sir Edward Grey.~(Received June 18.)
(No. 210. Confidential.) Sir,
WITH reference to my despatch No. 97 of the 6th March, on the subject of the
Peking, May 3, 1906. new Mining Regulations, I have the honour to state that Mr. Tang Shao-yi told me, on the 14th March, that they had reached his hands from the Board of Commerce. He said that they were very long, and that, his other engagements being numerous and pressing, it would take him some time to examine them properly. Since then Mr. C. W. Campbell, by my instructions, has endeavoured to keep the matter on Mr. Tang's attention.
Yesterday, on receipt of a telegram from His Majesty's Consul-General at Hankow, in which the Viceroy Chang Chih-tung asked me for news of these draft rules, I instructed Mr. Campbell to see Mr. Tang and ascertain what progress had been made. With the understanding that what he said was confidential, Mr. Tang mentioned that he had gone through the rules and had come to the conclusion that, though long, they were the work of a practical man; some of them were severe and others too minute, but he thought that they were on the whole workable.
Mr. Campbell suggested that it might help to put them into more acceptable shape if I could be shown a copy before they were issued, for such observations as I should care to make. Mr. Tang shook his head and thought that he could scarcely do so without also giving copies to the other foreign Ministers, and this he was not prepared to do. However, after some pressure he promised at some time before promulgation to go through the rules with Mr. Campbell privately, but he made it clear that he would not be in a position to do this for some little time.
I have, &c. (For His Majesty's Minister),
(Signed)
LANCELOT D. CARNEGIE.
[2026 8--2]