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purpose of borrowing to build the line and stopping People's mouths",
In November last year the memorialist was honoured with this preliminary Message: "The question of the "Canton-Hankow railway is serious; now that the "Development Co. is considering the cancellation of the concession we must arrange for its being taken over." "Chang Chih-tung will thoroughly consider and devise suitable steps".
The expressions "arrange for its being taken over" and "devise suitable steps" showed that the whole of the railway matters from beginning to end were included in the charge committed by Their Majesties.
In his humble judgment how dare he disobey the Order thoroughly to arrange? But the censor looks on this as monopolising. Had he only cancelled the concession and not arranged redemption funds and the result been either repudiation as funds were wanting or the agreement in fact not cancelled nor land bought up which had mostly been bought up by the foreign company, the critics would then have accused him of failure to arrange for the future by his shuffling and neglect.
As to issuing an official stamp to the Hunan gentry, in March the Hunan gentry jointly represented to the former Hunan Governor Tuan-fang and memorialist that whether the railway could be recovered or not it was absolutely necessary first to provide funds to buy the railway track so as to safeguard territorial rights and so they suggested the issue of a stamp.
... fear lest this line should not be got back they were forced to adopt this scheme of financing land purchase.
This