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incorporating the Administration in the Imperial Goverment
Telegraphs, and I referred to His Britannic Majesty's
Acting Consul-General at Canton for confirmation of these
notices.
4.
I enclose copy of the Acting
Consul-General's reply, dated the 18th. vltimo. ir. Fox
states that the Administration in question has never been
a bona fide commercial undertaking, but has always been,
both as regards finance and administration, under Govern-
-ment control, and he informs me upon the authority of
1
the Superintendent of Telegraphs at Canton, that the Board
of Communications in Peking have been instructed to take
over the administration of telegraphs throughout the
Chinese Empire, and that with this end in view the Board
have for some months past been negotiating with the share-
-holders in the Administration for the purchase of their
shares.
5.
In these circumstances, I consider
that the strong objections, felt by Sir M. Nathan to allow
-ing the Telegraph Administration to continue to operate
in British Territory, have gained in force. The legislation
proposed by my predecessor was in my opinion a good
solution, in view of the plea at that time put forward
that
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