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will be entrusted with the inspection of all materials
ordered in England, and will receive remuneration on
the usual terms therefor. The chief reason given by the
Chinese Government for refusing the precedent of the
Shanghai-Nanking railway was that they were greatly
dissatisfied with the advice given by
Mr. Clarke in
connection with that railway, the estimates for which
were revised at least three times and had always proved
insufficient.
I have arranged verbally with the Board of Communications that Mr. Bell-Irving shall, as desired by you, act
as their delegate for the negotiation of a working
agreement, and that he shall be available for this
purpose at any time after his return from Tonquin. The
Viceroy will take the decision on the territorial point
of junction of the two sections, but that done,
Mr. Bell-Irving will discuss at Canton, with Your Excellency's
delegate and His Majesty's Consul General, all questions
relating to the joint working agreement.
I have no reason to believe that the Board of
Communications are raising obstructions or creating
artificial