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a telegraph office in Hongkong similar arrangements will be
amommodation. made by the English Company for the recommendation of the Chinese
Administration."
On the 10th November, 1883, the Eastern Company reported that the Chinese Administration had taken over the Wa Hop Line and had received permission from the Chinese Authorities
The Secretary of to connect at Kowloon with the Eastern line. State had in the meantime (desp. 156 of 7.8.83) asked for a reprt regarding the negotiations between the Eastern Company and China and on the 12th November the Governor (desp.No.300) recommended that the arrangement proposed between the Chinese Administration and the Eastern Company was "the best and most convenient for
all parties."
The
On the 28th January the Eastern Company informed the Government that the connection at Kowloon had been made and that the Chinese had separate rooms and offices in the Eastern building as the Eastern Company had in the Shanghai building. Company enclosed a copy of the working agreement, which had the
The agreement was to be approval of Her Majesty's Government.
This agreement was in force for 20 years from the 7th May, 1883. forwarded to Secretary of State on the 29th January, 1884 (desp. No.28) and the Secretary of State in despatch No.65 of 14.3.84 expressed his satisfaction that the working agreement had been
arrived at.
It is apparent from the correspondence that the general negotiations were conducted between the Eastern Company the Chinese Government and the Foreign Office without reference to the Hongkong Government. The information supplied by the Eastern Company to the Hongkong Government was given in reply
to letters of query.
On the 13th March, 1884, the Eastern Company applied for permission to erect a small house on the boundary at Shamshiupo, half to be in Chinese and half in British territory
the building to be
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