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Lord Li said the alternative offer did not appeal to the Board who were as anxious ad the Governor for a single fixed rate.
Sir John Jordan said the refusal of both these offers would mean a breaking off of negotiations and quoted the ap- plication made to him that morning by the Wai Wu Pu at the instance of the Canton Viceroy, that the Governor should be moved to assist the Chinese Goverment by exercising strict supervision over the movements of revolutionaries in Hongkong and the smuggling thence of arms and explosives to Canton. He had telegraphed to the Governor as requested, but it would be a pity if, under these circumstances, the Chinese Govern- ment could not meet Hongkong in the matter of this Agreement. Lord Li after urging that the Agreement had nothing
to do with politics and repeating his inability to make fur- ther concessions, finally agreed to consult Sheng and give Sir John Jordan an answer the following day if possible.