CO882-6 — Page 562

94

The locomotives are to be of sufficient power to carry out efficiently and econo- mically the work required of them.

The workshops of the line are to be fully equipped in every way necessary to carry out all ordinary repairs of locomotives and rolling stock.

The whole line is to be in every particular up to first class standard, and suited both for express passenger and heavy goods service.

7. The Sanctuary,

5704

Westminster, S.W.,

February 21, 1905.

No. 68.

COLONIAL OFFICE to CROWN AGENTS.

95

your letter, 4888/1905, of the 17th instant, forwarding copies of correspondence with the British and Chinese Corporation on the subject of the proposed railway from Canton to Kowloon.

Copies of your letter and of the enclosures have been forwarded to His Majesty's Minister at Peking, with the request that he will comply with the wishes expressed in the fourth paragraph of that letter, and that he will render all the assistance which he properly can to Mr. Charles Ross in his negotiations with the Chinese Government.

Lord Lansdowne concurs in the view of the Secretary of State for the Colonies that it will be useful to Sir E. Satow to peruse the official and unofficial correspond- ence which has taken place on this subject, and His Lordship would be glad to be favoured with copies, when ready, for transmission to Peking.

I am, &c.,

F. A. CAMPBELL.

[Answered by No. 73.]

6209

(Confidential.)

GENTLEMEN,

Downing Street, February 24, 1905. I AM directed to Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to inform you that he has been in communication with the Governor of Hong Kong and the British and Chinese Cor- poration with respect to the construction and working of a line of railway from Canton to Kowloon. The accompanying print of correspondence* (which is sent for your confidential information) will show you the nature of the proposed arrangement to which the Secretary of State has provisionally agreed on behalf of the Colonial Government.

2. You will observe that it is contemplated that the same Consulting Engineer should be employed for the construction of the Chinese and Hong Kong sections, and Mr. Lyttelton has intimated to the Corporation that he will have no objection to the selection of the firm of Sir J. Wolfe Barry and Partners by the Colonial Government for this purpose.

3. In his confidential despatch of the 11th January† the Governor discusses the question of the route which the Colonial section of the line should follow. Two routes have been proposed, and the Governor, for the reasons given by him, is in favour of the eastern one unless the detailed estimates shows that it will be consider- ably more expensive than the western.

4. Sir M. Nathan had previously requested that an engineer should be sent out to prepare plans for the Hong Kong section; but in his despatch of the 20th January, Mr. Lyttelton pointed out that the assent of the Chinese Government to the proposed arrangement could not safely be assumed at this stage, and that it would not be advisable to incur the proposed expenditure unless it were decided to build the Colonial section in any event.

5. In a telegram of the 22nd instants (of which a copy is also enclosed) Sir M. Nathan has asked that Sir J. Wolfe Barry should give an estimate of the cost of a detailed survey of the British section. It is clear from the Governor's despatch of the 11th January that this survey must embrace both of the alternative routes. It will not be possible to consult Mr. Chatham, as he has already felt this country. but it is possible that Sir J. Wolfe Barry may have already sufficient information at his disposal to enable him to frame an estimate, and I am to request that you will take the necessary steps for obtaining it with the least possible delay. I am, &c.,

6448

SIR,

No. 69.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received February 28, 1905.) [Acknowledged March 4, 1905.]

C. P. LUCAS.

Foreign Office, February 25, 1905.

I AM directed by the Marquess of Lansdowne to acknowledge the receipt of

No. 70.

MR. G. V. FIDDES to MR. W. KESWICK, M.P.

[Answered by No. 72.]

DEAR Mr. KESWICK,

Downing Street, March 2, 1905.

As at present advised, the Secretary of State is disposed to think that the outline specification, enclosed in your letter to me of the 24th ultimo,† need not be scheduled to the Working Agreement, if it is understood, as between the Hong Kong Government and the British and Chinese Corporation, that neither section of the line will be inferior in construction and equipment to what is laid down in the specification. I understand your letter to be an engagement in that respect so far as the Corporation is concerned.

Mr. Lyttelton will, however, refer the point to the Governor of the Colony for his consideration. Of course the specification fails to provide for several matters, such as curves and gradients, which would be essential to a proper specification of a first-class line," but which cannot now be determined in the absence of a detailed survey. We must, therefore, assume, on both sides, that the spirit of the Agreements and specification will be observed in these respects.

620v

No. 71.

Yours, &c.,

G. V. FIDDES.

MR. LYTTELTON to GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN, [Answered by No. 84.]

(Confidential.)

SIR,

WITH reference to my confidential despatch of the 17th ultimo, I have the

Downing Street, March 2, 1905. honour to inform you that during the negotiations with the British and Chinese Corporation, respecting the proposed Canton-Kowloon Railway, a question was raised as to the desirability of annexing an outline specification of the railway as a schedule to the Working Agreement.

2. I enclose, for your consideration, a copy of unofficial correspondences with the Chairman of the Corporation on the subject. It appears to me that in the absence of a detailed survey the specification must be necessarily imperfect in many important respects; that these omissions are chiefly of consequence in regard to the Hong Kong section; and that the inclusion of the specification may involve delay in the negotia. tions with the Chinese Government.

3. For these reasons, I am disposed to think that it is unnecessary to insist on scheduling an outline specification, but I leave the matter to your discretion.

I have, &c.,

ALFRED LYTTELTON.

• No. 63.

↑ No. 67.

‡ No. 64.

§ No. 67 and 70.

• Correspondence to date.

† No. 59.

✰ No. 53.

No. 66.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference:

TILLIC.O. 882

6 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO