3
No. 2.
6238
REC?
&
Sir,
Admiralty to Foreign Office.-(Received March 7.)
Rec'd APR 99 Admiralty, March 4, 1899. WITH reference to Admiralty letter of the 15th ultimo, respecting the importance of connecting Wei-hai Wai with the British telegraph system by means of an all-British cable, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit herewith, for the information of the Secretary of State, copy of a letter, dated the 2nd instant, which has been received from the War Office on this subject.
I am, &c. (Signed)
EVAN MACGREGOR.
Sir,
Inclosure in No. 2.
War Office to Admiralty.
271A
War Office, March 2, 1899.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant, inclosing a copy of a letter addressed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to the Treasury, on the subject of telegraphic communication with Wei-hai Wei.
In reply, I am to state that Lord Lansdowne entirely concurs in their Lordships' views that strategical considerations render the establishment of cable communication between Hong Kong and Wei-hai Wei a most necessary step, and that the cable laid for this purpose should not touch at any intermediate ports.
I am, &c. (Signed) R. H. KNOX.
No. 3.
Question asked in the House of Commons, March 7, 1899.
Mr. Provand,-To ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if any official statement has been made by the Russian Government as to the terms on which British vessels may trade with the port of Talienwan;
If it is now, or will at any fixed future date be, subject to the navigation laws of Russia, and if these prevent British ships from trading between Talienwan and any other Russian port:
And, is the Customs Tariff the same as that of the Treaty ports in China or that of Russia.
Answer.
The assurances given by the Russian Government with regard to Talienwan Have already been published in "China No. 1, 1898.”
We understand that a formal declaration will have to be made to the Representatives of the Treaty Powers in China when the port is considered to be open to foreign commerce, which will not be until a Customs service has been established similar to that which exists at other ports opened by Treaty.
Her Majesty's Government were informed some time ago that steps were being taken for the organization of a general Administration and Customs establishment at Talienwan, and that duties would be collected by Russian officials for the Chinese Government according to the Chinese Tariff,
We are not in a position to express any opinion as to the bearing of the Russian navigation laws upon the position of the port.
3
No. 2.
6238
REC?
&
Sir,
Admiralty to Foreign Office.-(Received March 7.)
Rec2 APR 99 Admiralty, March 4, 1899. WITH reference to Admiralty letter of the 15th ultimo, respecting the importance of connecting Wei-hai Wai with the British telegraph system by means of an all-British cable, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit herewith, for the information of the Secretary of State, copy of a letter, dated the 2nd instant, which has been received from the War Office on this subject.
I am, &c. (Signed)
EVAN MACGREGOR.
Sir,
Inclosure in No. 2.
War Office to Admiralty.
271A
War Office, March 2, 1899.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant, inclosing a copy of a letter addressed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to the Treasury, on the subject of telegraphic com- munication with Wei-hai Wei.
In reply, I am to state that Lord Lansdowne entirely concurs in their Lordships' views that strategical considerations render the establishment of cable communication between Hong Kong and Wei-hai Wei a most necessary step, and that the cable laid for this purpose should not touch at any intermediate ports.
I am, &c. (Signed) R. H. KNOX.
No. 3.
Question asked in the House of Commons, March 7, 1899.
Mr. Provand,-To ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if any official statement has been made by the Russian Government as to the terms on which British vessels may trade with the port of Talienwan;
If it is now, or will at any fixed future date be, subject to the navigation laws of Russia, and if these prevent British ships from trading between Talienwan and any other Russian port:
And, is the Customs Tariff the same as that of the Treaty ports in Chir or that of Russia.
Answer.
The assurances given by the Russian Government with regard to Talienwan Have already been published in "China No. 1, 1898.”
We understand that a formal déclaration will have to be made to the Reprc- sentatives of the Treaty Powers in China when the port is considered to be open to foreign commerce, which will not be until a Customs service has been established
imilar to that which exists at other ports opened by Treaty.
Her Majesty's Government were informed some time ago that steps were being taken for the organization of a general Administration and Customs establishment at Talienwan, and that duties would be collected by Russian officials for the Chinese Government according to the Chinese Tariff,
We are not in a position to express any opinion as to the bearing of the Russian navigation laws upon the position of the port.
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