169
was a non-binding document, which although authorised by the Tsung-li-Yamen, had not formally received the Emperor's sanction, and moreover Clause 5 of this agreement seemed specially to provide for a state of affairs such as now existed.
Mr. Ross, replying to the foregoing remarks, told the Deputies that if they would refer to their archives, date he believed about the end of the year 1898, they would discover correspondence which passed between Sheng Kungpao and the then Viceroy of Canton, on the subject of this railway. In the letters referred to (copies of which Mr. Ross had read) Sheng explained the instructions he had received from the Throne, quoting these in full with the Imperial rescript. Under such circumstances it was therefore quite incorrect to state that the matter had not received the Emperor's sanction. (Mr. Tebbitt here stated that the date of the Imperial Edict in question was about October 1896).
The Deputies professed surprise to learn of the existence of this correspondence, and said they would examine the Viceroy's records about the date mentioned.
Mr. Ross said, with reference to clause 5 of the Preliminary Agreement, he had personally drafted this clause in 1899 at Shanghai; the local difficulties then apprehended were interference with survey parties, fengshui prejudices, and trouble over the removal of graves &c., for all of which Sheng said the Viceroy of Canton would, if necessary, make arrangements. His Excellency however, was apparently disinclined to make arrangements to meet local difficulties, and in whatever sense this clause might be read, such an attitude could neither be regarded as the spirit nor the letter of the clause in question.
Mr. Wen continuing his remarks, said that while they did not intend that the cancellation of the Agreement should entail any monetary compensation as was exacted by the American Company over the Yüan Han line the Viceroy understood that the Corporation had been put to some expense over a survey of the proposed route of the line, and His Excellency was willing to refund such outlay, but as...
existence
169
was a non-binding document, which although authorised
by the Tsung-11-Yamen, had not formally received the
Emperor's sanction, and moreover Clause 5 of this
agreement seemed specially to provide for a state of
affairs such as now existed.
Mr. Ross, replying to the foregoing remarks, told
the Deputies that if they would refer to their ar-
chives, date he believed about the end of the year
1898, they would discover correspondence which pass-
ed between Sheng Kungpao and the then Viceroy of Can-
ton, on the subject of this railway. In the letters
referred to (copies of which Mr. Ross had read) Sheng
explained the instructions he had received from the
Throne, quoting these in full with the Imperial
rescript. Under such circumstances it was therefore
quite incorrect to state that the matter had not re-
ceived the Emperor's sanction. (Mr. Tebbitt here
stated that the date of the Imperial Edict in ques-
tion was about October 1896).
The Deputies professed surprise to learn of the
existence of this correspondence, and said they would ex-
amine the Viceroy's records about the date mentioned.
Mr. Ross said, with reference to clause 5 of the
Preliminary Agreement, he had personally drafted this
clause in 1899 at Shanghai; the local difficulties then ap-
prehended were interference with survey parties, fengshui
prejudices, and trouble over the removal of graves &c.,
for all of which Sheng said the Viceroy of Canton woulâ,
if necessary, make arrangements. His Excellency however,
was apparently disinclined to make arrangements to meet
local difficulties, and in whatever sense this clause
might be read, such an attitude could neither be regarded
as the spirit nor the letter of the clause in question.
Mr. Wen continuing his remarks, said that while they
"
did not intend that the cancellation of the Agreement
should entail any monetary compensation as was exacted
by the American Company over the Yuah Han line the Viceroy
understood that the Corporation had been put to some ex-
pense over a survey of the proposed route of the line, and
His Excellency was willing to refund such outlay, but as
existence
the
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