CO129-338 - Public Offices & Others - 1906 — Page 321

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This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]

2

Inclosure in No. 1.

Sir R. Hart to the Commissioners of Customs, Postal Commissioners, and Deputy

Commissioners in Charge of Li-kin Collectorates.

(Circular No. 1,369. Second Series.) Inspectorate-General of Customs, Peking, Sir,

September 22, 1906 CIRCULARS Nos. 1,339 and 1,361 acquainted you with the establishment and opening of a separate and special office to deal with Customs affairs. The Inspectorate which had hitherto functioned in and under the Tsung-li Yamên and Wai-wu Po, was thereon accordingly instructed to report henceforth to, and take its orders from, the new department, the Shui-wu Ch'u. The two Ta-ch'en appointed to control the Shui-wu Chu, their Excellencies Tich Liang and Tang Shao-yi, explained to me on two separate occasions, on the 12th and 15th May, that work was to proceed as before, and they now authorize me to circulate this intimation as an order for the information of the Service generally. While the Inspector-General will have the same relations with the Shui-wa Ch'u that he had with the Wai-wu Pa, and his duties continue to follow the same general lines, Commissioners and Port Staff will also continue to work just as before and remain in the same relation to the Inspector-General. Further, seeing that this explanation should dispel apprehensions expressed since the appearance of the Customs Edict on the 9th May, the members of the Service are to avoid originating or circulating, whether by mouth or pen, disturbing rumours and hypothetical fears calculated to provoke public comment to no useful purpose, but which may do more harm than good as affecting the dignity of the Chinese Government. The Maritime Customs worked satisfactorily, efficiently and usefully in the past, and the Chinese Government has been considerate and liberal in its dealings with its foreign employés; it is not intended to change such treatment, and it is expected that Service contentment and efficiency will march hand in hand with its continuance. I may add that this Customs Circular has been submitted to and approved of by the Shui-wu Ta-ch'en before issue.

I am, &c.,

(Signed)

ROBERT HART,

Inspector-General,

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

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NoRec 5 DFC OF

[November 17.]

SECTION 3.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received November 17.)

(No. 401.)

Peking, October 4, 1906. Sir,

WITH reference to Mr. Carnegie's despatch No. 375 of the 9th September, I have the honour to inform you that, at an interview yesterday at the Wai-wu Pu, I gave their Excellencies T'ang Shao-yi and Lien-fang, the two Ministers present, a Memorandum in English and Chinese on the Soochow-Hangchow--Ningpo Railway, in which the substance of Mr. Carnegie's interview of the 8th September with Prince Ch'ing was summarized, and the views of His Majesty's Government as stated in your telegram No. 160 of the 12th September were set out in full.

Their Excellencies read the two texts carefully, Mr. Tang the English and Mr. Lion the Chinese, and began their reply by repeating the language used by Prince Ching on the 8th September. They dwelt especially on the recognition by His Highness of the validity of the Preliminary Agreement, and argued that if this was carried out, as it would be, the question of a second line to be built by the Chekiangese themselves did not affect the British and Chinese Corporation. The Corporation's line being a Chinese Government undertaking, the loss or profit would be China's and not the Corporation's.

I insisted at length that in any rational view of the matter the question raised by the Board of Commerce Memorials was of vital concern to the Corporation. proposals contained in those Memorials went to the root of the Soochow-Hangehow- Ningpo Railway Concession, and if they were carried out the Concession was annulled. It was against common sense that two separate and distinct parties should each be given authorization to build a railway between towns so situated as Soochow, Hangelow, and Ningpo, and no matter what their Excellencies said, it could not be admitted for a The Board of Commerce clearly moment that such lines would not be rival lines. proposed undertakings which violated the Preliminary Agreement, and, that being so, desired to know what steps the Chinese Government were prepared to take to rectify so

grave an error.

The

Their Excellencies were for some time inclined to contend that the terms of the Preliminary Agreement did not bind the Chinese Government to give exactly the same terms for the Soochow-Hangchow--Ningpo Railway as for the Shanghae-Nanking line, but after reference to the text of the Preliminary Agreement they abandoned this argument. They then said that they could not criticize what was approved by Imperial Rescript.

I said that I was not so sure as their Excellencies appeared to be that Imperial Decrees were irrevocable, and insisted that, in any case, there must be some machinery to rectify the error which was committed by the Board of Commerce. I looked to the Wai-wu Pu to set that machinery in motion.

As a private expression of opinion, Mr. Tang thought that the difficulty was capable of a satisfactory solution by means of some arrangement under which the Chekiang people would be given an opportunity to subscribe a portion of the capital required for the Soochon-Hangchow-Ningpo Railway. I inquired whether I could be given a definite statement on the subject which I could submit officially for the consideration of His Majesty's Government. Mr. Tang said that he would consult with Prince Ching and let me know the result.

I had the honour to send you a telegram in the above sense to-day.

I have, &c.

(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.

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