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I told Mr. Wei Han that Mr. Lindsey and I were authorised to negotiate and conclude with him a working agreement for the two sections of the Kowloon-Canton Railway. He replied that he was similarly authorised by his Government,

We then told him that there were three general principles which we wished settled in the first instance, as upon them the whole working agreement depended, viz., the question of joint management, the question of connection with the Hankow- Canton line, and the division of profits. We then communicated to him the gist of (a) paragraphs 2-7 and 26; (b) paragraph 28; and (c) paragraph 17 seqq. of the draft working agreement. Mr. Wei then said that he must refer these general principles to Peking, and asked for leave to do so by telegram, saying that, although he was authorised to conclude the agreement, it was necessary for him to submit matters of principle to Peking for approval in the first instance. He added that he considered our proposals under these three heads very fair and reasonable, and that from a business point of view he had no objection to make to them. I gathered that he would recommend them for favourable consideration to Peking. He was entirely in favour of connection with the Hankow line being made at an early date. The only question he asked was whether we should be prepared to consider the possibility of managing the two sections separately. To this we replied that we hoped it would be unnecessary for us to discuss such a possibility, as, after much consideration, we had concluded that, the line being so short, separate management of the two sections would be uneconomical and unbusinesslike. Mr. Wei concurred in this view.

Throughout the discussion Mr. Wei made no mention of the Canton Government, but referred only to the central Government at Peking.

At parting we gave Mr. Wei a very short note of the three principles discussed.

Mr. Wei emphatically stated that the connection between the Canton-Kowloon Railway and the Hankow-Canton Railway was looked on as a settled conclusion; the only point remaining to be settled was as to whether the Canton-Kowloon Railway or the Hankow-Canton Railway were to make the connection.

C. CLEMENTI.

June 7, 1910.

Enclosure 4 in No. 1.

Officer administering the Government of Hong Kong to the Earl of Crewe.

(Telegraphic.)

[Received July 29, 1910.]

GROVE informs me that Wei Han has offered resignation, and that his resignation will be probably accepted, because he is considered at Peking to be too much favourable to view of British section. I have communicated this to chargé d'affaires.

[B]

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

со

25499

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[28675]

No. 1.

[August 8.1

AUG 10

SECTION 1.

Mr. Max Müller to Sir Edward Grey-(Received August 8.)

(No. 237.) Sir,

Peking, July 22, 1910. WITH reference to my despatch No. 185 of the 6th June, I have the honour to transmit herewith a translation of an Imperial decree of the 27th June, in which the Prince Regent for a second time refuses to accede to the request of the delegates from the provincial assemblies for the earlier opening of Parliament.

It will be remembered that on the 14th October, 1909, the first day of the ninth moon, the provincial assemblies met and continued their deliberations until the 23rd November. Before they adjourned, there would appear to have arisen more or less spontaneously amongst them a keen desire to see a national Parliament in existence before 1917, the year stipulated by Imperial decree, and a scheme to give expression to the general wish was proposed by the Chihli Assembly. In accordance with that proposal delegates from fifteen provinces met in Shanghai, and selected from their number a strong committee to proceed to Peking, and to submit the request of the assemblies to the Throne.

During January last these delegates approached the leading officials of the capital, in the hope of persuading them to support their cause. On the whole, the majority of the high officials in Peking were against the proposal, and those who did In these express themselves in favour of it were careful to do so with reservations. circumstances, it was not a matter for surprise that the Prince Regent decided to reject the request of the delegates. He accordingly issued on the 30th January a decree in which, though refusing the request, he displayed a certain amount of solicitude for the feelings of the delegates, and commended them for their sincerity, but, at the same time, he told them firmly that the Government saw no reason to depart from their original intention of carrying out the programme already drawn up, which included the opening of the Parliament in 1917. This decree further pointed out that the country in general was not yet ready for a national assembly, and that until the period of preparation was complete it would not be wise policy to open Parlia- ment. The delegates were also reminded that the Senate would meet early in October, and that this body would constitute the forerunner of a Parliament.

The delegates, however, were in no way deterred by the rejection of their petition, but, on the contrary, continued their campaign with unabated vigour, and, remaining in Peking, proceeded to present another petition to the Throne early in June, which elicited in reply thereto the decree of the 27th June, which forms the enclosure in this despatch.

After the issue of this decree, and in spite of the sentence prohibiting the presen- tation of any further petitions, the delegates announced their intention of still remaining in Peking to pursue the question further, but owing to the strict measures taken by the Government to control their movements by posting detectives to watch them, all, except six, it is said, have now left the capital. It is stated, however, that they intend, as soon as the provincial assemblies are opened, to present a third petition to the Prince Regent. If it should be again refused, it has been suggested that the delegates should all refuse to pay Government duties or taxes.

I have, &c.

W. G. MAX MÜLLER,

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