CO129-373 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 69

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authorised His Excellency to draw the sum in question from the customs revenue at this port, presumably either out of the revenue of the native customs or out of the surplus revenue of the foreign customs over and above the amount annually set aside and remitted to Shanghai for the service of the loans.

This assurance satisfies the consular body that adequate provision has been made by the provincial Government to meet the cost of the upper river works, which can now be carried out simultaneously with the bar and Duck Island works under the supervision of the same foreign engineer.

I am therefore directed by my colleagues to submit to your Excellency for the favourable consideration of the diplomatic body the modifications of the consular body's original proposals as to the basis on which the conservancy taxes are to be collected which have been suggested by the taotai, with the reservation as to inland waters steamers made by the chamber of commerce, to which reservation the taotai, we believe, will make no objection.

Should your Excellencies see your way to give your approval in principle to these modified proposals, a final scheme will then be drawn up which will then bo submitted to the diplomatic body for the sanction of the foreign Powers.

I have, &c.

F. E. WILKINSON,

Senior Consul at Newchwang.

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

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[30777]

Sir,

No. 1.

CO 20647

[August 23

SECTION 1,

REGE 16 SEP 10

Board of Trade to Foreign Office.--(Received August 23.)

Board of Trade, August 22, 1910. I AM directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th August, forwarding copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Ambassador at Tokyo, with its enclosures, relative to the rates charged on the South Manchurian Railway for goods conveyed from Newchwang and Dalny respectively.

In reply, I am to state that they concur in the opinion expressed in the second paragraph of Sir C. MacDonald's despatch that no useful purpose would be served by joining issue in this matter with the Japanese Governinent on doubtful ground. They are disposed, however, to think that no considerations are advanced in the papers forwarded with the despatch which would justify them in departing from the views expressed in their previous letters on the subject.

I am, &c.

GEO. J. STANLEY.

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[2862 z-1]