CO129-376 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1911 [3-4] — Page 72

$0.4401182.

Them. 225/

1220141.

4 39874/024

69

cable across the Harbour) from Victoria to the frontier as a

sub-department of the Post Office, or alternatively may

permit the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company for a term of

years to own a cable and carry lines along the Railway

Telegraph Poles as far as the frontier and there connect with

the Chinese line, subject to payment of a rent, and of a

royalty on each message. Which of these two alternatives may

prove to be preferable canbe decided later in conjunction

with the negotiation for the Working Agreement.

5.

Owing however to the loose and in-

-definite way in which the original permit was granted to the

}

Eastern Extension Telegraph Company to lay a cable across the

Harbour (see Lord Kimberley's telegram dated 30th, May, 1882,

and Despatch of 9th. January, 1871) it appears to me that the

first step is to legislate on the lines proposed in my pre-

-decessor's Despatch of 10th. October, 1904, and I have now

the honour to request your sanction to introduce into the

Legislative Council at an early date the Bill which forms

an enclosure to this Despatch.

6.

Since the Chinese Government on the

30th. of last January assumed the control of all telegraphs

within the Kwangtung Province, I would propose that the

International Land Telegraph Convention should with the

consent