No. 41.
Mr. Seward
to Mr. Fish.
United
States Legation,
Peking
,
June 28, 1876.
(Received August 25.)
No. 93.]
Sir: I have the honor to hand to you herewith a
copy of a letter, No. 164, which I have received from Mr. De Lano, inclosing
a copy of the agreement between the Great Northern Telegraph Company and the
provincial authorities to cancel the contract under which the company was to
build a line of telegraph between Foochow and Amoy.
The original proposal to build this line was made when Japan was occupying a
part of Formosa, and was accepted, so to speak, as a war measure. Ever
since, it has been the desire of the Chinese to escape from the matter.
They have finally succeeded, and while there is promise for the future in the
school of telegraphy which has been established according to Article VII of
the agreement, I do not look for an early prosecution of the enterprise. Mr.
De Lano’s opinion may be right, however. He has the advantage of his
acquaintance with the people immediately concerned to guide him.
Articles V and VI are not so liberal as we might have expected, remembering
the generous support given to the company by the representatives of other
governments.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure in No. 93.]
United
States Consulate, Foochow
,
May 15, 1876.
No. 164.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a
translation of a dispatch, which I have recently received from the
Chinese officials at this port, showing the terms of a settlement of the
late controversy between the provincial government and the Great
Northern [Page 56] Telegraph Company in
regard to the erection of a telegraph line between this port and
Amoy.
I may add for your information that the school of telegraphy mentioned in
the dispatch is now in successful operation under the auspices of the
company, and that it seems very likely that the Foochow and Amoy line
will be constructed by the provincial government as soon as their own
people become sufficiently instructed in the art to conduct the
enterprise,
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
M. M. DE LANO,
United States
Consul.
Hon. George F. Seward,
United States Minister, Peking.
[Inclosure in inclosure in No.
93.—Translation.]
The committee of foreign trade have the honor to inform you that the
provincial government of Fuhkien has concluded an arrangement with the
Great Northern Telegraph Company in regard to the proposed Foochow and
Amoy telegraph line, by which the late contract for the erection of said
line has been canceled, and separate agreements concluded.
Under this arrangement, which was concluded and the articles signed on
the 20th March instant, we have made a payment of $50,000 on account of
the sum which was originally to be paid for the erection of the line,
and are to pay the balance in two separate installments, as is agreed
upon and set forth in the new contract, a copy of which we subjoin for
your information.
As you have lately been absent from the port it is our duty to report the
case to you, we having first duly communicated it to the high
authorities of the province.
Begging you will give us a reply, we have, &c.,
FOREIGN COMMITTEE OF TRADE.
Copy of agreement.
Concerning the canceling of a certain contract (dated
the 21st of May, 1875) about the construction of the Foochow-Amoy
overland telegraph line, entered into between the parties of the first
part, the high authorities of Foochow, represented by the board of
foreign trade, and as parties of the second part the Great Northern
Telegraph Company, represented by the director, George I. Holland, R.
D.
Upon the declaration of the said high authorities that it is impossible
and impracticable at present to carry out the above-mentioned contract,
the said company, yielding to force of circumstances, agrees to cancel
the same upon the following conditions:
- First. It has been arranged by both the aforesaid parties that
the said contract be at once canceled; the said company to
deliver all materials, stations, instruments, &c., which the
said high authorities have purchased, to the said board of
trade, in terms to be specified in this agreement, and the said
high authorities to pay the said company the balance due to
them, in terms also to be specified herein.
- Second. Payment of the whole remaining contract sum, viz,
$124,500, (one hundred and twenty-four thousand and five hundred
Mexican dollars,) as follows: $50,000, (fifty thousand dollars)
this date; $37,250 (thirty-seven thousand two hundred and fifty
dollars) on the 24th of April, and the balance of $37,250
(thirty-seven thousand two hundred and fifty dollars) on or
before the 22d May.
- Third. The company at once to deliver to the board of foreign
trade all materials, poles, stations, and watch-houses, with
their title-deeds, distributed on the line.
- Upon payment of the second instalment, deeds of transfer of
the company’s property at Nantai (Foochow) to be prepared, and
the same, with all materials, stationery, &c., in the
company’s go-down, to be handed over to them on the day of
payment of the third and last instalment, deducting from that
amount any of the articles that may be deficient; the company to
deliver the entire quantity of materials, tools, and
instruments, poles, &c., specified in the contract, less the
quantities destroyed and stolen during the building of the
line.
- Fourth. The company to waive all claims for all and every
unexecuted portion of work according to contract.
- Fifth. The high authorities not to grant similar contracts or
concessions to any other foreigners in the reconstruction of
this line.
- Sixth. Should China succeed in building the line herself, and
open it for public correspondence, they will grant the company
exclusive right to connect their present submarine [Page 57] line with the same, and
agree upon a certain scale of charges which can afterwards not
be changed without mutual consent; this clause to have no
reference to eventual sea-cables, or if China should reserve the
line entirely for government services.
- Seventh. The high authorities will immediately make
arrangement with the company for instructing Chinese students
for the time of one year, and after the expiration of this time
it shall be at the option of the high authorities whether they
will further extend this arrangement or not.
- Eighth. The foregoing stipulations have been submitted by the
board of foreign trade to, and approved by, the
high-authorities, viz, the governor-general of the provinces of
Fuhkien and Chekiang Li; the commander of the Manchu garrison in
Foochow, Wang; and the imperial commissioner and governor of the
province of Fuhkien, Ling, the contract of 21st May, 1875,
having this day been canceled and given up.
This agreement is written in English and Chinese in duplicate, each party
to keep one copy, the Chinese text to be binding on the high
authorities, and the English text to be binding on the company.
In witness whereof the two parties have
hereunto fixed their hands and seals at
Foochow
this the 20th day of
March, 1876.
[Official stamps and seal of the board of foreign trade.]
For the Great Northern Telegraph Company,
GEORGE I. HELLAND, R.
D.
