(Frow tux "J. Ti Alleged Agreement Betweev China Russia.
The "Tokio Asahi's" correspondent in Tientsin reports that an_agecement with regard to the working of the gold mines at Kiohik, Ninguta, and Hunchun has been signed heoween China and Russia, the torn er represented by the Governor-General of Kirin and the latter by her representative in the same town, and that Yung Lu! has been instrumental in bringing about the conclusion of the vrwment. Its clauses are said to be substannitally as follows techied, Russian mining his. rep shall be ted the right of digging the gold mines ik, Ninguta, Hunchun, bourhood, and no other person shall he granted this right.
I.—A Russo Chinese Gold Mine Company shall be established with the sanction of the Chinese Emp-ror, and 0 per cent. of the interest derived from the works of the Company shall be given to, M. Astachief and 20 per cent to the Chinese Ihe total amount of the shares to be issued by the Company and the face ne per share shall be fixed later.
rt LITS in the neighbourhood of Kiohik several natives are already secretly working "cine wines, the new Company shall make surveys." principally in the, ~nngari district, and shall start the opening of the mine after the approval of the Ckinese Government has been obtained.
Art. IV.—If any Chinese can prove that he has long been engaged in the business of digging mines in the Ninguta and Hun-chun district jo shall be required t" pay a tax according to the law shall wot be obliged to carry on ce-opera: tion with the Russians. If he wishes to do business with the aid of the Russians, the Company in question shill conclude an agreement wit! and apply to the Chinese authorities for the grant of " lease certificate of the mining groun At present M. Astachieff can order a trial bonny of the gold mines in the above three districts; but, as t" the means of making the trial' boring, ar-agement must be made with the Governor-General of Kirin. If he allows the trial boring. the mining districts—with " certain boundary line for each—shall be fixed by him xnd no ig dsirict shall include all the three mines above mentioned.
Art. VE—This agreement is merely a; ppilement to the draft treaty between the Governor-General of Kirin and the representative in the digging of the gold tumes shall be start-san imperial Edict sanction the wer ug +f five gold mines in Province by the Rus-ians is Sccording to the " Asahi Shimbun,"
quoted by the Japan Mail," the assent of Yung Lu to this concession was obtained by a present of is. 100,000.—Ep.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.