shang of land, irrespective of quality. Lands belonging to towns and villages shall be paid for at the same rate. Payment shall be made upon completion of the surveys.

ARTICLE 5.-When investigating the local conditions and fixing the boundaries of large and small stations in conjunction with the Chinese officials, suitable tracts of land that shall be sufficient for Chinese traders, shall be set aside. These tracts shall be under the jurisdiction of the Chinese administration.

ARTICLE 6.—At the five large stations of Manchuria, Hailar, Tsitsihar, Anda and Tueichingshan appropriate places, situated near the station building, shall be set apart for the construction of quarters for the reception of Chinese officials, and lots shall also be set apart for the construction of branch offices of the Tiehlu Chiaoshieh Tsung Chu at all stations on the line. The Chinese Eastern Railway Company shall not pay for these lands, and they shall be under Chinese jurisdiction, which however should not interfere with administrative measures or public order.

ARTICLE 7.-Towns, villages, houses, market places and graves situated at the expropriated stations should be passed around, in accordance with Article 2 of the agreement for the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway. Such sums as have already been paid for this and also for the lands which are being returned, are to be deducted by the Chinese Eastern Railway Company from the payments due for lands expropriated under the present agreement. If, however, these lands shall be really indispensable for the railway and it would be difficult to pass around them, payment should be made by the Chinese Eastern Railway Company for the houses, yards, wells, trees and graves, at a price that will be fair in view of the actual conditions, so that they can be removed to another place and be rebuilt.

ARTICLE 8.-When choosing locations for the construction of railway bridges over navigable rivers, the locations should be examined in conjunction with a Chinese official in order not to interfere with navigation. In the same manner, if it shall be found that there are not enough places where sand, lime, stone and water can be obtained on the lands expropriated by this present agreement, and also if it shall become necessary to take measures against floods, the lands necessary for these purposes may be acquired only after an examination in conjunction with a Chinese official, and with the approval of the Chinese authorities, it being understood, moreover, that the quantity of such lands shall not be considerable, and that they shall be used only for the purposes above set forth.

ARTICLE 9.—Trees growing on the expropriated land, whether belonging to the government or to private owners, must be paid for separately. If mineral deposits shall be found to exist on the expropriated area it will be necessary to come to a special agreement in order to work them, and no claim can be based on this agreement in case such questions shall arise.

ARTICLE 10.-The owners of buildings situated on the expropriated lands may use them for the period of three years from the date that this agreement is signed. If, however, the Chinese Eastern Railway Company shall find it necessary, the said buildings must be surrendered and the money due must be paid in accordance with Article 7 of this agreement.

ARTICLE 11.-Surveyors and Chinese officials should be detailed by the Chinese Eastern Railway Company and by the Chinese authorities to inspect and measure in shangs the expropriated areas, in accordance with the annexed schedule, and to fix the boundaries of the concession, after which a plan and a list of the expropriated lands shall be prepared. One copy of the plan and list shall be delivered through the Chinese authorities to the governor for his information. The total quantity of land, both that which has been paid for and that which has not been paid for, in the various sections must be verified, and must not exceed the total area fixed by this present agreement. The deeds should be compared with the old documents, and they should be paid for fairly.

ARTICLE 12.-The Chinese Eastern Railway Company will make its forthcoming payments for privately owned land in the presence of Chinese officials who shall be sent for the purpose by the Chinese authorities, immediately upon receipt of notice from the management of the railway.

The deeds and plans shall be authenticated by the seal of the Chinese authorities.

ARTICLE 13.-After the conclusion of this present agreement, the agreement formerly concluded by the management of the railway with Taotai Chou Mien shall be considered as void.

ARTICLE 14.-This agreement shall be written in the Chinese and Russian languages and shall be signed and sealed by both parties. One copy of this agreement shall be kept in the Yamen of the Governor of Heilungkiang, and the other in the general office of the railway. In case of dispute the Chinese text shall be considered authoritative.

The original was signed by:

Major General HORVATH,

General Manager of the Chinese Eastern Railway.

DANIEL,

Agent of the General Manager of the

Chinese Eastern Railway for Relations with the Chinese Authorities.

(Signed in Chinese)

Expectant Taot'ai Decorated with the Peacock Feather,

Delegate of Heilungkiang Province.

Harbin, August 17, 1907 (August 30, 1907, new style); 22nd day of the 7th month of the 33rd year of the reign of Kuang Hsü.

SCHEDULE OF THE LANDS EXPROPRIATED ON THE WESTERN LINE.

For the line between the stations, sidings and platforms, 544 versts, at 11.25 shang per verst, the width being 35 sazhen (245 ft.)

6,098

RUSSIA (Chinese Eastern Railway Company) AND CHINA (Kirin Province). Contract for the expropriation of lands in Kirin Province.†-August 30, 1907.

In order to establish a definite system for the expropriation of lands in Kirin Province for the requirements of the Chinese Eastern Railway, we the undersigned, Major General Horvath, General Manager of the Chinese Eastern Railway, and Daniel, Agent of the General Manager of the Chinese Eastern Railway, on the one hand, and Expectant Taot'ai Tu Hsiao-Ying, Decorated with the Peacock Feather, Delegate of Kirin Province, on the other, have concluded the following agreement:

ART. 1.-After the conclusion of this present agreement both contracting parties must strictly observe it forever, and since the whole quantity of land

*120,000 shang equal 220,500 acres or 3441⁄2 square miles.

Translation from the Russian text as printed in Soglashenia, p. 38.

In connection with this contract see also a similar contract in regard to Heilungkiang Province (No. 1907/13, ante).

required for the railway has been included in this agreement, the Chinese Eastern Railway Company will never make any further expropriation.

ART. 2.—The total quantity of land expropriated along the eastern line in Kirin Province is fixed at fifty-five thousand Chinese shang, starting from Pogranitchnaya Station on the east and continuing westward as far as Ashiho Station. This quantity shall be divided among the stations and along the line of the railway in accordance with the special schedule attached to this agreement, and the boundaries of the expropriated land shall be indicated by ditches. When paid for, the lands shall pass into the possession of the Chinese Eastern Railway Company in accordance with the contract for the construction of this road.

ART. 3. The prices of lands belonging to private owners lately expropriated (with the exception of those already paid for) are fixed according to the following three categories:

(a) For cultivated lands: At Ashiho Station, seventy-two rubles; at the stations of Erhtsungtientzu, Hailin, Maoershan, Pogranitchnaya, Imianpo, and Hungtaohotzu, forty-five rubles; at the stations of Uchimi, Shaosuifen, Shaoyehling, Kaolingtzu, Weishaho, Mutanchiang, Taimako, Shangshi, Mulin, Shitohotzu, Mutaoshi, Machiaho, Taipingling, and Shilinho, thirty-seven rubles, for each Chinese shang.

(b) For good lands that are not cultivated; Ashiho, thirty rubles; Erhtsungtientzu and others (six places), twenty-two rubles; Uchimi and others (fourteen places), sixteen rubles 50 kopecks for each Chinese shang.

(c) For wet meadows: Ashiho, fifteen rubles; the remaining twenty places, eleven rubles, for each Chinese shang.

ART. 4. The Chinese Eastern Railway Company agrees also to pay for government land expropriated, at the rate of eight rubles for each Chinese shang of land, irrespective of quality. Lands belonging to towns and villages shall be paid for at the same rate. Payment shall be made upon completion of the surveys.

ART. 5.-When investigating the local conditions and fixing the boundaries of the large and small stations in conjunction with the Chinese officials, tracts of land near the stations, that shall be suitable and sufficient, in view of local conditions, shall be set apart for Chinese traders. These tracts shall be under the jurisdiction of the Chinese administration.

ART. 6-At the four large stations of Ashiho, Imianpo, Hungtaohotzu and Pogranitchnaya, appropriate places, situated near the station building, shall be set apart for the construction of quarters for the reception of Chinese officials, and lots must also be set apart for the construction of branch offices of the Tiehlu Chiaoshieh Tsung Chu at all stations on the line. The Chinese Eastern Railway Company shall not pay for these lands, and they shall be under Chinese jurisdiction, which however should not interfere with administrative measures or public order.

ART. 7-Towns, villages, houses, market places and graves situated at the expropriated stations should be passed around, in accordance with Article 2 of the agreement for the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway. Such sums as have already been paid for this and also for the lands which are being