THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE.
the same should be submitted to a general meeting of the Merchants before being communicated to Sir Henry Pottinger
——— A committee was then ballotted for, when the Scrutineers declared that the following gentlemen had been chosen viz.
Messors Matheson, Braine, Thomson, Burn, and Livingston.
These gentlemen having consented to act, the meeting was dissolved.
(True copy.)
Copy No 13. Gentlemen,
Macao, 31st December, 1842,
RICHARD WOONAM
Ading Secretary. Government House, Hongkong, Jany. 7th, 1813.
your
I have this moment received letter of Yesterday's date, and lose no time in informing you, in reply, that I have as yet received none of the Papers which the High Commissioners speak of in one of their Memoranda as likely to come from
Sir,
To His Excellency
Gentlemen,
Government House, Hongkong, Jany. 15th, 1843.
I have this day had the honor to receive mine of the 7th. your letter of the 13th Instant, in reply to
Sir Henry Pottinger. Børt |- No 33.
Copy II. M's. Plenipotentiary and Superintendent of British
Trade Your Excellency's letter of 7th instant,
We have the honor to acknowledge receipt of
in China.
based on the regular Imperial Duties, and, as we As it is understood, that the new Tariff is to be actually are, we do not conceive there could be have no means of ascertaining what those duties any advantage in proceeding as Your Excellency suggests, "with the information actually before us, and our long local experience" in preparing a Report on the Sibject.
The Imperial Duties, properly so called, are generally understood to be very moderate, except on 2 or 3 articles; but those duties have been of which are passibly regular, although it is gen- swelled by a variety of additional charges, some erally believed many of them have arisen from either the necessities of the Local Government, from Conso charges, or extortions of the Govern- ment Functionarica.
We may instance the article of
not all of the facts as to extra charges, &e, I beg to point out to you that most (if which you detail, are expressly alluded to missioners and my own Memoranda, which in the Extracts from both the High Com- I sent to you with my letter of the 28th ulto., so that it was quite unnecessary for
that it would have been you to bring them to my notice and I have to add, that I still retain r
n my opinion, n advisable for you to furnish me with a Statement as to Tariff
the Board of Revenue at Peking, nor do I Duty on which is said to ba Tea, the Imperial to the Papers that may have been prepared
mace per pecil, but raised by incilental charges nominally (2) two to one tael, two mace, and four candereens while for several years the actual payment, including Consoo charge, has varied from 2 taels to 81
Wer
tacls.
expect to be furnished with those Papers until I recommence my discussion with the Commissioners at Canton,
Under these circumstances I have the honor to suggest, that you should proceed with the information which you must albeen able to obtain any authentic account of the e may observe, however, that we never have ready possess, from your long local expe- authorized Duties; and we again beg leave to rience of the Trade of China, to draw up, suggest to Your Excellency the expediency of ob- in a concise form, a Report showing the taining for us, from the Canton Government, a alterations in the present system which you copy of the Imperial Tariff, to enable us to pro- would wish to see effected and the footing which may suggest themselves.
ceed with the consideration of a any alteration as to Tariff and Duties-including anchor- age charges, &c. &c. and which you would desire to see the Trade placed in
times to come.
-
indeed the system of which they were part, are to As the privileges of the Hong Merchants, and he abolished, an entire change must necessarily be made in the management of the Trade. Hitherto
Duties; &c., showing what
you would con- sider in future desirable, without reference
fact, I may further here observe, that I by the Board of Revenue at Peking. In believed, in affording you the opportunity of stating your unbiassed opinions on those points, I was doing the very thing you had anxiously longing for, for years past; and all, collectively and individually, been most am sorry to find that it is out of your power to comply with my suggestion.
As to the arrangements to be made for carrying on your Trade at Canton, after the Co-Hong shall be formally abolished, it appears to me that they will depend solely ducted in China as in all other parts of the on yourselves. The Trade is to be con-
tions of the Revenue R Delibe Setlement of Duties inward and outward,.ar. World, and I am not aware that it would
Should your Report and the
at
nearly or wholly assimilate, the matter would be at once arranged without further delay or trouble, and, on the other hand, should there appear important discrepan- cies between the two Documents, I shall have good grounds for urging a reconsideration of the Chinese plan (which you will have seen the Commissioners say is to be based on the present system), and supporting my arguments by your opinions and advice.
It is almost superfluous to add, that in the latter case, I shall communicate with you further, before I accede to any final arrangement.
havo &c.
(Signed) HENRY POTTINGER H. M's. Plenipotentiary.
To Messers Matheson,
(True copy)
Braine, Thomson Burn and Livingston
RICHARD WOOSNAM
Acting Secretary
rangements for warehousing Goods, taking charge Trade have been made by that body, while they of them when landed, in short all details of the are besides proprietors of the Faeteries in which we have resided, and the Warehouses in which our property v has been stored. As the vivor of them and of the scrument will necessarily cease with the existence of the Co. tong, the important question arises, of what sys-
tem Your Excellency and the Chinese Commis-
sioners may propose to establish in place of the former one; We are not aware whether it is the wish of Your Excellency that our Report should embrace this Branch of the Subject; but should
such be the case, we may be allowed to observe
that unless other parts of the Treaty than those
we have seen, Thould in some measures define the principles upon which the Foreign intercourse in Canton is to be in future conducted, it might be desirable that we should defer any consideration before us in the room of the system about to be of the matter, until some specific plan he placed
abolished.
Alexr Matheson
Braine
(Signed)
Macao, 18th January, 1848.
(True copy)
be possible, or proper, to make the smallest Ports which are to be thown open to Bri- difference between Canton and the other
tish Merchants.
After I shall have seen Elepouill
Hare any nesi imormatiún vʊ Lu
you
you I will again address derstand from the above observations, that
Commerce totally unshackled by rules, it is my present intention to leave the beyond those providing for a Tariff and Scale of Duties, including anchorage fees,
&c.
(Signed)
I have &c.
HENRY POTTINGER. H. M's. Plenipotentiary
To Messers Matheson,
Braine, Burn, Thomson.
(True copy)
RICHARD WOOSKAM
Acting Secretary
PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETORS
RICHARD WOOLNAM
THE PRINTING OFFICE, QUEEN'S ROAD, HONGKONG.
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