No. 221.
409
No. 23
09
HONGKONG.
CORRESPONDENCE ON THE SUBJECT OF THE PROPOSED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHINESE REVENUE IN HONGKONG.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.
(Officer Administering the Government to Secretary of State.)
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 29th July, 1898.
SIR,-I have the honour to transmit a copy of a despatch received on 23rd July from H. B. M.'s Minister at Peking enclosing copy of a letter from the Inspector General of Chinese Customs setting forth the arrangements which, in Sir ROBERT HART's opinion, are necessary for the protection of Chinese revenue under the new circumstances created by the extension of Hongkong territory, and to submit for your consideration, comments, and observations on the matter treated in Sir ROBERT HART'S numbered paragraphs which I follow.
1. I strongly recommend that the Chinese Customs be not formally accorded the right to maintain its office in Hongkong and that the Commissioner of Customs be not recognised as a Chinese Official but that he remain as at present without official status of any kind. The English Government has always recognised the objections to a Chinese Consul in Hongkong, and a Consul's functions are strictly limited by law, much more should we object to the establishment in our midst of a Chinese official with ill-defined and unlimited powers. The Chinese Government should, I think, be permitted to have an agency in the Colony of a purely mer- cantile character merely for the purpose of issuing opium certificates unconnected in any way with any other kinds of goods and entirely of an unofficial character and beyond the control of any recognised officer of the Chinese Customs. The existing sub-stations-Changchow, Capsuimoon, Laichikok and Fotochow should be removed to points outside the leased territory; their retention on the present sites would be a fruitful source of friction and would always be misconstrued by the Chinese mind-there are many points both on the coast and on adjacent islands where the Chinese Customs could establish its new stations.
2. The proposal to give the Chinese Customs the right to levy duties within the Colony of Hongkong would be a surrender to China of one of the primary functions of Government and the right of having special jetties where these unprecedented operations would take place.
3. A somewhat similar argument may be employed against the proposal that Chinese Customs' cruisers and launches should be allowed to exercise their functions within British waters. Besides being an infringement of our sovereignty such right of search would interfere in an undue and unreasonable manner with the whole junk trade of the Colony and could not fail to lead to frequent complications.
Moreover, as these Chinese Customs' vessels are officered by men of all uation- alities, it would be inexpedient to give them by right such opportunities of re- connaissance and of noting naval and military arrangements. In short, it would be unwise to increase the privileges which they at present enjoy.
4. The fourth proposal is unobjectionable as it merely sets forth an existing state of affairs.
5. This Government has no intention to abrogate the present law concerning the movement, &c. of opium and will be prepared to consider any amendments necessary to meet new circumstances which may be submitted. The second portion of the fifth proposal giving a Chinese official the right to inspect establishments and shops in British territory and to overhaul their books and accounts is, I submit, wholly inadmissible.