TREATY OF TIENTSIN.

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be harboured or concealed, but shall be delivered up, on due requisition by the Chinese authorities, addressed to the British Consul.

Chinese

XXII. Should any Chinese subject fail to discharge debts incurred to a British subject, or should he fraudulently abscond, the Chinese authorities will do their utmost to effect his arrest and enforce recovery of the debts. The British authorities will likewise do their utmost to bring to justice any British subject fraudulently absconding or failing to discharge debts incurred by him to a Chinese subject.

XXIII. Should natives of China who may repair to Hongkong to trade incur debts there, the recovery of such debts must be arranged for by the English Court of Justice on the spot; but should the Chinese debtor abscond, and be known to have property, real or personal, within the Chinese territory, it shall be the duty of the Chinese authorities, on application by, and in concert with, the British Consul, to do their utmost to see justice done between the parties.

XXIV. It is agreed that British subjects shall pay, on all merchandise imported or exported by them, the duties prescribed by the Tariff, but in no case shall they be called upon to pay other or higher duties than are required of the subjects of any other foreign nation.

XXV. Import duties shall be considered payable on the landing of the goods, and duties of export on the shipment of the same.

XXVI. Whereas the Tariff fixed by Article X of the Treaty of Nanking, and which was estimated so as to impose on imports and exports a duty of about the rate of 5 per cent. ad valorem, has been found, by reason of the fall in value of various articles of merchandise, therein enumerated, to impose a duty upon these considerably in excess of the rate originally assumed as above to be a fair rate, it is agreed that the said Tariff shall be revised, and that as soon as the Treaty shall have been signed, application shall be made to the Emperor of China to depute a high officer of the Board of Revenue to meet, at Shanghai, officers to be deputed on behalf of the British Government, to consider its revision together, so that the Tariff, as revised, may come into operation immediately after the ratification of this Treaty.

XXVII. It is agreed that either of the High Contracting Parties to this Treaty may demand a further revision of the Tariff, and of the Commercial Articles of this Treaty, at the end of 10 years; but if no demand be made on either side within 6 months after the end of the first 10 years, then the Tariff shall remain in force for 10 years more, reckoned from the end of the preceding 10 years; and so it shall be at the end of each successive period of 10 years.

XXVIII. Whereas it was agreed in Article X of the Treaty of Nanking that British imports, having paid the Tariff duties, should be free from further charges, it is agreed that transit duties shall be abolished.

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