November 11, 1896 1
THE PLAGUE IN FORM, SA..
[SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE "DAILY PRESS."]
TAIFER, 6th November.
After vigorous measures the plague has been got under control.
The following notification has been issued by the British Consulate at Tamsui-
Tamsui, 30th October, 1896. Cases of bubonic plague having occurred in Taipeh, the undersigned is informed by the Japanese Authorities that medical inspection will be carried out for river or shore traffic between this port and the capital.
(Sd) R. DE B. LAYARD,
H.M. Acting Consul. Tó British and Spanish subjects.
The following telegram has been received from the British Minister at Tokyo Go- vernor, Hongkong. Medical inspection enforced against vessels from Formosan ports to Japan. SATOW."
TREATY OF COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN.
MADE AT PEKING, JULY 21ST, 1896. His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and His Majesty the Emperor of China having resolved, in pursuance of the provisions of Article VI. of the Treaty signed at Shimonoseki on the 17th day of the 4th month of the 28th year of Meiji, corresponding to the 23rd day of the 3rd month of the 21st year of Kuang-hsü, to conclude & Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, have for that purpose named as Their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:
His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, Baron Hayashi Tadasu, Shoshii, Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Sacred Treasure, Grand Officer of the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun, Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary; and His Majesty the Emperor of China, Chang Yin-hoon, Minister of the Teung-li Yamên, holding the rank of the President of a Board and Senior Vice-President of the Board of Revenue;
Who, after having communicated to each other their Full Powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles.
Art. I.-There shall be perpetual peace and friendship between His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and His Majesty the Emperor of China, and between their respective subjects who shall enjoy equally in the respective coun- tries of the High Contracting Parties full and entire protection for their persons and property. Art. II.It is agreed by the High Con- tracting Parties that His Majesty the Emperor of Japan may, if he 800 fit, accredit a Diplomatic Agent to the Court of Peking and His Majesty the Emperer of China may, if he see fit, secredit a Diplomatic Agent to the Court of Tokyo.
The Diplomatic Agents thus accredited shall respectively enjoy all the prerogatives, privileges and immunities accorded by international law to such Agents and they shall also in all re- spects be entitled to the treatment extended to similar Agents of the most favoured nation.
Their persons, families, suites, establish- ments, residences, and correspondence shall be held inviolable. They shall be at liberty to select and appoint their own officers, couriers, interpreters, servants and attendants without any kind of molestation.
Art III His Majesty the Emperor of Japan may appoint Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls and Consular Agents to reside at such of the ports, cities, and towns of China which are now or may hereafter be opened to foreign residence and trade, as the interests of the Empire of Japan may require.
These officers shall be treated with due re-
by the Chinese Authorities, and they hall enjoy all the attributes, authorities, risdiction, privileges, and immunities which For may hereafter be extended to similar loers of the nation most favoured in these
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
8713
or all of those places in Japan where Consular | But in no case shall Japanese subjects be called Officers of other nations are now or may hereupon to pay in China other or higher import after be admitted, and, saving in the matter or export duties than are or may be paid by the of jurisdiction in respect of Chinese subjects subjects or citizens of the most favoured nation and property in Japan which is reserved to the nor shall any article imported into China from Japanese Judicial Courts, they shall enjoy the Japan or exported from China to Japan be rights and privileges that are usually accorded charged upon such importation or exportation to such officers.
other or higher duties than are now or may here- after be imposed in China on the like article when imported from. or exported to the nation most favoured in those respects:
:
Art. IV. Japanese subjects may, with their families, employes, and servants, frequent, reside, and carry on trade, industries, and manufac. tures or pursue any other lawful avocations, in all the ports, cities, and towns of China which are now or may hereafter be opened to foreign resdence and trade. They are at liberty to proceed to or from any of the open ports with their merchandise and effects, and with in the localities at those places which have already been or may hereafter be set apart for the use and occupation of foreigners, they are allowed to rent or purchase houses, rent or lease land and to build churches, cemeteries, and hospitals, enjoying in all respects the same privileges and immanities as are now or may hereafter be granted to the subjects or citizens
of the most favoured nation.`
Art. V-Japanese vessels may touch for the purpose of landing and shipping passengers and merchandise, in accordance with the exist- ing Rules and Regulations concerning foreign trade there, at all those places in China which are now ports of call, namely, Ngan-ching, Ta-tung, Hu-kow, Wu-such, Lu-chi-kow, and Woosung, and such other places as may here- after be made ports of call also. If any vessel should unlawfully enter ports other than open ports and ports of call in China or carry on clandestine trade along the coast or rivers, the vessel with her cargo shall be subject to con- fiscation by the Chinese Government.
If
Art. VI-Japanese subjects may travel, for their pleasure or for purposes of trade, to all parts of the interior of China, under passports issued by Japanese Consuls and countersigned by the Local Authorities. These passports, if demanded, must be produced for examination in the localities passed through. If the passports be not irregular, the bearers will be allowed to proceed and no opposition shall be offered to their hiring of persons, animals, carts, or ves- sels for their own conveyance or for the carriage of their personal effects or merchandise. they be without passports or if they commit any offence against the law, they shall be handed over to the nearest Cousul for punishment, but they shall only be subject to necessary restraint and in no case to ill-usage. Such passports shall remain in force for a period of 13 Chinese months from the date of issue. Any Japanese subject travelling in the interior without a passport shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 300 taels. Japanese subjects may, however, without passports go on excursions from any ot the ports open to trade, to a distance nof exceeding 100 Chinese li and for a period not exceeding 5 days. The provisions of this Article do not apply to crews of ships.
Art. VII.-Japanese subjects residing in the open ports of China may take into their service Chinese subjects and employ then in any lawful capacity without restraint or hindrance from the Chinese Government or Anthorities.
No
Art. VII-Japanese subjects may hire whatever boats they please for the conveyance of cargo or passengers and the sum to be paid for such boats shall be settled between the parties themselves, without the interference of the Chinese Government or Officers. limit shall be put upon the number of boats. neither shall a monopoly, in respect either of in carrying goods, be granted to any parties. the boats or of the porters or coolies engaged If any smuggling takes place in them the offenders will of course be punished according to law.
Art. X-All articles duly imported into China by Japanese subjects or from Japan shall while being transported, subject to the existing Regulations, from one open port to another, be wholly exempt from all taxes, imposts, duties, lekin, charges, and exactions of every nature and kind whatsoever, irrespective of the nationality of the owner or possessor of the articles, or the nationality of the conveyance or vessel in which the transportation is made.**
Art. XI.-It shall be at the option of any Japanese subject desiring to convey duly im ported articles to an inland market to clear his goods of all transit duties by payment of a commutation transit tax or duty, equal to one- half of the import duty in respect of dutiable articles, and two and a half per cent, upon the value iu respect of duty free articles; and ¿on payment thereof a certificate shall be issued which shall exempt the goods from all further inland charges whatsoever.
It is understood that this Article does not apply to imported opium.
purchased by Japanese subjects in China Art. XII.—All Chinese goods and produce
intended for export abroad, shall in every part elsewhere than at an open port thereof and
of China be freed from all taxes, imposta, nature and kind whatsoever, saving only export duties, lekin, charges, and exactions of every
commutation transit tax or duty calculated at duties when exported, upon the payment of the rate mentioned in the last preceding Article, substituting export duty for import duty, provided such goods and produce are actually exported to a foreign country within the period of 12 months from the date of the payment of the transit tax. All Chinese goods and produce purchased by Japanese subjects at the open ports of China and of which export to foreign from all internal taxes, imposts, duties, lekin, countries is not prohibited, shall be exempt charges, and exactions of every nature and kind whatsoever, saving only export duties rpon exportation, and all articles purchased by Japanese subjects in any part of China may also, for the purposes of export abroad, be transported from open port to open port subject to the existing Rules and Regulations.
Art. XII.-Merchandise of a bona fide foreign origin, in respect of which full import duty shall have been paid, may at any time within three years from the date of importation be re-exported from China by Japanese subjects - to any foreign country, without the payment of any export duty and the re-exporters shall, in addition, be entitled forthwith to receive from the Chinese Customs drawback certifi- cates for the amount of import duty paid· thereon, provided that the merchandise remains intact and unchanged in its original packages. Such drawback certificates shall be immediately toms Authorities at the option of the holders redeemable in ready money by the Chinese Cus
thereof.
Art. XIV.-The Chinese Government con sents to the establishment of Bonded Ware-
houses at the several open ports of China. Regulations on the subject shall be made here-
after.
Art. XV.-Japanese merchant vessels of more than 150 tons burden entering the open ports of China shall be charged tonnage dues at the rate of 4 mace per registered ton; if of 150 tons and under, they shall be charged at the rate of 1 mace per registered ton. But any such vessel taking its departure within 48 hours after arrival, without breaking bulk shall be exempt from the payment of tonnage dues.
Art. IX. The Tariffs and Tariff Rules now in force between China and the Western Powers shall be applicable to all articles upon importa- tion into China by Japanese subjects or from Japan, or upon exportation from China by Japanese subjects or to Japan. It is clearly understood that all articles, the importation or Japanese vessels having paid the above exportation of which is not expressly limited specified tonnage dues shall thereafter be or prohibited by the Tariffs and Tariff Rules empt from all tonnage dues in all existing between China and the Western ports and ports of call of China, for ajesty, the Emperor of China may like Powers, may be freely imported into and of four months from the date. Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-exported from Chins, subject only to the pay the port where the paym Consuls, and Consular Agents to reside at an,
ment of the stipulated import or export duties.
dues 12de Japanese vessels shall not,