THE TRANSIT PASS QUESTION.
I.
Bir CLAUDE MACDONALD is to be con- gratulated on the unequivocal nature of the proclamation that at his instance has been- issued with reference to transit passes in the province of Kwangsi. Mr. JOHN ANDREW,
who by his private enterprise put the mat ter to the test and made a case for diplo- matic action, is also to be congratulated. He acted as the pioneer and opened the way; all the world is now free to follow and share in the fruits of his courageous and persevering venture. It is due therefore to Mr. ANDREW that his services to foreign trade in South China should he
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
who wishes to trade under transit pass in Kwangtung has only to appeal to the pre- sent proclamation to secure recognition of his rights, for the same rules apply in each province of the. Viceroyalty.
more
rly worded others the others but it is the complete and sion of a principle that most vigorously contested Government. Our contem
The significance and value of the pro- clamation recently issued with reference officials of all grades expressl of Kwangsi have been strangely misappre- to the transit pass trade in the province hended by both our evening contemporaries. To begin with the personal question, the China Mail sees no reason whatever why congratulations should be thrown around "in regard to the subject. It seems to us that when a man succeeda
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says that until the Chinese | publishes a proclamation add
"them from levying charges "those authorised by treaty and imposing "a penalty for every infraction of the law 'there will be no alteration or improve- "ment." "Th
proclamation explicity sets out that it has been issued in obedience to the orders of the Tsungli Yamen made at the instance of the British Minister and trans-
clearly recognised. It would have been in doing what his successors have either mitted through the Viceroy, and it esta-
of Commerce or the China Association had sent an expedition up the West River years ago and instructed their representative to claim a strict fulfilment of the provisions of
been to do or being able have neglected to do he certainly merits
much more clearly than could be done CLAUDE MACDONALD is to be congratulated congratulation, and for that reason Sir
by any general proclamation prohibiting which none of the officials on having secured the issuing of the pro- would take as having a personal applica
squeezing, clamation in question. The personal question. Our contemporary further says, that tion, however, is of small importance and while the proclamation defines the rights
carry it out, and so it was left to Mall we would say further on the point is of traders "it imposes no corresponding
the treaty, but either the idea did not occur to them or they had not the cuterprise to ANDREW as a private merchant, to effectually open the transit pass trade in South China. It is not often that pioneers make very
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much for themselves-as a rule others victory he will not suppose that the claim to levy lekin on transit pass goods we
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"duties on the revenue farmers and local officials.” Ɛeeing that the Central Lekin Office formally and absolutely renounces its fail to see how the matter could well be car ried further, as the whole question in dis- In fact we have never read a proclamation issued pute was the illegal levy of lekin. at the instance of a Foreign Minister that could be regarded as more satisfactory and conclusive than the present one. It has been made unwillingly under pressure, and as a matter of course the Chinese will try to evade it, just as they have tried to evade the Opium Agreement, but it rests with these interested to see that such attempts are successfully frustrated, as the attempts to evade the Opium Agreement have been successfully frustrated.
should happen to read what has been to express a hope that if the Minister
written in Hongkong on his diplomatic captious tone in which it is referred to reap where they have the present
we hope that Mr. by our contemporaries in any way re- ANDREW may
himself reap substantial presents the feeling of the mercantile advantages from the tradul development community, who, we are sure, desire to that is likely to fellow upon his initiative.render honour where honour is due.
The China Mail doubts "whether Eu- Mr. ANDREW's enterprise would, however“ have come to nothing had we not had ropean merchants
will entrust their goods to the tender mercies of Chinese an energetic Consul at Canton and a
subordinate officials," meaning, whether strong Minister at Peking. Mr. Frásta, who was at the time in charge of the Con- they will send their goods into the interior sulate at Canton, gave MF. ANDREwall the under transit pass. But there is no room support in his power and Mr. BEAUCLERK, the whatever for doubt on the subject. When Charge d'Affairs at Peking, made energetic for a brief period some years ago transit representations to the Peking Government; passes were issued at Canton the privilege but the matter was still pending when Sir
was very largely availed of and trade was
What are the real facts of the case CLAUDE MACİ 'ONALD arrived to take up sensibly increased thereby; history in that
Our contem The treaty right to convey goods to the position of British Minister. Soule | respect will repeat itself. former Ministers would probably have beenporary, however, blows hot and cold, and the interior under transit pass was clear inclined to let the case drag on, to engage after expressing its belief that the pro- and indisputable, but the position, taken in endless discussions with the Tang-li clamation will be of comparatively little up by the Canton Government was that,
use unless under this, that, and the though transit passes would be issued if Yamen, and in the meantime to let the
on arrival at unfortunate British merchant stew in his other condition, it concludes by being applied for, the goods
prepared to hope something from the their destination and when parted from the own juice. Sir CLAUDE MACDosalo, Jon-
promised application of the transit pass transit pass would be taxed to an extent ever, acted with vigour and secured, a
ystem to the southern provinces ; but that would make it unprofitable to take out prompt settlement of Mr. ANDRLW's daina for damages arising out of the illegal this hope can take shape only "when based transit passes. This was the principle they upon the apparent determination on attempted to apply in Mr. ANDREW's case, obstructions placed in the way of his dispos
"the part of H.B.M. Minister to see that the native merchants at Wuchow being in- ing of his goods at Wuchow. The pecuni-
"the promises now made by the Chinese formed that any goods purchased from him ary settlement of an individual case was one
shall be faithfully carried out." The would be taxed with duty and lekin thing, however; -the throwing open of the
"again." This, then, was the whole question Two Kwang to the transit pass trade for references made in the proclamation itself to good and all was another; and the attain the Minister's action afford very good proof in dispute. After a long delay Mr. AN- DREW was allowed to dispose of his gooda ment of the latter object would seem to have of such a determination on his part, and our
and was also, still later, compensated for the taken Sir CLAUDE MACDOUALD = several gontemporary may therefore rest content. months. He is to be congratulated on the The Hongkong telegraph is still more un-loss he had incurred through the delay, but fact that it did not take him several years. reasonable and is inaccurate on one very the proclamations issued in connection with His Excellency seems to have spoken plainly important inatter of fact. It asks what is the case were, in the words of the Minister as quoted in the present proclamation, not and to the point. He insisted that the Tsung- the use of the proclamation, characterises it
"there have been sufficient to remove the apprehension exist- li Yamon should instruct the Governor-as purposeless, and says General of the Two Kwang to issue an hundreds of proclamations on the same ing in the minds of Chinese tradera.
It admits, however, that is therefore now expressly declared "adequate proclamation," and intimated subject before." that "a proclamation in merely general this proclamation is a little more clearly that the payment of transit duty
terms would be of no value," but that worded than most of the others," which is "the place of the lekin ordinarily
“able in transit, and every ustom-house the points mentioned in his despatch should equivalent to a direct statement that the
"and barrier en route shall, after be clearly and fully set forth. The result writer had the terms of the previous "hun- is the proclamation by the Lekin Office
“tion, allow the goods to pass without levy.
ing any further charges which we publish in another columnu and which we think may fairly be described as “adequate," fully recoguising as it does the provisions of the treaties with regard to trade under transit pass. It is true the proclamation refers only to the province of Kwangsi. We do not know whether it is intended to issue a similar proclamation with regard to Kwangtung, but this is com- paratively unimportant, for any merchant
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dreds of proclamations "present in his mind at the time he wrote. Can he give us a reference to any one such proclamation? The documents previously published having reference to Mr. ANDREW's case would not serve the purpose, for they were promptly declared unsatisfactory and must, moreover, be considered merely as stepping stones leading up to the present proclamation, the whole belonging to the same series. The a little present proclamation is not only
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on. Moreover, when the goods have "ceased to be under the protection of the "pass, such goods are, under the lekin re-
gulations, entitled to the same tre "as produce of a similar nature
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paid likin en route, and are not discriminated against.” The proclamat goes on to say that if further duties leviable on goods that have paid lakin