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March 26, 1898.1
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
THE PROTECTION OF CHINA'S REVENUE,
at
was to point out that, from a political point of view, the maintenance and workin of the Chinese Customs Service here, present organised, is calculated to give rise to misconceptions in the Chinese mind and to entail loss of national prestige to us. As a matter of fact the present system does not entail anything like the loss of prestige that indeed any loss of prestige at all. The was entailed by the system it displaced, nor Foreign branch of the Chinese Customs Service is looked upon by the Chinese people as a foreign institution, and at the office in Queen's Road there is no display of Chinese national insignia.
“advanced as a justification for a French | FOReign ports IN CHINA AND| Mr. POLLOCK says all that was intended
Custom House at London Bridge." But there is no Chinese Custom House in the main Street of Victoria, as this extract would lead home readers to suppose.
It is true there is an agency of the Chinese Customs, under the Control of a Commissioner, but the agency has no executive power within the confines of the colony. As to the argument that a French Custom House might as well be established at London Bridge, there is no reason in the world why an agency of the French Customs similar to the agency of the Chinese Customs in Hongkong should not be established at London Bridge if the French Customs so elected. The Chinese Customs have an agency in London as well as in Hongkong and any other Power would have an equal right to establish similar agencies. There is nothing strange or anomalous about the business. In Canada passengers for the United States may if they choose have their luggage examined by United States Customs officers on Canadian side of the frontier; and the United States and Canada are not given to tolerating any infringement of their respec- tive jurisdictions.
The recent discussion on the privileges granted to the Chinese Customs in the British colony of Hongkong suggests the question whether in the colonies or trading stations which other Powers are establish ing on the coast of China similar privileges will be granted. Germany has established herself at Kiaochau, which is to be made a free port like Hongkong. Russia has declared that any harbours she may ac quire-Port Arthur and Talienwan to wit shall be free ports; and if France acquires Kwongchauwan she will probably follow Other Powers that are establishing ports the same course. Japan may possibly re- in China, if they should be inclined to main at Weihaiwei, and, if so, that port co-operate at all with the Chinese Govern- will also be opened to trade. Demands for ment for the prevention of frauds upon harbours may likewise come in from other the revenue, will no doubt take stock Powers. If all the places above enumerated of the experience of Hongkong in that
China the and the others that may be acquired here- matter.
in making a cession or after are to be used as smuggling stations lease of territory may seek to make such China will have some legitimate ground of co-operation one of the conditions, and the complaint Theoretically of course it is Power to which the cession or lease is the duty of each Power to protect its own
made could hardly in common fairness refuse revenue, and its neighbours cannot as a
the condition. In the absence of such co- matter of right be called upon to assist it operation, however, the ports would be liable in attaining that end. When, however, to the annoyance that Hongkong experienced one Power seizes or otherwise acquires a in former years of having their approaches port in the dominions of another and estab-blockaded by Customs cruisers and all na- lishes a trading station there unusual COD- tive craft subjected to an irksome search' ditions are set up which may be held to immediately they entered Chinese waters. justify unusual methods of dealing with If, on the other hand, it should be decided them. For many years it was held that it to co-operate with the Chinese the further was China's duty to protect her own re- question would arise as to the form that co- venue in respect of the trade from Hong- operation should take. China wished kong to China, but the character of the originally to establish a Consulate in Hong- measures she took for effecting that object kong, but that demand was very properly led to grave and in part well founded rejected, and other Powers establishing complaint on the part of this colony, for ports on the Chinese coast will, if they are under native administration the preventive wise, also decline to accede to any such service was not honestly conducted. Ulti- demand. The establishment of Chinese con- mately a compromise was arrived at by sulates in ports adjacent to China would mean which the service was placed under the con- the establishment of an imperium in trol of the Foreign branch of the Customs imperio that would be destructive to good Service, and the system then estab-government. Even at such a distance as lished has worked with almost perfect Singapore the existence of a Chinese con- smoothness, leaving no ground for serious sulate has not been unattended with complaint on either side, though the Hong-abuse. We may take it, therefore, that kong branch of the Navy League-a non-
Chinese consulates will not be allowed in the political body which has no right to concern Russian, German, and French ports in itself with such questions seems to think China. The alternative of placing the there are sentimental objections to the ar- neighbouring Customs stations under the rangement that would justify its abrogation. control of the Foreign branch of the Such abrogation would lead to a revival of Chinese Customs Service is, as the ex- smuggling and of the objectionable methods perience of Hongkong has shown, free formerly adopted by the Native Customs for from serious objection, and reasonable checking it.
facilities may be afforded to the Service without fear of abuse. If, however, all fused, on grounds similar to those advanced recognition of the Chinese Service be re- by Mr. POLLOCK, namely, loss of national prestige, the Government-Russian, French undertake the collection and publication of or German, as the case may be may itself statistics of the imports and exports, and from a comparison of these statistics with their own the Chinese Customs would be able to ascertain whether smuggling was going on and to frame their own measures such statistics will be collected and published to cope with it. It is possible, indeed, that independently of any other arrangement that may be made with the Chinese Govern ment. In Hongkong the collection of trade returns upon any compulsory system has been strongly objected to by the majority of the mercantile community, and especially by the German section, and has not been enforced, but we are inclined to think that in the case of Kiaochau the German Govern- ment will desire to have full information as to the character and extent of the trade that may be established there,
The inaccuracy of the representations made on this subject in the letter of the Hongkong branch of the Navy League is surpassed by their extraordinary impru- dence. The rectification of the frontier is required for defensive purposes, not for the facilitation of smuggling. The latter plea is calculated to prejudice the proposal in the eyes of the Chinese Government, and al- though the Chinese Government does not count for much and has to comply with almost any and every demand made upon it, however oppressive or inequitable, it is undesirable to excite its suspicions unneces- sarily. Great Britain desires to act by China in a perfectly clean-handed manner, and the views of the Navy League on the question of smuggling will find no counten ance on the part of our own Government. It was agreed by the Chefoo Convention that a joint Commission should be appointed "in order to the establishment of some system that shall enable the Chinese "Government to protect its revenue "without prejudice to the interests of the colony" of Hongkong. That Commission sat, a long time after the signing of the Convention, and the system thereupon estab- lished, though no doubt susceptible to improvement in its details, has on the whole been mutually advantageous. If the colony's frontiers are extended the facilities for smuggling will be proportionately in- creased, and instead of the extension in- volving the destruction of the preventive the Hongkong branch of the Navy League, Mr. H. E. POLLOCK, the Hon. Secretary of system now in force, as the Navy League in his letter published in our coluinns a few assumes, it would rather be an argument days ago, says he has a difficulty in ascer for strengthening it. If the extension takes taining how anything contained in his letter place, as we all hope it will, we may take it to the Head Office could have been supposed for granted that the agreement will contain to constitute a plea in favour of the facilita- terms providing against the use of the new tion of smuggling. We do not think the territory as a basis for smuggling into difficulty will be found insuperable. If it China. The effrontery of going to China were proposed to do away with the Police and asking her to concede territory for the Force, nothing being suggested to take its express purpose of facilitating the defraud- place, the suggestion would rightly be con- ing of her revenue would be too pre-sidered as a plea for the facilitation of crime. posterous.
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The Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, Colonial Secretary, left last Saturday by the P. & O. steamer Japan for England, on leave. The following appointments, consequent on Mr. Lockhart's departure, are notified in the Gazette. Hon. T. Sercombe Smith to be Acting Colonial Secretary, Mr. A. M. Thomson to be Acting Colonial Treasurer and Acting Collector of Stamp Revenue in addition to bis duties as Postmaster-General, and Mr. A. W. Brewin to be Acting Registrar General in addition to his duties as Inspector of Schools.
A proposal to do away with all sanitary regulations might equally be construed as a plea for facilitating the propagation of disease. So also must a proposal to do away with the Chinese preventive service be construed as a plea for the facilitation of smuggling. Apparently it did not present itself in that light to Mr. POLLOCK and the Committee of the local branch of the Navy League when the letter was penned, but it is the only construction to be placed upon the written words.
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