232
A letter following up the telegram of the 12th inst. and acknowledging receipt of the reply of the 14th inst, was written on the 15th inst.
Read letter from principal shipping firms arging the Chamber to approach the Govern. ment on the subject, and take action, which had already been adopted.
Resolved to forward copy of letter to Go vernment with covering letter endorsing the suggestions.
TAXES ON IMPORTS IN TRANSIT, &C. The Chairman called attention to the state- ment in the Tientsin paper to the effect that the German Minister had induced the Tsungli Yamen to alter the regulations affecting Transit Passes, by which imports will be allowed sale in transit, subject to certain trifling formalities.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
After some discussion, it was resolved to address inquiries to the British Consul at Canton on this subject, on the question of the declaration of a tariff of the Tso-li or terminal taxes, and as to whether an explanation had been received from the local officials at Fuchuen in Mr. Watts's case.
THE ANNUAL REPORT,
The draft of the annual report was considered, paragraph by paragraph, and passed, the annual meeting being fixed to take place on the 5th proximo.
THE TRANSIT PASS TRADE,
The following correspondence is attached to the minutes of the last meeting of the Hong- kong General Chamber of Commerce :-
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong, 17th March, 1898.
Sir, The attention of my Committee has been attracted by a statement in the local journals to the effect that H. E. Baron Von Heyking, Minister Plenipotentiary for Germany at Peking, has induced the Tsung-li Yamen to alter the regulations affecting Transit Passes, and that in future imported goods will be allowed sale in transit, under certain trifling formalities. Also that regulations for the new mode of in land transit have been drawn up by Sir Robert Hart. This is a matter of so much importance to the trade in imports that my Committee are naturally desirous of obtaining early informa tion on the subject, and I shall therefore esteem it a favour if you will be good enough to say whether you have received any intimation of such a change.
In reference to the question of the declara- tion of all Tso-li taxes by the Chinese officials to the Foreign Consuls, concerning which I had. the honour to address you on the 6th September last, my Committee would be pleased to learni how far this matter has progressed, and whether the provincial officials have supplied the desired information.
I have further to inquire whether any satis. factory explanation of Mr. Watts's case has been received from the Viceroy, to whom you had referred his complaint of the conduct of the Fu Chuen officials.-I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
R. M. GRAY, Chairman.
Byron Brenan, Esq., Č.M.G., H.B.M.'s Consul,
Canton.
H.B M.'s Consulate, Canton, 18th March, 1898. Sir,-In reply to your letter of yesterday re. garding the sale en route of foreign goods under transit pass, although I have as yet no official information on the subject, I am able to state that a modification of the existing rule will come into force immediately; and under the new regulations it will be permitted to sell goods en route before they reach the destination mentioned in the covering transit pass. Should a portion of the merchandise be thus sold en route it will be necessary for the owner to make a declaration to that effect at the next barrier encountered and have the quantity sold endorsed on the transit pass.
|
I consider this modification of the transit pass regulations to be of great value; not only in that a merchant will not now be compelled to proceed to a distant market when a more profitable one presents itself near at hand, but because under the new rule it will be more difficult for the lekin officials to arrange their plans for recovering from the Chinese purchaser
at the destination the charges which the transit pass has enabled the goods to escape on the journey.
As regards the interference on the part of the Fu Chuen Magistrate with the sale of coal to Mr. Watts, I am as yet without any explana- tion from the Viceroy. I have several times requested him to call on the Fu Chuen Magistrate for a report, and in replying to me on the last occasion the Viceroy stated that he had directed the Magistrate to submit an explanation within three days of the receipt of his instructions.
On the subject of the tso-li I shall write in a separate letter.-I am, sir, your obedient ser- vant,
BYRON BRENAN, Consul,
The Chairman, the Hongkong General Cham-
ber of Commerce,. Hongkong.
H.B.M's Consulate, Canton, 18th March, 1898. Sir, It will be of interest to your Chamber to learn that the Viceroy of the two Kwang Provinces has abolished the syndicate which farmed the collection of tso-li tax on kerosine oil. The Viceroy's order states that this is done by direction of the Tsungli Yamên, and that in future the collection of the tso-li (destination) tax must be controlled by Govern- ment officials.—I am, sir, your obedient servant,
BYRON BRENAN,
Consul.
The Chairman, the. Hongkong General Cham-
ber of Commerce.
[March 26, 1898.
My Committee being of opinion that the Government of the Straits Settlements have aoted in this matter upon a misconception of the facts. Bubonic plague is not and has not been this year epidemic in the colony, as will be geen by the following figures taken from the return issued by the Sanitary Board showing the numbers of cases and of deaths reported from the 1st January last to the end of last week
==
Week ended. 1st January
Cases. Deaths.
nil
nil
8th 15th 22nd " 29th
"
2
1
12
nil
nil
"
5th February 12th 21
"
19
19th 26th 5th March 12th
22
46 22 16
17
12
The
ér a total of 109 cases and 92 -deaths. period during which the cases rose to 46 was the week when the annual Races were held, on which occasion there was a large influx of visi- tors from China, who are believed to have brought the disease with them. Since then it is noticeable how rapidly the number of cases within a very short time they will become a has declined, and it is reasonable to expect neglegible quantity.
asking your Chamber to take up the question, My Committee therefore felt justified in and, in the light of the above facts, to urge the Straits Government to remove the quarantine
THE DELIVERY OF THE FRENCH declared against vessels with Chinese passengers
MAIL.
The following correspondence is attached to the minutes of the last meeting of the Com- mittee of the Chamber of Commerce :-
General Post Office, Hongkong, 14th March, 1898. Sir, I bave the honour to enquire whether your Chamber would consider it a convenience, in the case of the French mail, to have only and other printed matter being left to be dealt letters delivered in the first instance, newspaper
with later.
Commercial firms would in that case hare over in hour extra to spare, on each occasion in
dealing with their forward correspondence.-I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant.
A. M. THOMSON.
Postmaster General.
The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, Hongkong, 17th March, 1898. Sir,-In reply to your letter of the 14th iustant inquiring whether this Chamber con sider it would be a convenience, in the case of the French Mails, to have only letters delivered in the first instance, other matter being left to be dealt with later, I am directed by my Committee to say that in their opinion it would be a decided convenience to the commercial community, if the delivery of the letters would thereby be ex- pedited, and they will be glad to see the pro- posal carried into effect. I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTon Wilcox,
Secretary. To A. M. Thomson, Esq., Postmaster General.
QUARANTINE AT SINGAPOKE,
The following correspondence is attached to the minutes of the last meeting of the Chamber of Commerce :-
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 15th March, 1898. Dear Sir,-On the 12th inst., in consequence of the receipt of information to the effect that the Government of the Straits Settlements had declared Hongkong an infected port and that uine day's quarantine, counting from the date of departure, has been imposed upon vessels arriving at Singapore from this colony, the following telegram was despatched to you :-
arriving from Hongkong, which not only causes delay to the general trade but has a tendency to divert the native passenger traffic into other than the accustomed channels.
L
I have now to thank you for your reply to my telegram, which arrived last night. The tenour of that message was regarded by my Committee. with much regret, but they trust your Govern- ment will soon see good reason to modify their opinion as to the danger of infection, and will dear sir, yours faithfully, withdraw the quarantine now enforced.—I am,
R. M. GRAY, Chairman.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. Hongkong 17th March, 1898. Sir, I have the honour to forward herewith, for the information of His Excellency the Acting Governor, copy of a letter addressed to this Chamber by the principal shipping firms and agencies in this colony, protesting against the action of the Government of the Straits Settlements in declaring Hongkong an infected port and imposing nine days' quarantine, counting from the date of departure, on vessels arriving at Singapore thence.
This Chamber fully endorse the protest against the action of the Singapore Authorities, which is unwarranted by the sporadic character of the outbreak, and the fact that the cases are declining. My Committee trust that His Excellency the Acting Governor will vigorously protest against the practice at Singapore of re- sorting to restrictive measures against this port before any real necessity arises, by disease becoming epidemic, to the serious detriment of trade and loss to the shipping interests.—I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX, Secretary. To Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, Colonial
Secretary.
Hongkong 14th March, 1898. R. C. Wilcox, Esq., Secretary,
Hongkong Chamber of Commerce. Dear Sir,-On the 11th instant it was an- nounced in the local press that "An official telegram has been received from Singapore stating that Hongkong has been declared an in- fected port and that nine days' quarantine counting from the date of departure has been imposed upon vessels arriving at Singapore from Hongkong:" Private telegrams received Chairman, Chamber of Commerce, Singa- from Singapore, since this announcement was. pore-Hongkong Chamber strongly pro-made, explain that vessels not carrying Chinese test against quarantine Hongkong plague passengers will be admitted to pratique if the merely sporadic. cases decreasing. Request medical inspection held, on arrival, is satisfac your Chamber urge Government rescind." tory.