August 26, 1899.1 Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 14th August, 1899, Sirbag to acknowledge receipt of your despatch of the 29th ult, bringing to the notice of this Chamber a charge against the Hong- kong Post Offen of detention of letters to Aus- ralia which should have gone forward by the in which they were despatched from
Foopy of your letter was forwarded to the Postminster Général with
asion. To this, d
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. Shanghai, and the consignees here, if they wish the shipment to be continued on to the latter port, notify the carriers and pay the differ- once in freight. This opium would of course be manifested for Hongkong and would have to be entered again 'in the Shanghai manifest – Be- sides these optional shipments there would be the usual local shipments to Shanghai. At that port the duty is paid by the native dealer and Com not by the importer, and then only when it goes fully quired elsewhere, the dealer merely has to tran ship it, and the consignes pays duty at port of destination. Supposing the duty to be payable here, the merchants would, instead of the native dealers, be called upon to pay on every chest shipped from this port or "continued" ön in the steamer, and as opinn frequently remains | in storage for months and even occasionally for years, the amounts paid on this account would soon accumulate, Moreover, opium on which duty had been paid here might be lost
open received. Will he request for an ex into consumption looklly. If the opium is role
enclosed reply has kindly furnish this Chamber with a copy of the reply referred to by Capt. Hastings ?—I am, sir, your obedient
R. M. GRAY ME
Chairman. To G. Siemsson, Esq., Chairman, Focabów
Chamber of Commerce.
THE OPIUM BILL.
R. CHATTRI
The Secretary, Ceylon
Hongkong General Chumb
Hongkong Sir,Fam instructed to of resolution on the
rates
animoněly přinec chamber at their mont inst., and to beg tang
The following borrespondence is attached to the passage. If the Government de Governor, will be good en
the minutes of the last monthly meeting of the Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber
of Commerce ---
cided to enforce the payment of this duty, such action could not fail to divert a considerable portion of the trade from Hongkong. The Com- mittee are of opinion that all that is Hécessary Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, for the Government to do, to provide an effec-
· Hongkong, 20th July, 1899, tive check on the smuggling of opium, is to Bir,—I beg leave to acknowledge recept of establish Bonded Warehouses for the storage of your despatch (No. 64) of the 15th ult. enclosing the drug, making use (as previously mentioned) draft of a Bill entitled “An Ordinance to fur of the opium merchant's godowns as far as ther amend the Baw Opium Ordinance, 1899,"possible, and to keep an account of all opium for the consideration of the Committee, and also actually discharged in Hongkong, furnishing of your letter of the 3rd inst. asking that an the representative of the Chinese Imperial answer to the first might be returned as soon as Maritime Custome" with particulars of all per- possible.
mita issued for the export of opium.
With reference to the latter. I am instructed to express the Committee's regret at the an- Avoidable delay that has taken place in the con- sideration of this measure, the importance of Which and the possible consequence of certain of its clauses having necessitated very search Ing inquiries.
I am now directed to offer the subjoined observations on the Bill
1-Section 2. The wording of this section is somewhat obscure, and its provisions are open to grave objections, as they would, is enforced, ronder business in other than Bengal opium impracticable. Importers are obliged to open cased of Malwa, Persian, and Turkey drug, and give samples varying from 2 to 6 taels in weight, according to quality, for the pur poses of boiling and testing before purchase. Malwa is divided into various grades, soft, hard, new and old of different qualities and values, and no sale can be effected without first giving intending buyers an opportunity of testing the drug to ascertain its value, which varies in some esses as much as $100 per chest.
2. Section 3, amending section 9 of Ordi hance 22, making provision for the establish- ment of Bonded Warehouses. The opium' mer- chants strongly urge that the practice followed in Shanghal be adopted here, substituting, how ever, the merchant's godowns in Hongkong the bulks at the Treaty Port, the merchants giving simila
bonds to that required in Chang hai and conforming to like regulations to those in force there.
for
3Section 4. The Committee are of opinion that the second sentence of paragraph 1 of this Botion should be omitted. They submit that it is wholly unnecessary, and, if retained, would rive the Oplum Farmer, himself a large ex- porter, an unfair advantage over the merchants lacing it in his power to delay their ship-
Paragraph 2 of Section 4. The Com- strongly recommend the omission of this Slause in its entirety. When in their letter of the 12th August, 1898, they suggested that “the Government should give its consideration to the formulation of some other scheme which Will not only provide an effective bheck on the import of the drug,
debut will trace it also to con sumption or Exportation," they did not intend to convey the idea that the collection of the Brikson by the Government. be undertaken by ties shoul
ན་
ernment to undertake suóh a task Only be unnecessary, but it would roublesome complications and prové
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name to the Right Honon of State for the Colonies.1 to be sir your obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTON
Hon, J. H. Stewart Lockhart, C.M.G.
Secretary.
DEATH OF MB GRANV
SHARP.
We learn with regret that a 5.-Paragraph 3 of Section 4. To require death of Mr. Granville Sharp!
received on Tuesday morning the weight of the opium to be specified appears to be needless seeing that the duty is charged the last few years, in order to escape
in April last, as has been his by the Imperial Maritime Customs by the kong summer. He travelled by the chest. I am also to point out that the name of Pacific route and booked through to Nów the consignee cannot always be stated, as bills of intending to spend the greater lading are negotiable documents and are fremmer in Canada and the United quently made out to order.
being undecided as to whether
46
6-Beotion 5. The foregoing objections apply equally to the inclusion of the words "weight" and "dame of consignee" in this section. I am further instructed to draw attention to the penalty "imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months with or with out hard labour"-to which it is proposed to subject masters of vessels for failure or omission to report arrival, which the committee consider to be unreasonable. Finally, I am to suggest the deletion of the concinding words of this section, vis. "and such opium may be for feited," as being irrational. I have the honour to be, sir, Your most obedient servant,
the merchants. In illustration of For Two mention that much of the ported although it may not be speci- Ante aguage delivery át Hồngkong
Tited' on the bill of lading—is Feally I
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX, Secretary.
England or not. A letter rai
E
received by the “Canadian “mail and as the telegram: andgundiüg morning saying he was leavifi is from Limpsteld Chart, Surr posed that from New York he us Lampsfield Chart, and died shortly to England, gone to visit Mr. H. W
arrival there.
kong. He same ont in the fifties nd
Mr. Sharp was a very old resident the old Agra Bank, but left that inst few years later and established him if and bullion broker, in which business very successful and he gradually mod property interests. With the
To Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, C.M.G. property now commands it is beli
Colonial Secretary.
· REDUCTION OF CABLE RATES.
The following correspondence is attached the minutes of the last monthly meeting of the Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
Colombo, 21st June, 1899., The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Hong-
kong.
estate will be one of the largest probate in Hongkong. The deve took a prominent interest in being a fluent and eloquent
gatherings. One of his later ally took a leading part at all at the meeting held at the City address from Lord Charles ary last, when he proposed a ro terms. i the distinguished visitor in
Mr. Sharp was-a Dear Sir ----I have the honour to forward and in business had the Chamber in connection with above, and to draw his charities, and man oopy of a Résolution recently passed by this hard bargains, but he
JEZTWO necessity" figured bounty: will, häve good. attention to action on the part of the Chambers of Commerce death.
f the East in the matter.—I am, dear sir, yours faithfully,
your
`R. W. DUNN, Secretary, (Copy of Resolution referred to.) - That this Chamber considers the time has now arrived when the cost of cable messages
SAHTERA BLACHERE Between Great Britain and the East should be reduced, and they recommend that combined notion be taken in conjunction with the Cham bers in India, the Straits, and China, in order to accomplish it.” ⠀⠀
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 14th August, 1899. Bir,-- I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 21st June, forwarding copy resolution recently passed by your Chamber connection with the proposed reduction of
At Shanghai on the 10th polo match took (plsss) compétition attrnoted 21 spectators. The teams we Dallas and A. W Burkill. the following six, tần Ramsay, Byrne, A on foot. In the first
the
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