Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 4th May, 1900.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
May 12, 1966. knowledge receipt of your esteemed letter the 20th ult. enclosing copy of a despatch ad- dressed to H.B.M's Minister in Japan on the
With the near approach of the Tea Season your kind assistance is urgently asked to the end that the Japanese Government may be With reference to your letter of the 26th ¦ induced to remove the discriminating ele- | subject of ten duties in Formöss, altimo suggesting a route to be patrolled by ment in these Duties. Her Majesty's ships with a view to the better protection of trade on the West River. I am directed to inform that the Naval Authorities have given directions for the patrol of the route mentioned in your letter, namely from Samehni to the sea by Wangmoon, Sailam, and Junction Channels and the West River between Samahui and Kongmoon.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
}
Your most obedient sérvant,
F. H. MAY.
Acting Colonial Secretary.
The Secretary to the
Chamber of Commerce.
AMOY AND THE FORMOSA tha TEADE.
Sir,
Amoy General Chamber of Commerce,
Amoy, 30th April, 1900.
I beg leave to enclose copy of a letter dated 5th instant addressed to Sir E. Satow K.C.M.G., Her Majesty's Minister at Tokyo, on the subject of tea duties in Formosa.
The Chamber will be grateful to you if you can take any action in support of its repre-
I am, Sir,
sentations.
Your obedient servant,
FRANCIS CASS,
Chairman.
R. M. Gray, Esquire,
Chairman. Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Amoy General Chamber of Commerce,
Amoy, 5th April, 1900.
Your Excellency,
This Chamber begs to acknowledge receipt of your despatch dated 18th December last, the contents of which have received careful con- sideration, and it has been resolved to again address you on the subject of export Duties on Teas shipped from Formosa.
The complaint which this Chamber makes is that the Japanese Government since the 3rd August last, despite the protest of shippers in Formosa, has levied and continues to levy a discriminating duty on Teas shipped from Formöss in the following way.
1.-1f shipped via Japan for the United States and Europe a levy called a "Harbour can then be exported from Japan without Tax of yen 1.00 per picul is made. This tea further payment of Duty.
2-If shipped to the United States and Europe via any port in China or via Hongkong or Elsewhere, other than Japan, an Export Duty of yen 1.60 is levied.
י
3-If shipped via Hongkong and Japan for the United States and Europe the duty of yon 1.00 per pionl is still charged. Thus mak- ing the Duty olearly one on a particular route. It is true as you point out that the difference is but 80 sen per pioul, but the Chamber sub- mite that the actual amount is not so much the point as the principal involved, which if allow ed to pass uncombatted leaves no safeguard that the difference may not be accentuated until British shipping and the choice of the Suez route are handicapped out of evidence.
British Merchants in Amoy are vitally in- terested in the Formosa Tea Trade, it having been developed by them from absolutely nothing under the Chinese sovereignty of the island. Hitherto Amoy has been the emporium of Formosa Teas whence they are shipped to the United States and Europo, and to Java and the Straits, none being consumed in Japan and practicably none in China either,
I have the honour to be,
Your Excellency's obedient Servant,
FRANCIS CASS.
Chairman.
His Excellency,
Sir Ernest Satow, K.C.M.G.,``
Her Majesty's Envoy Extraor- dinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Tokio.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong, 28th April 1900,
Sir,
Referring to previous correspondence on the question of the imposition by the Formosan Government of a discriminating duty on teas shipped from Formosa to the United States or Europe via Chinese ports or Hongkong, this Chamber is in receipt of a further communica- tion from the Amoy Chamber of Commerce stating that this duty is still being levied, in spite of protests on the subject.
I am therefore instructed to submit to your Excellency that the principle of imposing vari- able daty on different routes is a distinct in- fringement of par. 2 of Art. VIII. of the Treaty of 1894, which provides for the perfect equality of treatment of articles of export what ever the route or place of destination. and to express the hope that you will be able to induce the Japanese Government to relinquish the attempt to divert the export of Formosan teas from the channel it has for so many years taken, and which has proved most convenient to those engaged in trade.
1 have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
R. M. GRAY. Chairman.
To His Excellency,
Bir E. Satow, K.C.M.G.
H. B. M.'s Minister Plenipotentiary,
Tokyo.
C
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COM-
BIB,
MERCE.
Hongkong, 30th April, 1900.
I have the honour to forward here- with, for the information of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government,
H. E. Sir Ernest Satow, H.B.M.'s Minister opy in duplicate of a despatch addressed to Plenipotentiary in Japan, on the subject of the discriminating duty imposed by the Formosan Government on the export of Teas shipped from Formosa to the United States or Europe via Chinese ports or Hong- kong
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
R.CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
To Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G., Act. Col. Secretary.
Sir,
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 5th May, 1900.
I now beg to enclose herewith copy of a let ter addressed by this Chamber to H. E. Bir Ernest Satow in support of your Chamber's representations, which my Committee trust may help to forward the object in view.
I am, Sir,
Yours faithfully,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX, Secretary,
J. J. Dunne, Esq.,
Secretary,
Amoy Chamber of Commerce.
ARRIVAL OF H.M.§. "TERRIBLE” AT HONGKONG.
ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION,
PRESENTATION OF AN ADDRESS. On the afternoon of the 8th inst. HIM.S. Ter- rible arrived in the harbour from South Africa and was accorded a right royal reception. noon most of the business houses in the city were
At
closed and the rest of the day was observed as a general holiday. The ships in the harbour, includ inga French boat and a Japanese boat, were gay with bunting. Arrangements for the reception of the famous cruiser were made by a committee consisting, in the first instance, of Sir John Carrington. C.M.G., the Hon. J. J. Keswick, the Hon. C. P. Chater, C.M.G., the Hon. Herbert Smith, the Hon. H. C. Nicolle, Mr. G. A Caldwell, Mr. Bovis, Mr. J. J. Francis, Q.C., Chairman of the Chins Association, and Mr. H. E. Pollook, Hon. Sec. + of the Hongkong Branch of the Navy Laagne. The community were invited to go out in launches between 3.30 and four o'clock in the afternoon, and were requested to take up a position outside the eastern boundary of the harbour and to the west of the Lyamun Par in two lines-one on the north side and the- other on the south side of the channel; and the invitation was well responded to, it being years since so many gaily dressed boats were seen flitting about the harbour as were witnessed yesterday. H.E. the Acting Governor (Major- General Gascoigne, C.M.G.) and party went out in the Solent. The reception committee the following launches were placed at the occupied the Government Launch Victoria, and
P. and O. Company, Fame, belonging to the disposal of the committee for the use of the general public-Dragon, belonging to the Dook Company, and one or two launches belong. ing to Messrs. Butterfield and Swire. In addi- tion quite a number of launches had been
chartered by private parties, the total being
not far short of 50,
The Terrible was signalled from Gap Rook at about two o'clock, and on arriving at Lys- mun Pass she lay to and there awaited the arrival of her escort. As soon as she was
sighted the steam whistles were set to work, orackers were let of, and lusty cheers were raised, cheers which were as lustily responded to by the Terrible's crew who crowded the decks.. conspicuous figure on the bridge was Sir Frank Sweettenham, who is going out to Weihaiwei; and another figure which was anxiously sought for through the glasses was that of the gallant I am directed to acknowledge the receipt Captain of the Terrible, Captain Paroy Scott, of your letter of the 30th ultimo, enclosing R.N., C.B., whose scientific and practical ability sopy of a letter to Her Britannic Majesty's Minister in Japan, on the subject of the dis-nised by Her Majesty the Queen. From in South Africa has been so graciously recog. criminating duty imposed by the Formosan Government on toas shipped to foreign ports, and to inform you that a copy of your enclosure has been forwarded to the Secretary of State
for the Colonies.
1
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Amoy is the nearest port to Formosa avail- able for ossan steamers and the nativos engaged in the trade are all from Amoy. With these Ladvantages s Amoy merchants might naturally look to maintaining their position, provided equal (Export duties are levied on shipments The Secretary, from Formosa, no matter what the destination may be.
In the statement above presented to you there is a clear case of injustice to British merchants whose trade, after some 30 years of building up, is threatened by means of discriminating duties in favour of a particular route:
་
Your most obedient servant,
F. H. MAY, Acting Colonial Secretary.
Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong, 7th May, 1900,
Sir,
In the press of work on the eve of our annual meeting I inadvertently omitted to as
Lyeman Pass until the Terrible, cast anchor stern of the American flagship, the Brooklyn, the cheering, etc., was continuous. At the Kow- loon Dock hundreds of blus-jackets were assembled, and as their brave comrades steamed by they raised a shout which for the moment drowned even the shrill whistles of the launches and the "crack-ornek” of the fireworks.
It was about five o'clock when the Terrible cast anchor. She saluted the American flag- ship and her band played a few scores of "The Star-spangled Banner"; and this salute having been asknowledged," the Commodore's salute was fired. The Victoria then went alonguide, and having dropped Mr. Pollock, steamed round and invited the ladies in the different launches to go aboard the orniser, an invitation of which many gladly availed themselves. The reception