10
T. M. C. c.
11
T. M. C. C.
Bunting (narrow), per Chang of 141 inches 0 0 1 5 Unenumerated Woollen Goods, or Silk and Woollen, and Cotton and Woollen Mixtures, &c. Loug Ells, Cassimeres, Flannel, and narrow Cloths of this description Blankets of all kinds 4 0 per Chang of 141 inches each 0 7 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 0 Camlets 0 7 0 Imitation ditto, Bombazettes, &c. ditto 0 3 5 Dutch Camlets, per Chang of 141 inches [All Articles unenumerated in this Tariff, 5 per cent, ad valorem.] 5 per cent. ad valorem. per 100 catties 3000 48 Woollen YarnGENERAL REGULATIONS, under which the British Trade is to be conducted at the Five Ports of Canton, Amoy, Foochowfoo, Ningpo, and Shanghai.
I. Pilots.
WHENEVER a British merchantman shall arrive off any of the five ports opened to trade, viz., Canton, Foochowfoo, Amoy, Ningpo, or Shanghai, pilots shall be allowed to take her immediately into port; and, in like manner, when such British ship shall have settled all legal duties and charges, and is about to return home, pilots shall be immediately granted to take her out to sea, without any stoppage or delay.
Regarding the remuneration to be given these pilots, that will be equitably settled by the British Consul appointed to each particular port, who will determine it with due reference to the distance gone over, the risk run, &c.
II. Custom-house Guards.
The Chinese Superintendent of Customs at each port will adopt the means that he may judge most proper to prevent the revenue suffering by fraud or smuggling. Whenever the pilot shall have brought any British merchantman into port, the Superintendent of Customs will depute one or two trusty Custom-house officers, whose duty it will be to watch against frauds on the revenue. These will either live in a boat of their own, or stay on board the English ship, as may best suit their convenience. Their food and expenses will be supplied them from day to day from the Custom-house, and they may not exact any fees whatever from either the Commander or Consignee. Should they violate this regulation, they shall be punished proportionately to the amount so exacted.
III. Masters of Ships reporting themselves on arrival.
Whenever a British vessel shall have cast anchor at any one of the above-mentioned ports, the Captain will, within four and twenty hours after arrival, proceed to the British Consulate, and deposit his ship's papers, bills of lading, manifest, &c., in the hands of the Consul; failing to do which, he will subject himself to a penalty of two hundred dollars.
For presenting a false manifest, the penalty will be five hundred dollars.
For breaking bulk and commencing to discharge, before due permission shall be obtained, the penalty will be five hundred dollars, and confiscation of the goods so discharged.
The Consul, having taken possession of the ship's papers, will immediately send a written communication to the Superintendent of Customs, specifying the register tonnage of the ship, and the particulars of the cargo she has on board; all of which being done in due form, permission will then be given to discharge, and the duties levied as provided for in the Tariff.
IV. Commercial Dealings between English and Chinese Merchants.
It having been stipulated that English merchants may trade with whatever native merchants they please,-should any Chinese merchant fraudulently abscond or incur debts which he is unable to discharge, the Chinese authorities, upon complaint being made thereof, will of course do their utmost to bring the offender to justice; it must, however, be distinctly understood, that if the defaulter really cannot be found, or be dead, or bankrupt, and there be not wherewithal to pay, the English merchants may not appeal to the former custom of the Hong Merchants paying for one another, and can no longer expect to have their losses made good to them.
V. Tonnage Dues.
Every English merchantman, on entering any one of the above-mentioned five ports, shall pay tonnage-dues at the rate of five mace per register-ton, in full of all charges. The fees formerly levied on entry and departure, of every description, are henceforth abolished.
VI. Import and Export Duties.
Goods, whether imported into, or exported from, any one of the above-mentioned five ports, are henceforward to be taxed according to the Tariff as now fixed and agreed upon, and no further sums are to be levied beyond those which are specified in the Tariff; all duties incurred by an English merchant-vessel, whether on goods imported or exported, or in the shape of tonnage-dues, must first be paid up in full; which done, the Superintendent of Customs will grant a port-clearance, and this being shown to the British Consul, he will thereupon return the ship's papers, and permit the vessel to depart.
VII. Examination of Goods at the Custom-house.
Every English merchant, having cargo to load or discharge, must give due intimation thereof, and hand particulars of the same to the Consul, who will immediately dispatch a recognized linguist of his own establishment to communicate the particulars to the Superintendent of Customs, that the goods may be duly examined, and neither party subjected to loss. The English merchant must also have a properly qualified person on the spot to attend to his interests when his goods are being examined for duty, otherwise, should there be complaints, these cannot be attended to.
Regarding such goods as are subject by the Tariff to an ad valorem duty, if the English merchant cannot agree with the Chinese officer in fixing a value, then each party shall call two or three merchants to look at the goods, and the highest price at which any of these merchants would be willing to purchase, shall be assumed as the value of the goods.
To fix the tare on any article, such as tea; if the English merchant cannot agree with the Custom-house officer, then each party shall choose so many chests out of every hundred, which being first weighed in gross, shall afterwards be tared, and the average tare upon these chests shall be assumed as the tare upon the whole; and upon this principle shall the tare be fixed upon all other goods in packages.
If there should still be any disputed points which cannot be settled, the English merchant may appeal to the Consul, who will communicate the particulars of the case to the Superintendent of Customs, that it may be equitably arranged. But the appeal must be made on the same day, or it will not be regarded. While such points are still open, the Superintendent of Customs may not clear the goods.
C 2
84