CO129-027 - Public Offices - 1848

469

Appendix.

[ 56 ]

QUANTITY OF TEA exported from Canton by the Dutch, from 1783 to 1808.

Report on the Tea Trade.

YEARS.

QUANTITY.

YEARS.

QUANTITY,

i

[ 57 ]

YEARS QUANTITY YEARS QUANTITY 1783 Lbs. 5,334,000 1796 1784 4,458,800 1797 1785 5,943,200 1798 1786 5,794,900 1799 1787 4,179,600 1800 1788 5,106,900 1801 1789 205,333 1802 1790 1,328,500 1803 1791 2,051,330 1804 1792 2,938,530 1805 1793 2,417,200 1806 1794 4,096,800 1807 1,144,266 1795 1808 TOTAL Lbs. 43,649,760 TOTAL Lbs. 1,449,599

Lbs. 43,649,760

Lbs. 1,449,599

Lbs. 42,200,161

Exportation, First Period

Ditto, Last Period

Decreased Exportation

By comparing the first three years with the last three years of the Dutch trade, the decrease will be found to amount to 122,834 quarter chests; and in 1830 there were no ships sent to China.

After the restoration of the house of Nassau in 1815, a Dutch company was formed to carry on the tea trade; the royal proclamation announcing that it was to "prevent the trade falling into the hands of foreigners." In 1817 the company was dissolved, and the Americans and Dutch entered freely into competition for the supply of the Hollanders and Belgians with tea, "the duties (as Mr. Masterson, the vice-consul at Rotterdam, says) being so low, that the importations by Dutch and foreign flags is only about an English penny on the lower prices, and on the higher prices nothing." Mr. Masterson delivered in to the House of Commons the following Table, which demonstrates, although there was the greatest competition, the greatest abundance, and the lowest possible price (lower even, sometimes, than it could be bought at Canton), yet the consumption of tea did not increase, although according to theory it ought to have done so. Let it be remembered that this trade has not only been carried on without profit, but at considerable loss; that of the Dutch being 2,000,000 of florins within four years.

TEA TRADE to the Netherlands.*

The Dutch consul, in an address to the Governor of Canton in 1829, when there were the following ships in China; the "Peter and Karl," 300 tons; the "Charlotte," of 150 tons; and the "Experiment," of 188 tons, trading to Java; while so long ago as 1747 there were six large Dutch vessels at Canton, and in 1789 there were five, all of large burthen, says, "For many years the trade of Holland with the empire of China was considerable; many ships annually came, bringing goods from Holland or its colonies; but the principal object was always to purchase cargoes, entirely the productions of China; and I am happy to say that no difficulties have ever existed between the two countries. Formerly our connexion was advantageous to both parties, but since the expenses and the duties which are demanded on our ships and our merchandize, whether imports or exports, have considerably increased, the cohong has not preserved the merchants which the government had fixed, from whence it results that commerce has become limited, and its advantages less, and insensibly that of Holland has so much diminished that it has become almost nothing."

The Dutch are now trying to cultivate tea in Java, and the produce this year 1844-45 is about 75,000 lbs., and 1846, 992,500 lbs.; but it is of inferior quality, and grown and manufactured at considerable expense.

Denmark next presents itself to observation, as the Danes have been consumers of tea since the commencement of the last century; at one time, as the annexed Table will show, they exported a large quantity of tea from Canton. The duty is extremely low, viz.; two per cent. ad valorem, and the sale price, according to Mr. Consul Fenwick's Elsinore, December 1828, was for Bohea 20d., Congo 28 d. to 30 d., and Souchong 30 d. to 32d. per lb. Here also we do not find the consumption to have at all increased, but the very contrary.

YEARS QUANTITY OF TEA shipped at Canton by the Danes* YEARS QUANTITY 1767 Lbs. 3,010,286 1787 2,664,000 1768 1,430,874 1788 2,496,800 1769 1,449,306 1789 1,778,000 1770 2,800,482 1790 520,000 1771 2,750,164 1791 1772 2,999,600 1792 852,000 1773 8,867,300 1793 1774 3,287,300 1794 24,670 1775 2,833,700 1795 1776 2,487,300 1796 2,504,400 1777 2,098,300 1797 1,307,800 1778 1,388,400 1798 2,910,900 1779 3,983,600 1799 1780 2,341,400 1800 963,467 1781 4,118,500 1801 1782 5,477,200 1802 1783 3,204,000 1803 1784 3,158,000 1804 966,133 1785 4,578,100 1805 1,739,866 1786 2,092,000 1806 TOTAL Lbs. 64,305,812

BY AMERICANS.

BY THE DUTCH.

YEARS QUANTITY YEARS QUANTITY 1818 Lbs. 1824 Lbs. 1,409,992 1819 3,508,164 Qr. Chests. 90,535 1820 8,496,746 59,929 1825 2,036,760 37,224 1821 3,822,638 73,372 1826 528,264 45,768 1822 721,644 17,213 1827 294,030 28,038 1823 1,256,442 28,024 1828 1,111,308 46,672 1829 953,628 26,392 TOTAL Lbs. 14,036,506 TOTAL Lbs. 4,733,982 Qr. Chests. 295,265 Qr. Chests. 197,117

Exportation of First Period

Lbs. 64,305,812

Ditto, Last Period

Lbs. 21,421,101

Decrease

Lbs. 42,884,711

Dutch:

First Period's Importation

Qr. Chests. 295,265

Last Period

Qr. Chests. 197,117

Decrease

Qr. Chests 98,148

Americans:

First Period's Importation

Lbs. 14,036,506

Last Period

Lbs. 4,733,982

Decrease

Lbs. 9,302,524

In April 1825 the stock of teas of different kinds on hand in Denmark was

Lbs.

+

484,000

In 1827 there was a direct supply of

717,000

Total

Lbs.

1,201,000

In

* House of Commons Report, page 448.

↑ A quarter chest contains 60 lbs. English.

By

* Macpherson's Commerce of India.

P

Appendix.

Report

Trade.

on the Tea