266
recent proceedings of the bhinese bustoms
Authorities have been most
well as
umfriendly.
It
is
illegal distinctly set
as
forth in the 25th Article of the Treaty that " Import duties shall be considered
payable
'and
on the landing of the goods.".
Article 144 British Subjects may hire chinese vessels for carriage of goods - ve qe In
every point of view, therefore,
of
the pure of
Proclamations forbidding
export hence of any
dutiable cuticle,
-directing payment of duty thereon elsewhere than on landing of the goods, is a
direct violation of existing Theaties, which permit residents here to
they please
aud
Jom
ship what
goods board of Chinese vessels,
pay duty on them when landed.
388
17448
11. I cannot doubt that the object
M.
I of all such proclamations
is one
of
decided hastility to this Colony. The efforts of the Meercantile Community of banton have long been directed to
the trade which the Grographical
cott
recovering position and other advantages of Hongkong have attracted hither. In proof of this I
shall advert to the second
subject
com
which I was awaiting further information
at the date of my despatch No 388 by
last mail - A few days before that date
a
CH
attention had been called to my combination entered into by the Cotton dealers in banton, neither to punchase
nor deal with cotton unleso imported direct into banton. The intention being to divert