20.
armament. The Nice Roy assured me this should be love and
further that a losing of the Proclamation
on board every
should be left jink, both at Canton and when boarded for search. Mourits,
P. S.
(Signed) J. P. Robertion.
-Consul.
4 copy of this despalch, will be forwarded direct to the Foreign Office.
"(Signed) D.B. Robertion.
(Tome Copy.) I. Garcina Antur
Colonist
# Proclamation by CHEV, Magistrate of the Nanhai District (Canton).
The Magistrate has received the following instructions from His Honor the Judicial Commissioner -
"On the 24th day of the 12th month of the 7th year of Tungche (February 5th 1869) the Judicial Commissioner received instructions, as follows, from the Viceroy:
'In consequence of the frequency with which acts of piracy have been committed at sea by trading and fishing vessels, it has been agreed with the British Admiral Keppel that a stringent prohibition should be promulgated forbidding trading vessels proceeding to sea from carrying any other armament (in the shape of firearms) than guns and muskets, the use of stinkpots being interdicted, and that fishing vessels should not be allowed to carry either an armament or stinkpots. Subsequently to this, petitions were on repeated occasions presented by Chêu Chih-Kai and others, representing the shipping interests of the Xiangshan District, setting forth that in the various maritime divisions of the Province a great variety of junks exist, differing in numerous particulars, and employed indifferently as traders or in the fishery. A sweeping prohibition against carrying an armament would be prejudicial, it was added, to the safety of life and property.
'The Viceroy, animated by the desire to afford the fullest consideration and regard to the interests of the people, deemed it better that a strict code of regulations should be drawn up, in order to avoid the danger of letting precautions against piracy become a dead letter, in preference to clashing with the public interests by rigidly following out the letter of the existing law. He therefore drew up a set of rules, requiring the establishment of Ngaochang (Superintendents of Shipping) and Kirchang (tything chiefs), and the issue of registers and deposit of bonds.
These were communicated to all functionaries exercising jurisdiction along the coast, with orders for the issue by them of a notification to the masters of all trading and fishing vessels within their respective districts, enjoining upon these latter that in all cases of the construction of sea-going vessels the provisions of the Ordinances must be fulfilled in respect to the taking of bonds, inspection, issue of registers and establishment of Nganchang and Kiachang; and further that all vessels outgoing to sea must carry their official register on board for purposes of examination when necessary. The local authorities were also commanded to institute a thorough scrutiny with reference to all vessels, enrolling them in tythings and inscribing them in registries, the heads of tythings being required to give bonds which, after being authenticated by the local authorities, it was directed should be transmitted to the superior departments in the 12th month of every year. The British Consul, Mr Robertson, has now forwarded to the Viceroy a copy of the Station Orders which the British Admiral Kuppel proposes issuing with respect to joint operations for the suppression of piracy; and this has been transmitted to the Judicial Commissioner for his inspection and report.
The report having been received and orders issued with reference thereto, the Viceroy has further to point out that a passage occurs in the Station Orders to the effect that trading and fishing vessels will be overhauled and their papers examined, the object of which is the due discrimination between vessels of good or piratical character, in the course of joint action with the Chinese Government. It is necessary, therefore, that copies of the register issued by the subordinate authorities to the junkmen be sent to the British Consul, Mr Robertson, for transmission to Admiral Keppel, in order that the officers under his command may be provided with the necessary means of comparison.
A form of Register is accordingly devised and a copy thereof is transmitted to the Judicial Commissioner, who will issue orders to the District Magistrates to proceed at once to have copies printed in conformity with the same, which they are to stamp and issue, notifying to all masters of sea-going vessels within their districts that the enrolment must be finally completed within six months from the commencement of the eighth year of Tungche (i.e., by the 7th August 1869). All who have not already taken out registers must hasten to apply for the same, and those who have already received a document of the kind must exchange it for the new register without delay. The enrolment and registration must be completely effected within the above-named period of six months; otherwise, any vessels not having complied with this requirement on being overhauled by naval cruisers at sea and found without a register will forthwith be seized and handed over to the tribunals to be proceeded against.'
The form of Register annexed to the foregoing instructions is worded as follows:
'Henceforward in respect to all sea-going merchant and fishing vessels, report shall be made at the time of their building to the authorities of the District, who will require the deposit of guarantees by the Superintendents of shipping, tything men, and neighbours, before granting permission to build. On completion of the vessel, report must be made to the authorities, who after inspection will issue a Register, specifying in detail the name and age of the junkmaster, the name of the vessel, the names and description of the steersman and crew, the dimensions and build of the vessel, her number of masts, and the particulars of her armament. In each District every ten vessels will be enrolled as a Kia (tything) and from among the masters of the said 10 junks a man of experience and probity shall be chosen to act as chief of the tything. If any piracy be committed by one of the said number of vessels, and no information be lodged by the remainder, they shall be held equally responsible for the offence. For every ten Kia a Ngao-chang (Superintendent of shipping) shall be appointed, whose special duty it will be to exercise supervision over them. If in any District the number of vessels do not amount to one hundred (ten Kia), a Ngao-chang shall still be appointed; and when the number of vessels exceeds one hundred and fifty, two Ngao-chang shall be appointed. Trading vessels shall be classed in the tything by pairs, according to the number of their masts; and of fishing junks ten pairs shall constitute a tything. The Register shall be renewed at the end of every five years; and all vessels, whether employed as traders or in fishing, must carry their registers on board whenever they put to sea, and be prepared to submit the same to the inspection of all armed cruisers belonging to the various naval stations, which will be authorized to seize and hand over to the local authorities for trial any vessel found unprovided with a register. If, on examination, proof of the commission of piratical offences be elicited, the individuals thus seized shall be punished according to the law; and in the case of pirates being captured, on ascertaining the shipping division and tything to which the vessel apprehended belongs, all parties concerned shall be respectively proceeded against according to the degree of their responsibility.
'No vessel of any description whatsoever shall be allowed to carry on board the missile known as the stinkpot, and violation of this rule shall be duly punished.'
The above instructions having been received, the Magistrate has directed his police to give notice to all concerned, and to call upon them to make report in conformity with the same, in order that all vessels may be registered in tythings and be placed under bonds; in addition whereof, he issues this present Proclamation. Wherefore, be it known to the masters of all trading and fishing vessels. Be it known to ye that in obedience to the regulations now issued all sea-going vessels henceforward built must be reported to the Magistracy, as the rules provide, at the time of building, in order that guarantees may be taken, whereupon, and not before, permission for building will be granted. On the completion of any vessel, the same must be reported for inspection and for the issue of an official register, Shipping Superintend...