THE TRANSIT-PASS ABUSES.
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH-TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27TH, 1881.
PROF. ROBERTSON SMITH.
THIS DAY, One P.M. Commercial matters are still attracting very little attention, but doubtless after the settlement at the end of the year we shall have a busy time on the Stock Exchange, We hear that some troubles are anticipated on settling day, the plunging on Docks somia fow months back at high rates having prov- od anything but a paying speculation; how ever, we doubt not that matters will be eat- satisfactorily arranged in one way or ano- thor. Dooks are still offering at 36 per cent premium, but not to any great extent, and we feel quite certain that if anything liko a de- mand were to arise, the stock would riss to a considerable extent without a very exorbi- tant outlay. The pulso of the share market at the prosenttime is unusually feverish, un- steady, and unreliable. Banks are in rather better odour than when we last wrote, buy- era failing to meet with thoir requirementa at 118, and the shares have a decidedly up- ward tendency. We learn from Shanghai that business has been done in North China Insurancea at 1,175, an advance of taals 50 on previous quotation. A few China Fires have changed hands at 290, the stock leaving off fairly firm at that rate. Steamboats are on the market to a limited extent at 23 par share promium; and Sagara continuo to be firm, with buyers at 158.
endoavouring to gain a livelihood by | UOM MEROTAL INTELLIGENCE. trading dicoot with foreign countries Wo N. O. Daily News publish olso- undevoredits furnished from home, have where a letter from & Correspondent at long realised the grievously aufair com- Tientsin, complaining bitterly of the petition to which wo are exposed, I unfair competition against which legi- would not have troubled you with a titante traders have to struggle at the communication on the subject, had you bands of those who abuse the privilege not so pointedly called attention to the of transit-passes. The only comment transit-pass traffic in. tlie paragrapfi of for which the letter calls from us is your paper above referred to. I enclose with respect to the strange misconcop-my card, and remain, Sir, your obedient tion the writer seems to bave formed servant,
MERUTOR. of the paragraph in which we first Tientsin, 5th December, 1881. drew attention to the matter. The idea that we included the entire mer. cantile community of Tientsin in the charge, is of course absurd. We sim- ply said, what our Correspondent him- solf virtually admits, that, in respect to the transit pass abuse, the state of affairs in Tientsin was almost if not quite as bad as that in Hankow,
The following is the letter referred
Sie,-In your paper of the 25th ult., I have observed a paragraph that, al- low me to point out, contains a too ge- neral reflection upon the foreign tra- ders of this port. At any rate I inust inform you that there are amongst us some merchants who have never cul- tivated nor desire to cultivate the equi- vocal and often times fraudulent tran- Bit-pass traffic.
to:
It is known that a very large num ber of transit-passes are applied for every year, and that by far the largest proportion are not for the conduct of trade on foreign account, but are used by Chinese dealers for what is ab ovó Chinese tralo. By the use of foreign transit-passes the Chinose dealers aro onable to evade the taxes that are lawfully due to the Imperial authorities. Therefore, that the Chinese taxes inay be evaded, the native dealers apply to certain foreigners; and obtain-under treaty provisions-the passes, which are given by the Consular officials on the assumption or on the implied con- dition that the goods protected from local or provincial taxes..by the docu- ments are, in truth, goods only and sote- ly on foreign account. The native dealer generally paye the foreign applicant sone consideration for these documents. The payment may sometimes be in money; but whether it be in money, or whether the foreign applicant, who may also be the agent of a line of steamers, simply stipulates that cargo covered by his transit passes must be shipped to Shanghai by his steamers leaving his compradore to enjoy the benefit of any widitional monetary pay- meat, the case is not altered as regards the position of the foreigner in the truusaction.
}
The evil of the illicit sale of transit- passes unfortunately does not end with the shame of the traffic. The result is, as pointed out by Mr. Alabaster, the British Consul at Haukow, that bona fide foreign traders are being driven out of the ports where such practices exist by native partnership combinations, who by the assistance of foreigners are enabled to treat foreign tradors as intraders, and to close against as native markets in which we, by virtue of treaty rights, could buy, or sell, or barter. The foreign traders are now finding their occupation gone; but the consolation remains that when foreign traders are expelled, foreign steanship owners will get their bad tara, and assuredly be ousted too.
|
I have never, in all the years I have been here, yet obtained one single transit-pass that was not strictly for my own trade, or for account of my foreign olioats, so I write with clean hands. A few others, who can speak for themselves, have a right to declare the like fact. What the Chinese think about the matter was made clear when Li Hung-chang, according to report at the time, denounced certain foreigners who had some trouble, about so-called Japan Tea. I hope that Sir Thomas Wade and his co-ministers will be able to devise some way of stopping a traffic that is so damaging to legitimate traders, .e., to traders whose business it is to import into Tientsin foreign manufactures, and to export to foreign countries. Tientsin produce, either on their own account or on commission; also, that is so injurious to the repúta tion of Treaty-power subjects. Prob- ably if a declaration of ownership had to be made on oath when the transit passes were applied far, the part of the business that is shameful would die ont. I cannot conclude without remarking that although I and other legitimate traders at this port, who have, been
On Monday Oct. 31at afternoon a public meeting was held in Queen. street fall, Edinburgh, at which the Rev. Professor Robertson Smith was prosented with books and manuscript to the value of £1,000. There was a crowded attendance, Mr. Benjamin Bell, Edinburgh, presided, and amongst others present were the Rev. Dr. W. C. Smith, the Rev. Dr. Whyte, and the Rev. Professor Davidson, Edinburgb, the Rev. Dr. W. Pirie Smith, Keig, Aberdeenshire, the Rev. Professors Bruce and Lindsay, Glasgow, Dr. John Maic, Dr. W. Blaikie, Glasgow, Mr. M'Kay Advocate, Mr. Lorimer, Advo onte, and Mr. Taylor Iunes, Advocate Mr. J. M. M'Candlish, W. S, moved that this meeting renews the protest made by the minority of the last Gone- ral Assembly against the Assembly's decision in the case of Professor W. Robertson Sinith, and pronounces that decision to be unconstitutional and un jast, and as such calculated to lower. the moral status of the Free Church and to retard progross. Mr. J. F. Whyte, Aberdeen, seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The Rev. Pro. fessor Brace, Glasgow, mured as fol lows:-"That the spread of education among the poople of Scotland, com. bined with the hostile attitude main- tained towards evangelical truth by so many leading scientific thinkers, im poses upon the Church a special duty of vindicating and defending in accord- anco with modern historical methods the facts and principles of the Divine revelation of God's grace contained in the Bible, and that all attempts suob as that made by the last General As- sembly to arrest the progress among us of a Boholarly believing criticism of the Word of God tend to further the spread of an unbelieving rationalism, and are fraught with danger towards the evangelical life and work of the Church for the maintenance of which the people of Scotland have always contended." The Rev. Ross Taylor, Kelviaside, seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The Rev. Mr. Sando. man, Edinburgh, moved, "That this meeting rejoices to know that Pro- fessor W. B. Smith has consented to deliver a short course of lectures on the prophetical basks in Edinburgh and Glasgow during this winter." Dr. Blaikie, Glasgow, seconde 1 the motion, which was adopted. The chairman said that Professor Smith would not accept any peondiary gift from his friends unless he could also do some thing to advance the cause in which they were all interested. It then oc- curred to his friends that if he would not receive a pecuniary gift or acknow- ledgment he would at least allow them to prasent him with books and mana- scripts for the prosecution of his studies.
Professor Smith acceded to that, and a sum of money amounting tɔ $1,000 was raised in a few days. The books and MSS, had beon selected by Professor Smith himself. His frioude had felt that, besides providing Profes- sor Smith with books and MSS., they ought to have a guarantee fund for put- ting him, as if were, into a position of learned leisure to prosecute his studies. The result of that had been that a sm had been raised that would afford a larger salary to him than he enjoyed at Aberdeen.
Professor Roberston. Smith, in returning thanks, said that he had heard a great deal as to whether certain publications with which his name was couucoted were promature. or not promuturo. The real point was this, there was on all sides in Scotland a movement towards a newer › and deeper Biblical study, and if Christianity could hope to keep the place it had previously held in the first rank of ha- inan culture-nay, above the rank of human culture-it was only by throw. ing-iteolf-again-into-deeper and more learned research, into more study of its own nature, its origin, and its powers.
Times,
SHARES
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corpe. ration-118 per cent. promiura, Buyers. Union Insurance Society of Canton-$1,500
per share.
China Traders' Insurance Company-$1,550 North-China Insurance Company-Tis. 1,175
per share.
per share, sales, Yangteze Insurance Association-Tls. 876
per share.
Company-$290 par
Chinese Insurance
share, sellers. Man On Insurance Company, Limited-$95
per share premium.
On Tai Insurance Company, Limited-Tla. Hongkong Fire Insurance Company-$925
150 per share.
por share.
China Fire Insurance Company-$200 per
share, Sales.
Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Company
36 per cent. premium, Sellers. Hongkong, Canton, and Macao Steamboat Company-$23 per share premium, Sellers.
-
Deo 26, GLENBARN, British stoamer, 1,409, W. B. Duko, London 9th Nov., Sin- gapore 19th Deo., General,-Jardine, Matheson & Co.
Dec. 27, CHRISTiana Bedyan, American burkentino, 589, Cral, Nowoustle 27th Oct., Coal,-Master. Deo. 27, Parino, British steamer, 954,
Rico.-Russell &
!
Deo. 27, HAILOONG, British steamer, 277,
F. Ashton, Swatow 20th Doc., Gone- ral.-D. Lapraik & Co.
Intimations.
Christmas Presents.
H. FOURNIER & Co.
f. H. Drewes, Ohinking 23rd Deo., HAVE JUST RECEIVED,
ex French Mail Steamer, A Splendid Assortment · of FANCY GOOD 8, Suitable for CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S PRESENTS.
DEPARTURES,
Dec. 25, TANNADION, British 'steamer, for
Melbourne.
Deo. 25, NINGPO, British steamer, for
Bhanghai.
Dec. 35, DIAMANTE, British steamer, for
Amoy.
Dec. 25, OnEroo, British steamer for
Shanghai.
Deo. 25, VOLGA, French steamer, for
Yokohama.
Also a Large Assortment of TOYS,
and. Articles for
Dec. 25. R. Parsons, American bark for CHRISTMAS TREES.
Iloilo.
Dec. 25, Oxus, French steamer, for Shang-
hai
Dec. 26. VERONA, British atoamer, for
Singapore, &o.
Dec. 26, LEONORA, Ainer, ship, for Guam. Deo. 26, FLUELLIN, British bark, for Yap. Deo. 27, GREYHOUND, British steamer, for
Hoihow.
Dec. 27, ANNA, German bark, for Touron. Dec. 37, KANG-CHI, Ohinese steamer, for Doo, 27, Asia, Danish steamer, for Canton.
0.
Hoihow.
Dec. 27, VENETIA, British steamer, for
Shanghai.
Dec. 27, PEKING, British steamer, för Can-
ton.
PASSENGERS. ARRITED.
Per Glenearn, steamer from London and Singapore, Miss Creswell, Mossra. Howard, Hewitt, and Fentum.
Per Rajanattianuhar, from Bangkok.— Mr. Windsor.
Per Fokien, from Coast Ports.-Dx, Gerlach,
Per Venetia, steamer, from Bombay, &c. China Coast Steam Navigation Company-storey Brindisi Lott -For Hongkong. From Gravesend, Mr. Tls. 162 per share.
Hongkong Gas Company-$85 per share. Hongkong Hotel Company-$100 per share.
Sellers.
A. Lambert and Mr. MoLaurin. From Bombay, Messrs. Tolattee, Jerwanjee, Manokjeo, and Sapoorjee. From Penang.
China Sugar Refining Company, Limited-Major Hamilton. From Penang and
$158 per share, Buyers. China Sugar Refining Company (Debentures)
-3 per cant, premium. Hongkong Ice Company-$180 per share.
Buyers.
Hongkong and China Bakery Company,
Limited-850 per share. Chinese Imperial Government Loan of 1878 -1 per cent, premium, ex interest. Chinese Imperial Government Loan of 1881
21 per cent. premiums.
EXCHANGE.
',
On LONDON-Bank Bills, T.T..
3/81 Bank Bille, at 30 days' aight ..... 3/8 Bank Bills, at + months' sight...... 3/91 3/91 Crodits, at 4 months' sight Documentary Bills, 4 months' sight. 3/01 On PARIS-Bank Billa, on demand...... 4.67. Oredits, at 4 months' sight ............ 4.79 On BOMBAY→Bank, T.T.
220 OR CALCUTTA—Bank, TT.
220 On SHANGHAI-Baak, T.T.
Privató, 30 days' sight.....
Singapore.-189 Chinese. From Sings- pore.-Mrs. A, M. Brown and child, Miss Trotter, Miss Nelson, Messrs. A. W. Smith and Bonesse, and 8 Chinese. For Shang- hai-Miss Marsh, from Gravesend. From Brindisi. Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Kupper, For Yokohama.-Mr., Mrs. and Misa Bundy, Messrs. Glennie and Kendo, from Graves- end.
REPORTS.
CRACKERS. BONBONS (Assorted). CRYSTALIZED MELONS (Sound). · CHOCOLATE CREAM, DRAGEES à la LIQUEURS. BISCUITS.
FIGS.
MALAGA RAISINS.
SULTANA RAISINS. TABLE PLUMS.
FRUITS in JUICE (Assorted). TERRINES de PATE de FOIE
GRAS.
NOIX de VEAU TRUFFE (in Tins). COTELETTE de VEAU (in Tins). VEAU ROTI (in Tins). BIS de VEAU (in Tins). FRICANDEAU (Assorted). TRUFFES.
VEGETABLES (Assorted).
LIQUEURS.
CHARTREUSE. BENEDICTINE. ANISETTE. CURACAO,
CHAMPAGNE (Vva. Oliquot).
OLARETS.
The British steamer Glaucus reports atrong monsoon and cloudy weather | CHATEAU LAROSE, throughout.
The British steamer Poking reports left Chiakiang on the 23rd Dec., arrived in Hongkong on the 27th, had light monsoon and fine weather throughout the pasange. The British steamer Hailoong reports from Swatow to Chelang Point, moderate 731 N.E. breeze; from thence to port fresh northerly breeze. In Swatow; steamers: Nestor, China, and Feiboo left same day.
74
HONGKONG: TEMPERATURE. - (TAKEN AT MESSUS. FALCONER AND 00's REGISTER, QUEEN'S-ROLD). Hongkong, 26th & 27th Decembor, 1881. BAROMETER-I P.X. .....................30.200
Do.
-4 P.M. .........
THERMOMETER-1 T.M.....................
4 P.M.
Do. Do. IP.M. (Wet bulb)...61. Do.
P.M. Do. BAROMETER.-9. A.M. ......... 30.913 THERMOMETAR-9 A.M. .............61. Do. 9 AM (Wet Bulb)...58. Do. Maxiinum.....
Do.
Minimum (over night) 69.
SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.
The British steamer Rajanattianuhar reporta left Bangkong on the 15th instant, and had fine and moderate woatlier to Cape Padaran; thence to Hongkong strong North Easterly gale, hoary sea, and violent squalls, attended with rain.
The British steamer Fokien reports from Tamsui to Amoy light variable winds and fine weather; from Amoy to Swatow, strong N.E. breeze, with heavy sea and misty weather; from thence to port fresh N.E. breeze and fine weather. In Amoy." steamers Strathmora and WendHow'; in Swatow, steamers China and Keelung, and the Revenue oruiser Fei-Hoo had arrived from Formos.
The British steamer Gleneara reports from London till past Malta, moderate andy ARRIVALS.
fine weather, off the latter hard Easterly Deo. 24. YoTTUNG, British stosmor, 286, gale and heavy sea lasting 2 days; thence Kennett, Touron 16th Deo., General. to Port Said moderate weather, arrived -Kwok Acheong, and Sons.
at lattor (Port Said) Nov. 24th, Jeft Suda1· Deo. 24, OAKLANDS, British steamer, 710, Nov. 28th; strong hard winds in Red Sea
Payne, Canton 24th, Ballast-Bassellorossing Indian Ocean, fresh head winds & Co.
and rough sea with heavy rain, passed Galle Doo. 12th, arrived at Singapore, on 18th, left Singapore on 19th at 1
Pra experienced strong head winds and high NE. son and more or less rain pll the way. Dec. 20th passed steamship Ulysses bound North.
Deo. 26, HwAI-You, Chinese steamer, 884; D. Wilson, Canton 35th, General -0. M. 8. N. Co;
:
Deo. 25, TAMaur, British steamer, 910, Whittle, Cauton 25th, Genoral- Butterfield & Swire.
Deo, 25th VENETIA, British steamer, 1,728, A. B. Daniell, Bombay, 3rd Deo, Gallo 10th, Singapore 18th, Mails & Goneral-P. & D.8. N. Co. Des. 25, FOEIEN, British steamer, 509, J. 0. Abbott, Tamsui, vis. Amoy and Swatow, 21st, 22nd, 24th, General.
Douglas Lapraik & Co. i Deo. 25. RATANATTIANUHAR, British steamer 750,G. T. Hopkins, Bangkok 13th inst. Rico and General--Yuen Fat Hong. Deo, 25, Foosuow, British steamer, 700, Clegg, Chinking 20th Deo., Rico.- Butterfield & Swire.
Deo. 26, Asia, Danish stoamor, 880,-
Djorup, Chinking: 22nd Dea., Ricc Siemesen & Co..
Dec, 26, GLAUCUs, British steamer, 1,847,
T. S. Jackson, Nagasaki, 21st, Deo., Coal & General.-Butterfield & Swire,
MAILS.
The following mailk will close't— TO-MORROW, 28th December
For Nagasaki and Yokohama, por Ma
lacoa, at 11.30 am. For Amoy Tam- sui and Tanwaufoo; per Foxien, at" 11.30 n.m.
On FRIDAY, 30th December
For Saigon, por Paladin, at 4.30 p.m. On MONDAY, 2nd January,
For the United Kingdom and Europe, via Naples to Saigon, Straits Settles ments, Batavia, Burmah, Ceylon, the Australasian Colonies, Pondicherry, Madras, Calcutta, Aden, Egypt," Malta and Gibraltár, per Amazonej for printed matter ab”10 a.m; and lotters at 11 a.
1
CHATEAU LAFFITTE. MEDOO. VERMOUTH (Noily Prat). VERMOUTH (Tarino).
H. FOURNIER & Co. CORNER of D'AGUILAR STREET
AND
WELLINGTON STREET, Hongkong,
16th December, 1881.
G. FALCONER & Co., WATCH AND CHRONOMETER MANUFACTURERS AND
JEWELLERS.
NAUTICAL INSTRUMENTS, CHARTS AND BOOKS. No., 46, QUEEN'E-ROAD CENTRAL. HONGKONG TIMBER YARD, WANGHAI.
OR
REGON PINE SPARS
AND LUMBER always on hand.
L.. MALLORY, Proprietor.
Hongkong, 24th June, 1881,
NOTICE OF REMOVAL.
A.
MILLA B & Oo.,
• PLUMBERS, GASFITTERS, ko.&a, have REMOVED their Offide and Ward-room to No. 6, BEACONSFIELD' Andana, where Orders for Fittings and Repairs will be punctually attended to. Hongkong, 11th November, 1881.
CL THEVENIN
COMMISSION AGENT, WINE AND SPIRITS MERCHANT." CHAMPAGNE, BURGUNDIES. COONAUS SHERRIES, LIQUEURS,
FRENCH BOOTS AND SHOES
FOR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,' HONGKONG HOTEL BUILDING.
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