voyage for every
such passenger.
Provided
always that when
any
Euch Ship
shall be
414
destined to call at a Port or Place in
of her voyage for the purpose
the course of
of filling up her water casks, a supply of water at the rate before mentioned for
Every week of
au
to such average voyage
shall be deemed
Port or place of calling
to be in compliance with the not.
this section regarding
shall be deemed to have
The provision of
food
complied with in any
been
case where it
shall appear that by the special
authority of
the fovernor suy
Articles of food
་
other
were substituted for
the articles above enumerated as being Equivalent thereto.
contributed towards it may soon have to
ADDRESS FROM THE BRITISH vacate the field-in which case the com- MERCANTILE COMMUNITY merce of the southern part of the Empire
would centre in Hongkong. AT SWATOW TO H.E. SIR RU- Nor would that Colony derive any bene THERFORD ALCOCK, K.C.B. fit, for, checked by the wholesome re- straint of the foreigner at the minor Ports, The following documents have been Manufactures sold to Chinese at Hongkong handed to us for publication --
and by them imported would be easily subjected to any amount of taxation thei SWATOW, 24th November, 1869. whim or rapacity of the Native authorities SIR, ---Though few in number, we are not might choose to impose. From another the less sincere when we address your Ex- point of view also, viz., the immunity of cellency on this occasion--perhaps the last; native manufactures from such taxes, our we may have--to express our thanks for proposition derives additional strength. what you have done to further the interests. Still more detrimentally does the Com- of this Port, through the instrumentality merce of this Port suffer from the differen- of the Central Government of Peking, and tial duties levied at the Harbors and places chiefly we are grateful to you for autho- between this and Hongkong. rizing the formal opening of Chaochowfoo distance in direct line of 150 miles from last year, the advantages of which are Hongkong, with numerous Bays and Rivers available between to diminish the distance, it requires but a glance to comprehend how the encouragement given by the local au- prejudicial to the interests of this Port is thorities to this trafic from which they reap a rich harvest.
various.
Among them may be mentioned— Istly. Monopoly of the opium trade with Kiangsi through Chaocliowfoo, by some ten Hongs of that city, has been broken up.
2udly.--The water communication with the city has been rendered safer by the traffic of foreigners on the river, and will he still more so when a steamer of light draft now being constructed is running between it and swatow.
3rdly. So far as foreigners are concern. ed (and Chinese also if they choose to avail of the foreign medium for the transmission of their goods), certaiu village "black mail levies" are not now compulsory, and
Lastly. A larger field is open to foreign enterprise which, if properly directed, may lead to increased consumption of British fabrics, as well as the export of some articles of native industry.
Within a
Were the Customs here less strict, or a coastguard organized, no com-
I stand, but constituted as is the i sent as is the other, nothing but ment can result to the simplest
calculations.
ment of claims against Chinese ubject which calls for improve- tindeed total reform. Payment
of the best-founded claims, acknowledged by the defaulters as such, is subject not to their ability but to their willingness to meet them; and reference to the Chinese autho- rities is of so little avail as to be practically valueless owing to the venality which per- vades all the Yamuns, their professions of bringing pressure to bear on the delinquents being of course at variance with fact. The vexation, the delay, and time uselessly spent in periodically bringing such claims to their notice through the Consul, are alinost effec:ual barriers against pressing them at all, and a premium is thus being placed more and more on dishonesty.
We submit with deference,-
That where such a condition of things prevail H. M. Consul should have it in bis power to hold the Chinese authorities re-
which so greatly adds to the usual risks of
We leave it to your Excellency to judge of the expediency of this measure politi- cally, in connection with which the matter ..f Octroi duties holds a prominent place. We are far from wishing to have undue advantages conferred on foreign trade, but there are so many ways in which this tax can and does become a powerful agent for thwarting the sale of British manufactures, and maintaining the foreign merchant in iguorance of the requirements of the place or its capabilities of consumption, that the mattor becomes one of paramount import-sponsible for such miscarriage of justice ance. By Chinese, acquainted with the locality, conversant with the different means of access to the place, able at the proper time and with the proper person to have recourse to bribes, the inconvenience is less felt; and the various markets offered to them for their goods in trausit render such taxes in many instances nugatory. Ou these grounds we argue that there is no undue advantage to the foreign merchant, if he enjoy amunity from auch taxes, and unless it be a matter of congratulation that China is as she stands at present, and that we are to be content that she absorbs so much of our industry as she does, it appears an injustice that these who have
trade.
we
The disadvantage under which the British Has compared with that of other nation- alities labors in the trathe with our own Possessions at the Straits, can ouly should think require to be known to our Government when a remedy would atouce be found. According to the Chinese Passen- gers Act 1855, British vessels are liable to serious penalties if they carry to the Straits (a voyage of not more than 10 days dura- tion in the North-East mousoon) more than one passenger to each two tons of the ship's register, and while no such law hampers the flags of other nationalities the Chinese