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REGISTRAR GENERAL'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 23rd February, 1876.
SIR,-I have the honour to forward a document, which has been brought to me by certain Chinese merchants, doing a large business in Hongkong with the West Coast. It purports to be a copy of a petition presented to the Government of Macao in reference to the question of duties to be paid on goods coming from and going to the West Coast. The merchants here, previous to waiting on His Excellency the Governor on the subject, wish to submit the recommendations made by the merchants of Macao for his consideration.
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PETITION,
The Petition of Tung Chai Tong, Merchants of Macao, praying the Government of their goodness to sanction the establishment of a Custom-house at Macao for the convenience of the merchants.
HUMBLY SHEWETH
That your petitioners are merchants by trade dealing in the refuse of ground nuts, oil, and other merchandise bought in the four lower prefectures for sale at Macao. That they never defraud the Government revenue. That according to the proclamation lately issued by His Excellency (the Hoppo of Canton) all merchandise on which duty has been paid in the four lower prefectures will have to be sent to the Custom's Station in Kong Mun, or to the Central Custom's Station at Canton, for cancellation, and cannot be allowed to be sent in a circuitous route to Hongkong and Macao, or secretly landed on the way, etc.
That your petitioners consider that when buying commodities from the four lower prefectures, they have been hitherto allowed to sell them at various ports to which they were bound, after payment of duty according to the regulations at the ports of exportation. That if, as is now proclaimed, their goods are required to be sent to the Customs Station at Kong Mun, or to the Central Custom-house at Canton, for cancellation before they can be sent to Macao, numerous difficulties will stand in the way, as much as the journey is generally a long one.
That under these circumstances your petitioners are compelled to pray Your Excellency to sanction, in compliance with the public wishes, the establishment of a Custom-house here in order that much time may be saved by paying the duties here. That being Chinese Merchants themselves, your petitioners also pray that duty on all merchandise conveyed in Chinese junks for sale in the interior may be allowed to be paid here according to the inland tariff. That your petitioners think that this will be a great convenience to them. That your petitioners beg to suggest the following rules to be observed by junks, trading between this and the various ports, in paying duty according to the tariff.
I may explain that the old tariff is the one which this Government has been trying for a long time to obtain a copy of from the Canton Authorities.
The new Tariff is the one settled by Treaty and having reference to foreign goods.
(Signed,)
The Honourable The Colonial Secretary,
&c.
&c.
&c.
I have, &c.,
M. S. TONNOCHY,
Acting Registrar General,
1. After payment of duty in the lower prefectures, and on production of a Red Chop in proof thereof, a duty is to be collected, according to the old tariff, sanctioned by the Board, on all merchandise imported into this port.
2. On all merchandise imported into this port from Cochin China and Singapore, where no duty has been paid, a duty is to be collected here according to the old tariff.
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