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being destroyed by liquor, and at the same time to enable foreigners to sell liquor as may be proper, it should draw up regulations to the effect that this Chinese imported spirit, having paid the 3 per cent. import duty, may be trans- ported and sold in any part of the country with- out any further tax on its sale, but that every shop and boat where that common Chinese spirit is retailed by the cup or glass (or measure), for immediate consumption, being a spirit-shop, must be licensed by the proper authorities, for the Government of Siam has power to control spirit-shops, to prevent mischief to the lives of its people, just as all other countries have.”
Mr. Palgrave pointed out, in his reply to the Siamese Government, that, by the Commercial Treaties with foreign Powers, no goods imported under the flags of those Powers could, after the payment of the 3 per cent. import duty, be ren- dered liable to any further duties, taxes, or charges, even after they had passed into the bands of Siamese purchasers, and that the pro- posed licences could not be imposed without a special Regulation which would affect the free- dom of trade conferred by Treaty, and would require the mutual and express consent of the Contracting Powers.
He also requested to be supplied with a pro- gramme of the proposed licensing system; but
this request was not complied with, and he was informed, in May 1882, that Prince Prisdang had been appointed Minister to London and to the other European Courts, to conclude a Convention on the subject.
Accordingly, on the 29th August last, the Prince communicated the correspondence between his Government and the foreign Representatives at Bangkok, resulting from the Circular already quoted, and also a copy of his instructions, expressing the hope that Her Majesty's Govern- ment would assent to such provisions as might be deemed necessary to promote the health and well-being of the people of Siam, and protect the revenue of the kingdom.
These instructions, however, contained no defi- nite proposals, but urged that, "whatever trade rights might be conferred by Treaty, the Siamese
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Government should, as a matter of police regula-
tion for the promotion of good order and general protection, have full power to close every shop not licensed by itself for retail of spirits, and to control the trade." (For the full instructions, see Appendix.)
Lord Granville replied that Her Majesty's Government would consider the question; and on the 21st September Prince Prisdang submitted the following proposals:-
"1. Notwithstanding any provision in the Treaty of 1856 or otherwise, no intoxicants may be imported into Siam or sold there except in accordance with the provisions of Siamese law for the time being, and no clause of the said Treaty shall be held to impose any restriction on the operation of the laws of Siam for the regula- tion of the manufacture of spirits and their sale in Siam.
"2. No intoxicants shall be retailed except by persons or at places licensed by the Siamese Government.
3. Beer and wines of European origin may be imported and sold on payment of an ad valorem duty not exceeding 10 per cent.
"4. Spirits of all kinds, not exceeding in alcoholic strength those permitted to be manu- factured by the Siamese Government in Siam, may be imported and sold on payment of the same duty as that levied by the Siamese excise laws upon spirits manufactured in Siam; and spirits exceeding in alcoholic strength spirits manufactured in Siam as aforesaid
be may imported upon payment of a proportionate additional duty, which may and will be charged for the excess of alcoholic strength above the Siamese Government standard.
"5. Notwithstanding any provision in this Treaty or in the Treaty of 1856 or otherwise, the Siamese Government may prohibit the importa- tion into Siam of any intoxicants which the Siamese Government shall deem to be in any way hurtful to the people of Siam, and if any such intoxicants shall be brought or imported into Siam, the Siamese Government may and shall give notive to the importers, consignees, or holders of such intoxicants to export the same