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of such harbour dues.
With regard to the tax on shipping will be an infringement of the freedom of the port. I do not think they can be aware of the fact that there are many free ports where the tax on shipping is very heavy, and I agree with those members of the Legislative Council who consider a free port to be one where no customs duties are charged.
8. With respect to the fear expressed by petitioners that ships will be deterred from coming to Hong Kong if a charge of 2½ cents a ton is imposed, the following figures show that the entry of European shipping into Hong Kong has steadily increased since light dues were first levied. In 1875, when the dues were first levied