COPY
sir,
ENCLOSURE
in ch
C.U.
20484
369
(Real 12 SEP 3
HKong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hong-Kong,12th. August, 1898.
人
$
In view of the extension of Territory acquired
by the Convention of the 9th. June, I am instructed by the Com-
mittee of this Chamber to lay before the Government their opi-
nion on the question of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs
vis-à-vis this Colony. The Committee believe that some under-
standing was given to the effect that the extension of the
boundaries should not prove a source of loss to the Chinese
Revenue, and they quite concur in the desire to assist the
Chinese Government in the matter, so long as it can be done
without hampering the trade, or impeding the development of
the Colony, the future prospects of which, with enlarged boun-
daries,on its present basis of absolute freedom, are very pro-
mising. To secure their fulfilment, however, it should, in the
first place, be laid down that the existing Customs Stations
must be removed to Chinese territory, outside the Colony's
boundaries, and that the harbour be jealously guarded from the
intrusion of Chinese Revenue craft of any description. The de-
lays and obstructions to the movements of shipping, were the
The Hon.T.Sercombe Smith,
Chinese
Acting Colonial Secretary