148
C
Titel.p.385.
About October 15,
1867.
Nothing more appears to have been heard of
the question until 1860, when the Superintendent of
Native Customs at Canton tried to persuade the
Imperial Maritime Customs Service to levy duty on goods shipped in Hong Kong for England by vessels
which after partially loading at Hong Kong, proceeded
to Whampoa to fill up. The attempt was frustrated.
In 1867 the Canton Customs began the "Blockade of Hong Kong", patrolling the waters around the Colony and examining every junk that entered or left the Eitel pp.415 sqq. port, arresting those without proper papers, and levy-
ing double duty in the case of goods shipped at Pakhoi
or Canton for other Treaty ports, in junks which had touched at Hong Kong en route. It was also discovered
by Government that various revenue offices had been opened in Hong Kong by the Chinese authorities, issu- ing official passes and collecting official dues. The Covernor (Sir R.MacDonell) suppressed them; but it is
stated that they continued in secret.
Eitel p.418.
Eitel,pp.503 sqq. 1876.
September 17th 1876.
A proposal was put forward by the Customs
Service for levying an export duty in Hong Kong upon opium re-shipped in junks from the Colony. The Colonial Government was to retain part of the proceeds
as commission for collecting the duty. The proposal
was rejected.
In 1874 the agitation in the Colony against
the "Blockade" came to a head; and as a result the
question became the subject of negotiations between Her Majesty's Minister and the Yanen, As a result, (section III 7). the Chefoo Convention contained a clause providing
that as the Governor of Hong Kong had "long complained
of
W