Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Special Regulations for the Importation and Control of Opium, Arms, and Explosives, and articles used in the manufacture thereof.
(a.) Import of Opium.-Opium can only be imported in original chests; the importation of smaller quantities is forbidden. All opium must, on arrival, be reported without delay to the Customs, who will supervise its transportation to the Customs godown. The Customs officials are entitled to stop all suspicious goods and to search the ship, in which case the captain is to render all possible assistance.
(b.) Consumption of Opium.--Opium for consumption in German territory must be prepared under the supervision of the Government and the Customs. When prepared the opium is packed in tins containing 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 grammes, and each tin provided with a stamp corresponding with the selling price. It can only be sold by licensed dealers, and a charge will be made for the licence.
Arms and explosives as well as materials used in the manufacture of the same, must at once be declared on arrival, and discharged and stored, in accordance with harbour regulations.
Powder and other explosives as well as materials used in their manufacture, must be stored in special godowns, and cannot be delivered without permit from the Harbour Department. Storage will be charged for.
Arms must be stored in the Customs godown, and cannot be delivered without permit from the Harbour Department. A charge will be made for storage.
Special Agreement.
1. The Customs agree to place the annual returns as soon as compiled and before they are printed, at the disposal of the Imperial Government, also to afford if possible statistical information when required.
2. The Customs will collect the duty on opium consumed in German territory and will remit the same to the Government monthly after deducting 21 per cent. for cost of collection.
3. The Government agrees to hand over to the Customs free of charge land for the necessary official Customs buildings and such houses which have hitherto served that purpose and may now be required by the Customs,
4. The Customs shall be allowed to exercise Customs control and to station officers at certain places-yet to be determined-in the German Territory. ("Pacht Gebiet ").
(No. 247.) My Lord,
No. 2.
Mr. Townley to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received August 17.)
Peking, June 30, 1903.
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith to your Lordship copies of letters exchanged by Mr. Hopkins, as Doyen of the Consular Body at Tien-tsin, and the Austro-Hungarian Minister, Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps in Peking, respecting a request for funds for the execution of certain works by the Hai-ho Conservancy Board.
Sir,
I have, &c. (Signed)
WALTER TOWNLEY.
Inclosure 1 in No. 2.
Consul-General Hopkins to Mr. Townley.
Tien-tsin, May 28, 1903.
I HAVE the honour to forward, in accordance with standing instructions, copy of a letter addressed by me as Senior Consul, to the Doyen of the Diplomatic Body, under yesterday's date, on the subject of a further raising of river dues for the execution of additional river improvements.
Sir,
I have, &c. (Signed)
L. C. HOPKINS.
Inclosure 2 in No. 2.
Consul-General Hopkins to Mr. Conger.
Tien-tsin, May 27, 1903.
IN my capacity of Senior Consul at this port I have the honour to forward to your Excellency, in connection with the work of improvement carried on by the "Commission d'Entretien et d'Amélioration du Haiho," copy of a letter, and its inclosures, dated the 8th April last, addressed to me, as Senior Consul, by Mr. W. Fisher, Chairman of the British Municipal Council.
Your Excellency being already acquainted with the objects which it is the duty of the Commission to forward, and Mr. Fisher's letter being clear and explicit, I believe I need not do more than bring to the knowledge of the Diplomatic Body, through yourself, that the proposals of the British Municipal Council, as contained in the Resolutions, are also approved by all the members of the Consular Body of Tien-tsin.
On their behalf, I have the honour to beg your Excellency to bring the matter to the notice of your Excellency's colleagues, and to express the hope that the foreign Representatives may see fit to sanction the measures embodied in the three Resolutions.
Sir,
I have, &c.
(Signed) L. C. HOPKINS.
Inclosure 3 in No. 2.
Mr. Fisher to Consul-General Hopkins.
Tien-tsin, April 8, 1903.
I BEG leave to hand you herewith copies of three Resolutions which were passed at a meeting of land-renters of the British Concession on the 6th instant.
I should explain that the Haiho Conservancy Board represented that, in continuation of the policy of river improvement already initiated, they proposed to make a third cutting in the river, but they found themselves unable to proceed with this most necessary work from lack of funds. The Board also indicated a desire to deal with the Taku Bar after the completion of the third cutting.
The assistance of the British Municipal Council was invoked in order to raise the necessary funds.
The Council thereupon proposed for the consideration of the Chamber of Commerce an increase of the present river dues by a further 1 per mille, one-half of the increase to cover a loan of up to 300,000 taels for the third cutting and the other half to be by way of a contribution to the funds necessary for dealing with the Taku Bar.
The scheme proposed was, in fact, on the general lines indicated by the Honorary Treasurer of the Haiho Conservancy in a letter to the Chairman of that body dated the 11th March, which letter has, I understand, been distributed among the Consuls here.
The Chamber of Commerce enthusiastically and unanimously endorsed the proposals made to them, and the Council then took the first step necessary by calling a meeting of land-renters and submitting the proposals to them.
This meeting took place on the 6th instant, and the three Resolutions, of which I inclose you copies, were unanimously passed.
The next necessary step is to obtain a similar consent from all those national authorities who hold Concessions at Tien-tsin to the effect that the proposed levy shall be made on goods which may be landed in or dispatched from their Concessions, in a similar manner to the levy on similar goods landed in or dispatched from the British Concessions.
The consent of all the Ministers should also be obtained to make the levy binding on goods belonging to the nationals landed in or shipped from the Concessions of other nationals if such is deemed necessary.
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