Closure 4.
287
It has since been brought to my notice that the Ordinance, which contains no provision for sugar from bounty-giving countries being landed in the Colony in transit, will result in vessels carrying such sugar (and with it other merchandise) to China from one of the bounty-giving countries, avoiding in the future the Port of Hong-kong, which has hitherto allowed, without any except Police restrictions, the importation and transit of every article of commerce except opium, the execution of the laws with regard to which is watched by the Staff of the Opium Border. At the present time, according to the returns furnished to the Superintendent of Imports and Exports, little sugar from bounty-giving countries passes through Hongkong, but these returns have not hitherto been required by law, nor have they been checked, and they cannot therefore be looked upon as accurate. Further, it is possible that the importation of sugar into China from Russia, which, according to page 10 of Diplomatic and Consular Report No.8259, is already an important commerce, may greatly increase in the future and be largely by sea. It has always to be borne in mind that it is the commerce with China that is the main consideration at the Port of Hongkong.
5.
The difficulty in making provision for the placing in bond of sugar in transit is the want of a Customs Service to take charge of it, as is done in England. This might be overcome by some such arrangements, to be carried out by the Harbour Department, with the assistance of the Police, as are detailed in the enclosed draft regulations for the warehousing of sugar landed in transit. These regulations might, if thought desirable, be simplified by arranging with a Warehousing Company of proved respectability, like the Wharf and Godown Company, to warehouse in their godowns all sugar in transit landed in the Colony. The Company, in return for the monopoly, would no doubt be willing to give a substantial bond for the security of the sugar against...