(This
Your Excellency,
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Prince Ching to Sir E. Satow.
Kuang Hsu, 29th year, 9th moon, 3rd day (October 22, 1903).
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Excellency's note of the 15th instant, asking that instructions be sent to the Taotai at Shanghae to hand over to the Commissioner of Customs the duty of dealing with drawback certificates.
(Note quoted in full.)
CHINA T
CONFIDE
The Board at once telegraphed to the Taotai instructing him to come to an arrangement on the subject as soon as possible with the Commissioner of Customs. He now replies that the 26th September was the date originally fixed by the Commissioner for the introduction of the new Regulations in connection with drawbacks, but, as on the date in question they were still discussing the modus operandi, a postponement was necessary. At present, however, all new certificates were being issued by the Customs so that there was no infraction of the provisions of the Treaty, and, to avoid delay as far as possible, the Commissioner of Customs was also dealing with the old certificates.
He (the Taotai) proposed to call upon the Customs officials whose particular duty it was to deal with drawbacks, whenever a certificate was issued, to make an entry on the counterfoil of the amount (of the duty), the date, the name of the merchant concerned, and the names and registered numbers of the ships by which the goods entered and left the port. These counterfoils were to be sent every quarter to his office to be checked, and, if any fraud or other abuses were discovered, the offenders were to be tried and punished in accordance with the Treaty. Although the new arrangement was for the convenience of the merchants, yet mutual investigation was necessary. He would fix a date with the Commissioner of Customs when these new Rules would come into force.
I avail, &c.
presents
China Trade -2951
140
The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State,
and is directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
to transmit, to be laid before the Secretary of State for
the Colonies
further section of confidential
correspondence, as marked in the margin.
their abxx situate a
[
Foreign Office,
March 24
1904.