10.
97
to "the blockade." To remedy the laxity and
impose a restraint on evil intention, the
co-operation of the Chinese Maritime Customs
was invoked and Sir Robert Hart assisted to
the extent of putting foreign officers on
board the stean cruisers, with no control or
responsibility, but charged with the duty of
restraining these craft from committing
illegal actions.
7.
The Hong Kong community, however,
continued to have a feeling of exasperation
at this interference with the Colony's trade
and protests were frequent. But in December
1879, at a conference with the Hong Kong
Chamber of Commerce, Sir Thomas Wade, His
Majesty's Minister at Peking, declared that
"the blockade stations would not be removed by
the Chinese until the Colony devised some
scheme by which the Chinese Government could
collect the revenue fairly due to them."
was held in Hong Kong to be a demand to
sacrifice the freedom of the port, in order to
gain the removal of the blockade.
8.
This
Meanwhile on the 13th September, 1876,
8ir T. Vade and Li Hung-chang had signed the
Chefoo Convention, the 7th article of which
was as follows:- "The Governor of Hongkong
having long complained of the interference
of the Canton Customs Revenue Cruisers with the
junk.