29
Having,
5. I have now the honour to enclose a copy of Sir
John Brenan's despatch No.88 of 20th March in reply, from
which it will be seen that the firms have expressed their
considered view that it is undesirable as matters stand at
present to take up the question with the Chinese Government
and that they have further stated that fines have latterly
been of less frequent occurrence and that there are indicat-
ions of improved relatione generally with the Customs in the
matter. That our representations to the Inspector General
of Customs have had some effect, is confirmed by Sir
Frederick Maze's letter to me of March 14th, copy of which
was forwarded in my despatch No.382 of 22nd March.
it is to be hoped, thus got what we want, there will, I trust
be no need for us to tilt at windmills, and, by forcing the
issue over this old question of the right of the Customs to
levy these fines, to embark on what would in all probability
prove a barren controversy with the Chinese Government on the
subject of the relevant proviɛion of the Treaty of Tientsin.
Sooner or later British shipping will have to pass under
Chinese jurisdiction, and in the meanwhile we do not, I take
it, desire, if we can help it, to retrace our steps to the
extent of challenging the existing procedure in connexion with
these fines imposed by the foreign staffed Customs, who have
always been allowed to exercise a measure of jurisdiction
over foreign shipping, so long as the system is not seriously
abused and the fines are kept within reasonable boundɛ. I
should add that, when I took up this question of Customs fines
at my meeting with the British Chamber of Commerce at Shanghai
on 31st January last, none of the representatives of the firms
concerned showed the slightest interest in the matter (see my
despatch Tour Series No.6 of 2nd February).
-
6. The general question of smuggling from Hongkong to
South China ports referred to in your despatch No.828 of 12th
October last is being dealt with in a separate despatch.
I have, etc.,
(Signed) Miles v. Lampson,