18
trannmit to you in reply, by desire of his Excellency the Governor, an extract from the Minutes of the Executive Council in reference thereto.
Sir Brooke Robertson, C.B.,
I have, &c.
(Signed)
J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary.
19
advantage, the proposed arrangement cannot be looked upon as a satisfactory solution of the question.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Sir Brooke Robertson, C.B.,
Her Majesty's Consul, Canton.
J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary.
Her Britannic Majesty's Consul, Canton.
No. 3.
Inclosure 8 in No. 2.
Extract from the Minutes of the Executive Council, held on Monday, July 20, 1874.
READ a letter dated 20th June, 1874, from Sir 'Brooke Robertson, Her Majesty's Consul at Canton, reporting that on his representation the Chinese authorities proposed to establish two Customs stations in the vicinity of Hong Kong, being one at the Island of Chang-chou, and the other at Fo-tou-chou, where duties might be paid, and grand chops granted to junks trading with the Colony.
Whereupon the Council advised that, although the proposition made by Sir Brooke Robertson would not afford complete security against the unjust seizure of junks, the offer to issue grand chops at the duty stations already established at Chang-chou and Fo-tou- chou would be a move in the right direction, and should be accepted.
The Council further advised that Her Majesty's Consul should be requested to furnish a copy of the Tariff of Duties in force and required to be paid by the junks.
True extract,
(Signed) L. D'ALMADA E CASTRO,
Clerk of Councils.
Governor Sir Arthur Kennedy, C.B., K.C.M.G., to the Earl of Carnarvon.—(Received November 17.)
(Nọ. 184.) My Lord,
Government House, Hong Kong, September 21, 1874. ADVERTING to my despatch No. 161, dated August 25, 1874, paragraph 26, I have now the honour to address you on the case of the Junk "Kum-Hop-Sing," and the petition of certain Chinese merchants at Hong Kong, transmitted in my despatch No. 133, dated July 10.+
2. Having made careful inquiries, I am in a position to state that the petitioners are all respectable, and representing a considerable amount of capital. They are not, however,
by any means the most influential of the Chinese population.
3. I inclose correspondence named in the Schedule to this despatch, which is so explanatory, that I need not trouble your Lordship with any comments upon it, beyond drawing your attention to the letter of the Petitioner's Attorney, dated 9th June, 1874, declining Sir Brooke Robertson's offer of further inquiry, and which, of course precluded me from taking any further action in the matter.
\
I have, &c. (Signed)
A. E. KENNEDY, Governor.
Sir,
Inclosure 9 in No. 2.
Canton, August 5, 1874.
I HAVE the honour to acquaint you, for the information of his Excellency the Governor, that with the view of removing as far as lies in my power, and, indeed, so far as circumstances at present permit, the dissatisfaction which apparently prevails in the Colony with regard to the investigation of cases of seizures of junks trading with Hong Kong by Chinese Customs cruizers, I have arranged with the Viceroy that hereafter every complaint of a Chinese subject on petition for redress, forwarded through the Colonial Government, shall be referred by me to his Excellency, who will appoint a Commission of his own officers to investigate it, thereby taking the matter entirely out of the hands of the Haikuan, or Hoppo, as he is generally called; at the same time the petitioner will have to appear in person to be examined, and his refusal to do so will naturally be considered a bar to further proceedings.
I have, &c.
Sir,
Inclosure in No. 3.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hong Kong, February 11, 1874.
I HAVE the honour to inclose to you, by desire of his Excellency the Governor, a Petition received through the Registrar-General, having reference to the seizure by Chinese cruizers of the "Kum-Hop-Sing" junk, and to request that, as suggested by Mr. Smith, you will be good enough to ask for an inquiry into the cause of the seizure.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Sir Brooke Robertson, C.B.,
Her Britannic Majesty's Consul, Canton.
Colonial Secretary.
3
The Hon. J. Gardiner Austin,
Sir,
Colonial Secretary, Hong Kong.
(Signed)
Inclosure 10 in No. 2.
B. ROBERTSON, Consul.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hong Kong, August 14, 1874.
I AM desired by his Excellency the Governor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 5th of August, informing me that, with the view to the removal as far as in your power, and, indeed, so far as circumstances at present permit, the dissatisfaction which prevailed in this Colony with regard to the investigation of cases of seizures of junks trading to Hong Kong by Chinese Customs cruizers, you had arranged with the Viceroy that hereafter every complaint of a Chinese subject, forwarded through the Colonial Government, should be referred by you to his Excellency, thereby taking the matter entirely out of the hands of the Haikuan or Hoppo.
Ju reply, I am directed by his Excellency to observe that, although of some seeming
Inclosure 2 in No. 3.
THE Petition of Chun Tsing Hang, master of the "Yune On Tai Hong," of this Colony, submitted for his Excellency's consideration.
This Petition, which is presented by a respectable merchant of this Colony, refers to the seizure of a Chinese vessel at the eastern entrance of this harbour on her voyage from Formosa to this Port, with produce of the former place, and the present object of the Petitioner is to prevent the cargo and junk from being sold until due inquiry into the legality of the seizure and confiscation has been made.
I lay no stress upon the place of seizure at present, as no sufficient investigation into the statement that it was in British waters has yet been made. But as unquestionably of late days the native trade of the Colony has been seriously and, in many cases, most unjustly harassed by the officials of the Customs cruizers and stations, I would advise that Her Majesty's Consul be requested to ask for an inquiry into the cause of the seizure of the junk referred to in this Petition.
There are, I hear, seven more junks bound here from Formosa, and consigned to the "Yune On Tai Hong," and the master (i.e., the Petitioner) is actually under great appre-
+ No. 1.
• No. 2.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
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