PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
3
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH——NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
My Lord,
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Inclosure 2 in No. 16.
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, February 8, 1876.
THIS Chamber begs most respectfully to again address your Lordship on the subject of the blockade of the port.
It had been the intention to point out to your Lordship the incorrectness of certain statements, and the unsoundness of certain arguments, put forth by parties defending the action of the Hoppo, and which appeared in a Parliamentary Blue Book issued in April, 1875, entitled, Correspondence relating to the complaints of the mercantile community in Hong Kong against the action of Chinese revenue cruizers in the neighbour. hood of the Colony." These statements and arguments attempted to prove :-
1st. That the complaints made by the Chinese traders were, for the most part, groundless, and that no honest trader suffered in any way from the action of the Hoppo's cruizers and from the stations established at the entrance to the port.
2nd. That the Colony was in no way injured by the so-called blockade.
3rd. That if certain irregularities had been committed on former occasions, there was no chance of their recurrence, because of the appointment of Mr. Thomas Marsh Brown to superintend the proceedings of the blockading vessels.
There is now no necessity to enter on the discussion of the above points, as from certain of your Lordship's despatches, which were read by his Excellency, Governor Sir Arthur Kennedy, at a meeting of the Legislative Council, held on January 7th last, this Chamber-and it may be said the entire Community-learned with great satisfaction, that your Lordship is convinced that the inhabitants have just cause of complaint, and also that your Lordship is aware, from fresh facts placed before you by the Local Government, that arbitrary and illegal exactions and seizures have continued, and indeed still continue, to
be made.
With reference to the arrangements suggested by Sir Arthur Kennedy, viz:- "That the Chinese Government should be called on to furnish a copy of the Tariff of duties leviable on all merchandize, and regulations relating thereto, with the naTMOS and locations of all stations where duties are collected, and that a mixed Court composed of British and Chinese officials be appointed to sit, either in this Colony or in Kowlong, and try publicly all cases of illegal smuggling on the part of traders, or illegal exactions or seizures on the part of the Custom's Officials,”-
this Chamber is of opinion that these would (always assuming that the Chinese officials appointed to the Court are in no way connected with the Customs Department) ameliorate to some extent the evils under which the Chinese trading community of this Colony suffering, and at any rate check the wholesale plundering and confiscation which hitherto been so common. This chamber therefore heartily approves of these suggestion as steps in a direction that will give temporary relief, and afford time for Her Majesty's Government to prevail on China to discontinue the blockade altogether, to collect Its duties at its own ports and trading marts, and abandon the unfriendly attitude it has so long maintained towards this Colony. Nothing short of the entire withdrawal of cruizers and the removal of the stations that surround the island, and which bar approaches to the harbour, can prove permanently satisfactory, and this chamber trusts measures of a less comprehensive character will only be socepted as of contrary spp. tion; for so long as duties are levied on the trade of this Colony (which is in effeof at present, and which it is not clear that the new arrangements contemplated will whị prevent), so long will these revenues be viewed as Imperial, and therefore not exempti the merchandize sent to the mainland from the duties and taxes usually exacted.
The plea put forward by the Chinese Government in extenuation of its prooved viz., "that the number of entrances to the Canton River, and other routes admini ingress to and egress from the interior of the province being so great, they are protect their revenue in any other way than blockading the approaches to Hong this Chamber knows to be purely fallacious, as every creek, river, or inlet by merchandize can be waterborne, and every road or pass by which it can he carried lay has its barrier and Customs station at which duties can be levied.
The Members of this Chamber also beg to express to your Lordship the m they experienced at hearing that the idea of the appointment of a Chinese port was no longer entertained. Their opinions, as to the effect of much an are already before your Lordship, and with reference to the establishment of the foreign inspectorate here, towards which it is understood that some unsethor have been exerting themselves, they earnestly hope, that the proposal will neve
31
the assent of Her Majesty's Government. Such an establishment would not attain the the object in view, that of freeing merchandize after leaving this Colony from further impositions; it would divest the Colony of every vestige of its pretensions to a free port and, which is still a more serious objection, would involve a loss of dignity to the Crown, subvert the Royal authority among the native population of the Colony, lower the respect in which the British Government is now held, and render of no avail the protection which it extends to the thousands of Chinese located here.
In conclusion I am directed by the Chamber to thank your Lordship for the very great interest you have shown in the welfare of this community, and to express a hope that no time will now be lost in carrying into effect, as temporary remedies, the suggestions made by his Excellency Sir Arthur Kennedy.
To the Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon,
Sir,
&c.
&c.
No. 17.
I have, &c. (Signed)
P. RYRIE, Chairman.
Foreign Office to Colonial Office.
Foreign Ofice, May 6, 1876. I AM directed by Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to transmit to you, to be laid before the Earl of Carnarvon, for his perusel, a despatch from Har Majesty's Consul at Canton,* relative to the mode of levying duties on native trade-with Hong Kong and Macao, pursued by the Hoppo of Canton.
Inclosure 1 in No. 17.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
TENTERDEN
Consul Sir B. Robertson to Lord Tenterden.—(Received May 1.)
Canton, March 14, 1876.
My Lord,
I HAVE the bapour to inclose, for the information of the Earl of Derby, a copy of a despatch I have addressed to Her Majesty's Minister at Peking, relative to the mode of levying duties on native trade with Hong Kong and Macao pursued by the Haikwan or Hoppo of Canton, taken from a Ching source.
Sir,
IN
on which Canton newspaper |
Principle
The
Custome
Thave, &c. (Signed)
B. ROBERTSON.
Inclosure 2 in No. 17.
Consul Bir B. Robertson to Sir T. Wade.
Cunton, March 13, 1876.,
of the 26th of February last, I endezvoured to explain the prim
or Happs of Canton levied duties upon the native trade Since then a very olur erpositim of it has appeared in a ¤ at Hong Kong, a translation of witch I have the housșir to feulji
I have, da
(Signed) B. ROBBITSON.
Inclosure 3 in No. 17.
Dution ama Levied upon the Native Frade with Hong Kong and Macon,
| Native Presz.—The "Chinens Mall”
Mon. It says, junks coming from the cigin of the
• Inclanets $ in No. 15.
hern disteirin