7892
.No. 579.
(Hong KoNG.J
LAW OFFICERS to FOREIGN OFFICE.
MY LORD,
Temple, July 5, 1869. We are honoured with your Lordship's commands, signified in Mr. Hammond's letter of the 22nd May last, stating that he was directed by your Lordship to transmit to us for our consideration, together with the other papers enclosed in his letter of the 17th May, a further letter from the Colonial Office and its enclosures respecting the establishment of opium tax stations on the China coast in the neighbourhood of Hong Kong.
In obedience to your Lordship's commands we have taken the papers into our consideration, and have the honour to
Report
That with regard to the question raised in Earl Granville's letter to your Lordship of 20th May last "whether the Chinese Government is at liberty to levy any other tax "than that provided by the Treaty of Tientsin on opium or other goods being British merchandize, and being carried in Chinese vessels to any of the treaty ports," we are of opinion that the tariff provided under that treaty (XI. Hertalet, p. 97) as the treaty contains no words extending the operation of that tariff beyond the scope of the tariff fixed by Article X. of the Treaty of Nanking, of which it is a revision, must be taken to apply to goods being British merchandize which are imported in British vessels into one of the treaty ports, and has no application to goods imported in Chinese vessels.
The Treaty of Nanking and subsequent trade regulations (VI. Hertslet, p. 243) clearly apply only to trade carried on in British merchantmen.
We would observe that the term "British merchandize" does not occur in the Treaty of Tientsin, nor in the revised tariff, and that we do not find any provision in that treaty for the carrying on of trade by British merchants at any of the open ports in Chinese vessels.
The Earl of Clarendon, K.G.
We have, &c. (Signed)
R. P. COLLIER.
J. D. COLERIDGE.
TRAVERS TWISS.
&c.
&c. &c:
p16278,-564.
25.-5/86.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
11 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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