CO882-(2-3) — Page 430

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. March 1875.

CONFIDENTIAL.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference -

TIITTIC.O.

882

3

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

No. and Date.

No. in Series.

From or to whom.

1

Sir A. Kennedy, C.B., K.C.M.G. July 10, 1874

(Rec. Aug. 24) (No. 133)

Sir A. Kennedy, C.B., K.C,M.G. Aug. 25, 1874 (Rec. Oct. 19) (No. 161)

Sir A. Kennedy, C.B., K.C.M.G. Sept. 21, 1874 (Rec. Nov. 17) (No. 184)

SUBJECT.

Petition from certain Chinese merchants of Hong Kong, praying for protection from seizure of vessels resorting to Hong Kong by armed vessels belonging to certain of the Chinese authorities of Canton, and for other relief in respect of the junks which have been so seized.

Report of a Commission appointed to investi- gate the complaints of Chinese traders against the action taken by the Chinese Maritime Customs authorities in the neighbourhood of Hong Kong

Page

4

Correspondence relating to the Complaints of the Mercantile

Community in Hong Kong against the Action of Chinese Revenue Cruizers in the neighbourhood of the Colony.

2

3

4

Sir A. Kennedy, C.B., K.C.M.G. Nov. 9, 1874 (Rec. Dec. 31) (No. 209)

Case of the junk "Kum-hop-sing," and corre

spondence in connection with the petition of Chineze merchants at Hong Kong trans- mitted in despatch No. 133 of the 10th July last..

Transmitting copy of the report of the pro- ceedings of a public meeting held at Victoria to consider the blockade of Hong Kong by the Hoppo of Canton, and printed extracts from local newspapers bearing on the subject

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•

20

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►

31

5

Foreign Office

Jan. 12, 1875 Inclosing despatch from Her Majesty's Consul at Canton relative to the seizure of vessels by Chinese revenue cruizers in the neigh- bourhood of Hong Kong

36

6

To Foreign Office

Mar. 3, 1875

Transmitting copy of correspondence relating to the complaints of the mercantile commu- nity of Hong Kong against the action of Chinese revenue cruizers, together with the draft of a despatch which it is proposed, with the concurrence of the Earl of Derby, to address to the Governor of Hong Kong on the subject

..

47

No. 1.

Governor Sir Arthur Kennedy, C.B., K.C.M.G., to the Earl of Carnarvon.—(Received

(No. 133.) My Lord,

August 24.)

Government House, Hong Kong, July 10, 1874. I HAVE the honour to forward the copy of a letter dated 25th June, 1874, addressed to the Colonial Secretary by Messrs. Caldwell and Brereton, Solicitors in this Colony, accompanied by a Petition from certain Chinese merchants, which has been entrusted to me for transmission to your Lordship.

2. It is unnecessary for me to recapitulate the causes of complaint, which are fully

set forth in the documents themselves.

3. I have no fault to find with the statements generally; complaints of a like nature appear to be almost the inevitable result of a free British port being in such close juxta- position with the Chinese territory, where duties are levied, and will recur so long as there are Customs laws on one side, and a large population with strong inducements to break them on the other.

4. I forbear on the present occasion from entering upon the general question, inasmuch as it is my intention to do so when transmitting the Report of a Commission appointed to inquire into the subject.

5. In the particular case which forms the subject of the Petition, I am not in possession of sufficient data to enable me to offer your Lordship any opinion.

6. While I think it quite possible and probable that the Petitioners may have grounds for complaint, your Lordship will observe that they declined the offer of Her Britannic Majesty's Consul at Canton to re-open the question, and in this state of things I was unable to afford them further assistance.

7. The whole question is one of difficulty, and I shall endeavour at an early period to state my views upon it. There are strong feelings and large interests to be guarded against and considered on both sides.

A. E. KENNEDY.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

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Foreign Office

8

Mar. 10, 1875 Concurring in Lord Carnarvon's proposed despatch to Sir A. E. Kennedy on the subject of the complaints of the mercantile community of Hong Kong against the action of Chinese revenue cruisers in the neigh- bourhood of the Colony, and stating that Mr. Wade will be directed to call the attention of the Chinese Government to the interference with the junk trade ..

To Sir A. Kennedy, C.B., Mar. 22, 1875

K.C.M.G.

Respecting the report of the Commission ap- pointed to investigate the complaints of Chinese traders at Hong Kong against the action of the Chinese Maritime Customs authorities; the Memorial of the Chamber of Commerce on the same subject; the petition from Chinese traders, and the pro- ceedings of a public meeting held at Victoria to discuss the question of the blockade of the port of Hong Kong by the Hoppo of Canton.

48

Sir,

49

Hong Kong, June 25, 1874. WE have the honour to forward you herewith a Petition to Her Majesty from certain Chinese merchants of this Colony, praying for protection from seizure of Chinese vessels resorting to Hong Kong by armed vessels belonging to certain of the Chinese Authorities of Canton, and for other relief in respect of the junks which have been so seized. Attached to this Petition is a translation in English, with a map of Hong Kong and the surrounding waters, showing the localities where such seizures are ubually made.

The persons who have signed this Petition are the masters of some of the leading hongs in this Colony, whose chops are also appended, and their signatures, as you will see, are notarially attested. We should have had the Petition signed by the masters of most, if not all, the other hongs, were it not that they were deterred from doing so for fear of bringing down upon them and their families the resentment of the Authorities at

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