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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference -

882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

Chinese Customs Steam Cruizers.

3. The officers, it is believed, do not hold any commission. In former days they held their appointments direct from Mr. Hart, Inspector-General of Customs.

4. In considering the status of these vessels, it is important to understand the position of the Haekwan, inasmuch as they are not employed by the Government of China, acting through any of its Boards or Departments, as in the case in Western countries. They are maintained by a high official, who holds a special Imperial com- mission, who draws no fixed salary, and whose particular duty is to see that the proper proportion of the Customs of the province or provinces under his control is paid to the officer in charge of the Imperial household in Peking.

5. There is no doubt that he employs these armed cruizers with the sanction and approval of the Imperial Government, and that they are engaged not only in the prevention of smuggling by native vessels, but also by foreign vessels (e.g., the case of the "Carisbrooke," when an officer of the foreign Inspectorate took command of the cruizer pro hac vice).

Remarks.

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com-

3. The Commander of the Customs' cruizer Peng Chao-hai holds a mission or appointment from the Haekwan. The two others, from the Inspector-General of Customs.

4. I think it can scarcely be said that these vessels are not employed by the Government of China, acting through any or Departments, or are of its Boards maintained by a high official who draws no The Customs is a distinct fixed salary. Department of the State, and the Haekwan, or Hoppo, who presides over it is a high officer holding a special commission from the Emperor. His fixed salary is about 3,000 taels a-year, and his particular duty is to collect the Customs revenue of the pro- vince, and see that the proper proportions are paid to the Board of Revenue, Inner Council, Palace, and the provinces, to which edicts may have ordered him to give pecuniary aid. Besides which he has a large allowance for his establishments, Customs' stations, cruizers, &c.. and at the close of the financial year, he renders an account of his receipts and expenditures to Peking.

5. The purchase and employment of these vessels were sanctioned by Imperial Decree, and their annual expenses are reported to and confirmed by the Throne. It is, and always has been, the business of these cruizers to prevent smuggling without dis- In the case of the capture of tinction. the steamer "Carisbrooke," there was officer of the foreign Inspectorate on board, but I think it unlikely that he took com- mand of the vessel.*

an

The status of Chinese Customs cruizers I believe to be that of Revenue cruizers in England, which are commissioned by the Board of Customs, and not by the Admiralty, although they are commanded by naval officers and fly the pendant. They are allowed to anchor in the men- of-war anchorages, and have the same other privileges extended to them as Government vessels, storeships, transports, &c., and are therefore, I conceive, entitled by courtesy to similar privileges in a British port or Colony.

B. ROBERTSON,

Canton, November 1, 1875.

(Signed)

Consul.

But see the details given in Mr. Hayllar's Report. The Deputy-Commissioner gave the orders, and

He did this, as he stated, on his own responsibility. personally trained and fired the gun at the "Carisbrooke."

Sir,

No. 11.

Colonial Office to Foreign Office.

Downing Street, January 27, 1876. I AM directed by the Earl of Carnarvon to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th ultimo, transmitting, by desire, of the Earl of Derby, two despatches from Her Majesty's Consul at Canton, the one containing further remarks on the complaints of the Government of Hong Kong, as to the proceedings of the steam cruizers under the Foreign Collectorate of Customs, and of the armed sailing vessels acting under the authority of the Haikwan, or Commissioner of Native Customs (commonly called the Hoppo); and the other reporting the particulars of an interview which he had with Chang, the acting Vice- roy of the Two Kwang Provinces on the same subject.

2. You were requested to state that Lord Derby would await any observations which Lord Carnarvon might have to make on the first of these despatches, and that he proposed, with his Lordship's concurrence, to approve the language used by Her Majesty's Consul at the interview above referred to.

3. It may be convenient at this stage of the negotiations to invite Lord Derby's attention to the precise grounds of complaint which are still urged by the Colonial Govern. ment. The general question which had been raised as to the right of the Chinese Government to search their national vessels in close proximity to the entrance of Hong Kong harbour, but beyond the limits of British jurisdiction, was disposed of by Lord Carnarvon's despatch to the Governor, of the 22nd March, 1875.† Sir Brook Robertson, in his despatch of the 1st of December, 1874,‡ stated that the Chinese steam cruizers had been placed under the Foreign Collectorate of Customs, and that an English officer on that establishment having been appointed especially to the duty of their supervision not one case of complaint had since been brought before him. But in a despatch received in July last from Mr. Austin,§ the acting Governor of Hong Kong, a copy of which was laid before Lord Derby, and transmitted by his Lordship to Sir Brooke Robertson, for his consideration, it was reported that numerous armed sailing vessels, under the authority of the Hoppo, continued to harass the junks trading with the Colony; and that these armed sailing vessels were commanded by Chinese officers under no recognized legal control, and were owned and manned by persons who had farmed a portion of the duties to be collected on the coast of the adjoining province. Mr. Austin expressed a hope that some pressure would be brought to bear on the Provincial Government at Canton towards reforming the existing system, and checking the unscrupulous conduct of the petty officers in charge of these cruizers, and of the neighbouring Customs stations. In reply to these remonstrances Sir Brooke Robertson, in his despatch No. 40 of the 8th of October, 1875, denies that the duties are farmed out excepting the salt gabelle, and he states that "the officers of the Imperial, are quite as much under control as those of other Governments, for otherwise it would be incomprehensible how a vast empire like China is governed." It does not appear from these statements whether they apply to the class of inferior officers complained of, or only to the chief officers of the Provincial Governments, such as the Hoppo himself. On this point I am to request that you will draw the attention of Lord Derby to para- graphs 17 and 27 ¶ of the Report of the Commission appointed by Sir Arthur Kennedy to inquire into the question; and also to paragraph 2 of the Memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong.** But whether the Hoppo be a farmer of the Customs Revenue or not, Sir Brooke Robertson admits that the fiscal system of the Chinese Government "is faulty to a degree,” and that “the collection of revenue is left too much in the irresponsible hands of high Provincial officers." This can hardly be more forcibly illustrated than by the announcement that he has failed altogether to obtain a copy of the Native Tariff and Regulations†† with which the Government of Hong Kong had expressed its desire to be furnished.

"The Tariff," writes Sir Brooke Robertson, "the Hoppo will not supply, and he would probably refuse the Regulations also." He observes that the Customs officials, perhaps, think that if they supplied the Hong Kong Government with a copy, it would be used against them in cases of overcharge of duties, and he adds, "at all events, they assert their Tariff is the same as the foreign one, and, therefore, there is no necessity for furnishing a copy." Lord Carnarvon cannot but view this position of affairs as being

Ibid., p. 35.

• No. 9. No. 1.

† No. 8 of Command Paper (C. 1189] of 1875. Colonial Office to Foreign Office, August 9, No. 5.

Page 7 of same Paper. ** Page 12 of same Paper.

++ See Minutes of Council, p. 18 of same Paper. (574)

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