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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Le To Te Ti

سلسيليسا

Reference :-

C.O. 882

and if it is desired (to obtain land for) the erection of public buildings and such like uses, a fair price shall be paid, and no undue pressure shall be brought to bear.

8. The extradition of criminals from both countries shall be managed, as heretofore, in accordance with the original agreement and the ordinances recently drawn up by the Hong Kong (Government).

9. Chinese vessels of war, whether (China be) belligerent or neutral, shall be at liberty to anchor in and have access to the waters of such places as Ta Peng Bay and Shen Chou Bay, which are within the boundaries of the new settlement. Piracy being extremely prevalent in Kuangtung Province, the war vessels of both countries may co-operate in pursuing and catching pirates, whenever necessity arises for such action, with a view to ensuring the peace of the locality.

10. Land owned by Chinese subjects within the new settlement must pay the land tax to the Chinese Authorities. Should British subjects purchase land, the rent* shall be paid in accordance with the Regulations prevailing at Shanghai, the amount being settled in an equitable manner. If it should be Government land, an equitably determined rent must also be paid.

11. As England has consented to render effective assistance in matters connected with the Customs Revenue, the existing Customs' stations shall, as at present, be under the control of the Commissioner of Customs. This is on the same lines as the regulation applying to the Chinese Officials within Kowloon City. Should any cases arise, he shall forthwith concert measures with the British Officials, so that (the action taken) may be in accordance with England's expressed intention to afford effective assistance.

G, D. PITZIPIOS,

(Translator).

19155.

(Confidential.)

SIM,

No. 19.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received August 25, 1898.) [Answered by No. 23.]

Foreign Office, August 23, 1898. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to transmit to you, to be laid before the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the accompanying copy of a despatch, Sir C. Mas- as marked in the margin, respecting the assistance to be given to the Chinese Customs Donald. authorities by the Hong Kong Government.

Enclosure in No. 19.

um, &c.,

FRANCIS BERTIE.

Sir C. MACDONALD to the Marquess of SALISBURY. (Received August 8, 1898.)

(No. 130.) MY LORD,

WITH reference, to the last two paragraphs of my despatch to your Lordship, No. 102,

Peking, June 23, 1898. of the 27th May, I have the honour to enclose copy of a note addressed to me by the Yamên on the subject of the assistance to be given by the Hong Kong Government to the Chinese Customs authorities, and of the reply I returned to it.

No. 130.

18929.

No. 18.

ACTING-GOVERNOR BLACK to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.

I have, &c.,

CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.

(Confidential.)

SIB,

(Received August 22, 1898.)

Government House, Hong Kong, July 22, 1898. WITH reference to the protest of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce against the reservation of Chinese rights over the City of Kowloon, forwarded in my despatch, No. 198, of the 19th instant,† I have the honour to express the hope that the saving clause of "military requirements" may mitigate the evils feared by the Chamber of Commerce as certain to result from Kowloon City thus being left an enclave within British territory.

The "Times" article conveyed no information on the retention of the head office and stations of the Chinese Maritime Customs within the colony; when this becomes known in Hong Kong it will considerably diminish the satisfaction with which the people would otherwise have viewed this long looked for extension of their boundaries.

Tact and forbearance will be required on both sides to prevent friction between the officials resulting from these anomalies, which it is hoped subsequent negotiations may modify.

I have, &c.,

W. BLACK.

Major-General, Administering the Government.

• This apparently refers to the grannil rent paid to the Chinese Government by all land holders in Shanghai. The Officials are furnished with particulars of this ground by the various Consulates each year. (Translator's Note,)

↑ No. 16.

(Translation.)

The TSUNG-LI YAMEN to Sir C. MacDonald.

Kuang Hsü, 24th year, 4th moon, 10th day (May 29, 1898).

*

IN the course of the interviews, during which Sir C. MacDonald negotiated the special Article dealing with the extension of the Hong Kong boundaries, his Excellency promised the Yamên that the British (Colonial) authorities would be requested to give the Kowloon Customs bond fide assistance in matters connected with the receipt of duties and search, and asked that a note should be addressed to him for communication (to the aforesaid authorities)..

The matters in which co-operation is required are as follows :-

That opium, foreign, native, or prepared, shall not be allowed to be shipped without a permit from the Maritime Customs, and that the Hong Kong police shall" maintain ■ thorough search in order to put a stop to any breach of this rule.

That opium shipped without a permit shall be confisented and sold at once, and the proceeds divided equally between the British authorities and the Kowloon Customs-the Hong Kong police to be rewarded from the half retained by the British authorities.

That the Maritime Customs shall be authorized to collect the duties leviable on opium shipped under permit (at a point) near Hong Kong.

That the opium farm, established at Hong Kong, shall be continued, and while the farm shall be allowed to maintain the fixed number of branches at Hong Kong only, the Maritime Customs shall also be authorized to send men from time to time to these branches to examine the books and stocks.

That the Hong Kong Rules, old and new, for the regulation of foreign opium shall be kept in operation. It is also requested that the present proposals shall be added to them and followed.

Further, that arms shall not be allowed to be shipped for Chinese coast and riverine ports without a permit from the Maritime. Customs.

That the branch stations for the collection of duty already established by the Maritime Customs within the new frontier shall be retained where they are, and that the

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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