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No. 16.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE BOARD OF CUSTOMS.

[Answered by No. 22.]

SIR,

Downing Street, May 24, 1904. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to state that he would feel much obliged if the Board of Customs would favour him with their observations upon the enclosed Bill and draft Regulations* for giving effect in Hong Kong to the provisions of the Brussels Sugar Convention affecting the Crown Colonies, which in the case of a free port such as Hong Kong are practically only those contained in Article VIII. of the Convention.

2. The Officer Administering the Government, in forwarding this Bill and Regulations, enquires at the same time whether there would be any objection to refunding the duty paid on any sugar imported if re-exported either in its original state or after being refined.

3. The amendments which Mr. Lyttelton would suggest are noted in red ink,t but he proposes at the same time to point out to the Officer Administering the Government that there is no necessity for penalising or for prohibiting bounty-fed sugar, provided that if re-exported either in its original state or after being refined it is accompanied by a certificate of the origin of the sugar originally imported; but that if, as Mr. Lyttelton understands is the case, no sugar reaches Hong Kong from any bounty-giving British Colony, such, for instance, as Australia, probably the simplest way of giving effect to Article VIII. of the Brussels Sugar Convention in a free port such as Hong Kong, where there is at present no Customs establishment. would be to prohibit the importation of all foreign sugar declared to be bounty-fed by the Brussels Permanent Sugar Commission.

4. As the Officer Administering the Government is anxious for an early reply to his despatch on this subject, Mr. Lyttelton would be glad if the Board of Customs should be able to give the matter their early consideration.

14874

SIR,

No. 17.

I am,

&c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE.

Foreign Office to Colonial Office, April 26, 1901.4

Foreign Office to Sir E. Monson, No. 61,

Commercial, April 19.§

Sir E. Monson to Foreign Office, No. 131, Commercial, April 20.1

Downing Street, May 27, 1904. WгTH reference to the correspondence noted in the margin, relative to the action of the Customs Authorities in French Indo-China with regard to sugar from Hong Kong, I am directed by Mr. Secretary despatch, No. 290, Commercial, of the 23rd of Lyttelton to state that Sir E. Monson's October last does not appear to have been communicated to this Office, but it is presumed that the Decree which it enclosed was that under which all sugars from other countries than those which are parties to the Brussels Convention (with the exception of certain Chinese sugars) are excluded from French Indo-China, and Mr. Lyttelton would suggest, for the consideration of the Marquess of Lansdowne, that it might be desirable to instruct Sir E. Monson that, if any question should be raised on the subject, he should inform the French Government that His Majesty's Government regard sugar refined in Hong Kong as Hong Kong sugar entitled to the privileges of Article V. of the Convention. whatever may

have been the country of origin of the original raw sugar, provided only that it has not come from a country which the Permanent Commission have decided to be a country giving bounties on the production or exportation of raw sugar.

I am, &c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

Enclosures 1 and 2 in No. 14.

↑ No. 10.

↑ Shown in italics and obliterated type.

Enclosure in No. 10.

Not printed-it informed Lord Lansdowne that a note had been addressed to M. Delossé in accordance with the instructions in despatch No. 64 (Enclosure in No. 10).

(No. 187.)

No. 18.

ACTING GOVERNOR MAY to ME. LYTTELTON.

(Received June 1, 1904.)

SIR,

Government House, Hong Kong, May 2, 1904. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of the 29th ultimo, and to inform you that, in reply, I sent the following telegram on the 30th idem. (See No. 12.] My despatch, No. 160, of the 16th April,t will no doubt receive your consideration as regards the necessary legislation and regulations to be passed in this Colony. The information requested in your despatch, No. 90, of the 24th March,t is being obtained and when received will be despatched as soon as possible.

2. I may point out that your telegram contained an error in referring to the circular despatch of 30th June, as the date obviously intended was the 30th July.

I have, &c.,

F. H. MAY,

19988

(No. 195.)

Officer Administering the Government.

No. 19.

ACTING GOVERNOR MAY to MR. LYTTELTON.

(Received June 6, 1904).

[Answered by No. 25.]

SIR,

Government House, Hong Kong, May 7, 1904. WITH reference to the first paragraph of your despatch, No. 90, of the 24th March, I have the honour to inform you that the countries from which raw sugar has hitherto been chiefly exported into this Colony for refining purposes are Java, China, Formosa, the Philippines, and the Straits Settlements. Refined sugars are shipped to China, Japan, Korea, the United States of America, Australia, Formosa, the Philippines and also to India and its Dependencies, as far as Aden.

2. With regard to paragraph 5, I enclose a copy of a letter from the Consul- General for the Netherlands in connection with the levy of countervailing duties on sugar exported from Hong Kong into the Netherlands Indies.

I may add that there is very little, if any, sugar imported to those Colonies from Hong Kong.

3. With regard to the certificates of origin and the other points referred to in your despatch, I have the honour to transmit the enclosed copies of certificates, issued in this Colony, and to refer you to my despatch, No. 187, of the 2nd instant,§

SIR,

F. H. MAY,

I have, &c.,

Officer Administering the Government.

Enclosure 1 in No. 19.

Hong Kong, April 28, 1904. In reply to your letter of 28th April, 1904, No. 3273/04/C.O.D., I have the honour to inform you that the Convention of Brussels, with Protocol dated 5th March. 1902, are in force within Netherlands-India.

Article 4 of the said Convention prescribes that on all sugars exported from countries, who grant any bounties or premiums on production or exportation of sugar a special (countervailing) duty must be levied on importation into the countries of the High Contracting Parties, and these engaged themselves, by Article 8, to take measures in order to prevent that bounty-fod sugars, which are transported (in transits) over the territory of one of the contracting parties or of their Colonies, enjoy of the profits of this Convention on the market of destination.

• No. 11.

† No. 14.

No. 6.

§ No. 18.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

TIC.O. 882

9

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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