CO885-6 — Page 466

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O. 882

6PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

4

decret du 21 Août, 1903, un décret du 19 Octobre suivant, a modifié ainsi qu'il suit le régime douanier des sucres en Indo-Chine:

Sucres provenant des pays ayant adhéré

à la convention de Bruxelles.

Sucres noirs ou galettes chinoises

Autres sucres

Raffinées et assimilables :

6 francs les 100 kilog, Autres : fr. 5'50 les 100 kilog, de

poids effectif.

8 francs les 100 kilog. de poids.

effectif. Prohibés.

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs will be requested to make representations

to French Government.

12508

SIR,

12508

No. 7.

ACTING GOVERNOR MAY to MR. LYTTELTON.

(Received April 9, 1904.)

[Answered by Nos, 8 and 25.]

(No. 104.) SIR,

Government House, Hong Kong, March 11, 1904. I HAVE the honour to inform you that a complaint has been received from Messrs. Butterfield and Swire and Jardine, Matheson and Company, the two firmis concerned in the sugar industry in this Colony, regarding the alleged issue by the Indo-Chinese Customs Authorities of a strict prohibition of the import of sugar from Hong Kong. They have been informed by their Haiphong correspondents that this action has been taken on the ground that Hong Kong is a self-governed Colony, and is not considered to have adhered to the Brussels Convention.

2. I have referred the matter to the authorities of Indo-China through the French Consul for this port, who has been informed that Articles V. and VIII. of the Convention apply to the Crown Colonies of the British Empire, even though such Colonies have not adhered to the Convention as a whole; and that in any case this Colony intends to adhere to the Convention as soon as the necessary legislative action has been taken. The Consul has communicated on the subject with the Government of French Indo-China, but has not yet received a reply. Meanwhile, I consider it advisable to bring the matter to your knowledge in case you should desire to com- municate with the Foreign Office with a view to diplomatic action being taken in the matter. Messrs. Butterfield and Swire and Jardine, Matheson and Company, point out that the principle involved is one of very great importance to the sugar refiners in this Colony.

I have, &c.,

F. H. MAY, Officer Administering the Government.

An Ordinance is being introduced at the next meeting of the Legislative Council giving the Governor in Council power to make regulations to give effect to the Sugar Convention.

F. H. M.

12508

No. 8.

No. 9.

COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE. [Answered by No. 10.]

Downing Street, April 13, 1904.

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to transmit to you, to be laid before the Marquess of Lansdowne, the accompanying copies of a despatch* from the Officer Administering the Government of Hong Kong, and of a telegram† which has been addressed to him in reply, together with a copy of the despatch, No. 90, of the 24th of March,‡ referred to in that telegram.

I am to suggest that the attention of the French Government should be drawn to the question regarding Hong Kong which was asked by M. Delatour at the sitting of the Brussels Sugar Commission held on the 12th of March and to Sir Henry Bergne's reply at the sitting of the 14th of March, and that they should be requested to send telegraphic instructions to the French Colonial Authorities in Indo-China to admit Hong Kong sugar at the lowest rate of tariff, in accordance with the pro- visions of Article V. of the Brussels Convention.

14874

SIR,

No. 10.

I am, &c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received April 27, 1904.)

[Answered by Nos. 13 and 17.]

Foreign Office, April 26, 1904. WITH reference to your letter, 12508/04, of the 13th instant, § I am directed by the Marquess of Lansdowne to transmit herewith copy of a despatch which His Lordship has addressed to His Majesty's Ambassador at Paris requesting him to draw the attention of the French Government to the action of the Customs Authori- ties of the French Colony of Indo-China in prohibiting the import of sugar from Hong Kong, and to ask that those authorities may be instructed by telegraph to admit such sugar at the rate, established by Decree of August 21st, 1903, for sugar which has fulfilled the conditions prescribed by the Brussels Convention.

The difficulty of proving that no bounty-fed sugar is exported from Hong Kong would appear to be due to the fact that at Hong Kong no certificates of origin for imported sugar are required, and I am to suggest, for Mr. Secretary Lyttelton's consideration, that instructions should be sent by telegraph to the Government of Hong Kong directing them to insist upon the production of such certificates in future, and to issue them with the sugar exported in order to give complete security against The possibility of bounty-fed sugar being refined in Hong Kong and re-exported to States parties to the Brussels Convention.

I am, &c.,

F. A. CAMPBELL.

MR. LYTTELTON to ACTING-GOVERNOR MAY.

(Sent 2.20 p.m., April 13, 1904.) TELEGRAM.

[Answered by No. 14.]

Referring to your despatch, No. 104,* Colony should not adhere, but must give elfect to Articles 5 and 8. See my predecessor's circular despatch of July 30,† and my despatch, No. 90, March 24.4

• No. 7.

† Not printed.

No. 6.

SIR,

(No. 64. Commercial.)

Enclosure in No. 10.

Foreign Office, April 19, 1904. THE Secretary of State for the Colonies has informed me that complaints have been received from Messrs. Butterfield and Swire and from Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Company, two firms engaged in the sugar industry in Hong Kong,

§ No. 9.

• No. 7.

↑ No. 8.

+ No. 6.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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