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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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respecting the orders alleged to have been issued by the Customs Authorities of the French Colony of Indo-China, prohibiting the import of sugar from Hong Kong. These firms have learnt from 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.

The Governor of Hong Kong reports that he has referred the matter to the authorities of Indo-China through the French Consul at Hong Kong, pointing out that Articles V. and VIII. of the Convention of March, 1902, apply to the Crown Colonies of the British Empire, even though such Colonies have not adhered to the Convention. The Consul has communicated with the Government of Indo-China, but no reply has yet on received.

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Under Article V. the contracting parties engage to admit at the lowest rates of their tariffs of import duties sugar produced by the contracting States or by those of their Colonies or Possessions which do not grant bounties and to which the obligations of Article VIII. respecting the transit of bounty-fed sugar are applicable. I request Your Excellency to draw the attention of the French Government to the matter, referring to the proceedings at the twenty-fifth sitting of the Permanent Commission at Brussels on the 12th of March last. On that occasion Monsieur Delatour, the French delegate, made certain enquiries as to the position of the British Crown Colonies, with regard to the Convention, and as to the terms on which sugar exported from them should be admitted by the French Colonies. At the following sitting, on the 14th of March, Sir Henry Bergne replied that the British Colonies had not fully adhered to the Convention, but that, in view of the provisions of Article V. the French Colonies were bound to admit sugar from the British Crown Colonies at the lowest rate. He added that instructions had been given to the Governors of Crown Colonies that all sugar exported to one of the contracting States must be provided with a certificate of origin, in accordance with rules adopted by the Commission. There was, therefore, no reason whatever to suppose that raw sugar which had received a bounty elsewhere would be refined in Hong Kong and re-exported thence to Indo-China.

Your Excellency should accordingly ask the French Government that tele- graphic instructions may be sent to the authorities in Indo-China, in order that sugar exported from Hong Kong may be admitted at the rate established by decreo of 21st August, 1903, for sugar which has fulfilled the conditions prescribed by the Brussels Convention.

I am, &c.,

His Excellency

14874

The Right Honourable

Sir E. Monson, G.C.B., G.C.M.G.,

&c., &c.,

&c.

No. 11.

MR. LYTTELTON to ACTING GOVERNOR MAY,

(Sent 12.10 p.m., April 29, 1904.)

TELEGRAM.

[Answered by No. 12.]

LANSDOWNE,

Should be glad to receive answer to my despatch, No. 90, March 24,* as soon as possible. Telegraph what steps have been taken to carry out instructions in my predecessor's circular despatch of July 30.†

15305

No. 12.

ACTING GOVERNOR MAY to MR. LYTTELTON. (Received 11.22 a.m., April 30, 1904.) TELEGRAM.

In reply to your telegram of yesterday's date,* certificate of origin is being issued under notification published in official Gazette of 13th November last.† As regards local legislation, see my despatch, No. 160, 16th April.‡.

15305

No. 13.

COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE.

SIR,

Downing Street, May 5, 1904. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th of April, § on the subject of the export of sugar from Hong Kong, and to transmit, for the information of the Marquess of Lansdowne, copies of tele- graphic correspondence with the Officer Administering the Government of that Colony. A copy of the Gazette notification referred to by Mr. May is also enclosed. 2. The despatch of the 16th Aprilt may be expected shortly, and Mr. Lyttelton proposes to await its arrival before taking any further action.

Enclosure in No. 13.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 747.

I am, &c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

It is hereby notified that for the purposes of Regulation No. III. in His Majesty's Order in Council of the 11th day of August last made under the Imperial Sugar Convention Act of 1903 (3 Edw. 7), the Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong for the time being is the "Fiscal Authority" for this Colony, and that all Certificates of Origin relating to Sugar to be exported must accordingly be declared before him and must be in the form of which copies can be had on application at this Office.

In accordance with the Official Signatures Fees Ordinance, 1888, a fee of $2 will be payable at the time of making each Declaration.

It is further notified that under the Brussels Sugar Convention, all sugar im ported into the United Kingdom after the 1st of September last must be accom- panied by certificates of origin, but this does not apply to sugar which has been used in the preparation of such articles as biscuits, chocolate, jam, preserved fruit and confectionery. All sugar imported into other signatory States requires a certificate of origin but it is not yet known what these States may require with regard to articles in the preparation of which sugar may have been used.

So far as is at present known the contracting parties to the Convention are Great Britain, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg and Sweden, and the Colonies of all of these countries are also bound by its terms subject to the reservation made by His Majesty's Government in respect of the British self- governing Colonies.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hong Kong,

November 13, 1903.

By Command,

F. H. MAY,

Colonial Secretary.

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• No. G.

† Not printed.

• No. 11.

† See enclosure in No. 13.

No. 14.

§ No. 10.

Nos, 11 and 12,