CO129-008 - Foreign Office - 1844 — Page 95

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V. A tonnage due payable in full of all charges.

VI. Duties to be

fees.

V. Tonnage Dues.

Every English merchantman, on entering any one of the above-mentioned

five ports, shall pay tonnage-dues at the rate of five mace per register-ton, in full of all charges. The fees formerly levied on entry and departure, of every description, are henceforth abolished.

VI. Import and Export Duties.

Goods, whether imported into, or exported from, any one of the above- charged according mentioned five ports, are henceforward to be taxed according to the Tariff as to tariff, and to be now fixed and agreed upon, and no further sums are to be levied beyond subject to no other those which are specified in the Tariff. All duties incurred by an English merchant-vessel, whether on goods imported or exported, or in the shape of tonnage-dues, must first be paid up in full; which done, the Superintendent of Customs will grant a port-clearance, and this being shown to the British Consul, he will thereupon return the ship's papers, and permit the vessel to depart.

VII. Goods to be examined by

Custom-house

VII. Examination of Goods at the Custom-house.

Every English merchant, having cargo to load or discharge, must give due intimation thereof, and hand particulars of the same to the Consul, who will immediately dispatch a recognized linguist of his own establishment to officer, in presence communicate the particulars to the Superintendent of Customs, that the goods be duly examined, and neither party subjected to loss. The English may merchant must also have a properly qualified person on the spot to attend to his interests when his goods are being examined for duty; otherwise, should there be complaints, these cannot be attended to.

of merchant's

agent.

Disputes regarding

Regarding such goods as are subject by the Tariff to an ad valorem duty; value for ad valorem if the English merchant cannot agree with the Chinese officer in fixing a duties, how settled. value, then each party shall call two or three merchants to look at the goods, and the highest price at which any of these merchants would be willing to purchase, shall be assumed as the value of the goods.

Tare how fixed.

Appeal to Consul where disputes can-

not otherwise be settled.

VIII. Duties to

shroffs.

To fix the tare on any article, such as tea; if the English merchant cannot agree with the Custom-house officer, then each party shall choose so many chests out of every hundred, which being first weighed in gross, shall after- wards be tared, and the average tare upon these chests shall be assumed as the tare upon the whole; and upon this principle shall the tare be fixed upon all other goods in packages.

If there should still be any disputed points which cannot be settled, the English merchant may appeal to the Consul, who will communicate the par- ticulars of the case to the Superintendent of Customs, that it may be equitably arranged. But the appeal must be made on the same day, or it will not be regarded. While such points are still open, the Superintendent of Customs will delay to insert the same in his books, thus affording an opportunity that the merits of the case may be duly tried and sifted.

VIII. Manner of Paying the Duties.

It is hereinbefore provided, that every English vessel that enters any one be paid to licensed of the five ports, shall pay all duties and tonnage-dues before she be per- mitted to depart. The Superintendent of Customs will select certain shroffs, or banking establishments, of known stability, to whom he will give licences, authorizing them to receive duties from the English merchants on behalf of Government, and the receipt of these shroffs for any moneys paid them shall In the paying of these duties, be considered as a Government voucher. different kinds of foreign money may be made use of; but as foreign money is not of equal purity with sycee silver, the English Consuls appointed to the different ports will, according to time, place, and circumstances, arrange with

be

Payment may made in foreign

raoney.

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the Superintendents of Customs at each, what coins may be taken in payment, Per centage ou and what per centage may be necessary to make them equal to standard or foreign money, how pure silver.

IX. Weights and Measures.

Sets of balance-yards for the weighing of goods, of money-weights, and

fixed.

IX. Standard

of measures, prepared in exact conformity to those hitherto in use at the weights and mea- Custom-house of Canton, and duly stamped and sealed in proof thereof, will sures, for duties. be kept in possession of the Superintendent of Customs, and also at the Bri- tish Consulate at each of the five ports; and these shall be the standards by which all duties shall be charged, and all sums paid to Government.

In case

of any dispute arising between British merchants and Chinese officers of Customs, regarding the weights or measures of goods, reference shall be made to these standards, and disputes decided accordingly.

X. Lighters or Cargo Boats.

Whenever any English merchant shall have to load or discharge cargo, he may hire whatever kind of lighter or cargo-boat he pleases, and the sum may be engaged as

X. Any boats to be paid for such boat can be settled between the parties themselves, with lighters, without out the interference of Government. The number of these boats shall not be limited, nor shall a monopoly of them be granted to any parties. If any

limit or monopoly. smuggling take place in them, the offenders will of course be punished according to law. Should any of these boat-people, while engaged in con- veying goods for English merchants, fraudulently abscond with the property, the Chinese authorities will do their best to apprehend them; but, at the same time, the English merchants must take every due precaution for the safety of their goods.

XI. Transshipment of Goods.

XI. Transship-

licence.

No English merchant-ships may transship goods without special per- mission should any urgent case happen where transshipment is necessary, ments only to be the circumstances must first be submitted to the Consul, who will give a cer- made with special tificate to that effect, and the Superintendent of Customs will then send a special officer to be present at the transshipment. If any one presumes to transship without such permission being asked for and obtained, the whole of the goods so illicitly transshipped will be confiscated.

XII. Subordinate Consular Officers.

XII. Subordinate

At any place selected for the anchorage of the English merchant-ships, there may be appointed a subordinate Consular officer, of approved good officers may be conduct, to exercise due control over the seamen and others. exert himself to prevent quarrels between the English seamen and natives, shipping.

He must

appointed at the this being of the utmost importance. Should any thing of the kind un-

auchorages of the fortunately take place, he will in like manner do his best to arrange it amicably. When sailors go on shore to walk, officers shall be required to accompany them; and should disturbances take place, such officers will be held responsible. The Chinese officers may not impede natives from coming alongside the ships to sell clothes or other necessaries to the sailors living on board.

XIII. Disputes between British Subjects and Chinese.

XIII. Disputes

Whenever a British subject has reason to complain of a Chinese, he must first proceed to the Consulate and state his grievance. The Consul to be settled, if will thereupon inquire into the merits of the case, and do his utmost to possible, amicably arrange it amicably. In like manner, if a Chinese have reason to complain (by arbitration).

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