CO129-013 - Sir John Davis - 1845 [8-12] — Page 74

in the present estate of the Colony. for owing to the heavy rents and unsatisfactory senuse of property, the continued arbitrary taxation. and impediments to trade of all Kinds, and the entire want of

confidence, as well on the part of stockpreises. the foreign Community in China,

as of the Chinese themselves, as to the establishment of a better course of policy, there is, at this moment, after 4 Pears occupation of the Island scarcely

foreign Resident, except fo

forceps, Goverment officers, and those British -

Merchants and traders who come the British parchants say Building before the enforcement of seat as are bied to the i

the Leases; there are no

"

Merchants, or even e

linker L

6. Loving faith, there

before the infancere

offences

Chinese Thop-keepers, with beford pretension to property; there is neither an import or export code douch Shefkiefe

any

of any

or trade

kind; and as will be seen the report or isoth

by the public papers, even now, when

many private Dwellings

are kom...

porarily occupied by the Civil and Military officers of Esvernment .

pending the completion of the Public

Buildings, several Houses have been thang horses witement.

untenanted for Mouths past; and

the value of all property is daily ft. declive.

you len of profert on

the decrease?.

An

It is necessary to bear

in mind, that the trade of this part of China has long been

customed to flow through other

سیم می میر

Channels

berblees, where shene

repeesty

73

Channels; that the Island of Nong- Rông has no natural productions, or consumers of imports, beyond the wants of the Colonists themselves, and is even dependant for its daily supply. of food on the main land; and that a place so circumstameed, especially in a : Country like China, proverbially averse to sudden change can only be expected very gradually to acquire a Trade, by facilities and

"encouragement, instead of being subject to ceaseless and heavy taxation Charges, from which places in its

vicinity

-cover-

are mortove exempt/ We trust therefore,

we shall

not be deemed presumptusus in submitting to Hall. Government our -urgent entreaty, that they will be pleased to direct the abolition of the Opium farm, Auction Duties, and Opour forrn other harrassing Facation recently imposed, which have already had thermopan the effect of deterring

ing many

Chinese from settling in the place, and

driven away several, who were already established, and been in fact utterly destructive of our incipient trade : If this be not conceded, many of the European Residents will also be competted to quit a place totally without Commerce; but

Groundrents more heavily taxed, in alone; than any other part of China