In CL.0. No 254*/68.
of
Macao
Older for
Proclamation by the Governor
revoking
The Disarmament of punt's.
18th September 1868.
}
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, SEPTEMBER 23rd, 1868,
SALT is one of the articles enumerated in the Chinese Customus Tariff Rules under the bead of Contraband Goods. Munitions of war and arms are the only other articles in the list; and why, or how Salt comes in the same category with canons, muskets, and gun- powder, is not very easily explained. The import of Salt, and the export of Salt, is alike forbidden. I like opium, it was deemed in- jurious to the morals and well being of the Chinese, one could understand the absolute prohibition of the entry of Foreign Salt. But if this prohibition exists solely for protective purposes, why forbid the export of Salt, and not allow it go duty free, and so en- courage the native manufacture of the article and promote a trade in it ? If the export is forbidden lest a scarcity should befall, the ordinary supply being barely sufficient for the wants of the empire, why refuse to allow foreigners to import Salt from other countries, and so supply the deficiency? The revenue need not suffer by such a measure, because the import duty might be so fixed as to prevent it being sold in the interior at a figure lower than the native Salt, extreme as is the price of that from the Government monopoly. As a matter of fact, there is no reason why Salt should figure among the contraband articles, trade in which is absolutely forbidden to foreign merchants, and every reason why in the in- terest of toreign trade and the interests of the Chinese themselves, should be placed on | precisely the same footing as any other ar ticle in the tariff. The trade in Salt is not distinguishable in any way from the Cam- phor wood monopoly in Formosa, about which so much has been said lately, and which is now on its last legs. True, Euro- peans deal less in Salt, as a rule, than in Camphor wood, and hence no notice has been taken of the matter, but the existence of this restriction on trade, and of this monopoly, in- terferes in many ways with Europeans in their business relations with the Chinese, and operates sometimes to produce unplea santnesses between the Chinese Government and people. With the general question we have nothing to do now, but to recom mend the Salt question to the attention of those on whom the duty of revising the Treaty way fall. Our prosent object is to east, if possible, a little additional light on the causes, in connection with the Salt Monopoly, that lead to the late convention between the tio- vernment and the Viceroy of Canton for the total disarmament of the fishing-boats, and partial disarmament ot the trading Junks, and also on the causes of the abandonment by the Chinese of a design which, if carried out, as-with the assistance of the Govern- ment of this Colony, and of the Government of Macao--it could have been carried out, would have been immensely to the benefit, of the Chinese Government, aud to the manifest increase of its power and authority.
One MA-E-CHING, a personal friend of the Governor-Generd of Canton, is the farmer of the Salt Mu opoly in the province of Kwan-thug, and except by him or by his Lisensee, no Salt can be sold within the pro- vince, and none can be bought except from
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him or them. All Salt imported into the province ought by law to enter at Canton, and there only, and from theuce to be distri- buted all over the country, and any Salt found in quantity elsewhere is deemed to have been smuggled, unless the holder can show a licence to sell or prove a purchase from the farmer's licensee. MA-E-CHING has a seal, well known to all interested in Salt, aud with this seal he seals all Salt licences and Salt passes, or authorities to have Salt iu possession. MA-E-CHING has an armed cruiser, flying his flag, which visits the fish- ing stations along the coast, examines the fishing-boats to see if they hold passes for the Salt on board, seizes smugglers, confis- cates smuggled Salt, and generally enforces with the strong arm all the rights and pri- vileges of the monopolist. The passes to: the fishing-boats along the East Coast were, till lately, issued by a branch establishment, set up by thegreat MA-E-CHING at Sun-on, and were sealed with the scal of the monopoly, and up to a certain point of time these passes were held as good as those issued from the present house at Cauton. Not very long ago, however, MA-E-CHING was advised to break up this branch establishment at Sun- He did so, but furthermore he resolved to repudiate all licences granted, and all passes issued by it. He sent his cruiser therefore, to the East coast fishing grounds, and stations to compel the fishing- hoats to take out frosh authorisations to carry, each, the quantity of Salt it required for curing its fish. Holding passes for which they had paid dearly enough, and the seal on which was not denied, the fishermen very sensibly refused to pay a second time, and insisted on the protection afforded the Sun-on Branch passes. The cruiser tried force, but the fishing-boats, large and small, were all armed, and deeming prudence the better part of valour her commander re- turned to Canton without a dollar. Disap- pointed of his squeeze, MA-E-CHING had re- course to his friend the Governor-General, and urged the disarmament of all fishing- boats on him as a very useful measure. Hence the ready compliance of the Viceroy with our invitation, the convention, the Ordi- nance, and the Rules and Regulations now done away with. Why? Because MA-E- CHING's purpose has been served. His cruiser became a power along the coast; the Sun-on passes have been called in, and fresh ones issued for a con-si-de-ration, as one of the characters in "Bleak House" would have put it. The squeeze has been effected. The pressure is no longer needed. The Canton Government has something else to do with its time, and money, and armed force, of more importance than the suppression of piracy a strict enforcement of a disarmament pro- clamnation. As for the Governments of Hongkong and Macao, and the understand- ing with them, oh! they can do as they please, it is no longer the interest of the Chinese to co-operate with them, and no apology is needed.
All this intrigue was well-known at Canton, and if not openly talked of, ought to have been known to any man in Consul ROBERTSON'S position, and with his advantages, if he did not deem himself too high and mighty to in- terest bimself in anything that did not come before him in a proper routine and red tape
form.
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