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Rules.
1. That consideration be shown to the junk trade, and definite limits be placed on the action of the Revenue Cruizer Service.
Heretofore the manifest of a junk entering or leaving port has been open to the scrutiny of such revenue cruizer as might be on the spot, the junk being released on the verification of the cargo; but then, if the same junk chanced to fall in with another revenue cruizer which knew nothing of the previous examination, it might be again examined, the junk master being unable to produce evidence of having previously undergone such a search; and thus junks, not really engaged in smuggling, incurred the annoyance of delay all the same.
To prevent this for the future, wooden seals will be made, inscribed with the names of the various cruizers, and one of these will be placed on board each vessel. The cruizers themselves will be ordered to take up their positions at the various passes, and not to crowd together as formerly in one place; and junks leaving an anchorage will produce for verification their clearances issued at such anchorage, and junks entering will exhibit their manifests; and unless information incriminating them has been received, or suspicions are aroused by their appearance, on verification of their cargo they shall have the cruizer's seal affixed to their papers, and be allowed to proceed. No further examination of such junks shall be made by other Customs cruizers after this, and thus delay and annoyance will be avoided.
2. Arrests must be followed by strict investigation; but distinctions are to be made according to the gravity of the offence.
It is said that revenue cruizers have frequently seized junks engaged in smuggling, and then, without an investigation of the circumstances, have, on their own responsi- bility, exacted a fine and released the vessel, the result being no distinction according to the gravity of the offence, besides other corrupt practices.
Orders will now be issued to all revenue cruizers that in future, if information is received about a vessel, or real suspicions are aroused by her appearance, it will not be competent for the said cruizer to seize her incontinently because of such suspicious appearance, and hurry her off at once to Canton; but, first of all, her cargo must be carefully examined, and if there is any evidence forthcoming of smuggling or evasion of duties, or falsification of the manifest, an exact report of the circumstances, and the amount and nature of her cargo, shall be furnished for the information of the Super- intendent of Customs, who will then, on consideration of the circumstances, give directions as to what steps are to be taken. The revenue cruizer officials are not to take action on their own responsibility, and thus grievances will be prevented, and no one will have a word to say.
3. If Chinese traders in China have any difficulties with the Customs stations, the law requires that application be made to the higher Chinese authorities for the settle- ment thereof. In future, if any Hong Kong Chinese merchant junk petitions the Hong Kong authorities regarding irregular action on the part of any Chinese Customs station official, or revenue cruizer employé, &c., the Governor of Hong Kong will address the Consul at Canton, forwarding such petitioner to him. The Consul will in his turn communicate with the Superintendent of Customs for Kuang-tung, who will depute a trustworthy officer to examine into the case, and decide it equitably. Should the Chinese trader still be dissatisfied, the Consul will address the Viceroy of the Two Kuang, who, on consideration of the circumstances, will depute a competent officer of a certain rank, who, in conjunction with the officer deputed by the Superintendent of Customs, shall investigate the case, and decide it upon its merits.
4. If, in a Chinese vessel carrying a full cargo, there may be found small portions of goods or opium on which, accidentally, duties have not been paid, or should a passenger carry with him things of trifling value in his baggage, these are venial offences, and shall be met, after satisfactory investigation, by instant release of the vessel and cargo; but when it is a question of a large quantity of dutiable goods on which no duty, or insufficient duty, has been fraudulently paid, or which have been reported of more inferior quality than they really are, or have not been reported at all, such, being cases of intentional fraud, must be punished accordingly. "And should dishonest passengers conceal goods or opium in their baggage or in their packages on board a vessel in the hope of evading the payment of duties, it shall be competent for the master of such vessel to come forward and so state the case, that the innocent may not be punished with the guilty, and the interests of the other passengers be sacrificed. thereby.
* i.e., not of lower rank than a District Magistrate.
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