SIG,
Hongkong, 20th August, 1880.
We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday, in which you inform us, by direction of His Excellency the Governor, that our application for a license to distil spirits in the Company's premises on Inland lots Nos. 749, 781 and 782, is under consideration.
As we know of no reasons why our application should not be acceded to, and the delay is at present causing much inconvenience and, if prolonged, will probably result in serious loss, we shall feel greatly obliged by His Excellency's granting the license at the earliest possible moment.
The Honourable
(Signed)
We have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants,
JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.
General Agents.
CHINA SUGAR REFINING COMPANY, LIMITED.
The product of the Distillery will be almost wholly exported, and, under the circumstances, it may not be considered out of place to suggest, whether the exaction of such a fee is not contrary to sound policy, in as much as it is calculated to restrict industrial enterprise.
We will take out a license on the terms you have intimated to us, in order that the costly property not be longer unused and with the view of ascertaining whether it can be worked successfully, but we trust that His Excellency will reconsider his decision and, in the meantime, we have to request that you will be good enough to note that we pay the fee under protest.
The Honourable
FREDERICK STEWART, L.L.D.
Acting Colonial Secretary.
SIR,
(Signed)
We have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants,
JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.
General Agents.
CHINA SUGAR REFINING COMPANY, LIMITED.
FREDERICK STEWART, L.L.D.
Acting Colonial Secretary.
No. 1054.
GENTLEMEN,
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE. Hongkong, 24th August, 1880.
Referring to your letters of the 12th, 19th, and 20th instant, concerning the transfer of the Distillery License from Lot 281 to the Lots hitherto known as the Hongkong Distillery, I have the honor, by direction of His Excellency the Governor, to inform you that a new License will be granted, subject to the payment of a fee of $2,000 for the ensuing twelve months, as fixed by the Governor in Council.
I have the honor to be,
Gentlemen,
Your most obedient Servant,
FREDERICK STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
Hongkong, 30th August, 1880,
Having paid to the Colonial Treasurer on 26th curt. the sum of Dollars Two thousand ($2,000) demanded by His Excellency the Governor, for a license to distil spirits in the premises situate on Inland lots Nos. 749, 781 and 782, of which payment, we informed you on same date, we shall feel obliged by your favouring us with the document without further delay, as its non-receipt has caused and is causing much loss and inconvenience to the Company.
We have the honour to be,
The Honourable
FREDERICK STEWART, L.L.D.
Acting Colonial Secretary.
No. 1095.
GENTLEMEN,
(Signed)
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants, JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.
General Agents.
CHINA SUGAR REFINING COMPANY, LIMITED.
Messrs. JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.
Sir,
Hongkong, 26th August, 1880.
We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 1054 of 24th curt. intimating that His Excellency the Governor is prepared to authorise the issue of a new license for the premises, hitherto known as the Hongkong Distillery, subject to the payment of a fee of Dollars Two thousand ($2,000) for the ensuing twelve months.
On behalf of this Company, we respectfully protest against such an enormous exaction, and venture to express the hope that His Excellency will be pleased to reconsider the matter.
The fee for a distilling license has, up to the present time, been fixed at Dollars One hundred ($100) per annum, and no intimation has been given in the Government Gazette, or otherwise, that any increase upon it was contemplated.
We take the liberty of pointing out that, when the Executor of the late Mr. JOHN JACK applied for permission to work the Distillery, for a short period, to test its capabilities, his request was granted, on payment of a sum, calculated at the rate of Dollars One hundred ($100) per annum, the customary fee, and we submit, for the consideration of His Excellency, that the Establishment has notoriously lain dormant for some time, from the admitted inability of former proprietors to work it profitably, and that by the imposition of the increased license fee, which may prove prohibitive, an unnecessary hardship is being inflicted on this Company, after they have acquired the premises and propose to make renewed efforts to revive an industry, which, if successful, would give employment to capital and labour and add to the prosperity of the Colony.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE. Hongkong, 31st August, 1880.
I have the honor, by desire of the Governor, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th instant, stating that the non-receipt of the License to distil spirits has caused and is causing much loss and inconvenience to the Company.
In reply, I am to inform you that His Excellency signed the license the same day that he ascertained the company were prepared to take out the license on the conditions prescribed by the Governor in Council, but that, as some ambiguity appeared to exist in the correspondence, I wrote a private note to Mr. MACGREGOR making an enquiry which has now been answered.
I am to add that His Excellency entirely approves of my having written the private note to Mr. MACGREGOR, one of the partners of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Company, as its manifest object was to clear up an ambiguity in a letter from the Company and to save time; but that, looking to the letter now under reply, His Excellency has given directions that, in future, all communications on government business to Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Company must be conducted officially.
I am to enclose the License along with a duly certified copy thereof.
Messrs. JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.
I have the honor to be,
Gentlemen,
Your most obedient Servant,
FREDERICK STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
506
SIG,
Hongkong, 20th August, 1880.
We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday, in which you inform us, by direction of His Excellency the Governor, that our application for a license to distil spis in the Company's premises on Inland lots Nos. 749, 781 and 782, is under consideration.
As we know of no reasons why our application should not be acceded to, and the delay is at present eansing much inconvenience and, if prolonged, will probably result in serious loss, we shall feel greatly obliged by His Excellency's grauting the license at the earliest possible moment.
The Honourable
(Signed)
We have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants,
JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.
General Agents.
CHINA SUGAR REFINING COMPANY, LIMITED.
The product of the Distillery will be almost wholly exported, and, under the circunstances, it may not be considered out of place to suggest, whether the exaction of euch a fee is not contrary to sound policy, in as much as it is calculated to restrict industrial enterprise.
We will take out a license on the terms you have intimated to us, in order that the costly property not be longer unused and with the view of ascertaining whether it can be worked successfully, but we trust that His Excellency will reconsider his decision and, in the meantime, we have to request that you will be good enough to note that we pay the fee under protest.
The Honourable.
FREDERICK STEWART, L. L. D.
Acting Colonial Secretary.
SIR,
(Signed)
We have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants,
JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.
General Agents.
CHINA SUGAR REFINING COMPANY, LIMITED.
FREDERICK STEWART, L. I. D.
Acting Colonial Secretary.
No. 1054.
GENTLEMEN,
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE. Hongkong, 24th August, 1880.
Referring to your letters of the 12th, 19th, and 20th instant, concerning the transfer of the Distillery License from Lot 281 to the Lots hitherto known as the Hongkong Distillery, I have the honor, by direction of His Excellency the Governor, to inform you that a new License will be granted, subject to the payment of a fee of $2,000 for the ensuing twelve months, as fixed by the Governor in Council.
I have the honor to be,
Gentlemen,
Your most obedient Servant,
FREDERICK STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
Hongkong, 30th August, 1880,
Having paid to the Colonial Treasurer on 26th curt. the sum of Dollars Two thousand ($2,000) demanded by His Excellency the Governor, for a license to distil spirits in the premises situate on Inland lots Nos. 749, 781 and 782, of which payment, we informed you on same date, we shall feel obliged by your favouring us with the document without further delay, as its non-receipt has caused and is causing much loss and inconvenience to the Company.
We have the honour to be,
The Honourable
FREDERICK STEWART, L. L. D.
deting Colonial Secretary.
No. 1095.
GENTLEMEN,
(Signed)
Sir,
Your most obedient Servants, JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.
General Agents.
CHINA SUGAR REFINING COMPANY, LIMITED.
MrsSRS. JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.
Sin,
Hongkong, 26th August, 1880.
We have the bonour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 1054 of 24th curt. inti- mating that His Excellency the Governor is prepared to authorise the issue of a new license for the premises, hitherto known as the Hongkong Distillery, subject to the payment of a fee of Dollars Two thousand ($2,000) for the ensuing twelve months.
On behalf of this Company, we respectfully protest against such an enormous exaction, and vert- ure to express the hope that His Excellency will be pleased to reconsider the matter.
The fee for a distilling license has, up to the present time, been fixed at Dollars One hundred ($100) per annum, and no intimation has been given in the Government Gazette, or otherwise, that any increase upon it was contemplated.
We take the liberty of pointing out that, when the Executor of the late Mr. JOHN JACK applied for permission to work the Distillery, for a short period, to test its capabilities, his request was granted, on payment of a sum, calenlated at the rate of Dollars One hundred ($100) per annum, the customary fee, and we submit, for the consideration of His Excellency, that the Establishment has notoriously lain dormant for some time, from the admitted inability of former proprietors to work it profitably, and that by the imposition of the increased license fee, which may prove prohibitive, an minecessary hardship is being inflicted on this Company, after they have acquired the premises and propose to make renewed efforts to revive an industry, which, if successful, would give employment to capital and labour and add to the prosperity of the Colony.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE. Hongkong, 31st August, 1880.
I have the honor, by desire of the Governor, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th instant, stating that the non-receipt of the License to distil spirits has caused and is causing much loss and inconvenience to the Company.
In reply, I am to inform you that His Excellency signed the license the same day that he ascer- tained the company were prepared to take out the license on the conditions prescribed by the Governor in Council, but that, as some ambiguity appeared to exist in the correspondence, I wrote a private note to Mr. MACGREGOR making an enquiry which has now been answered.
I am to add that His Excellency entirely approves of my having written the private note to Mr. MACGREGOR, one of the partners of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Company, as its manifest object was to clear up an ambiguity in a letter from the Company and to save time; but that, looking to the letter now under reply, His Excellency has given directions that, in future, all communications on go- vernment business to Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Company must be conducted officially.
I am to enclose the License along with a duly certified copy thereof.
Messus. JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.
I have the honor to be,
Gentlemen,
Your most obedient Servant,
FREDERICK STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
506
W
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