CO129-235 - Public Offices - 1887 — Page 186

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Mr. Russell said it was understood that once opium had paid 110 taels a picul it would not be called upon to pay anything more.

Sir R. Hart said he had given the assurance at a previous meeting, and he repeated it now.

Mr. Russell promised to have the amended Ordinance ready to lay before the Commission in two days.

Proceedings at the Sitting of September 10, 1886.

Present:

Mr. Russell, Sir R. Hart, and Mr. Brenan.

In the meeting, Mr. Russell produced a copy of the amended Ordinance, and explained its provisions. He then read the draft of the Memorandum of Agreement which it was proposed should be signed by the Commission. A few unimportant alterations were made. One alteration of some importance was suggested by Sir R. Hart. In the original draft, it was proposed that when a junk trading with Hong Kong had any complaint against any of the surrounding stations, the officer of the Foreign Inspectorate who would be stationed near Kowloon to supervise the collection of opium duties should lend his good offices in effecting a settlement.

Sir R. Hart suggested that the matter should be wholly dealt with by such officer, who should decide the case. In the event of the Hong Kong Government being dissatisfied with his decision, there should be an appeal to Peking, and not to Canton. The clause was accordingly changed to its present shape.

Sir R. Hart said there was another question he wished to bring up. He hoped the negotiations regarding Macao would be successful; but if, unfortunately, negotiations were broken off, China would take very stringent measures round Macao to protect her revenue. Sir R. Hart wished to know whether, in the event of an Agreement with Macao being impossible, Hong Kong would all the same put the Ordinance in force.

Mr. Russell said that he was not authorized to discuss what would be done in such a contingency.

Sir R. Hart remarked that, should Macao refuse to give facilities for collecting opium dues, it would be necessary for China to know the intentions of the Hong Kong Government, so that it might know how to proceed.

Mr. Brenan suggested that China should await the issue of the negotiations regarding Macao. If these failed, an intimation to that effect could be conveyed to the Hong Kong Government, and a decision could then be come to as to what should be done under the new circumstances.

It was agreed that the Memorandum of Agreement should be signed the next day.

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He explained that Macao had no steamer trade, that the prosperity of the Colony depended upon the junk trade, and that these stations were a constant source of annoyance. Sir R. Hart replied that he had authority, in the case of Macao giving way on the opium question, to promise that the stations should be removed.

The opium plan which Sir R. Hart had proposed was that all opium imported into Macao should be placed in a bonded warehouse, and not released again until the purchaser had paid all duties to the Chinese Customs Agent, who was to reside at Macao.

Governor Roza was willing to accept this scheme if China would give a quid pro quo. So far, China had offered nothing, for the sovereignty of Macao was an accomplished fact, and the removal of the stations would follow naturally once they ceased to be of any use.

The quid pro quo the Governor required was the cession of the Island of Lappa, opposite Macao. The Governor gave as his reasons for wishing to obtain possession of this island that it formed the opposite shore of the harbour, and that without it, Macao had no sufficient control over the harbour, and could not police it effectually.

Sir R. Hart referred all these matters to Peking. The reply came that China would yield on the two points of sovereignty and the removal of the stations, but would not cede the Island of Lappa. Governor Roza then suggested that China should lease the island to Portugal, to be held by her so long as Macao allowed the collection of opium duty within the Colony. This proposal was also put by Sir R. Hart before the Tsung-li Yamên, but he was informed that no proposal regarding Lappa could be entertained. So here the matter rests for the present.

Governor Roza informed Sir R. Hart that, in his opinion, the cession of Lappa should be made a sine qua non, but it was possible that his Government would not think so, and that for the sake of getting a Treaty, it might waive the point.

Senhor Roza has now left for Portugal, where he will arrive in November. It has been arranged between him and Sir R. Hart that Mr. Campbell, the London Agent of the Chinese Customs, should proceed to Lisbon in November, to be the medium of communication between the Chinese and Portuguese Governments when negotiations are reopened.

I have, &c. (Signed) BYRON BRENAN.

Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

Mr. Brenan to Sir J. Walsham.

(Confidential.) Sir,

Hong Kong, September 9, 1886.

SIR ROBERT HART has given me, very confidentially, an account of what passed between him and the Governor of Macao when he visited that Colony for the purpose of obtaining the assistance of the Portuguese authorities in preventing the smuggling of opium.

When Sir R. Hart mentioned the object of his visit to the Governor, the latter said that, as Portugal had no Treaty with China, it would be inconvenient to enter into any engagements, but that if a Treaty could be exchanged, he was prepared to meet Sir R. Hart's views with regard to opium. To this, Sir R. Hart replied that he thought a Treaty was to be obtained.

The Governor Roza then went on to say that Portugal had held Macao for 300 years, and had no intention of relinquishing it. No Treaty, therefore, was possible in which China questioned Portugal's sovereignty. Sir R. Hart undertook to refer this question to Peking. The Governor then said that if the smuggling of opium from Macao was rendered impossible, the Customs stations around Macao, which had been established to collect dues on opium, would have no raison d'être, and ought not, therefore, to remain.

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