CO129-268 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1895 [7-11] — Page 646

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Enclosure

Copy

C. O.

21952

638

HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, HONGKONG, 25 October, 1895.

SIR,

The Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, which consists of various nationalities, is very desirous of enlisting the support of the Diplomatic Corps in Peking in behalf of the long continued inovement favouring the opening up of the Si Kiang, or West River, to free export and import trade with foreign countries. and to steam navigation. We therefore carnestly ask your Excellency, in your capacity of Doyen of the Diplomatic Body, to exercise your undoubted influence with the Representatives of the Treaty Powers in China in this matter, and to endeavour to secure their co-operation in bringing it to pass.

Upwards of thirty-six years ago, attention was directed to the possibilities of trade along this great and important water-way of the Two Kwang provinces. It was surveyed as far back as 1859, by Lieut. BULLOCK, of Her Britannic Majesty's Navy, up to Wu-chow-Fu. A mission was despatched to Nan-ning-Fu by this Chamber in 1870 to ascertain the commercial capabilities of the river, and Mr. F. S. A. BOURNE, of Her Britannic Majesty's Consular Service at Canton, also made a journey over it in the winter of 1885-86, and both reported favourably thereon. We understand also that Dr. KNAPPE, His Imperial German Majesty's Consul at Canton, will shortly proceed on a visit to the West River. This Chamber addressed a despatch in 1893 to Her Britannic Majesty's Minister for Foreign Affairs, which bears very fully on the whole question." I enclose a copy of said despatch. (Enclosure 4.)

The southern provinces of China are in a large measure still scaled to foreign trade, and the only treaty ports in Kwangtung are Canton, Swatow, and Pakhoi. Foreign goods should be permitted to reach the great inland provinces of Kwang-si, Yunnan, and Kweichow, and the markets of Western China under the transit pass system, but the Chinese provincial officials will not allow the treaty rights in this respect to be exercised. It is well known that the Chinese officials in the southern provinces have systematically adopted obstructive tactics, and prevented foreign trade from fully enjoying the privileges and the rights conceded by the Treaty of Tientsin. Her Britannic Majesty's Consular Reports, and the Reports of the Commissioners of the Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs issued from Canton and other ports during the past ten years contain conclusive evidence that treaty rights in the southern provinces of China, as regards the transit pass system, have been and are still withheld by the Chinese provincial officials. As to this fact there is absolutely no doubt whatever, and a reference to the official reports mentioned will abundantly prove it. Extracts from such reports will be found in Enclosure B.

With a view to the realization in the future of the rights conferred by existing treaties between the Foreign Powers and the Chinese Government, this Chamber ventures with full confidence to appeal through your Excellency, as their Doyen, to the Diplomatic Corps at Peking, to lend all the weight of their great influence and power in favour of the movement to bring about the opening up of the inland waters of South China to foreign trade and to steam navigation, as not only foreign subjects and citizens, and the Chinese people, but the Imperial Government of China would derive direct and indirect material benefit from the concession.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

Aur fornelive

Vice-Chairman.

To His Excellency Colonel CHARLES DENBY,

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary for United States of America in China,

Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps,

PEKING.