317
[August 8.]
191
RECA
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
(No. 130.) My Lord,
Enemi
No.
SECTION 4.
Sir C. MacDonald to the Marquess of Salisbury.—(Received August 8.)
Peking, June 23, 1898. WITH reference to the last two paragraphs of my despatch to your Lordship, No. 102 of the 27th May, I have the honour to inclose copy of a note addressed to me by the Yamên on the subject of the assistance to be given by the Hong Kong Govern- ment to the Chinese Customs authorities, and of the reply I returned to it.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure in No. 1.
CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.
The Tsung-li Yamen to Sir C. MacDonald.
Kuang Hsü, 24th year, 4th moon, 10th day (May 29, 1898).
(Translation.)
IN the course of the interviews, during which Sir C. MacDonald negotiated the special Article dealing with the extension of the Hong Kong boundaries, his Excellency promised the Yamên that the British (Colonial) authorities would be requested to give the Kowloon Customs bond fide assistance in matters connected with the receipt, of duties and search, and asked that a note should be addressed to him for communication (to the aforesaid authorities).
The matters in which co-operation required are as follows:-
That opium, foreign, native, or prepared, shall not be allowed to be shipped without a permit from the Maritime Customs, and that the Hong Kong police shall maintain a thorough search in order to put a stop to any breach of this rule.
That opium shipped without a permit shall be confiscated and sold at once, and the proceeds divided equally between the British authorities and the Kowloon Customs-the Hong Kong police to be rewarded from the half retain by the British authorities.
That the Maritime Customs shall be authorized to collect the duties leviable on
opium shipped under permit (at a point) near Hong Kong,
That the opium farm, established at Hong Kong, shall be continued, and while the farm shall be allowed to maintain the fixed number of branches at Hong Kong only, the Maritime Customs shall also be authorized to send men from time to time to these branches to examine the books and stocks.
That the Hong Kong Rules, old and new, for the regulation of foreign opium shall be kept in operation. It is also requested that the present proposals shall be added to them and followed.
Further, that arms shall not be allowed to be shipped for Chinese coast and riverine ports without a permit from the Maritime Customs.
That the branch stations for the collection of duty already established by the Maritime Customs within the new frontier shall be retained where they are, and that the limits fixed for the movements of Maritime Customs revenue-cruisers on prevention duty shall remain as they are; otherwise an additional regulation must be made laying down how duties are to be paid on goods carried by Chinese junks and West River steamers (at a point) near Hong Kong; or the Hong Kong Harbour Master should send the manifest of each vessel entering and leaving to the Maritime Customs without delay, for purposes of supervision. If the Kowloon boundary is extended the Maritime Customs will have to add to the number of branch stations, and the British authorities should be asked to defray the cost of building them.
As regards Customs matters, the Hong Kong authorities should be asked to recog- nize the Kowloon Commissioner as an (or the) officer appointed by China, treat with him amicably, and give him every assistance.
As for boundaries, the limits of water demarcation should be carefully defined, and each country should administer the waters belonging to it. But if a vessel pursued by
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