CO129-287 - Public Offices & Others - 1898 — Page 455

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London Chamber of Commerce to the Marquess of Salisbury.--(Received November 12.)

My Lord,

Botolph House, Eastcheap, London, November //, 1898. I AM directed to inform you that the East India and China Trade Section of this Chamber had under its consideration at its last meeting a communication from the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, dealing at length with the terms of the Anglo- Chinese Convention to secure an extension of the boundaries of Hong Kong, signed at Peking on the 9th June last, and which have been made public, and regarding which the Hong Kong Chamber have, I understand, made representations to Her Majesty's Government.

The Hong Kong Chamber take strong objection to the clause of the Convention which provides that within the city of Kowlon the Chinese officials now stationed there shall continue to exercise jurisdiction, and that the existing landing-place near that city shall be reserved for the convenience of Chinese vessels.

This is regarded as tantamount to having a foreign authority exercising jurisdiction in British territory, and to the establishment of a Chinese port within Hong Kong Harbour for the use of Chinese war-vessels and customs-cruisers, a position absolutely parallel.

To the conditions laid down in the Convention, the East India and China Trade Section are informed there is universal objection in the Colony of Hong Kong, where the opinion obtains that these conditions will effectually hamper the development of trade and industry, which might otherwise have been confidently expected.

The Hong Kong Chamber are further profoundly convinced that the freedom of the port can only be properly safeguarded by the withdrawal of the Chinese customs stations to Chinese territory, and the refusal of permission to the Chinese Customs officials to collect auties either in the Colony or its waters.

I am directed to inform your Lordship that the East India and China Trade Section of this Chamber are entirely in accord with the views expressed by the Hong Kong Chamber, and I am desired to express the hope that arrangements may yet be made between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of China by which the objectional features of the arrangement referred to may be removed, and the Colony, with its enlarged area and its improved strategical and defensive conditions, be enabled to reap the full advantage of the security obtained, and the development of commerce, which, as a free port, should become more and more marked,

I am, &c. --(Signed) KENRIC B. MURRAY, Secretary.

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