CO129-292 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [6-8] — Page 195

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.

Hongkong, 3rd May, 1899.

Sir,

I am instructed to transmit to you copy of a letter addressed to this Chamber by the British and German shipping firms of this Colony, calling attention to the manner in which the system of rewards offered by the Customs Authorities at Saigon works, to the serious detriment of trade, and to ask you to lay it before His Excellency the Governor with the request that he will be good enough to represent the case to the Governor General of Indo-China, to the end that the shipowners engaged in this trade may be relieved from the disability under which they now suffer.

2. Considering that the utmost possible precautions are taken, both by the steamship owners and the masters to prevent any smuggling of opium on board, it is certainly a striking comment on the working of the system of rewards to informers adopted at Saigon that the fines paid by British and German steamers during the past four years should have aggregated some $60,000. The rewards offered are so large (about forty times the value of the drug) as to tempt unprincipled persons to try and arrange bogus smuggling with a view to turning informers.

3. It would undoubtedly tend to assist the owners and masters of vessels trading in these waters if the Hongkong Government would constitute it a punishable offence for any person to convey opium on board of any steamer without the knowledge or consent of the master or the officer in charge; and to facilitate convictions, the master or one of his officers should...

Hon. Colonial Secretary,

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Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. Hongkong, 3rd May, 1899. Sir, I am instructed to transmit to you copy of a letter addressed to this Chamber by the British and German shipping firms of this Colony, calling attention to the manner in which the system of rewards offered by the Customs Authorities at Saigon works, to the serious detriment of trade, and to ask you to lay it before His Excellency the Governor with the request that he will be good enough to represent the case to the Governor General of Indo-China, to the end that the shipowners engaged in this trade may be relieved from the disability under which they now suffer. 2. Considering that the utmost possible precautions are taken, both by the steamship owners and the masters to prevent any smuggling of opium on board, it is certainly a striking comment on the working of the system of rewards to informers adopted at Saigon that the fines paid by British and German steamers during the past four years should have aggregated some $60,000. The rewards offered are so large (about forty times the value of the drug) as to tempt unprincipled persons to try and arrange bogus smuggling with a view to turning informers. 3. It would undoubtedly tend to assist the owners and masters of vessels trading in these waters if the Hongkong Government would constitute it a punishable offence for any person to convey opium on board of any steamer without the knowledge or consent of the master or the officer in charge; and to facilitate convictions, the master or one of his officers should... Hon. Colonial Secretary,

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COPY. 193 209151 RECO Prze 7 AUG 91 Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. Hongkong, 3rd.May, 1899. Sir, 6th April. 1899 I am instructed to transmit to you copy of a letter addressed to this Chamber by the British and German shipping firms of this Colony, calling attention to the manner in which the system of rewards offered by the Customs Authorities at Saigon works, to the serious detriment of trade, and to ask you to lay it before His Excellency the Governor with the request that he wil be good enough to represent the case to the Governor General of Indo-China, to the end that the ship- ovners engaged in this trade may be relieved from disability under which they now suffer. 2. Considering that the utmost possible precautions are taken, both by the steamship owners and the masters to pre- vent any smuggling of opium on board, it is certainly a stri- king comment on the working of the system of rewards to in- formers adopted at Saigon that the fines paid by British and German steaners during the past four years should have aggre- gated some $60,000. The rewards offered are so large (about forty times the value of the drug) as to tempt unprincipled persons to try and arrange bogus smuggling with a view to turning informers. 3. It.. would undoubtedly tend to assist the owners and masters of vessels trading in these waters if the Hongkong Go- vernment, would constitute it a punishable offence for any person to convey opium on board of any steamer without the know- ledge or consent of the master or the officer in charge; and to facilitate convictions, the master or one of his officers fo Hon.Colonial Secretary, should

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COPY.

193

209151

RECO

Prze 7 AUG 91

Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.

Hongkong, 3rd.May, 1899.

Sir,

6th April.

1899

I am instructed to transmit to you copy of a letter

addressed to this Chamber by the British and German shipping

firms of this Colony, calling attention to the manner in

which the system of rewards offered by the Customs Authorities

at Saigon works, to the serious detriment of trade, and to

ask you to lay it before His Excellency the Governor with the

request that he wil be good enough to represent the case to

the Governor General of Indo-China, to the end that the ship-

ovners engaged in this trade may be relieved from disability

under which they now suffer.

Considering that the utmost possible precautions

are taken, both by the steamship owners and the masters to pre-

vent any smuggling of opium on board, it is certainly a stri-

king comment on the working of the system of rewards to in-

formers adopted at Saigon that the fines paid by British and

German steaners during the past four years should have aggre-

gated some $60,000. The rewards offered are so large (about

forty times the value of the drug) as to tempt unprincipled

persons to try and arrange bogus smuggling with a view to

turning informers.

It.. would undoubtedly tend to assist the owners and

masters of vessels trading in these waters if the Hongkong Go-

vernment, would constitute it a punishable offence for any

person to convey opium on board of any steamer without the know- ledge or consent of the master or the officer in charge; and to facilitate convictions, the master or one of his officers

CO129-292 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [6-8] — Page 195

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