Enclosure 1.
18
Secretary, Chamber of Commerce to Colonial Secretary:
21st September 1899
THE CHAMBER TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 21st September, 1899.
Sir,
I am instructed to beg you will be good enough to lay before His Excellency the Governor a statement of the manner in which the privilege lately secured by Sir Claude MacDonald of the navigation by foreign steamers of the inland waters of South China has been practically nullified by the interpretation given to the Steam Navigation Inland Rules and Regulations by the Inspector-General of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs.
A lengthy correspondence on this subject has already passed between the representatives of the Steamboat Companies, the British Consul at Canton, H.B.M.'s Chargé d'Affaires, and Sir Robert Hart. The latter, referring to the Inland Rules and Regulations, lays it down that, owing to the hybrid character of the West River, being from one point of view a continuation of the sea and a highway leading to the two open ports of Samshui and Wuchowfu, and from another an inland water, there are two kinds of trade to be regulated, viz., inter-port and inland water trade, for which different sets of local circumstances have to be provided. Thus, the foreign steamers plying between Hongkong and Canton and Wuchow must be debarred from inland water privileges and those engaged in the inland trade could not be allowed to touch at the ports they pass en route.
Foreign steamers are also handicapped in competition with Chinese-owned launches, which can be used for the towage of lighters; the latter carrying the cargo, the former merely supplying the means of propulsion.
As Mr. Mansfield has clearly pointed out, in one of his despatches to Mr. Bax-Ironside, the ruling of the Inspector-General is in direct contravention of paragraph 1 of the Steam Navigation Inland Rules and Regulations, which runs as follows:-
"The inland waters of China are hereby opened to all such steamers, native or foreign, as are specially registered for that trade at the Treaty Ports. They may proceed to and fro at will under the following regulations, but they must confine their trade to the inland waters and must not proceed to places out of Chinese territory. The expression 'inland waters' is read with similar meaning to that given for places in the interior (nei ti) in the fourth article of the Chefoo Convention."
My Committee are of opinion that the British Minister, when negotiating for the opening of the inland waterways to foreign trade and navigation, had in view the unrestricted freedom of foreign steamboats to proceed from port to port along those waterways, and not for the navigation to be divided into separate classes, namely, interport and inland.
The Steamboat Companies have a further serious grievance in the fact that some little time after the concession was granted it was allowed to include the right of calling at way ports for passengers, but this privilege was, a few months ago, withdrawn without any reason being given, and the so-called opening of the Inland Waterways of South China has thus been narrowed down to a point which has rendered it a mere farce.
In consequence of this action of the Chinese Authorities, the Steamboat Companies, who had been induced by this supposed concession to construct boats specially adapted for the trade, now find themselves compelled to withdraw some of the vessels and, in effect, to retire from a trade which they had hoped to create by the provision of better facilities for more rapid communication.
The appeal of the Steamboat Companies to Her Majesty's Representative at Peking has been without effect, but the matter is one of such great importance to the trade of the Colony that they have now requested the Chamber to bring it to the attention of Her Majesty's Government through another channel. The Committee therefore trust that His Excellency the Governor will have the kindness to lay the question before the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who is known to take a lively interest in all that appertains to the progress of British trade.
As that progress has been checked and thwarted not alone by this open attempt to mis-construe the terms of an agreement but also by the effort to divert trade from foreign steamers by the grant of preferential duties on junk-borne cargo and by the grievous failure of the Kwang-tung Authorities to maintain order on the West River and in the district watered by it, no resource is left to the Chamber but to place the circumstances in the possession of the Government in the hope that Sir Claude MacDonald will on his return to Peking come armed with definite instructions to take the necessary steps to render this concession a real benefit instead of a hopeless sham.
A copy of the memorandum on this question of inland waters navigation addressed by the Steamboat Companies to Her Britannic Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires is enclosed for the information of His Excellency the Governor-
I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
W. CHATTERTON WILCOX.
Secretary.
H. Bax-Ironside, Esq.,
H.M. Chargé d'Affaires, Peking.
Copy)
Enclosure 1.
18
Secretary, Chamber of Com-
mercel to Colonial Secretary:
21st deptor 1899
THE CHAMBER TO THE COLONIAL
SKORETART.
Hougkong General Chamber of Commeres,
Hongkong, 1st September, 1899. Sir, I am instructed to beg you will be good enough to lay before His Excellency the for- ernor statement of the manner in which the privilege lately secured by Sir Claude MacDonald of the navigation by foreign steamers of the inland waters of South China has been practi- cally nullified by the interpretation given to the Steam Navigation Inland Rules and Regulations by the Inspector-General of the Chinese Im- perial Maritime Customs.
A lengthy correspondence on this subject has already passed between the representatives of the Steamboat Companies, the British Consul at Canton, H. B. M.'s Chargé d'Affaires, and Sir Robert Hart. The latter, referring to the Inland Rules and Regulations, lays it down that, owing to the hybrid character of the Wast River, being from one point of view a contin- uation of the sea and a highway leading to the two open ports of Samshui and Wuchowfu, and from another an inland weter, there are two kinds of trade to be regulated, viz.. inter- port and inland water trade, for which different sets of local cirenmstances have to be provided. Thus, the foreign steamers plying between Hongkong and Canton and Wachew must be debarred from inland water privileges and those engaged in the inland trade could not be allowed to touch at the ports they pass en route.
Foreign steamers are also handicapped in competition with Chinese owned launches, which can be used for the towage of lighters; the lattor carrying the cargo, the former merely supplying the means of propulsion.
As Mr. Mansfield has clearly pointed out, in one of his despatches to Mr. Bax-Ironside, the rating of the Inspector-General is in direct contravention of paragraph 1 of the Steam Navigation Inland Rules and Regulations, which runs as follows:-
The inland waters of China are hereby opened to all such steamers, native or foreign, as are specially registered for that trade at the Treaty Ports. They may proceed to and fro at Į will under the following regulations, bat they must confine their trade to the inland waters and mast not proceed to places out of Chinese territory. The expression inland waters' is read with similar meaning to that given for places in the interior (nei ti) in the fourth article of the Chefoo Convention."
My Committee are of opinion that the British Minister, when negotiating for the opening of the inland waterways to foreign trade and no- rigation, had in view the unrestricted freedom of foreign steamboats to proceed from port to port along those waterways, and not for the
navigation
navigation to be divided into separate classes,
namely, interport and island.
The Steamboat Companies bare a further serious griovance in the fact that some little timo after the concession was granted it was allowed to include the right of calling at way ports for passengers, but this privilege was, a few months ago, withdrawn without any reason being given. and the so-called opening of the Inland Waterways of South China has thus beeu narrowed down to a point which has ren- dered it a mere farce.
In consequence of this action of the Chinese Authorities, the Steamboat Companies, who had been induced by this supposed concession to construct boats specially adapted for the trade, now find themselves compelled to withdraw some of the vessels and, in effect, to retire from a trade which they had hoped to create i by the provision of better facilities for more rapid communication.
The appeal of the Steamboat Companies to Her Majesty's Representative at Peking has been without effect, but the matter is one of suob great importance to the trade of the Colony that they have now requested the Chamber to bring it to the attention of Her Majesty's Government through another channel. The Committee thereforo trust that His Excellency the Governor will have the kindness to lay the question before the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who is known to take a lively insterest in all that appertains to the progress of British trade.
As that progress has been checked and thwarted not alone by this open attempt to mis construe the terms of an agreement but also by the effort to divert trade from foreign steamers by the grant of preferential duties on junk-borne cargo and by the grievous failure of the Kwang- tung Authorities to maintain order on the West River and in the district watered by it, no resource is loft to the Chamber but to place the circumstances in the possession of the Govern- ment in the hope that Sir Claude MacDonald will on his return to Peking come armed with definíte instructions to take the necessary stipa to render this concession a real benefit instead of a hopeless sham.
A copy of the memorandum on this question of inland waters navigation addressed by the Steamboat Companies to Her Britannic Ma jesty's Chargé d'Affaires is enclosed for the in- formation of His Excellency the Governor-I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
W.CHATTERTON WILCOX.
HO. -Ironsi dffairs Peking.
Secretary
Esq. BMNCHinge
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