5575307
Rec
Rec 21 SEP 39
3. The cargoes of cotton-yarn leaving Hong Kong by steamers and after being transhipped into native craft proceed up the West River to towns and places in the Yunnan and Kuai-Chow Provinces where the cargoes are dealt with and distributed.
4. The cargoes are paid for generally by exchange or barter in opium, and it is seldom that silver or bullion is received in payment.
5. For years past the cargoes of cotton-yarn, and also the cargoes received in return, have been constantly looted and plundered, and your Petitioners and others who have been engaged in the trade have suffered serious and grievous losses in consequence.
6. On the last occasion, on the 10th day of the 2nd Moon (21st March last), a company of seven cargo boats or junks, engaged in the said trade by the cotton-yarn merchants of Hong Kong carrying on business and exporting cotton-yarn to the Yunnan and Kuai-Chow Provinces, on their return voyage were boarded and robbed by about 1,000 disbanded soldiers at a place situate between Fung-yee Chou and Lung Ou Hsien at U Long Tan just below Pak Sik in Kwong Si, and upwards of 700 cases of Yunnan raw opium, weighing 600 taels each and worth 200 dollars a case, carried away the said opium, being the proceeds of the sale of the cotton-yarn sent up for sale to the various markets in the Yunnan and Kuai-Chow Provinces.
7. The disbanded soldiers are disbanded companies formerly under the command of General Su Yun Chun, of Kwong Si, who, after being disbanded, and having no apparent means of subsistence, have taken to robbing peaceful traders.
8. The said disbanded soldiers commenced the attack at 8 A.M. on the said 21st March last, the attack lasting till noon, when the ammunition on board the said cargo boats or junks, and a native guard-boat specially chartered at great expense to convoy the said cargo boats, having been expended, and three men, viz., two super-cargoes and one man belonging to the guard-boat, having been killed, the said soldiers were in a position to board and loot the said cargo boats.
9. The said Chinese cotton-yarn dealers exporting the cotton-yarn into the said Yunnan and Kuai-Chow Provinces having no means of remitting the proceeds of sales and native raw opium, being the most costly product of the provinces, the said raw opium is invariably bought and sent down in payment for the cotton-yarn.
10. The foreign merchants in Hong Kong have for many years past imported into the Colony from Bombay and England, and also from Japan of more recent date, some 240,000 bales of cotton-yarn annually.
11. About one-third of the said 240,000 bales so imported is sent into the Provinces of Yünnan and Kuai-Chow in the manner hereinbefore mentioned.
12. Similar attacks by disbanded soldiers have for years past been carried on, and as recently as the year 1898, at least two attacks were made and plunder successfully taken from cargo boats belonging to cotton-yarn dealers to the value of 40,000 dollars.
13. In consequence of these plunders and of the insecurity of the various trade routes on the West River and branches being infected with disbanded soldiers, the trade in yarn to Yünnan and Kuai-Chow must necessarily decrease, if not be altogether stopped; and the business of your petitioners, the British and foreign merchants, who are importers into Hong Kong of the cotton-yarn, greatly decreased, and the Chinese cotton-yarn dealers will be unable any longer to purchase cotton-yarn from the British and foreign merchants, or to send cotton-yarn forward into the said Provinces of Yunnan and Kuai-Chow, and the share in the cotton-yarn trade with those provinces will be lost, and a decrease in business to the extent of some 80,000 bales of cotton annually be the result.
14. If the present condition of affairs still continues, dealers in Hong Kong, who are in the habit of giving credit, will be unable to do so any longer on account of the insecurity of the trade, and the difficulties that must necessarily be experienced in collecting accounts.
15. The Chinese cotton-yarn dealers will also be unable to carry out the arrangements already entered into by them with the British and foreign merchants, and the cotton-yarn at present coming forward from Bombay under contracts will not be taken delivery of, and your petitioners, the British and foreign merchants, will in consequence be great losers by having the said cotton-yarn thrown on their hands.
Your petitioners, the British and foreign merchants and Chinese cotton-yarn dealers, humbly pray your Excellency to render to them your valuable assistance in the matter by bringing to the notice of the proper Chinese authorities, through Her Britannic Majesty's Consul at Canton, the grievances and losses they are suffering; and to request that General Su Yun Chun and the various responsible Mandarins of
0.
5575307
Rec
Rec 21 SEP 39
3. The cargoes of cotton-yarn leaving Hong Kong by steamers and after being transhipped into native craft proceed up the West River to towns and places in the Yunnan and Kuai-Chow Provinces where the cargoes are dealt with and distributed.
4. The cargoes are paid for generally by exchange or barter in opium, and it is seldom that silver or bullion is received in payment.
5. For years past the cargoes of cotton-yarn, and also the cargoes received in eturn, have been constantly looted and plundered, and your Petitioners and others who have been engaged in the trade have suffered serious and grievous losses in
consequence.
6. On the last occasion, on the 10th day of the 2nd Moon (21st March last), a company of seven cargo boats or junks, engaged in the said trade by the cotton-yarn merchants of Hong Kong carrying on business and exporting cotton- yarn to the Yunnan and Kuai-Chow Provinces, on their return voyage were boarded and robbed by about 1,000 disbanded soldiers at a place situate between Fung-yee Chou and Lung Ou Hsien at U Long Tan just below Pak Sik in Kwong Si, and upwards of 700 cases of Yunnan raw opium, weighing 600 tacls each and worth 200 dollars case, carried away the said opium, being the proceeds of the sale of the cotton-yarn. sent up for sale to the various markets in the Yunnan and Kuai-Chow Provinces.
7. The disbanded soldiers are disbanded companies formerly under the command of General Su Yun Chun, of Kwong Si, who, after being disbanded, and having no apparent means of subsistence, have taken to rob peaceful traders.
8. The said disbanded soldiers commenced the attack at 8 A.M. on the said 21st March last, the attack lasting till noon, when the ammunition on board the said cargo boats or junks, and a native guard-boat specially chartered at great expense to convoy the said cargo boats, having been expended, and three men, viz., two super- cargoes and one man belonging to the guard-boat, having been killed, the said soldiers were in a position to board and loot the said cargo boats.
9. The said Chinese cotton-yarn dealers exporting the cotton-yarn into the said Yunnan and Kuai-Chow Provinces having no means of remitting the proceeds of sales and native raw opium, being the most costly product of the provinces, the said raw opium is invariably bought and sent down in payment for the cotton-yarn.
10. The foreign merchants in Hong Kong have for many years past imported into the Colony from Bombay and England, and also from Japan of more recent date, some 240,000 bales of cotton-yarn annually.
11. About one-third of the said 210,000 bales so imported is sent into the Provinces of Yünnan and Kuai-Chow in the manner hereinbefore mentioned.
12. Similar attacks by disbanded soldiers have for years past been carried on, and as recently as the year 1898, at least, two attacks were made and plunder successfully taken from cargo boats belonging to cotton-yarn dealers to the value of 40,000 dollars.
13. In consequence of these plunders and of the insecurity of the various trade routes on the West River and branches being infected with disbanded soldiers, the trade iu yarn to Yünnan and Kuai-Chow must necessarily decrease, if not be altogether stopped; and the business of your petitioners, the British and foreign merchants, who are importers into Hong Kong of the cotton-yarn, greatly decreased, and the Chinese cotton-yarn dealers will be unable any longer to purchase cotton-yarn from the British and foreign merchants, or to send cotton-yarn forward into the said Provinces of Yunnan and Kuai-Chow, and the share in the cotton-yarn trade with those provinces will be lost, and a decrease in business to the extent of some 80,000 bales of cotton annually be the result.
14. If the present condition of affairs still continues, dealers in Hong Kong, who are in the babit of giving credit, will be unable to do so any longer on account of the insecurity of the trade, and the difficulties that must necessarily be experienced in collecting accounts.
15. The Chinese cotton-yarn dealers will also be unable to carry out the arrange- ments already entered into by them with the British and foreign merchants, and the cotton-yarn at present coming forward from Bombay under contracts will not be taken delivery of, and your petitioners, the British and foreign merchants, will in Consequence he great losers by having the said cotton-yarn thrown on their hands.
Your petitioners, the British and foreign merchants and Chinese cotton-yarn dealers, humbly pray your Excellency to render to them your valuable assistance in the matter by bringing to the notice of the proper Chinese authorities, through Her Britannic Majesty's Consul at Canton, the grievances and losses they are suffering; and to request that General Su Yun Chun and the various responsible Mandarins of
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