CO129-302 - Public Offices - 1900 — Page 682

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[This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government.}

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JAPAN: TREATY REVISION.

CONFIDENTIAL

No. 1.

REED & 1 672 REG 281JULY 00

SECTION 1.

Mr. Whitehead to the Marquess of Salisbury.--(Received July 17.)

(No. 81.) My Lord,

Tokió, June 13, 1900. WITH reference to my despatch No. 66 of the 23rd ultimo, relative to the question of export duty on tea in Formosa, I have the honour to inclose copy of a letter from the Amoy Chamber of Commerce on the point as to whether, in appli- cations for export permits addressed to the Customs at Samsui, the tea is described as being shipped simply to Amoy, or to Great Britain or a British Colony viâ Amoy.

In the letter to which the inclosed is a reply, Sir E. Satow inquired what had hitherto been the practice in this respect, and pointed out that Her Majesty's Legation could only make representations to the Japanese Government on behalf of tea the ultimate destination of which is the United Kingdom, the Crown Colonies, or such of the other Colonies as have adhered to the Treaty of 1894.

I am awaiting your Lordship's instructions before taking any further action in this matter.

I have, &c.

(Signed) J. B. WHITEHEAD.

Inclosure in No. 1.

Amoy General Chamber of Commerce to Mr. Whitehead.

Your Excellency,

Amoy, May 30, 1900. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch of the 18th April.

In reply to your inquiry as to whether, in the applications to the Samsui Customs for export permits for Formosau tea, it is described as being shipped to Amoy simply or to Great Britain or a British Colony. The Chamber states that it has every reason to believe that the majority of the applications on outward cargo, which suffers from the differential tax, are made for Amoy and (or) Hong Kong, its ultimate destination not being described. As a matter of fact, the ultimate destination is oftentimes only decided in Amoy or Hong Kong. The cargo finds its way ultimately to Great Britain, Straits Settlements, the Colonies, the United States, the Continent of Europe, China, and Japan, and 80 per cent. of it or more is handled by British merchants, no matter what its final destination may be. The trade route established in the year 1858, when Formosan ports were opened to foreign trade, was for shipment of Formosan produce to foreign countries viâ Amoy and (or) Hong Kong. Au immense amount of British capital has been sunk in establishing that route, and it is a differential tax against it that this Chamber feels it most justly complains of, as being unjust and distinctly contrary to Treaty. The Chamber feels that British merchants should be allowed to choose their own route of shipment without having to pay an extra tax for so doing. To compel them to ship via Japan, in order to avail themselves of a reduced duty, if they do so, seems to be a grave injustice, and is so regarded by the other Chambers in China.

I have, &c. (Signed) FRANCIS CASS, Chairman.

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