284
2
The
copy which I inclose of a letter in June last to Her Majesty's Consul at Wuchow by Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co., will, I think, show that there is differential treatment.
As regards the Canton-Wuchow trade, it would appear desirable to take local circumstances and conditions into account, and I trust that it may be possible to arrange some satisfactory rules locally at no distant date. In so far as the direct trade between Hong Kong and the West River ports is concerned, that should, no doubt, form matter of separate arrangement, and some modification of existing rules whereby duty leviable on cargo carried in foreign vessels from Hong Kong to the West River ports could be paid at the first customs station outside Hong Kong would seem to be the simplest solution. This might also be discussed between the Consuls and the Commissioners.
Whatever necessity there may be for careful consideration of fiscal arrangements before unrestricted carriage of cargo in foreign steamers can be permitted, this objection hardly holds good with regard to the carriage of passengers to and fro from all places passed by steamers en route, and I would suggest that this privilege might at once be granted to the foreign-owned river steamers without awaiting the framing of regulations for cargo carriers.
I should be glad if you could favour me with your views on these subjects, and more especially if you could see your way to removing temporarily, pending some definite agreement, the restrictions on the passenger-carrying trade.
Sir,
I am, &c.
(Signed)
ERNEST SATOW.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co. to Consul Campbell.
Wuchow, June 9, 1900.
As a specific case of differential taxation against British vessels whereby our steamers are debarred from taking any share whatever in the carrying trade between this and Canton and vice versa, we beg to bring the following to your notice.
Cassia, if ordinary junk-borne, or if carried in the numerous Chinese lighters towed by steamers which trade between this port and Canton, is franked through from the producing district to Canton for a lump sum payment made to the Chinese Government at the place of origin.
A pass is issued to the merchants specifying the weight of cassia and the amount paid on it, and production of this document clears the cassia from any further taxation en route to Canton. Of this fact we produced evidence to your satisfaction in August last year.
This year's crop is coming down and Chinese merchants would ship their cassia per our vessels provided they could do so on terms of equal taxation as if shipped per native-owned craft.
We therefore applied to the Imperial Maritime Customs to grant a permit to ship per British steamer "Lunkiang" from Wuchow to Canton 18 piculs of cassia free of duty, and in support of our application produced the pass which would, if the cassia were shipped per native-owned craft, clear it of all further levy through to Canton.
The Customs refused to issue any such permit, so that what it amounts to is, that a Chinese merchant shipping cassia per a British vessel is forced to pay:
1. To the Chinese Provincial Administration before leaving the producing district, and for which he receives the pass referred to, 5 mace per picul.
2. From Wuchow to Canton, duty and a-half to the Imperial Maritime Customs, 9 mace per picul
Dol. c. + 0 78 1 41 2 19 3We therefore beg to request that you will protest against this differential treatment, and take such steps as are necessary to secure equality of treatment for our vessels.
We have, &c. (Per Jardine, Matheson, and Co.),
(Signed)
G. W. SHEPPARD.
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Sir R. Hart to Sir E. Satow.
Peking, March 12, 1901.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge your Excellency's communication of yesterday's date relative to West River traffic.
2. Unfortunately, the Customs archives were lost last June when we had to seek refuge in the Legation, and am, therefore, unable to consult either books, despatches, reports, or Memoranda. I shall, therefore, send on a copy of the despatch now acknowledged to the Deputy Inspector-General at Shanghai to be dealt with.
3. Meantime, permit me to say that, although practically the general question would appear to admit of easy solution, it is yet exceedingly complicated owing to the double status of water-ways which are both inland waters and Treaty rivers, of ports which are both Treaty ports and inland marts, of marts which are both open to inland vessels and closed to sea-going craft, &c., and to the many and different interests involved, native and foreign, and the different and conflicting regulations in force, Imperial, provincial, and local.
4. Further, as regards taking up "passengers" at whatever ports they present themselves, I do not think any rule prohibits it; at the same time although it might be allowed in the case of registered inland steamers, not inland waters, it is a question whether those that come from Hong Kong, Macao, and Kwang Chow-wan, carrying cargo, ought to have the same privilege. There is also another consideration worth weighing; what is called "piracy" on the Canton inland waters is not carried on by piratical craft cruising about and attacking traders, but is the work of men on shore who board steamers as passengers at one or other recognized port, and later on take possession and plunder, and I fear that a regulation giving absolute liberty to receive passengers on board everywhere would result in a very marked increase in such "piratical" experiences.
5. As regards "differential" treatment, I think cassia is the only article dealt with in the way Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co. represent. For some reason or other, the Kwang Hsi authorities have long thought cassia a great trade staple and expect large revenue from it, and, their expectations having been disappointed, they probably have recourse to a special regulation to secure some payments for the provincial Exchequer. It is, however, questionable whether cassia circulates in sufficient quantity to make even the monopoly of it worth having, and probably even its disappearance from cargoes would produce little effect on freights. Possibly, too, what is complained of as "differential" treatment may be found on inquiry to simply mean that inland steamers can do what sea-going steamers cannot do, which would be quite in order: was the Jardine, Matheson, and Co.'s steamer concerned a Hong Kong trader or a registered inland steamer?
I have, &c.
(Signed)
ROBERT HART,
Inspector-General.
Inclosure 4 in No. 1.
Sir R. Hart to Mr. R. Breden.
Whereas if shipped per native-owned craft-steam or otherwise, for there is no practical difference between the steamer herself and a lighter which she tows alongside-the 78 cents per picul would clear it right through to Canton.
A clear case of differential taxation against the British steamer of 1 dol. 41 c. per picul of cargo carried.
Sir,
Peking, March 13, 1901.
I INCLOSE copies of a British Legation despatch and my reply, concerning West River traffic. You can send them on to the Canton Commissioner, and instruct him and
[2170 h-1]
B 2
284
2
The
copy which I inclose of a letter in June last to Her Majesty's Consul at Wuchow by Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co., will, I think, show that there is differential treat-
ment.
As regards the Canton-Wuchow trade, it would appear desirable to take local circumstances and conditions into account, and I trust that it
be possible to arrange may satisfactory rules locally at no distant date. In so far as the direct trade between Hong Kong and the West River ports is concerned, that should, no doubt, form matter of separate arrangement, and some modification of existing rules whereby duty leviable on cargo carried in foreign vessels from Hong Kong to the West River ports could be paid at the first customs station outside Hong Kong would seem to be the simplest solution. This might also be discussed between the Consuls and the Commissioners.
Whatever necessity there may be for careful consideration of fiscal arrangements before unrestricted carriage of cargo in foreign steamers can be permitted, this objection hardly holds good with regard to the carriage of passengers to and fro from all places passed by steamers en route, and 1 would suggest that this privilege might at once be granted to the foreign-owned river steamers without awaiting the framing of regulations for cargo carriers.
I should be glad if you could favour me with your views on these subjects, and more especially if you could see your way to removing temporarily, pending some definite agreement, the restrictions on the passenger-carrying trade.
Sir,
I am, &c.
(Signed)
ERNEST SATOW.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co. to Consul Campbell.
Wuchow, June 9, 1900. AS a specific case of differential taxation against British vessels whereby our steamers are debarred from taking any share whatever in the carrying trade between this and Canton and vice versa, we beg to bring the following to your notice.
Cassia, if ordinary junk-borne, or if carried in the numerous Chinese lighters towed by steamers which trade between this port and Canton, is franked through from the producing district to Canton for a lump sum payment made to the Chinese Government at the place of origin.
A pass is issued to the merchants specifying the weight of cassia and the amount paid on it, and production of this document clears the cassia from any further taxation en route to Canton. Of this fact we produced evidence to your satisfaction in August last
year.
This year's crop is coming down and Chinese merchants would ship their cassia per our vessels provided they could do so on terms of equal taxation as if shipped per native- owned craft.
We therefore applied to the Imperial Maritime Customs to grant a permit to ship per British steamer "Lunkiang " from Wuchow to Canton 18 piculs of cassia free of duty, and in support of our application produced the pass which would, if the cassia were shipped per native-owned craft, clear it of all further levy through to Canton.
The Customs refused to issue any such permit, so that what it amounts to is, that a Chinese merchant shipping cassia per a British vessel is forced to pay :
1. To the Chinese Provincial Administration before leaving the producing district, and for which he receives the pass referred to, 5 mace per picul.. 2. From Wuchow to Canton, duty and a-half to the Imperial Maritime
Customs, 9 mace per picul
Dol. c.
+
0 78
1 41
2 19
3
We therefore beg to request that you will protest against this differential treatment, and take such steps as are necessary to secure equality of treatment for our vessels.
We have, &c. (Per Jardine, Matheson, and Co.),
(Signed)
Sir,
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Sir R. Hart to Sir E. Sutow.
G. W. SHEPPARD.
Peking, March 12, 1901.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge your Excellency's communication of yesterday's date relative to West River traffic.
2. Unfortunately, the Customs archives were lost last June when we had to seek refuge in the Legation, and am, therefore, unable to consult either books, despatches, reports, or Memoranda. I shall, therefore, send on a copy of the despatel now acknow- ledged to the Deputy Inspector-General at Shanghae to be dealt with.
3. Meantime, permit me to say that, although practically the general question would appear to admit of easy solution, it is yet exceedingly complicated owing to the double status of water-ways which are both inland waters and Treaty rivers, of ports which are both Treaty ports and inland marts, of marts which are both open to inland vessels and closed to sea-going craft, &c., and to the many and different interests involved, native and foreign, and the different and conflicting regulations in force, Imperial, provincial, and local.
4. Further, as regards taking up "passengers" at whatever ports they present themselves, I do not think any rule prohibits it; at the same time although it might be allowed in the case of registered inland steamers, not inland waters, it is a question whether those that come from Hong Kong, Macao, and Kwang Chow-wan, carrying cargo, ought to have the same privilege. There is also another consideration worth weighing; what is called " piracy on the Canton inland waters is not carried on by piratical craft cruising about and attacking traders, but is the work of men on shore who board steamers as passengers at one or other recognized port, and later on take posses- sion and plunder, and I fear that a regulation giving absolute liberty to receive passengers on board everywhere would result in a very marked increase in such "piratical " experiences.
5. As regards “differential" treatment, I think cassia is the only article dealt with in the way Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co. represent. For some reason or other, the Kwang Hsi authorities have long thought cassia a great trade staple and expect large revenue from it, and, their expectations having been disappointed, they probably have recourse to a special regulation to secure some payments for the provincial Exchequer. It is, however, questionable whether cassia circulates in sufficient quantity to make even the monopoly of it worth having, and probably even its disappearance from cargoes would produce little effect on freights. Possibly, too, what is complained of as differential" treatment may be found on inquiry to simply mean that inland steamers can do what sea-going steamers cannot do, which would be quite in order: was the Jardine, Matheson, and Co.'s steamer concerned a Hong Kong trader or a registered inland steamer?
I have, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure 4 in No. 1.
ROBERT HART,
Inspector-General.
Sir R. Hart to Mr. R. Breden.
Whereas if shipped per native-owned craft-steam or otherwise, for there is no practical difference between the steamer herself and a lighter which she tows alongside-the 78 cents per picul would clear it right through to Canton.
A clear case of differential taxation against the British steamer of 1 dol. 41 c. per picul of cargo carried.
Sir,
Peking, March 13, 1901. I INCLOSE copies of a British Legation despatch and my reply, concerning West River traffic. You can send them on to the Canton Commissioner, and instruct him and
[2170 h-1]
B 2
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