CO129-321 - Public Offices & Others - 1903 — Page 179

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of the conditions of the bond, a lien upon all produce purchased under said transit pass, such lien to have priority before all other claims.

This bond the merchant signs before his Consul, who affixes his seal to it, and then presents to the Commissioner of Customs, who obtains from the Superintendent of Castoms the transit pass required, and issues it to the merchant concerned, and this bond shall be considered as binding until such time as the goods mentioned on the pass have been brought to the port of Hankow, and have been exported thence, or have been dealt with in the event of non-export (vide Rule VI).

RULE II.

Unless the produce covered by the pass is brought to the first barrier, which is mentioned on the pass, within six months of the date of the pass, the pass becomes null, and must be returned without delay to the Commissioner of Customs for transmission to the Superintendent of Customs, who will cancel same. Failure to return such unused

pass within a reasonable time will entail refusal on the part of the Customs authorities to issue further passes to the merchant concerned. Any attempt to bring down produce under such expired passes renders the produce liable to confiscation.

On arrival of the produce at the first barrier the pass is exchanged for a "Yüu- chao"

or transit certificate, under which the produce proceeds to the last barrier before Hankow.

RULE III.

Should a merchant be unable to purchase the total amount of produce entered in the transit pass, he will immediately, on arrival at the first barrier, report the circum- stances to the official there, who will make an entry on the Yün-chao 33 certificate) of the actual amount purchased, and notify the Superintendent of Customs. (transit The merchant will, also, as soon as possible, inform the Commissioner of Customs of the circumstances.

Any amount of produce carried in excess of the amount entered in the transit pass will be confiscated.

RULE IV.

Produce purchased under transit pass must arrive at the barrier nearest Hankow within six months from the date of the exchange of the transit pass for a transit certificate; or, in default of so doing, the merchant to whom the paзs was issued will forfeit to the Chinese Customs' authorities the amount specified in his bond.

Should, however, produce be detained en route, either by the action of barrier or other officials, by force majeure, or by unforeseen accidents such as floods, rebels or the like, and be unable in consequence to arrive within the time allowed, the circumstances of such detention must be reported at once to the authorities on the spot, and to the Commissioner of Customs at Hankow, who will inform the Superintendent of Customs, and request him to grant such an extension of time as the circumstances of the case may require. The merchant, meanwhile, will not be called upon to forfeit the amount specified in his bond, or be liable to the further penalties provided in Rule VIII, unless the goods fail to arrive at the port within the extended time allowed.

RULE V.

On arrival of the produce at the barrier nearest Hankow, an application, giving the fall particulars of the packages and their contents, must be handed to the Commissioner of Customs, together with the "Yün-chao" and transit dues (ie., half export duty) on same paid. A permit to allow the goods declared to pass this last barrier will then be issued by the Commissioner of Customs. The produce, on arriving at the port, must be brought for examination direct to the custom-house, or other approved place, which must be stated at time of applying for permit to pass last barrier, and sanctioned by the Com- missioner of Customs. After examination the goods may be stored in the merchants godown.

RULE VI.

Produce brought from the interior under transit pass must be exported to a foreign port, or to another Treaty port, for reshipment to a foreign port, within six months from the date of its arrival at Hankow.

(a.) If the produce be not exported from Hankow within the said period, the merchant shall pay to the Commissioner of Customs a sum of money equal to two and a-half times the export duty, and be released from the obligation to export, and the bond referred to in Rule I cancelled.

(b.) Should the produce be exported direct from Hankow to a foreign country, one export duty will be paid, the merchant will be released from all further obligations, and the bond referred to in Rule I cancelled.

(c.) Should the produce be exported to another Treaty port, (e.g., Shanghae), for subsequent reshipment to a foreign country, one export duty will be paid, one export duty deposited, and the bond referred to in Rule I cancelled. The Commissioner of Customs will, at the time of export, send to the custom-house at the Treaty port con- cerned a certificate covering these goods, and should this certificate be returned, showing that the produce has been reshipped to a foreign country within six months of its arrival in that port, the duty deposited will be returned to the merchant.

Should, however, the certificate be returned, showing that the produce has not been reshipped to a foreign country within a period of six months from date of arrival at that port, the duty deposited will be forfeited.

RULE VII.

Repacking of produce brought down under transit pass is permitted only under Customs Regulations and supervision.

RULE VIII.

In the event of its becoming necessary, under these Rules, to recover from a merchant the amount specified in his bond, while payment is being enforced by the Consul concerned according to law, no new transit passes will be issued to the said merchant; and all passes already taken out by him may be cancelled by the Superin- tendent of Customs, and the corresponding transit certificates recalled.

RULE IX.

Should a merchant be about to give up his business and leave the port, he shall return to the Commissioner of Customs, for transmission to the Superintendent, who will cancel same, all transit passes which may have been taken out by him, and not yet used. Should there be at the time of his closing business, any goods which have been already bought in the interior under a transit pass or passes, taken out by him, but which have not yet arrived at the port, or which are awaiting shipment to a foreign country at this or at another Treaty port, the person to whom such goods, or the disposition thereof, may be transferred, must deposit with the customs a new bond, in his own name, agreeing to carry out all the conditions of the original bond, covering such goods which may remain unfulfilled.

"Yun-chao

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Transit

passes and explained under Rule IX.

RULE X.

(transit certificates) are not transferable except as

RULE XI.

In cases of alleged damage and deterioration in intrinsic value, sustained by goods while at the port, the customs, on the application of the merchant, will depute an officer to examine the goods and appraise the actual amount of damage sustained.

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