„1-ms Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
290
[July 20.]
SECTION 4.
Mr. Townley to the Marquess of Lansdowne.~(Received July 20.)
(No. 208.) My Lord,
Peking, May 29, 1903. UPON the receipt of your Lordship's despatch No. 230 of the 3rd November last, upon the subject of the failure of the local authorities at Canton to hand over the Native Custom-houses at Ch'ên Ts'un and Fatshan to the Imperial Maritime Customs, I inquired of His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton whether anything further had been done in the matter since the date of Sir Ernest Satow's despatch No. 248 of the 2nd September last, to which your Lordship's above-quoted despatch was in answer.
I have now received Mr. Scott's despatch No. 14 of the 5th instant, copy of which has been forwarded to your Lordship direct, informing me that the Hoppo still maintains control of the two stations in question, and explaining the conditions under which he has contrived to attract trade to those points, to the detriment of the Returns for Canton of the Imperial Maritime Customs on behalf of Native Customs.
I have the honour to inclose copy of a note which I have to-day addressed to Prince Ch'ing, setting forth the circumstances under which the Hoppo still refuses to carry out the conditions of the Final Protocol, and calling upon his Highness to cause the necessary instructions to be issued to that official to hand over without further delay the Native Customs stations at Ch'ên Ts'un and Fatshan to the Imperial Maritime Customs Administration.
I have, &c. (Signed)
WALTER TOWNLEY,
Your Highness,
Inclosure in No. 1.
Mr. Townley to Prince Ch'ing.
Peking, May 29, 1903. I AM in receipt of a despatch from His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General at Canton with reference to the transfer of the Native Customs at that port to the Imperial Maritime Customs, in accordance with the terms of the Final Protocol.
The Consul-General complains that, although instructions had been received by the local authorities that every Native Customs station within a radius of 50 li from Canton was to be transferred to the management of the Imperial Maritime Customs, the Hoppo still retains control of the Native stations at Ch'ên Ts'un and Fatshan. Both these places are within 30 li of Canton, but the Hoppo, on the ground that a detour by water is necessary to reach them, resists all attempts to withdraw them from his control.
The object of the Hoppo in disobeying his instructions and retaining control of these two important stations is to minimize as far as possible the effect of the transfer of the Chang Kuan at Canton to the Imperial Maritime Customs. By granting reduced duties and other facilities to the native merchants, he has induced many of them to make Ch'ên Ts'un their head-quarters in lieu of Canton, and many articles formerly exported to Hong Kong, via Canton, now reach their destination via Ch'ên Ts'un.
The result of the Hoppo's policy has been that, under Imperial Maritime Customs control, the revenue received at the Chang Kuan, in Canton, has very seriously diminished, as compared with previous years, whereas at Ch'ên Ts'un and Fatshan the amount collected shows a large increase,
As the revenues of the Native Customs administered by the Imperial Maritime Customs have been assigned as security for the payment of the foreign indemnities, the question is one which seriously concerns all the Treaty Powers.
The Hoppo's excuse for refusing to hand over the Administration of the Native Customs at Ch'ên Ts'un and Fatshan to the Imperial Maritime Customs is so very frivolous that it is unnecessary for me to make any remarks on the subject. His object
[2077 -4]
...
1
„1-ms Ducument is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
290
[July 20.]
SECTION 4.
Mr. Townley to the Marquess of Lansdowne.~(Received July 20.)
(No. 208.) My Lord,
Peking, May 29, 1903. UPON the receipt of your Lordship's despatch No. 230 of the 3rd November last, upon the subject of the failure of the local authorities at Canton to hand over the Native Custom-houses at Ch'ên Ts'un and Fatshan to the Imperial Maritime Customs, I inquired of His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton whether anything further had been done in the matter since the date of Sir Ernest Satow's despatch No. 248 of the 2nd September last, to which your Lordship's above-quoted despatch was in answer.
I have now received Mr. Scott's despatch No. 14 of the 5th instaut, copy of which has been forwarded to your Lordship direct, informing me that the Hoppo still maintains control of the two stations in question, and explaining the conditions under which he bas contrived to attract trade to those points, to the detriment of the Returns for Canton of the Imperial Maritime Customs on behalf of Native Customs.
I have the honour to inclose copy of a note which I have to-day addressed to Prince Ch'ing, setting forth the circumstances under which the Hoppo still refuses to carry out the conditions of the Final Protocol, and calling upon his Highness to cause the necessary instructions to be issued to that official to hand over without further delay the Native Customs stations at Chiên Ts'un and Fatshan to the Imperial Maritime Customs Administration.
I have, &c. (Signed)
WALTER TOWNLEY,
Your Highness,
Inclosure in No. 1.
Mr. Townley to Prince Ching.
Peking, May 29, 1903. I AM in receipt of a despatch from His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General at Canton with reference to the transfer of the Native Customs at that port to the Imperial Maritime Customs, in accordance with the terms of the Final Protocol.
The Consul-General complains that, although instructions had been received by the local authorities that every Native Customs station within a radius of 50 li from Canton was to be transferred to the management of the Imperial Maritime Customs, the Hoppo still retains control of the Native stations at Ch ́ên T's'un and Fatshan. Both these places are within 30 li of Canton, but the Hoppo, on the ground that a detour by water is necessary to reach them, resists all attempts to withdraw them from his control..
The object of the Hoppo in disobeying his instructions and retaining control of these two important stations is to minimize as far as possible the effect of the transfer of the Chang Kuan at Canton to the Imperial Maritime Customs. By granting reduced duties and other facilities to the native merchants, he has induced many of them to make Ch'ên Ts'un their head-quarters in lieu of Canton, and many articles formerly exported to Hong Kong, via Canton, now reach their destination viâ Chiêu
Ts'un.
The result of the Hoppa's policy has been that, under Imperial Maritime Customs control, the revenue received at the Chang Kuan, in Canton, has very seriously diminished, as compared with previous years, whereas at Chiên Tsun and Fatshan the amount collected shows a large increase,
As the revenues of the Native Customs administered by the Imperial Maritime Customs have been assigned as security for the payment of the foreign indemnities, the question is one which seriously concerns all the Treaty Powers.
The Hoppo's excuse for refusing to hand over the Administration of the Native Customs at Chiên Tsun and Fatshan to the Imperial Maritime Customs is so very frivolous that it is unnecessary for me to make any remarks on the subject. His object
[2077 -4]
...
1
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