their action in the matter; and they protested against the wrongful arrest of their servant. They added that since writing the above they had received a letter from their agent at Chang Ping, to the effect that on the 11th instant a Japanese went to the village of Hsiao Hu She, where the villagers were preparing camphor for their Chang Ping agent, and, after telling them that no persons but the Japanese himself were allowed to make camphor, took away from them about twenty-three catties of camphor oil and about eighty catties of camphor. This village is about 20 li from Chang Ping. The following night the Japanese visited their agent at Chang Ping, and seized from him eleven cases of camphor oil and one case of camphor, "which were already in a boat engaged by our agent to bring the camphor down to us, and which were our own property."
I had previously received, on the 14th September, a letter from the Taotai, stating that he was informed there were a number of "hongs" in the interior displaying foreign "hong" names, and that some of these had erected stills for the illicit preparation of camphor. He accordingly requested me to strictly prohibit all such proceedings as contrary to Treaty. On the following day (the 15th September) I received a further despatch from him, of which I inclose copy and translation, together with copy and translation of my reply. At the same time I wrote to the Amoy Sub-Prefect, who had arrested Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's employé, inclosing copy of my despatch to the Taotai.
I am
From the foregoing it seems that the Taotai proposes to enforce as far as possible the prohibitions and penalties set forth in his former Proclamations. The position thus is that, whilst British merchants are nominally at liberty to buy camphor in the interior, possibly if they can, the native producer may in no case sell to them, nor may he prepare or sell camphor on his own account, or to anyone except the native (i.e., Japanese) camphor officials. How far the Taotai has made sure of his ground before venturing on this step I am not in a position to say. As he is throughout acting under the orders of the high authorities at Foochow, any appeal to the latter would certainly be of no effect. I am therefore constrained to lay the facts of the case before you, so that a stop may be put to the present ruinous interference with a new and promising branch of trade.
Regardless of their ostensible functions as technical experts only, the Japanese agents in the interior seem to take upon themselves the duty of perambulating the country in search of so-called illicit stills and seizing foreign-owned property. Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's correspondents report that the camphor districts are full of Japanese, who visit them every three or four days to pick up information. The Chinese local authorities themselves strongly object to these proceedings as sure to entail trouble, but seem quite powerless to prevent them. I am informed that, even when camphor is offered for sale by the native producer to the Government offices, the Japanese experts on the spot invariably refuse to buy it themselves on one pretext or another, at the same time forbidding its sale to any outsider. Their object seems, in fact, to be to extinguish the trade here, with a view to the establishment of a complete monopoly for the Formosan product.
Su Ting Kit, the man arrested, has been employed by Messrs. Butterfield and Swire since the 27th May last, his pay being 30 dollars a month. He is a native of Formosa, and being an expert in the preparation of camphor, was previously in the employ of the Japanese Syndicate here. His arrest by order of the Taotai, though nominally at the request of the Lien Cheng Magistrate, is undoubtedly at the instance of the Japanese Consul, who has at the same time preferred a further charge against him of being indebted to certain Japanese subjects.
This man has been employed by Messrs. Butterfield and Swire to buy the trees from the owner in the interior, and the local workmen under him make the camphor themselves on the spot, the prepared article being then sent down to Amoy under transit pass. Work has thus been carried on at six different places, all within the jurisdiction of the Changchow Taotai, and, in the case of Lien Ch'eng, certainly with the approval of the local Magistrate.
In all, three consignments, totalling thirty-two cases camphor and eighty tins camphor oil, have thus been prepared and sent down to Messrs. Butterfield and Swire since the 1st January last, but since Su Ting Kit's arrest the workmen at Chang P'ing and Lien Ch'eng have ceased work, being afraid to continue with the prospect of summary arrest. At the other places there has presumably been no molestation so far, no news from them having come to hand.
Under these circumstances it appears to me that Messrs. Butterfield and Swire have in no way exceeded their Treaty rights, and that they are quite justified in making their
3
17
own arrangement, as above described, to procure whatever camphor they may require, independently, and free from all restrictions.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Taotai Yen Nien to Consul Hausser.
P. F. HAUSSER.
(Translation.)
Amoy, September 15, 1903. Sir,
I HAVE the honour to inform you that on the 3rd instant I received a letter from Yao Shou Ku, Magistrate of the Lien Ch'eng district, and Pao Kang, Manager of the branch office of the Government Camphor Bureau, to the following effect:--
"On the 22nd July last, Pao Kang arrested two workmen engaged in preparing camphor, by name, Su Yu and Li Hsin Chih, who declared that the business was under the control of Su Ting Chieh, and that they were merely working under his orders. The prisoners were forwarded to the Magistrate's Yamên to await their trial, and on the 25th July the case was reported to your Excellency, with a request that your Excellency would give orders for the arrest of Su Ting Chieh and Weng Wen Ch'uan, who were in Amoy.
"We subsequently heard that Su Ting Chieh had secretly returned to Shan Hsia Hsu, in the Lien Cheng district, and we accordingly sent to arrest him. He, however, spoke in a very arrogant manner, declared that he was collecting and preparing the camphor entirely for Messrs. Butterfield and Swire, of Amoy, who had appointed him their agent for the purpose, that the British Consul would be coming there shortly, and that they had better take exceedingly good care of the two men in prison. He had further put up a flag over his doorway, bearing the inscription in Chinese, 'Camphor godown of Butterfield and Swire, British firm, Amoy;' but he did not produce any licence for inspection. The Yamên runners, seeing that he had a number of men with him, did not venture to arrest him.
"On this being reported to us, we referred to the Regulations in the Proclamation formerly issued by your Excellency, and found that they very clearly prohibit the establishment and working of camphor stills in the interior by foreign merchants. Regulation No. 7 states that all camphor-producing and preparing districts being in the interior, any foreign merchants requiring any Government camphor shall be permitted to apply to the Government Bureaux to purchase and take delivery thereof at the price fixed, but may not themselves establish stills inland for the manufacture of camphor, which would constitute a violation of the Treaties.'
"Regulation No. 8, however, states that foreign merchants may establish camphor factories, and buy camphor, in the Treaty ports without the slightest opposition or hindrance.'
"In the present instance, even allowing, without examining Su Ting Chieh's statements, that the case really is as he represents, the writers, nevertheless, have their duties to perform as Magistrate and manager respectively, of protecting and supervising the district and the bureaux under their control; and Su Ting Chieh ought to have obtained a permit from ourselves through the British Consul and your Excellency by the usual routine, for presentation to the local authorities, and then he could have been allowed to open his camphor agency where he wished. Whereas he entirely neglects all this customary procedure, and by his pretentious blustering gives strong reason for thinking that his claims to belong to an English firm may be entirely without foundation; and we had therefore intended to punish him forthwith. Seeing, however, that political considerations are involved in the matter, and trouble might result in consequence, we have made a point of laying the facts before your Excellency, and beg that you will ask the British Consul to ascertain definitely, and inform your Excellency accordingly, whether Butterfield and Swire did actually depute Su Ting Chieh to come up here and open this camphor agency, and that your Excellency will inform us of your wishes in the matter."
With reference hereto, I some time ago received a report from the Magistrate to the effect that Su Ting Chieh was still engaged in the illicit preparation of camphor, and I thereupon instructed the Amoy Hai Fang Ting to affect the arrest of Su Ting Chieh, Weng Wen Ch'uan, and Ch'en Hsin Sheng, and to have these three men taken to Lien Ch'eng to be tried and severely punished. Being now in receipt of the letter
[2250 g-1]
B 2
2
their action in the matter; and they protested against the wrongful arrest of their servant. They added that since writing the above they had received a letter from their agent at Chang Ping, to the effect that on the 11th instant a Japanese went to the village of Hsiao Hu She, where the villagers were preparing camphor for their Chang Ping agent, and, after telling them that no persons but the Japanese himself were allowed to make camphor, took away from them about twenty-three catties of camphor oil and about eighty cattics of camphor. This village is about 20 li from Chang Ping. The following night the Japanese visited their agent at Chang Ping, and seized from him eleven cases of camphor oil and one case of camphor, "which were already in a boat engaged by our agent to bring the camphor down to us, and which were our own property."
I had previously received, on the 14th September, a letter from the Taotai, stating that he was informed there were a number of "hongs" in the interior displaying foreign hong" names, and that some of these had erected stills for the illicit preparation of camphor. He accordingly requested me to strictly prohibit all such proceedings as contrary to Treaty. On the following day (the 15th September) I received a further despatch from him, of which I inclose copy and translation, together with copy and translation of my reply. At the same time I wrote to the Amoy Sub-Prefect, who had arrested Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's employé, inclosing copy of my despatch to the Taotai.
I am
From the foregoing it seems that the Taotai proposes to enforce as far as the prohibitions and penalties set forth in his former Proclamations. The position thus is that, whilst British merchants are nominally at liberty to buy camphor in the interior, possible if they can, the native producer may in no case sell to them, nor may he prepare or sell camphor on bis own account, or to any one except the native (i.e., Japanese) camphor officials. How far the Taotai has made sure of his ground before venturing on this step I am not in a position to say. As he is throughout acting under the orders of the high authorities at Foochow, any appeal to the latter would certainly be of no effect. therefore constrained to lay the facts of the case before you, so that a stop may be put to the present ruinous interference with a new and promising branch of trade.
Regardless of their ostensible functions as technical experts only, the Japanese agents in the interior seem to take upon themselves the duty of perambulating the country in search of so-called illicit stills and seizing foreign-owned property. Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's correspondents report that the camphor districts are full of Japanese, who visit them every three or four days to pick up information. The Chinese local authorities themselves strongly object to these proceedings as sure to entail trouble, but seem quite powerless to prevent them. I am informed that, even when camphor is offered for sale by the native producer to the Government offices, the Japanese experts on the spot invariably refuse to buy it themselves on one pretext or another, at the same time forbidding its sale to any outsider. Their object seems, in fact, to be to extinguish the trade here, with a view to the establishment of a complete monopoly for the Formosan product.
Su Ting Kit, the man arrested, has been employed by Messrs. Butterfield and Swire since the 27th May last, his pay being 30 dollars a month. He is a native of Formosa, and being an expert in the preparation of camphor, was previously in the employ of the Japanese Syndicate here. His arrest by order of the Taotai, though nominally at the request of the Lien Cheng Magistrate, is undoubtedly at the instance of the Japanese Consul, who has at the same time preferred a further charge against him of being indebted to certain Japenese subjects.
This man has been employed by Messrs. Butterfield and Swire to buy the trees from the owner in the interior, and the local workmen under him make the camphor themselves on the spot, the prepared article being then sent down to Amoy under transit pass. Work has thus been carried on at six different places, all within the jurisdiction of the Changchow Taotai, and, in the case of Lien Ch'eng, certainly with the approval of the local Magistrate.
In all, three consignments, totalling thirty-two cases camphor and eighty tins camphor oil, have thus been prepared and sent down to Messrs. Butterfield and Swire since the 1st January last, but since Su Ting Kit's arrest the workmen at Chang P'ing and Lien Ch'eng have ceased work, being afraid to continue with the prospect of summary arrest. At the other places there has presumably been no molestation so far, no news from them having come to hand.
Under these circumstances it appears to me that Messrs. Butterfield and Swire have in no way exceeded their Treaty rights, and that they are quite justified in making their
3
17
own arrangement, as above described, to procure whatever camphor they may require, independently, and free from all restrictions.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Taotai Yen Nien to Consul Hausser.
P. F. HAUSSER.
(Translation.)
Amay, September 15, 1903. Sir,
I HAVE the honour to inform you that on the 3rd instant 1 received a letter from Yao Shou Ku, Magistrate of the Lien Ch'eng district, and Pao Kang, Manager of the branch office of the Government Camphor Bareau, to the following effect:--
"On the 22nd July last, Pao Kang arrested two workmen engaged in preparing camphor, by name, Su Yu and Li Hsin Chib, who declared that the business was under the control of Su Ting Chieh, and that they were merely working under his orders. The prisoners were forwarded to the Magistrate's Yamên to await their trial, and on the 25th July the case was reported to your Excellency, with a request that your Excellency would give orders for the arrest of Su Ting Chieh and Weng Wen Ch'uan, who were in Amoy.
"We subsequently heard that Su Ting Chieh had secretly returned to Shan Hsia Hsu, in the Lien Cheng district, and we accordingly sent to arrest him. He, however, spoke in a very arrogant manner, declared that he was collecting and preparing the camphor entirely for Messrs. Butterfield and Swire, of Amoy, who had appointed him their agent for the purpose, that the British Consul would be coming there shortly, and that they had better take exceedingly good care of the two men in prison. He had further put up a flag over his doorway, bearing the inscription in Chinese, *Camphor godown of Butterfield and Swire, British firm, Amoy;' but he did not produce any licence for inspection. The Yamên runners, seeing that he had a number of men with him, did not venture to arrest him.
"On this being reported to us, we referred to the Regulations in the Proclamation formerly issued by your Excellency, and found that they very clearly prohibit the establishment and working of camphor stills in the interior by foreign merchants. Regulation No. 7 states that all camphor-producing and preparing districts being in the interior, any foreign merchants requiring any Government camphor shall be per- mitted to apply to the Government Bureaux to purchase and take delivery thereof at the price fixed, but may not themselves establish stills inland for the manufacture of camphor, which would constitute a violation of the Treaties.'
"Regulation No. 8, however, states that foreign merchants may establish camphor factories, and buy camphor, in the Treaty ports without the slightest opposition or hindrance.'
"In the present instance, even allowing, without examining Su Ting Chieh's statements, that the case really is as he represents, the writers, nevertheless, have their duties to perform as Magistrate and manager respectively, of protecting and supervising the district and the bureaux under their control; and Su Ting Chich ought to have obtained a permit from ourselves through the British Consul and your Excellency by the usual routine, for presentation to the local authorities, and then he could have been Whereas he entirely neglects allowed to open his camphor agency where he wished.
all this customary procedure, and by his pretentious blustering gives strong reason for thinking that his claims to belong to an English firm may be entirely without foundation; and we had therefore intended to punish him forthwith. Seeing, however, that political considerations are involved in the matter, and trouble might result in consequence, we have made a point of laying the facts before your Excellency, and beg that you will ask the British Consul to ascertain definitely, and inform your Excellency accordingly, whether Butterfield and Swire did actually depute Su Ting Chieh to come up here and your wishes in the open this camphor agency, and that your Excellency will inform us of
With reference hereto, I some time ago received a report from the Magistrate to the effect that Su Ting Chieh was still engaged in the illicit preparation of camphor, and I thereupon instructed the Amoy Hai Fang Ting to affect the arrest of Su Ting Chich, Weng Wen Ch'uan, and Ch'en Hsin Sheng, and to have these three men taken to Lien Ch'eng to be tried and severely punished. Being now in receipt of the letter
[2250 g-1]
matter."
B 2
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