[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
29509
430
Now, having regard to the fact that opium belongs to the same category of goods as wines, spirits, and tobacco, articles which in all civilized countries are, for moral as well as fiscal reasons, made to bear a very substantial proportion of the national revenue, I would respectfully submit that this approximate equality in the taxation of two categories of goods so widely different constitutes a fiscal anomaly which calls for the serious consideration of the two Governments.
To restore the taxation of opium to the effective ad valorem percentage at which it stood in 1885, and give the Chinese Government their just due, would require the duties now paid on it to be raised to 220 Haikwan taels per chest; and with a view to this, I have been instructed by the Wai-wu Pu to invite your Lordship to an exchange of views on this most important subject.
46
Section 8 of the Additional Article provides for "any modifications in its provisions which experience may show to be desirable" being made, and surely the time for this has arrived, when the duty actually levied on the drug has ceased to have the effect of placing restrictions on its consumption—a principle specifically recognized in the preamble to the Agreement itself as being "undesirable."
I have, &c. (Signed) CHANG TA JÊN.
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[August 19]
22 AUG 04 SECTION 1
Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lansdowne.—(Received August 1.)
(No. 203.) My Lord,
Peking, June 8, 1904.
In my despatch No. 191 of the 27th May I informed your Lordship that the proposals put forward by the Viceroy of Nanking for the transfer of the execution of the Whangpoo River improvement schemes from the International Board, instituted by the Final Protocol of the 7th September, 1901, to the Chinese Government, had been submitted to the Diplomatic Body and were being circulated among the Representatives for their observations.
I have now the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith a copy of the Doyen's circular, with the observations of the various Representatives attached.
Your Lordship will observe that, with the exception of the French Minister, who states that he must ask for instructions, and the Spanish and Portuguese Representatives, who merely take note of the receipt of the document, all the other Representatives state their concurrence in the views expressed by the German Minister and myself, to the effect that, as the whole question of the constitution of the Conservancy Board was arranged by the Final Protocol, any alterations desired by the Chinese Government must be submitted to the Representatives of the Signatory Powers by the Wai Wu Pu.
My German colleague further draws attention to the fact that the Board is entitled to meet and transact business even should the Chinese Government still persist in their delay to nominate a Delegate, and your Lordship will observe that I have taken occasion to emphasize the views of His Majesty's Government on this point.
I have, &c. (Signed) ERNEST SATOW.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Baron Czikann's Circular No. 100 respecting the Proposals of the Viceroy of Nanking.
Pékin, le 24 Mai, 1904.
LE Doyen a l'honneur de mettre en circulation une lettre du Doyen du Corps Consulaire de Shanghai concernant une proposition du Gouverneur-Général de Nankin de changer l'Annexe 17 du Protocole Final relative aux travaux d'amélioration du Huang-Pou (Whangpou), et concernant les délibérations du Corps Consulaire de Shanghaï à propos de la Convention de la Commission du Whangpou à une séance.
(Signé) M. CZIKANN.
La question de la correction du Whangpou a été réglée par l'Article 11 (b) et par l'Annexe 17 du Protocole Final du 7 Septembre, 1901, signé par les Représentants de la Chine et des Puissances étrangères à Pékin. Par conséquent, il n'est pas du ressort du Surintendant des ports méridionaux de faire de nouvelles propositions et d'en saisir le Corps Consulaire à Shanghai. La question à l'ordre du jour est non un changement des stipulations du Protocole Final agréées à l'unanimité par la Chine et les Puissances Signataires de ce Protocole, mais la constitution du Conseil Fluvial. Tous les membres de ce Conseil, excepté le Représentant à qui la Chine a droit par suite de l'Article 4 (h) de l'Annexe susmentionné, ayant été désignés depuis longtemps, cette constitution pourrait avoir lieu dès à présent. Si la Chine ne juge pas utile de désigner le Délégué à qui elle a droit par suite de son commerce maritime, n'empêche en aucune façon la réunion du Conseil, qui pourra délibérer lorsque quatre de ses membres au moins seront présents, et dont déjà deux Représentants du commerce sont arrivés à Shanghai.
L
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
29509
430
Now, having regard to the fact that opium belongs to the same category of goods as wines, spirits, and tobacco, articles which in all civilized countries are, for moral as well as fiscal reasons, made to bear a very substantial proportion of the national revenue, I would respectfully submit that this approximate equality in the taxation of two categories of goods so widely different constitutes a fiscal anomaly which calls for the serious consideration of the two Governments.
To restore the taxation of opium to the effective ad valorem percentage at which it stood in 1885, and give the Chinese Government their just due, would require the duties now paid on it to be raised to 220 Haikwan taels per cbest; and with a view to this, I have been instructed by the Wai-wu Pu to invite your Lordship to an exchange of views on this most important subject.
46
Section 8 of the Additional Article provides for "any modifications in its provisions which experience may show to be desirable" being made, and surely the time for this has arrived, when the duty actually levied on the drug has ceased to have the effect of placing restrictious on its consumption "-a principle specifically recognized in the preamble to the Agreement itself as being "undesirable."
I have, &c. (Signed) CHANG TA JÊN.
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[August
19 22 AUG 04 SECTION 1
Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received August 1.)
(No. 203.) My Lord,
Peking, June 8, 1904. IN my despatch No. 191 of the 27th May I informed your Lordship that the proposals put forward by the Viceroy of Nanking for the transfer of the execution of the Whangpoo River improvement schemes from the International Board, instituted the Final Protocol of the 7th September, 1901, to the Chinese Government, had been submitted to the Diplomatic Body and were being circulated among the Representatives for their observations.
I have now the honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith a copy of the Doyen's circular, with the observations of the various Representatives attached.
Your Lordship will observe that, with the exception of the French Minister, who states that he must ask for instructions, and the Spanish and Portuguese Representatives, who merely take note of the receipt of the document, all the other Representatives state their concurrence in the views expressed by the German Minister and myself, to the effect that, as the whole question of the constitution of the Conservancy Board was arranged by the Final Protocol, any alterations desired by the Chinese Government must be submitted to the Representatives of the Signatory Powers by the Wai Wu Pu.
My German colleague further draws attention to the fact that the Board is entitled to meet and transact business even should the Chinese Government still persist in their delay to nominate a Delegate, and your Lordship will observe that I have taken occasion to emphasize the views of His Majesty's Government on this point.
I have, &c. (Signed) ERNEST SATOW.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Baron Czikann's Circular No. 100 respecting the Proposals of the Viceroy of Nanking.
Pékin, le 24 Mai, 1904.
LE Doyen a l'honneur de mettre en circulation une lettre du Doyen du Corps Consulaire de Shanghai concernant une proposition du Gouverneur-Général de Nankin de changer l'Annexe 17 du Protocole Final relative aux travaux d'amé- lioration du Huang-Pou (Whangpou), et concernant les délibérations du Corps Consulaire de Shanghaï à propos de la Convention de la Commission du Whangpou à une séance.
(Signé) M. CZIKANN.
La question de la correction du Whangpou a été réglée par l'Article 11 (b) et par l'Annexe 17 du Protocole Final du 7 Septembre, 1901, signé par les Représen- tants de la Chine et des Puissances étrangères à Pékin. Par conséquent, il n'est pas du ressort du Surintendant des ports méridionaux de faire de nouvelles propositions et d'en saisir le Corps Consulaire à Shanghai. La question à l'ordre du jour est non un changement des stipulations du Protocole Final agréées à l'unanimité par la Chine et les Puissances Signataires de ce Protocole, mais is constitution du Conseil Fluvial.. Tous les membres de ce Conseil, excepté le Représentant à qui la Chine a droit par suite de l'Article 4 (h) de l'Annexe susmentionné, ayant été désignés depuis long- temps, cette constitution pourrait avoir lieu dès à présent. Si la Chine ne juge pas utile de désigner le Délégué à qui elle a droit par suite de son commerce maritime, n'empêche en aucune façon la réunion du Conseil, qui pourra délibérer lorsque quatre de ses membres au moins seront présents, et dout déjà deux Représentants du
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