CO129-330 - Public Offices - 1905 — Page 445

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.j

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

438

[January 28.]

SECTION 1.

2

Nous devons faire remarquer à votre Altesse que les droits avaient été perçus tout d'abord sans que nous en fussions informés. Une première taxe de 50 centimes de taels sur chaque passe a été perçue à Tien-tsin sans soulever de protestations de la part de nos ressortissants. On a prétendu cusuite augmenter la taxe et l'imposer dans tous les ports ouverts: les commerçants étrangers ont eu à subir de ce fait des charges très lourdes. Sur la frontière méridionale de la Chine notamment, où l'importation se fait par petites quantités afin de faciliter le transport à dos de mulet, la taxe moyenne perçue en vertu des Traités pour chaque passe de transit, à raison de 24 pour cent sur la valeur des marchandises, est inférieure à 1 tael. Lorsqu'on y ajoute un droit nouveau d'un tacl par paquet, la perception totale dépasse 5 pour cent,

Des plaintes nous sont donc arrivées de tous les côtés, et nous nous sommes trouvés dans l'obligation de signaler à votre Altesse que le droit de pour cent prévu aux Traités comprenait tous frais, dépenses ou charges quelconques, y compris les frais de Chancellerie aux quels le produit des impositions nouvelles n'était destiné à subvenir d'ailleurs que pour une faible partie. Nous avons donc dû protester non seulement contre l'exagération, mais contre le principe même de toute taxe perçue à Poccasion de in délivrance des passes de transit et "Huchao."

Le Corps Diplomatique se plaît à penser que votre Altesse voudra bien reconnaître la justice des considérations qui sont exposées ci-dessus.

Veuillez, &c.

(Signé)

M. CZIKANN,

No. 1.

Sir E. Satow to the Marquess of Lansdowne.--(Received January 28, 1905.)

(No. 406.) My Lord,

Peking, November 30, 1904. I HAVE the honour to transmit copies of correspondence relating to an attempt recently made by the Chinese Government to levy a fee of 1 tael ou each transit pass issued for foreign-imported goods and Chinese produce coming down for export, and of 3 taels on permits ("Hu-chao") for the transport of treasure and rice. A fee is also demanded on permits ou passes for provisions transported to Manchuria. I add, further, as a specimen, copy of the Customs Notification intimating the intention to levy these fees, issued at Tien-tsin.

The first information on this subject reached me on the 17th October, from His Majesty's Consul-General at Hankow." I at once addressed a letter to the Inspector- General of Customs pointing out that British subjects were entitled by Treaty to transport imported goods into the interior, and to bring down Chinese produce for export, on payment of the transit dues of 24 per cent., and that if there had been any intention in the minds of the High Contracting Parties that a fee should be imposed, mention of it would have been inserted in the Article of the Treaty relating to transit dues.

The Inspector-General replied that the various fees set forth in the Customs Notification had been established by the Foreign Board, and that the Customs had been charged with their collection. He was therefore unable to withdraw it unless instructed by the Board.

On the 17th October I received from His Majesty's Consul-General at Shanghae a despatch of which copy is inch sed. He forwarded translation of a letter from the Taotai to the Senior Consul stating that 20 per cent. of the fees collected would be retained by the Customs for office expenses, the balance being equally divided between the Foreign Board and the Board of Revenue, thus showing clearly that the measure was devised mainly for the purpose of increasing the Imperial revenue.

Article XXIII of the French Treaty of 1858 stipulates that all French goods, after payment of import duties according to the Tariff, may be transported into the interior without having to submit to any supplementary charge other than the payment of transit dues according to the moderate Tariff actually in force. The XXIVth Article of the German Treaty of 1861 has the same provision rather more clearly stated.

It appeared to me, therefore, that the exaction of these fees was contrary to Treaty, and I accordingly addressed a note to Prince Ch'ing on the 19th October, copy of which is also inclosed, pointing out that the amount payable in order to obtain a transit pass is fixed by Treaty and cannot be increased without the consent of His Majesty's Governinent, and that if the right of the Customs authorities to levy a tax when issuing a pass were admitted, there would be no limit to the extension of this I requested His Highness, therefore, to telegraph instructions to the Treaty ports that any fees not authorized by Treaty that might have been levied from British merchants should be at once refunded to them.

process

Several of my colleagues protested to the Chinese Government in similar terms. Reports to the same effect have reached me from His Majesty's Consul-General at Tien-tsin and His Majesty's Consuls at Wuchow, Chinkiang, Foochow, Tengyueh and Wuhu, Some of them had already protested of their own motion. To those who had not, I sent instructions to do so, and to recommend British merchants to make payment for the present under protest.

The Tien-tsin Chamber of Commerce, on the 11th November, addressed to the Doyen of the Diplomatic Body a letter forwarding a Resolution adopted by an Extra- ordinary General Meeting of the Chamber ou the 25th October, which embodied a protest against the levying of transit pass and Hu-chao" fees. In transmitting this Resolution,

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