CO129-337 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1906 — Page 691

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En réponse à votre communication, j'ai l'honneur de vous faire savoir que mes collègues consultés par moi ont également donné leur acquiescement à la suggestion du Conseil Municipal Anglais.

Inclosure 9 in No. 1.

Veuillez, &c. (Signé)

M. CZIKANN.

Resolution passed at the Annual General Meeting of Landreniers, February 26, 1906.

[See Inclosure 3.]

Inclosure 10 in No. 1.

Resolution of Tien-tsin General Chamber of Commerce, passed March 5, 1906.

IT is resolved that this Chamber accepts the following additions and modifications to the Resolution passed on the 15th June last, and further instructs its Committee to urge upon the authorities concerued the necessity for prompt attention to be given to the amelioration of the Taku Bar.

(Note. Here followed the Resolution of the Landreuters of the British Concession passed the 26th February, 1906. Inclosure 3.)

Inclosure 11 in No. 1.

Conditions of the Scheme for raising and serving a Loan of 450,000 toels required for initial expenses in connection with Dredging Plant for the improvement of Taku Bar.

NO part of the loan shall be redeemed until the amortization of the existing river loans (British Municipal Council Loan (E) and Hai Ho Loans (A) and (B)) has been completed. It shall then be extinguished as provided for by the 6th condition.

2. The loan to the extent of 250,000 taels shall bear interest at the rate of 7 per cent. per annum, payable half-yearly from the date of issue. Such interest shall be paid by the Hai Ho Conservancy Commission. Interest on the balance of the loan (200,000 taels) shall, subject to the provisions of condition 5, be accumulated at simple interest at the rate of 7 per cent. per annum until the time for amortization arrives, when such accumulated interest shall be added to the principal, and rank as such. Interest at the rate of 7 per cent. per annum shall then be paid upon such newly ascertained principal sum (ie., the sum of 450,000 taels and the accumulated interest on 200,000 taels) which shall be amortized as provided by the 6th condition,

3. The tax (in addition to the existing dues), amounting to per mille on the value of goods on which duty has been paid or may become payable, which was duly authorized by a special Resolution of Landrenters on the 6th April, 1903, and approved on behalf of their respective nationals by the several foreign Ministers (such approval being contained in a despatch dated the 30th June, 1903, from Baron Czikann, doyen of the Diplomatic Body in Peking, addressed to L, C. Hopkins, Esq., Senior Consul at Tien-tsin) shall be levied contemporaneously with the issue of the loan.

4. A tax of 1 mace per registered ton per trip on ships trading with the port shall be levied contemporaneously with the issue of the loan on and subject to the following conditions --

(4) Ships which are unable to cross the bar shall pay 5 candareens per ton per trip on their net registered tonnage with the option of paying 1 mace per ton on the cargo discharged and loaded by them.

(6.) The Council and the Tien-tsin General Chamber of Commerce shall recognize the shipping levy as a general port charge to be paid by all ships coming to the Taku Bar and the Council shall agree with the signatories to such necessary deeds and

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Agreements that may be entered into by the Shipping Companies to secure the payment of the tax (hereinafter referred to as the bond), to use every means in their power in conjunction with the Tien-tsin General Chamber of Commerce to prevent any ship- owners from taking advantage of the terms of the bond to the detriment of the signatories thereto.

(c.) The Hai Ho Conservancy Board's technical scheme and programme of work for the improvement of the bar shall be communicated for the approval of the signatories to the bond before it is finally adopted and put into execution by the Board, and subsequently any material change or changes in such scheme and programme of work shall likewise be subject to the approval of the said signatories.

(d) The bond shall be signed by seven leading local Shipping Companies. (e) A Board of Reference shall be formed, consisting of nine members--viz., three representatives from the Landrenters and General Chamber of Commerce, three repre- sentatives from the Shipping Companies, together with the three members of the Hai Ho Conservancy Board, which may be convoked at the instance of any four of its members to decide vital questions affecting the continuation of or non-continuation of the bar operations, provided always that nothing in this condition shall entitle the Shipping Companies signatory to the bond to discontinue payment of taxes secured by the bond, or to take any steps which might prove detrimental to the security afforded to the bondholders by the bar tax.

5. The taxes and dues provided for in the 3rd and 4th conditions shall continue to be levied until the completion of the amortization of the loan and interest, as provided in the 6th condition, and the proceeds thereof shall, subject to the provisions of the said 6th condition, be applied, firstly, to payment of interest on the said sum of 250,000 taeis part of the loan; secondly, to the requirements of the bar works; and, thirdly, in reduction of accumulated interest on the said sum of 200,000 taels balance of the loan or otherwise as the Hai Ho Conservancy Board may deem expedient.

6. On the final amortization of the river loans above referred to the taxes and dues now in existence and devoted to the service of the said river loans shall be continued. and the proceeds thereof, together with the proceeds of the taxes and dues to be levied. hereafter in accordance with the 3rd and 4th conditions, shall be applied in toto, firstly, to the payment of interest at the rate of 7 per cent. per annum on the newly ascertained principal sum referred to in condition 2 (i.e., the sum of 450,000 taels and the accumulated interest on 200,000 taels), or on any portions thereof that may from time to time remain outstanding; secondly, to the requirements of the bar works; and, thirdly, to the amortization of the said newly ascertained principal sum,

7. In the event of circumstances arising which may render it desirable to abrogate, readjust, or otherwise vary the foregoing conditions or any of them after the issue of the loan or any part thereof, the Council, with the consent of the Landrenters and the Shipping Companies, may call a meeting of holders of bonds in the loan, and it shall be competent for a majority of such meeting, provided such majority represents not less than 75 per cent, of the said bonds for the time being issued, to abrogate, readjust, or otherwise vary, or agree to abrogate, readjust, or otherwise vary, such condition or conditions as may be deemed expedient,

S.. After the amortization contemplated by the 6th condition, the annual cost of maintaining the improvement to the bar shall be charged on the trade of the port and the Shipping Companies in such proportions as may be deemed equitable.

Inclosure 12 in No. 1.

Memorandum.

IN view of the numerous difficulties which ships encountered on their way from the open sea to Tien-tsin, the question of the improvement of the Pei Ho (or Hai Ho, as it is known to the Chinese), which was in a deplorable state, and gradually becoming worse and worse, had already, previous to April 1897, been brought to the notice of the Chinese authorities by the Consular Body at Tien-tsin. Representations had also been made to the foreign Representatives in Peking through the same body, who had again communicated with the Tsung-li Yamên.

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