2
annexed telegram from Hong Kong, that nothing but reversion to the status quo ante the Imperial Edict can save the Imperial Maritime Customs Service from deterioration.
An example of the deterioration that ensues when a Department is removed from foreign control and placed under Chinese control is furnished by the so-called Water Police at Canton. For many years the shipping, both native and foreign, has been controlled to the satisfaction of everybody by the Harbour Master, who, as in all other Treaty ports, is a foreigner in the employ of the Imperial Maritime Customs. The Viceroy created not long ago a new force, under Chinese control, which challenged the Harbour Master's authority, announcing that their orders only were to be obeyed. The consequence (we are informed by our Hong Kong branch) was that "Disorder set in, and the work of years spent in instilling obedience into the owners of native craft was wiped out. No funds being provided for the maintenance of these so-called police, their first care was to make up for this neglect by instituting a method of squeeze. The best berths were put up to the highest bidders among the flower-boat owners, who paid highly were allowed to lie even in the fairway, whereas formerly these craft had to maintain their existence outside the harbour limits. The Harbour Master protested in vain, until at length the inconvenience grew to be so great that some channels—notably, a narrow one close to the Dutch Folly—were well-nigh impassable. The magnitude of this evil worked its own cure eventually, and these particular flower-boats were ordered away, but lesser numbers of them still obstruct the fairway in other places, and all efforts to have them removed prove vain because the Water Police have an interest in their remaining where they are, and encourage them to defy the efforts of the Harbour Master to keep the fairways clear.
In a small way the establishment of this new service is on all fours with the creation of the new Board.
As in the case of the latter, so it is with the former—abolition is the only cure.
The difficulty of substantiating certain reports of act and intention is admitted, and it may be that the storm of objection will persuade the new authority to stay temporarily its hand, but the conviction of the Committee that serious changes were and are intended remains unshaken. It is in that conviction that they venture to impart to you reports which have reached them, as tending to confirm their impression that pre-existing conditions will be modified insidiously rather than de front.
I have, &c. (Signed) JOSEPH WELCH,
Hon. Secretary.
3
Extract from the "North China Herald" of August 24, 1906.
The Governor of Shantung has received a despatch from the Customs Comptrollers-General, their Excellencies Tich Liang and Tang Shao-yi, in which he is instructed to note that, since a Customs Department has been established by Imperial Decree, all questions relating to Customs affairs are to be referred to that Department, excepting questions having an international bearing, which are to be referred to the Wai-wu Pu, and other matters relating purely to the receipt and disbursement of the revenues, which should be referred to the Board of Revenues. On receipt of the despatch, his Excellency the Governor has issued instructions to his subordinates accordingly.
Extract from the "Journal" (for October) of the American Asiatic Association.
The United States is not less interested than Great Britain in preserving unimpaired the status of the Imperial Maritime Customs, and our Government may very properly be urged to join that of Great Britain in insisting on assurances more definite, more comprehensive, and more binding for the future than the somewhat equivocal assertion of Prince Ching.
Addendum.
As the question of the immutability of an Imperial Edict has been raised, I may be permitted to remark on the incompatibility of the position of Tang Shao-yi with the Edict of the 24th July, 1901, relating to Article XII of the Protocol of Peking. That Edict admits, as a reason for changing the constitution of the Tsung-li Yamen, that "the Princes and Ministers who composed it exercised the functions appertaining to it, for the most part, accessorily to others, (so that) they could not devote themselves to it exclusively"; and concluded "il convient donc naturellement de créer des fonctions spéciales, afin que chacun ait son attribution propre." The case of Tang Shao-yi, who holds numerous appointments, would appear to represent a breach of this Edict, and a reversion to the evils it was intended to combat. The subsidiary inconvenience of having to negotiate with Tang Shao-yi at the Wai-wu Pu regarding the position and acts of Tang Shao-yi at the Shui Wu Chu are too obvious to need comment.
(Telegraphic,)
35
China Association, Hong Kong, to China Association, London,
Hong Kong, October 16, 1906. We indorse views expressed in the "Times" London leader, of the 13th September. We advocate continuing to press for a new Edict superseding the Decree of 9th May, cancelling the appointment of High Commissioners, and reinstate the Inspector-General in former powers. No other solution of full control and in previous direct relations with Wai-wu Pu is satisfactory.
375
į
2
annexed telegram from Hong Kong, that nothing but reversion to the status quo unte the Imperial Edict can save the Imperial Maritime Customs Service from deterioration.
An example of the deterioration that ensues when a Department is removed from foreign and placed under Chinese control is furnished by the so-called Water Police at Canton. For many years the shipping, both native and foreign, has been controlled to the satisfaction of everybody by the Harbour Master, who, as in all other Treaty ports, The Viceroy created is a foreigner in the employ of the Imperial Maritime Customs. not long ago to fulfil these duties a new force, under Chinese control, which challenged the Harbour Master's authority, announcing that their orders only were to be obeyed. The consequence (we are informed by our Hong Kong branch) was that "Disorder set in, and the work of years spent in instilling obedience into the owners of native craft was wiped out. No funds being provided for the maintenance of these so-called police, their first care was to make up for this neglect by instituting method of squeeze. The Those best berths were put up to the highest bidders among the flower-boat owners, who paid highly were allowed to lie even in the fairway, whereas formerly these craft The Harbour Master had to maintain their evil existence outside the harbour limits. protested in vain, until at length the inconvenience grew to be so great that some channels--notably, a narrow one close to the Dutch Folly-were well nigh impassable, The magnitude of this evil worked its own cure eventually, and these particular flower- boats were ordered away, but lesser numbers of them still obstruct the fairway in other places, and all efforts to have them removed prove vain because the Water Police have an interest in their remaining where they are, and encourage them to defy the efforts In a small way the establishment of the Harbour Master to keep the fairways clear.
of this new service is on all fours with the creation of the new Board.
of the latter, so it is with the former--abolition is the only cure.'
As in the case
The difficulty of substantiating certain reports of act and intention is admitted, and it may be that the storm of objection will persuade the new authority to stay temporarily its hand, but the conviction of the Committee that serious changes were and are intended remains unshaken. It is in that conviction that they venture to impart to you reports which have reached them, as tending to confirm their impression that pre-existing conditions will be modified insidiously rather than de front.
I have, &c. (Signed) JOSEPH WELCH,
Hon. Secretary.
3
Extract from the " North China Herald" of August 24, 1906.
The Governor of Shantung has received a despatch from the Customs Comptrollers- General, their Excellencies Tich Liang and Tang Shao-yi, in which he is instructed to note that, since a Customs Department has been established by Imperial Decree, all questions relating to Customs affairs are to be referred to that Department, excepting questions having an international bearing, which are to be referred to the Wai-wu Pu, and other matters relating purely to the receipt and disbursement of the revenues, which should be referred to the Board of Revenues. On receipt of the despatch, his Excellency the Governor has issued instructions to his subordinates accordingly,
Extract from the "Journal" (for October) of the American Asiatic Association.
The United States is not less interested than Great Britain in preserving unimpaired the status of the Imperial Maritime Customs, and our Government may very properly be urged to join that of Great Britain in insisting on assurances more definite, more comprehensive, and more binding for the future than the somewhat equivocal assertion of Prince Ching.
Addendu.
As the question of the immutability of an Imperial Edict has been raised, I may be permitted to remark on the incompatibility of the position of Tang Shao-yi with the Edict of the 24th July, 1901, relating to Article XII of the Protocol of Peking. That Edict admits, as a reason for changing the constitution of the Tsung-li Yameu, that "the Princes and Ministers who composed it exercised the functions appertaining to it, for the most part, accessorily to others, (so that) they could not devote themselves to it exclusively"; and concluded "il convient donc naturellement de créer des fonctions spéciales, afin que chacun ait son attribution propre The case of Tang Shao-yi, who holds numerous appointments, would appear to represent a breach of this Edict, and a reversion to the evils it was intended to combat. The subsidiary inconvenience of having to negotiate with Tang Shao-yi at the Wai-wu Pu regarding the position and acts of Tang Shao-yi at the Shui Wu Chu are too obvious to need comment.
(Telegraphic,)
35
China Association, Hong Kong, to China Association, London,
Hong Kong, October 16, 1906. We indorse views expressed the "Times" London leader, the 13th September. We a ocate continue press for new Edict superseding Decree 9th May, cancelling appotment High Commissioners, and reinstate Inspector-General in former powers No other solution of full control and in previous direct relations with Wai-wu Pu. satisfactory.
375
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.