CO129-349 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [10-12] — Page 492

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#licence must not be kept under penalty of a heavy fine." gurely this enactment would create a Monopoly and be contrary to Treaty.

In course of time the trade will obviously be in the hande of # few Chinese merchants.

We would refer you to Article 5 of the British Treaty of yanking 1042 to Article 10 of the game Treaty, and to Article 14 · of the French Treaty of Tiзntain of 1858 which for convenience

we quote in full :-

Article V of the British Trosty of Nanking 1842.

*The Government of China having compelled the British "Merchants trading at Canton to deal exclusively with "certain Chinese Merchants called Hong Merchants (or "eo-Rong) who had been licenced by the Chinese Govern- "mont for this purpose, the Emperor of China agrees to "abolish that practice in future at all ports where "Britieh Merchants may reɛida, and permit them to *carry on their mercantile transactionɛ with whatever *pergone they please, and His Imperial Majesty further

agrees to pay to the British Government the sum of "three millions of dollars, on account of dobte due to "British subjects by some of the paid Hong Merchants For co-lo ng,

who have become insolvent and who owe very *large eume of money to subjects of Her Britannic "Wajesty."

Article X of the same Treaty :-

"His Majeely the Emperor agrese to setablish at all the "ports which are by Article 11 of this Treaty to be "thrown open for the resort of British Merchants, & - *fair and regular tariff of expert and import custome "and other dues, which tariff shall be publicly moti- "ried and promulgated for general information, and the *Raperor further engage that, when British merchandise

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