108
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government...
39169
Rece [October 27 001 08
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[34149]
No. 1.
SECTION 2.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received October 3.)
(No. 374.) Sir,
Peking, August 19, 1908. IN continuation of my despatch No. 336 of the 21st July, I have the honour to report that the question of the levy of li-kin on the Shanghae-Nanking Railway still remains unsettled.
On the 25th July the Board of Communications notified Mr. Bland, in writing, that instructions had been issued by the Revenue Council for the provisional issue of exemption certificates to cover duty-paid imports carried by the railway from one Treaty port to another.
To this Mr. Bland replied on the 29th July that, according to a telegram he had just received from Shanghae, permission to send goods under exemption certificate by the railway was still being refused, the Commissioner of Customs stating that the delay was due to opposition from the Viceroy of Nanking.
In a letter dated the 31st July from Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co. to Mr. Bland, this statement regarding the Viceroy's opposition was confirmed; but, in replying on the 12th August to telegraphic inquiries made by me on the previous day, His Majesty's Consul-General stated that the rules proposed by the Imperial Maritime Customs had only been submitted to the Viceroy and the Acting Inspector-General on the 31st July, and that the delay was due to the fact that the Commissioner at Shanghae had been obliged to collaborate with his colleagues in Soocbow, Chinkiang, and Nanking in drawing up his proposals.
On receipt of this information I immediately addressed a further note to Prince Ch'ing, copy of which I have the honour to inclose, in which I again notified the Chinese Government that they would be held responsible for any claims arising out of this denial of a Treaty right.
As regards the observation contained in your despatch No. 313 of the 7th July regarding the contention of the Wai-wu Pu that the conditions under which rail-borne and water-borne goods are transported are not the same, the Board doubtless had in mind the fact that, while the system of exemption certificates was primarily introduced to meet the requirements of "interport trade by steamer, special Regulations were found necessary to meet the case of interport traffic by the Lu-Han and Northern Railways in order to protect the revenue from losses by the discharge of goods at intermediate stations which are not Treaty ports.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Your Highness,
Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ch'ing.
Peking, August 13, 1908. WITH reference to previous correspondence and repeated conversations on the subject of exemption certificates for goods carried by the Shanghae-Nanking Railway from one Treaty port to another, I regret to inform your Highness that, in spite of the assurances, both written and verbal, which the Board has given me for months past that these certificates would be issued by the Imperial Maritime Customs, the Commissioner at Shanghae still remains without authority to issue exemption certificates even for foreign goods.
From a telegraphic report of His Majesty's Consul-General, dated yesterday, I learn that the delay has been due to the fact that the Commissioner at Shanghae was instructed to consult with his colleagues at other ports along the railway, and that the proposed rules were only submitted to the Viceroy at Nanking and the Acting Inspector-General of Customs on the 31st July.
[1983 6-2]
108
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government...
39169
Rece [October 27 001 08
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[34149]
No. 1.
SECTION 2.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received October 3.)
(No. 374.) Sir,
Peking, August 19, 1908. IN continuation of my despatch No. 336 of the 21st July, I have the honour to report that the question of the levy of li-kin on the Shanghae-Nanking Railway still remains unsettled.
On the 25th July the Board of Communications notified Mr. Bland, in writing, that instructions had been issued by the Revenue Council for the provisional issue of exemption certificates to cover duty-paid imports carried by the railway from one Treaty port to another.
To this Mr. Bland replied on the 29th July that, according to a telegram he had just received from Shanghae, permission to send goods under exemption certificate by the railway was still being refused, the Commissioner of Customs stating that the delay was due to opposition from the Viceroy of Nanking.
In a letter dated the 31st July from Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, and Co. to Mr. Bland, this statement regarding the Viceroy's opposition was confirmed; but, in replying on the 12th August to telegraphic inquiries made by me on the previous day, His Majesty's Consul-General stated that the rules proposed by the Imperial Maritime Customs had only been submitted to the Viceroy and the Acting Inspector-General on the 31st July, and that the delay was due to the fact that the Commissioner at Shanghae had been obliged to collaborate with his colleagues in Soocbow, Chinkiang, and Nanking in drawing up his proposals.
On receipt of this information I immediately addressed a further note to Prince Ch'ing, copy of which I have the honour to inclose, in which I again notified the Chinese Government that they would be held responsible for any claims arising out of this denial of a Treaty right.
As regards the observation contained in your despatch No. 313 of the 7th July regarding the contention of the Wai-wu Pu that the conditions under which rail-borne and water-borne goods are transported are not the same, the Board doubtless had in mind the fact that, while the system of exemption certificates was primarily introduced to meet the requirements of "interport trade by steamer, special Regulations were found necessary to meet the case of interport traffic by the Lu-Han and Northern Railways in order to protect the revenue from losses by the discharge of goods at intermediate stations which are not Treaty ports.
I bave, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Your Ilighness,
Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ch'ing.
Peking, August 13, 1908. WITH reference to previous correspondence and repeated conversations on the subject of exemption certificates for goods carried by the Shanghae-Nanking Railway from one Treaty port to another, I regret to inform your Highness that, in spite of the assurances, both written and verbal, which the Board has given me for months past that these certificates would be issued by the Imperial Maritime Customs, the Commissioner at Shanghae still remains without authority to issue exemption certificates even for foreign goods.
From a telegraphic report of His Majesty's Consul-General, dated yesterday, I learn that the delay has been due to the fact that the Commissioner at Shanghae was instructed to consult with his colleagues at other ports along the railway, and that the proposed rules were only submitted to the Viceroy at Nanking and the Acting Inspector-General of Customs on the 31st July.
[1983 6-2]
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