753
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[43874]
No. 1.
[December 16.]
SECTION 1.
(No. 532.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received December 16.)
Peking, November 25, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith copies of correspondence respecting a desire expressed by the firms engaged in the Persian opium trade in Hong Kong to be allowed to import into China at the beginning of a particular year shipments made under permits issued in the previous year, and also to be allowed to use at any time during the period extending to the end of 1916 permits of which use may not have been made during the year of issue.
From the letter of the Acting Inspector-General of Customs, you will observe that Sir Robert Bredon has granted the first request, but has not seen his way to acceding to the second, for reasons in which, as explained in my despatch to the Governor of Hong Kong, I quite concur.
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Sir,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Governor Sir F. Lugard to Sir J. Jordan.
Government House, Hong Kong, November 2, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to inform your Excellency, with reference to my despatch of the 29th August last, that correspondence has recently taken place between four firms in this Colony interested in the Persian opium trade and the Commissioner of Customs on the subject of the Customs notification respecting importation of non-Indian opium into China, dated the 30th June last, and that I have been requested by Messrs. David Sassoon and Co. (Limited), on behalf of these firms, to request your Excellency to represent to the Chinese Government that some small quantity of opium, for which an import permit was issued and which was shipped towards the end of any one year, may only arrive in China early in the following year; and also that some quantity of opium, shipped under the permit in 1916, may even enter early in 1917. The merchants in question request that no exception may be taken to such bona fide post annum entries. They also request that any unused permits of one particular year should be available for the following years until the end of 1916, and that the unused permits should not be considered as cancelled.
2. I understand that Mr. Harris has conceded the first request, but that he demurred to the second request, and has referred the matter to Peking; and I shall be glad if your Excellency will be good enough to take such steps as you may deem best to protect the interests of the firms in question.
I have, &c.
(Signed) F. D. LUGARD,
Dear Sir John,
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Sir R. Bredon to Sir J. Jordan.
Inspectorate-General of Customs, Peking, November 19, 1908.
I HAVE received your note regarding the wishes of the opium merchants at Kowloon; they had already been communicated to me by Mr. Harris. I do not see that I can do better than give you an opportunity of reading my last despatch to him.
It will show you, I think, that I am prepared to go as far as I can to meet their wishes, so long as the principles of the rules are maintained; if they have to be changed, I must consult the Chinese.
[2050 q-1]
753
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
>)
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
*)
[43874]
No. 1.
[December 16.]
SECTION 1.
(No. 532.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received December 16.)
Peking, November 25, 1908. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith copies of correspondence respecting a desire expressed by the firms engaged in the Persian opium trade in Hong Kong to be allowed to import into China at the beginning of a particular year shipments made under permits issued in the previous year, and also to be allowed to use at any time during the period extending to the end of 1916 permits of which use may not have been made during the year of issue.
From the letter of the Acting Inspector-General of Customs, you will observe that Sir Robert Bredon has granted the first request, but has not seen his way to acceding to the second, for reasons in which, as explained in my despatch to the Governor of Hong Kong, I quite concur.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Sir,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Governor Sir F. Lugard to Sir J. Jordan.
J. N. JORDAN.
Government House, Hong Kong, November 2, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to inform your Excellency, with reference to my despatch of the 29th August last, that correspondence has recently taken place between four firms in this Colony interested in the Persian opium trade and the Commissioner of Customs on the subject of the Customs notification respecting importation of non-Indian opium into China, dated the 30th June last, and that I have been requested by Messrs. David Sassoon and Co. (Limited), on behalf of these firms, to request your Excellency to represent to the Chinese Government that some small quantity of opium, for which an import permit was issued and which was shipped towards the end of any one year, may only arrive in China early in the following year; and also that some quantity of opium, shipped under the permit in 1916, may even enter early in 1917. The merchants in question request that no exception may be taken to such bond fide post annum entries. They also request that any unused permits of one particular year should be available for the following years until the end of 1916, and that the unused permits should not be considered as cancelled.
2. I understand that Mr. Harris has conceded the first request, but that he demurred to the second request, and has referred the matter to Peking; and I shall be glad if your Excellency will be good enough to take such steps as you may deem best to protect the interests of the firms in question.
I have, &c.
F. D. LUGARD,
(Signed)
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Dear Sir John,
Sir R. Bredon to Sir J. Jordan.
Inspectorate-General of Customs, Peking, November 19, 1908.
I HAVE received your note regarding the wishes of the opium merchants at Kowloon; they had already been communicated to me by Mr. Harris. I do not see that I can do better than give you an opportunity of reading my last despatch to him.
It will show you, I think, that I am prepared to go as far as I can to meet their wishes, so long as the principles of the rules are maintained; if they have to be changed, I must consult the Chinese.
[2050 q-1]
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.