CO129-360 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 358

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Goverment.]

C. O.

5086

356

Rea? 1. FED O

[January 28.]

SECTION 1.

Article 10 of the same Treaty:

"His Majesty the Emperor agrees to establish at all the ports which are by Article 11 of this Treaty to be thrown open for the resort of British merchants a fair and regular Tariff of export and import customs and other dues, which Tariff shall be publicly notified and promulgated for general information; and the Emperor further engages that, when British merchandize shall have once paid at any of the said ports the regulated customs and dues, agreeable to the Tariff to be hereafter fixed, such merchandize may be conveyed by Chinese merchants to any province or city in the interior of the Empire of China on paying a further amount as transit dues, which shall not exceed per cent. on the Tariff value of such goods."

Article 14 of the French Treaty of Tien-tsin of 1858 :-----

"Aucune Société de Commerce privilégiée ne pourra désormais s'établir en Obine, et il en sera de même de toute coalition organisée dans le but d'exercer un monopole sur le commerce. En cas de contravention du présent Article les autorités chinoises, sur les représentations du Consul ou de l'Agent Consulaire, aviseront aux moyens de dissoudre de semblables associations, dont elles s'efforceront d'ailleurs de prévenir l'existence par des prohibitions préalables, afin d'écarter tout ce qui pourrait porter atteinte à la libre concurrence.'

"

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL,

[3664]

No. 1.

Mr. Whitelaw Reid to Sir Edward Grey,-(Received January 28.)

THE American Ambassador presents his compliments to Sir Edward Grey, and, with reference to his note of the 16th instant, begs to state, for the information of His Majesty's Government, that Austria-Hungary and Italy have been invited to participate in the deliberations of the International Opium Commission which is shortly to be held at Shanghae.

American Embassy, London, January 27, 1909.

[2090 ee-1]

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Also to the correspondence entitled "An Opium Monopoly at Nanking," at p. of the Appendix to the Report of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, 1907.

Finally, we submit that, so long as the Indian Government cultivates the growth of the poppy and sells opium, it is logical that any interference with Treaty rights with regard to the sale of opium in China should be rigorously protested against, and that every means should be taken to compel China to carry out and fulfil her Treaty obligations.

We submit, further, that the Chinese Government should not be allowed to make any Regulations contrary to Treaty which will affect the free sale of opium from India, the growth of which, under agreement between the British and Chinese Governments, is to be reduced gradually over a period of years,

We have, &c.

David Sassoon and Co. (Limited),

(Signed)

E. SHELLING, Manager.

E. D. SASSOON AND Co.

S. J. DAVID AND CO. E. PABANY.

(Per pro. Tata Sons and Co.),

R. W. TATA.

H. M. H. NEMAZEE.

M. H. F. ELIAS,

P. F. TALATI.

COWASJEE, PALLANJEE, AND CO.

(Per pro. Phirosha B. Petit and Co.),

S. D. SETNA.

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