CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 548

MINUTES.

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confined to the Frontier Trade between Tonkin and the Provinces of Yünnan and Kwang-si; that the Tariff would be a land Trade Tariff, high- er than the Russian Tariff, but lower than the Karitime Tariff; and that it would not injur- iously affect other Powers, adding that other foreign imports would be allowed to enter China across the same frontier on a similar rate of duty. Mr. O'Conor replied that if British marit time imports were placed generally at a dis- advantage, we should naturally expect redress. He deemed it undesirable to press the matter further, or to give the impression that he was throwing impediments in the way of the negotia- tions (May 22nd 1885).

On the 23rd May 1885 Lord Granville address ed a despatch to Mr. O'Conor, drawing his at- tention to the Most Favoured Nation Article of

the British Treaty of Tientsin of 1858. His Lordship stated that, although existing Treaties had reference only to Trade by sea with cer- tain specified ports, and gave this country no rights of trade across the land frontiers of China, our Treaty, nevertheless guaranteed equal participation in all privileges &c. which might be granted to any other nation. therefore, the above-mentioned Treaty between France and China admitted French goods into China by land at a lower duty than was paid by the same British goods when introduced by sea, or would confer on French citizens or commerce greater privileges than were enjoyed by Eritish

If,

(

subjects Her Majesty's Government would claim Most Favoured Nation Treatment under the Treaty of

1858.

The Board of Trade on the 5th August 1885 commented on the Franco-Chinese Treaty, pointing out that the privilege granted to French citizens of crossing the frontier could not be extended to British subjects unless British Consuls could be appointed with a view to the issue of the necessary passports and remarking that the in- tention of the Treaty was to establish inequal- ity, and that its provisions were inconsistent with the British Treaties with China. They suggested that Mr. O'Conor's attention should be drawn to Articles IV and VI (above quoted)

and at the same time they concurred in the in- structions given to him on the 23rd May already

alluded to.

The Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce expressed

the opinion that the right to appoint Consuls

in Yünnan and Kwangsi granted by the Treaty

could be claimed by Powers having Most Favoured

Nation clauses in their Treaties with China,

but that the differential duties would hardly

become applicable under those clauses unless the Chinese opened up the water communication of Kwantung into Western China, when directly con-

veyed merchandise should become subject to no

greater duty than was borne by goods crossing the

frontier by land. (Colonial Office, August 21st

1885).

The

subjects

(10,1001. Wt. 5683-41. 5000. 5/09. A. & F. W.