CO129-517-2 Correspondence on proposed Chinese and Hong Kong agreements over Customs 13-11-1929 - 28-12-1929 — Page 44

47

F

8

ARTICLE XVIII.

All seizures by the Hong Kong Government under the terms of this Agreement on behalf of the Chinese Maritime Customs shall forthwith be transferred to the Chinese Maritime Customs for safe custody, to be held by the Chinese Maritime Customs at the disposal of the Hong Kong Government pending the decision of the case. As between the Hong Kong Government and the Chinese Maritime Customs, the cost of any loss, damage or expense incurred during such period of safe custody shall be borne by the Chinese Maritime Customs.

ARTICLE XIX.

Nothing contained in this Agreement shall affect the right of the Hong Kong Government to make on its own account and hehalf seizures of any description authorised by the law of the Colony and to detain and deal with any thing so seized as may be required or authorised by such law.

}

9

ARTICLE XXIII,

This Agreement has been prepared in English and in Chinese. In the event of there being any difference of meaning between the English and the Chinese texts the sense as expressed in the English text shall be held to be the correct sense.

ARTICLE XXIV.

This Agreement shall come into force on the

ARTICLE XX.

The cost to the Hong Kong Government of maintaining a service of revenue offi- cers for whole time duty with the Chinese Maritime Customs for the purpose of legalizing seizures made within the Colony on behalf of the Chinese Maritime Customs, including the cost of leave, passages, pensions and compensation for injury, shall be refunded by the Chinese Maritime Customs to the Hong Kong Government. Such revenue officers shall be entitled to share in the rewards, issued by the Chinese Maritime Customs, for seizures in the making of which they have assisted. Services performed by preventive officers of the Chinese Maritime Customs on behalf of the Hong Kong Government shall be paid for by the Hong Kong Government as shall be agreed upon mutually hereafter. Such preventive officers shall be entitled to share in the rewards issued by the Hong Kong Government for seizures in the making of which they have assisted.

ARTICLE XXI.

Both Governments agree to take the necessary steps to enforce the foregoing articles by such ordinances, edicts, or regulations as may be appropriate to give them the force of law.

ARTICLE XXII.

This Agreement shall remain in force for a period of ten years. It is subject to revision at any time by mutual agreement between the High Contracting Parties and unless denounced by either party six months before date of expiry it shall continue in force from year to year, until either party shall give six months notice of its desire to terminate it. During the duration of this Agreement the Commissioner of Chinese Customs in Hong Kong shall continue to be British, and shall be a person acceptable to the Hong Kong Government.

:

t

Done at

copies in Chinese) the

SCHEDULE.

in ouad uplicate (four copies in English and four

being the

day of

moon of the

48