CO129-521-13 Chinese Customs- proposed agreement with Hong Kong 27-8-1930 - 16-10-1930 — Page 220

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10.

to "the blockade." To remedy the laxity and

impose a restraint on evil intention, the

co-operation of the Chinese Maritime Customs

was invoked and Sir Robert Hart assisted to

the extent of putting foreign officers on

board the steam cruisers, with no control or

responsibility, but charged with the duty of

restraining these craft from committing

illegal actions.

7.

The Hong Kong community, however,

continued to have a feeling of exasperation

at this interference with the Colony's trade

and protesta were frequent. But in December

1879, at a conference with the Hong Kong

Chamber of Commerce, Sir Thomas Wade, His

Majesty's Minister at Peking, declared that

"the blockade stations would not be removed by

the Chinese until the Colony devised some

scheme by which the Chinese Government could

collect the revenue fairly due to them."

was held in Hong Kong to be a demand to

sacrifice the freedom of the port, in order to

gain the removal of the blockade.

8.

This

Meanwhile on the 13th September, 1876,

Sir T. Vade and Li Hung-chang had signed the

Chefoo Convention, the 7th article of which

was as follows:- "The Governor of Hongkong

having long complained of the interference

of the Canton Customs Revenue Cruisers with the

junk..

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