CO129-521-13 Chinese Customs- proposed agreement with Hong Kong 27-8-1930 - 16-10-1930 — Page 453

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ARTICLE IV.

So long as this Agreement shall remain in force the Hongkong Government will permit the Imperial Maritime Customs to maintain a sub-office at Shamshuipo or elsewhere as may be approved by the Hongkong Government for Customs purposes.

ARTICLE V.

Steam-launches duly registored by the Imperial Maritime Customs under the Inland Waters Steam Navigation Regulations may trade between Hongkong and non-open ports in the Liang Kwang Provinces provided that:

(a) On each occasion of arrival at or departure from Hongkong the launch master shall deposit his manifest in duplicate with the Harbour Authority, who shall send one copy to the Imperial Maritime Customs Commissioner.

(b) The launch master shall apply for and be granted a special pass from the Imperial Maritime Customs for each trip, which shall specify the destination and places at which the launches may desire to call and the Customs stations to be called at on the inward and outward voyages to and from China. The launch must proceed direct to the first Customs station specified on the pass. (c) All launches proceeding to non-treaty ports in the Liang Kwang Provinces under this Article must call at the Imperial Maritime Customs sub-office agreed upon by the Hongkong Government, where cargo and baggage will be examined and hatches may be sealed after loading. Dues may be paid, at the master's option, at such sub-office or at the station specified on the pass. (d) On the return voyage from such ports, launches with their passengers and cargo must proceed to the Imperial Maritime Customs sub-office agreed upon by the Hongkong Government for examination and payment of the necessary dues, if any, to such sub-office.

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(e) Evasion or omission to report at the specified Customs station on the inward

and outward voyage will entail confiscation of launch and cargo.

ARTICLE VI.

Junks and lighters registered by the Imperial Maritime Customs may be towed between Hongkong and non-open ports in the Liang Kwang Provinces by steam-launches duly registered by the Imperial Maritime Customs under the Inland Waters Steam Navigation Regulations, and in that case such junks, lighters, and launches will be treated as junks under sail and be required to conform with the rules governing junk traffic and the procedure prescribed in Article V of this Convention.

ARTICLE VIL

Lighters towed by launches to treaty ports in the Liang Kwang Provinces may have their hatches sealed by the Imperial Maritime Customs prior to departure, and such vessels may then proceed direct to their destination. The Imperial Maritime Customs reserve the

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right, however, to require the launch to call in at a Customs station en route for search. Launches and lighters found guilty of revenue offences will be subject to heavy Customs penalties.

ARTICLE VIII.

Foreign goods carried by junks or launches registered as in Article V clearing from Hongkong, Victoria Harbour, for non-open ports in the Liang Kwang Provinces may acquit themselves of import and transit dues before departure and be granted transit passes. Report for Customs purposes must be made at the Imperial Maritime Customs sub-office agreed upon by the Hongkong Government. Junks and launches carrying transit pass cargo will be subject to the usual rules re call at the Customs stations specified on the pass.

ARTICLE IX,

Goods from treaty ports in China under Customs documents in transit through the Colony may be placed under Customs supervision, ie, landed, pending transmission by sea or by railway within a specified time, into prescribed godowns (to be agreed upon) open to the Imperial Maritime Customs, and may maintain their original status and receive the benefit of their original Customs documents at final port on arrival.

ARTICLE X

For the better prevention of smuggling across the land frontier of the Colony, the Government of Hongkong will select, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Imperial Maritime Customs, certain ports of entry for merchandise, including livestock. Cattle or goods found in transit across the frontier of the Colony from Chinese territory which are not in possession of the proper Customs documents will be detained pending their production, or sent back to China,

ARTICLE XI.

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The Imperial Maritime Customs will take active steps to prevent the illicit entry into the Colony from China of liquor, opium, compounds of opium, and morphine, and will co-operate with the Hongkong Government in controlling such traffic by sea and by land.

ARTICLE XII.

For the promotion of accurate knowledge, and in the interests of Chinese revenue, the Government of Hongkong will, so far as the conditions of the free port admit of it, collect and publish statistics of imports and exports.

ARTICLE XIII,

Office and godown accommodation for the examination and storage of goods carried by the Kowloon-Canton Railway and for payment of duties thereon will be provided at reasonable

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