CO129-531-15 Chinese customs- proposed agreement with Hong Kong 9-7-1931 - 17-1-1932 — Page 58

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which immediate signature could be

authorised from the British side.

2. One amendment of substance

is proposed

ཀ

Article 12 (d) as worded in the

draft appears to give the

Hong Kong authorities, acting on

behalf of the Chinese Customs,

a power to seize large ocean-going

vessels on the ground that

some salt may have been

secreted on part of the vessel

by a member of the crew or

even by a passenger. This

hardly seems reasonable; but

general international practice is

to confine powers of seizure to

the type of small craft on which,

if smuggling takes place, it is

likely to be with the

cognisance of the master or

owner

or owner-master.

For

example

f