CO129-604-4 Immigration- control over entry from China 7-3-1947 - 5-11-1947 — Page 15

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from the high officers of the British nation, and Hong Kong being on the shores of the Chinese Empire, neither will there be any charges on imports and exports to the British Government. It is further clearly declared that there will be an immediate embargo upon the port of Canton and all the large ports of the Empire, if there be the least obstruction to the freedom of trade and inter- course with the port of Hong Kong. Persons bringing information to the British officers which shall lead to the detection of pirates will be liberally rewarded, and the pirates of will be taken and delivered over to the officers of the Chinese Government for punishment.

'CHARLES ELLIOT.

'At Macao, this 7th day of June, 1841.'"

It is interesting to note that the declaration made by

Sir Charles Elliot extended only to merchants and traders and could

hardly be alleged to cover the rag-tag-and-bobtail with whose entry

we are afflicted.

4.

There is a further footnote on the subject of "Smuggling"

of which I attach a copy.

5.

This is of interest

(a)

(b)

because it raises the point that at the time of Elliot's Proclamation Hong Kong had only been provisionally ceded and that the effect of the Treaty of Nanking in the following year was to abrogate the Proclamation; and

in that it refers to the Treaty of 8th October, 1843, (which supplemented that of Nanking) of which Article XIII provided that "should natives of China wish to repair to Hong Kong to purchase goods, they shall have full and free permission to do so.

Article I of the Treaty of Titsin renewed and confirmed

the Treaty of Nanking, but the second paragraph of this Article

abrogated the Supplementary Treaty, i. e. the Treaty of 8th October, 1843.

The paragraph in question reads as follows:-

"The Supplementary Treaty and General Regulations of Trade having been amended and improved, and the substance of their provisions having been incorporated in this Treaty, the said Supplementary Treaty and General Regulations of Trade are hereby abrogated."

I have been unable to find any copy of the Treaty of 8th October, 1843, but in the "Handbook of Commercial Treaties, 1931

to Art I of the Treaty of Tientsin identifies this

rty ther

Edition", a

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