Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 446

406

Journal of Occurrences.

weight must be reckoned as at the time of sale, allowing a deduction of ten per cent. (tare). And on paying the money, the weight is to be according to the trea- surer's scale, and not of the tea scales, so as to pay less.

6. When chests of tea are furnished as samples to the dealer with foreigners, five catties from a chest is the standard which he is allowed to take out as a muster; should he exceed this, he must pay the ten-merchant for the excess, according to the value of the tea, and can not refuse it.

7. Persons having undertaken the warehouse business, subsequently desiring to go into other occupations, will be permitted to report the same and retire, delivering their licenses back to the old long-merchants to be handed over to government and cancelled

8. These regulations are established with a primary view to maintain a surveillance over the tea trade, and thus to guard against emuggling and other like evils: if any do not conform to them, then, by the tea warehouses, they are to be reported to the authorities, to be prosecuted and punished.

9. As to the deduction of two mace to repay the money from the imperial treasury, the responsibility is fixed upon the dealers in foreign_trade who purchase the teas, who, upon the day of weighing and delivering the teas, are immediately to take this money, and deliver it over to the tea warehouses, to be transferred by them to the Consoo of the old hong-merchants, and by them paid into the treasury, in order to show the importance of imperial treasury items.

Tankwang, 30th year, 4th moon, 29th day. (June 9th, 1850.)

A faithful translation, PETER PARKER.

These regulations were considered as contravening the stipulations of the treaties in relation to monopolies, and this view of the matter was brought to H. E.'s notice by the foreign officials. S'e answer to the American charge d'affaires is here introduced to explain his ideas on this point.

Su Kwangtsin, hereditary viscount of the first grade, Governor-general of the Two Kwang provinces, ez officio a president of the Board of War, minis- ter and commissioner of the Great Pure Dynasty, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the honorable Commissioner's dispatch making inquiries relative to the subject of the establishment of tea warehouses, and levying commis- sions by the old hong-merchants, which he has perused and fully understands. It appears on examination that the old hong-merchants, inasmuch as they were in debt for money borrowed from the public item (i. e. the government treasury), and were without the means of repaying it, after deliberation decided, from the tea warehouses old bong commission of five mace, to deduct tion mace, in oder to liquidate their debt:- [an arrangeinent] which in no way whatever concerns either the Chinese or foreign merchants; therefore, during the last year, they memorialized the government upon the subject, and [were authoris ed] to manage accordingly. Now, the two district magistrates of Nanhai and Pwanyu, according to the publicly adopted regulations of all the tea ware- houses, have issued a perspicuous Proclamation, that all both far and near, universally, may understand them, and adhere to the same for ever. As requisite, I make this reply, and avail myself of the occasion to present you my compli ments, and wishes for your health and happiness. The two original dispatches are herewith returned.

The foregoing communication is addressed to Peter Parker, chargé d'af- faires, ad interim, of the United States of America to China.

Táukwáng, 30th year, 6th monu, 5th day. (13th July, 1850).

Movements of missionaries. The Rev. W. Gillespie cmbarked for England in the P. & O. St. Braganza on the 24th inst.; he does not expect to return to China. The Rev. J. V. N. Talmage and Mrs. Talmaga arrived at Hong- kong in the Tartar from New York on the 6th inst, and soon after left for Amoy. Misses Tenney and Baker came in the same vessel, the former to join the Amer. Epis. mission at Shanghai, the latter the Baptist mission at Canton. Rev. R. S. Maclay and Miss H. R. Sperry were married on the 10th inst. at Hongkong, and have since left for Fuhchau.