XXIT
RULES REGARDING THE TARIFF.
must be reported to the Consul under Article XXXVII. of the Treaty of Tien-tsin, shall be understood to commence from the time a British vessel comes within the limits of the port; as, also the term of forty-eight hours allowed her by Artiele XXX. of the same Treaty to remain in port without payment of tonnage-dues.
The limits of the ports shall be defined by the Customs, with all consideration for the convenience of trade, compatible with due protection of the revenue; also the limits of the anchorages within which lading and discharging is permitted by the Customs; and the same shall be notified to the Consul for public information.
RULE 7. Transit Dues.—It is agreed that Article XXVIII. of the Treaty of Tien-tsin shall be interpreted to declare the amounts of transit-dues legally leviable upon merchandise imported or exported by British subjects, to be one half of the tariff duties, except in the case of the duty-free goods liable to a transit-duty of 21 per cent ad valorem, as provided in Article II. of these Rules. Merchandise shall be cleared of its transit dues under the following conditions:-
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In the case of Imports.-Notice being given at the port of entry, from which the Imports are to be forwarded inland, of the nature and quantity of the goods, the ship from which they have been landed and the place inland to which they are bound, with all other necessary particulars, the Collector of Customs, will, on due inspection made, and on receipt of the transit-duty due, issue a transit-duty certificate. This must be produced at every barrier station, and vised. No further duty will be leviable upon imports so certificated, no matter how distant the place of their destination.
In the case of Exports.-Produce purchased by a British subject in the interior will be inspected, and taken account of, at the first barrier it passes on its way to the port of shipment. The memorandum showing the amount of the produce and the port at which it is to be shipped, will be deposited there by the person in charge of the produce; he will then receive a certificate, which must be exhibited and vised at every barrier, on his way to the port of shipment. Ou the arrival of the produce at the barrier nearest the port, notice must be given to the Customs at the port, and the transit-dues due thereon being paid, it will be passed. On exportation the pro- duce will pay the tariff duty.
Any attempt to pass goods inwards or outwards, otherwise than in compliance with the rule here laid down, will render them liable to confiscation.
Unauthorised sale, in transitu, of goods that have been entered as above for a port, will render them liable to confiscation. Any attempt to pass goods in excess of the quantity specified in the certificate will render all the goods of the same denomination named in the certificate, liable to confiscation. Permission to export produce, which cannot be proved to have paid its transit-does, will be refused by the Customs until the transit-dues shall have been paid. The above being the arrange- ment agreed to regarding the transit-dues, which will thus be levied once and for all, the notification required under Article XXVIII. of the Treaty of Tien-tsin, for the information of British and Chinese subjects, is hereby dispensed with.
RULE 8. Foreign Trade under Passport. It is agreed that Article IX. of the Treaty of Tien-tsin shall not be interpreted as authorising British subjects to enter the capital city of Peking, for purposes of trade.
RULE 9. Abolition of the Meltage Fee. It is agreed that the percentage of one tael two mace, hitherto charged in excess of duty payments to defray the expenses of melting by the Chinese Government, shall be no longer levied on British subjects.
RULE 10. Collection of Duties under ons System at all Ports.-It being, by Treaty, at the option of the Chinese Government to adopt what means appear to it best suited to protect its revenue accruing on British trade, it is agreed that one uni- form system shall be enforced at every port.
The high officer appointed by the Chinese Government to superintend foreign
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