Directory_and_Chronicle_1877 — Page 588

TREATY BETWEEN PRUSSIA AND CHINA.

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All transit duties on produce brought from the interior to any of the open ports, or importations sent from any of the open ports into the interior of China, may be paid once for all.

If any of the Chinese officers violate the stipulations of this article by demanding illegal or higher duties than allowed by law, they shall be punished according to Chinese law.

Art. XXV.If the master of a merchant-vessel belonging to any of the contracting German States, having entered any of the open ports, should wish to land only a portion of his cargo, he shall only pay duties for the portion so landed. He may take the rest of the cargo to another port, pay duties there, and dispose of the same.

Art. XXVI. Merchants of any of the contracting German States, who may have imported merchandize into any of the open ports and paid duty thereon, if they desire to re-export the same, shall be entitled to make application to the Superintendent of Customs, who shall cause examination to be made to satisfy himself of the identity of the goods and of their having remained unchanged.

On such duty-paid goods the Superintendent of Customs shall, on application of the merchant wishing to re-export them to any other open port, issue a certificate, testifying the payment of all legal duties thereon.

The Superintendent of Customs of the port to which such goods are brought. shall, upon presentation of said certificate, issue a permit for the discharge and landing of them free of all duty, without any additional exactions whatever. But if, on comparing the goods with the certificate, any fraud on the revenue be detected, then the goods shall be subject to confiscation.

But if the goods are to be exported to a foreigu port, the Superintendent of Customs of the port, from which they are exported, shall issue a certificate, stating that the merchant who exports the goods has a claim on the Customs equal to the amount of duty paid on the goods. This certificate shall be a valid tender to the Customs in payment of import or export duties.

Art. XXVII.-No transhipment from one vessel to another can be made without special permission of the Superintendent of Customs, under pain of confiscation of the goods so transhipped, unless it be proved that there was danger in delaying the transhipment.

Art. XXVIII.-Sets of standard weights and measures, such as are in use at the Canton Custom House, shall be delivered by the Superintendent of Customs to the Consul at each port open to foreign trade. These measures, weights, and balances shall represent the ruling standard on which all demands and payment of duties are made and in case of any dispute they shall be referred to.

Art. XXIX.-Penalties enforced, or confiscations made for violation of this Treaty, or for the appended regulations, shall belong to the Chinese government.

Art. XXX. Ships-of-war belonging to the contracting German States cruising about for the protection of trade, or being engaged in the pursuit of pirates, shall be at liberty to visit, without distinction, all ports within the dominions of the Emperor of China. They shall receive every facility for the purchase of provisions, the procuring of water, and for making repairs. The commanders of such ships shall hold intercourse with the Chinese authorities on terms of equality and courtesy. Such ships shall not be liable to the payment of duties of any kind.

Art. XXXI.-Merchant-vessels belonging to any of the contracting German States, if from injury sustained, or from other causes, compelled to seek a place of refuge, shall be permitted to enter any port within the dominions of the Emperor of China without being subject of the payment of tonnage-dues or duties on the goods, if only landed for the purpose of making the necessary repairs of the vessel, and remaining under the supervision of the Superintendent of Customs. Should any such vessel be wrecked or stranded on the coast of China, the Chinese authorities shall immediately adopt measures for rescuing the crew and for securing the vessel and cargo. The crew thus saved shall receive friendly treatment, and if necessary, shall be furnished with the means of conveyance to the nearest Consular station.