Directory_and_Chronicle_1885 — Page 877

170

TIENTSIN TREATY, 1858.

·

A. XLV-British merchants who may have imported merchandise into any of the open ports, and paid the duty thereon, if they desire to re-export the same, shall be entitled to make application to the Superintendent of Customs, who in order to prevent fraud on the revenue, shall cause (xamination to be made by suitable officers, to see that the duties paid on such goods, as entered in the Custom-house books, correspond with the representation made, and that the goods remain with their original marks unchanged. He shall then make a memorandum on the port-clearance of the goods, and of the amount of duties paid, and deliver the same to the merchant, and shall also certify the acts to the officers of Customs of the other ports. All which being done, on the arrival in port of the vessel in which the goods are laden, every- thing being found on examination there to correspond, she shall be permitted to break bulk, and land the said goods, without being subject to the payment of any additional duty thereon. But if, on such examination, the Superintendent of Customs shall detect any fraud on the revenue in the case, then the goods shall be subject to con fiscation by the Chinese Government.

British merchants desiring to re-export duty-paid imports to a foreign country shall be entitled, on complying with the same conditions as in the case of re-exporta- tion to another port in China, to a drawback-certificate, which shall be a valid fender to the Customs in payment of import or export duties.

Foreign grain brought into any port of China in a British ship, if no part thereof has been landed, may be re-exported without hindrance.

Art. XLVI. The Chinese authorities at each port shall adopt the means they may judge most proper to prevent the revenue suffering from fraud or smuggling.

Art. XLVII-British merchant-vessels are not entitled to resort to other than the ports of trade declared open by this Treaty, they are not unlawfully to enter other ports in China or to carry on clandestine trade along the coast thereof. Any vessel violating this provision, shall, with her cargo, be subject to confiscation by the Chinese Coverument.

1

Art. XLVIII.--If any British merchant-vessel be concerned in smuggling, the goods, whatever their value or nature, shall be subject to confiscation by the Chinese authorities, and the ship may be prohibited from trading further, and sent away as soon as her account shall have been adjusted and paid.

Art. XLIX. All penalties enforced, or confiscations made, under this Treaty, shall belong and be appropriated to the public service of the Government of China.

Art. L.-All official communications, addressed by the Diplomatic and Consular Agents of Her Majesty the Queen to the Chinese authorities, shall, henceforth, be writ ten in English. They will for the present be accompanied by a Chinese version, but it is understood that, in the event of there being any difference of meaning between the English and Chinese text, the English Government will hold the sense as expressed in the English text to be the correct sense. This provision is to apply to the Treaty now negotiated, the Chinese text of which has been carefully corrected by the English original.

Art. LI. It is agreed that henceforward the character "7" (barbarian) shall not be applied to the Government or subjects of Her Britannic Majesty, in any Chinese official document issued by the Chinese authorities, either in the capital or in the provinces.

Art. LII. British ships of war coming for no hostile purpose, or being engaged the pursuit of pirates, shall be ut liberty to visit all ports within the dominions of the Emperor of China, and shall receive every facility for the purchase of provisions, procuring water, and, if occasion require, for the making of repairs. The commanders of such ships shall hold intercourse with the Chinese authorities on terms of equality

a le urtesy.

Art. LIII. In consideration of the injury sustained by native and foreign commerce from the prevalence of piracy in the seas of China, the high contracting parties agree to concert measures for its suppression.

Art. LIV. The British Government and its subjects are hereby confirmed in all privileges, immunities, and advantages conferred on them by previous Treaties; and it is hereby expressipulated that the British Government and its subjects will be allowed free and 4ticipation in all privileges, iminunities, and advantages that

1