Directory_and_Chronicle_1913 — Page 98

THE BRITISH COMMERCIAL TREATY WITH CHINA

85

ANNEX B-(3.)

(TRANSLATION.)

Lu, President of the Board of Works;

SHENG, Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, Vice-President of the Board of Works;

Imperial Chinese Commissioners for dealing with questions connected with the Commercial Treaties, to

SIR JAMES L. MACKAY, His Britannic Majesty's Special Commissioner

Shanghai, September 5th, 1902.

We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of to-day's date with regard to the allocation of the surtax funds allotted to the Provinces, and to inform you that the views therein expressed are the same as our own.

We would, however, wish to point out that, were the whole amount of the alloca tion due paid over to the Provinces, unnecessary expense would be incurred in the retransmission by them of such portions thereof as would have to be remitted to Peking in place of the contributions hitherto payable out of lekin revenue. The amount, therefore, of the allocation due to the Provinces, arranged between them and the Board of Revenue, will be retaine l in the hands of the Maritime Customs, who wil await the instructions of the Provinces in regard to the remittance of such portion thereof as may be necessary to fulfil their obligations, and (on receipt of these instructions) will send forward the amount direct. The balance will be held to the order of the Provinces.

In so far as lekin is pledged to the service of the 1898 loan, a similar method of procedure will be adopted.

As you request that this correspondence be annexed to the Treaty, we have the honour to state that we see no objection to this being done.

ANNEX C.

INLAND WATERS STE AM NAVIGATION

ADDITIONAL RULES.

1.—British steamship owners are at liberty to lease warehouses and jetties on the banks of waterways from Chinese subjects for a term not exceeding 25 years, with option of renewal on terps to bɔ muually arranged. In cases where British mer- chants are unable to see warehouses and jetties from Chinese subjects on satis- factory terms, the local officials, after consultation with the Minister of Commerce, shall arrange to provide these on renewable lease as above mentioned at current equitable rites

2.-Jetties shall only be erected in such positions that they will not obstruct the inland waterway or interfere with navigation, and with the sanction of the nearest Commissioner of Customs; such san tion, however, shall not be a bitrarily withheld.

3.-British merchants shall pay taxes and contributions on these warehouses and jett'es on the same footing as Chinese proprietors of similar properties in the neigh- bourhood. British me chints may only employ Chinese agents and staff to reside in warehouses so leased at pla es touched at by steamers engaged in inland traffic to erry on their business; but Brit sh merchants may visit these places from time to time to look after their aff irs. The existing rights of Chinese jurisdiction over Chinese subjects shall not by reason of this clause be diminished or interfered with in any way.

4.-Steam vessels navigating the inland waterways of China shall be responsible for loss caused to riparian propr etors by damage which they may do to the banks or works on them and for the loss which may be caused by such damage. In the

●vent of China desiring to prohibit the use of some particular shallow waterway by

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