671491-1885-Vegetables-Supply- — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 17TH OCTOBER, 1885.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.--No. 402. The following correspondence is published for general information.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 17th October, 1885.

No. 1404.

(1.)

FREDERICK STEWART,

Acting Colonial Secretary,

Acting Colonial Secretary, Hongkong, to H.B.M. Consul, Canton.

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,

HONGKONG, 10th October, 1885.

SIR,--I have the honour, by direction of the Governor, to inform you that no Vegetables have arrived in this Colony from Canton for several days, in consequence, as is alleged, of the imposition of a tax on them by the Chinese Authorities.

His Excellency will be obliged by your making an early representation on the subject to the Viceroy. As a daily supply of from 40 to 50 tons of Vegetables is required here, the present stoppage is a matter of very serious consequence to the Colony.

Acting Colonial Secretary to Dr. HANCE, No. 2052 of

14th Nov., 1881; and Dr. HANCE to Acting Colonial

Secretary, No. 53 of 19th November, 1881.

If you will be good enough to refer to the correspondence noted in the margin, you will see that, on a former occasion, when a representation was made on a similar subject to the Chinese Authorities, the Superintendent of Customs expressly exempted Vegetables from the category of exports properly dutiable by law. Sir GEORGE BOWEN is therefore of opinion that all that is necessary on the present occasion is the mention of the matter by you to the Viceroy, and His Excellency is confident that your good offices will speedily secure a return to the hitherto unrestricted supply of this important article of food.

C. T. GARDNER, Esq.,

Her Britannic Majesty's Consul,

CANTON,

(2.)

I have, &c.,

FREDERICK STEWART,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

H.B.M. Consul, Canton, to Acting Colonial Secretary, Hongkong.

No. 67.

HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S CONSULATE,

CANTON, 14th October, 1885.

SIR,--In reply to your

No. 1404 of 10th instant, I have the honour to state for the information of His Excellency Sir GEORGE BOWEN, that I to-day called on Ilis Excellency HAI, the Superintendent of Customs of this province.

Mr. HAI was good enough to inform me that the duty on Vegetables had been imposed, not to raise a revenue, but to prevent smuggling, many half-chests of Tea having lately been smuggled to Hongkong in Vegetable's baskets; he promised to order that in future all Vegetables and fresh Fruit that have hitherto been allowed to go to Hongkong free of duty shall be allowed to do so in future, and His Excellency was kind enough to promise that he would see to the matter this very afternoon.

I have, &c.,

C. T. GARDNER.

The Honourable F. STEWART, LL.D.,

*

Acting Colonial Secretary,

HONGKONG.

(3.)

No. 1438.

Acting Colonial Secretary, Hongkong, to H.B.M. Consul, Canton.

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,

HONGKONG, 17th October, 1885.

SIR, I have the honour, by direction of the Governor, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 67 of the 14th instant, intimating that all restrictions had now been removed from the importation into this Colony of Vegetables and fresh Fruit from Canton.

In reply I am to express His Excellency's satisfaction at the complete success which attend! your representations, and to thank you for the prompt attention you gave to the matter.

C. T. GARDNER, Esq.,

Her Britannic Majesty's Consul,

CANTON.

2

I have, &c.,

FREDERICK STEWART,

Acting Colonial Secretur; -,