Lyone
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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 5TH DECEMBER, 1868.
Chinese and Foreign, in concert with the marcantile community at each Port, to make those supplementary and subordinate provisions, if any, which local conditions may require; and I have only farther to enjoin you, in this and all other matters connected with the efficiency of the Pilotage service and the conser- vancy of the river or harbour under your jurisdiction, to give an effective support to the Harbour-master in the performance of his duties.
The better to secure the end in view, you will give publicity to the enclosed correspondence and documents, with the revised Regulations, that there may be the fullest information of all the steps taken, and the objects contemplated, by the Foreign Representatives and Tsungli Yamên in concert.-Your obedient servant,
RUTHERFORD ALCOCK.
H. M. CONSUL, &c., &c., &c.,
Canton.
Inclosure 1.
THE PRINCE OF Kuno, &c., &c., makes a communication.
With regard to the Fifteen Pilotage Rules: in April of last year the Prince sent a copy of these to the British Minister; and during July of the present year a communication was received from His Excellency the French Minister, to the effect that certain of the Regulations were impracticable. On this the Yamên instructed Mr. Hart to ascertain the number of vessels of each nation which had entered Port annually since the establishment of the Rules, as well as the number of Pilots employed. On the 8th July the despatch of His Excellency the British Minister, requesting also the settlement of Bye-laws and the Pilotage limits for each Port, was received.
*
The Inspector-General was accordingly directed to report in detail, and the Yamên has now received his reply as follows:-
"To enable me to reply to the instructions I had the honour to receive from the Yamên, I wrote at once to the Commissioners at the various Ports, directing them to make careful enquiries into, and to report upon, the condition of Foreign Traffic, as also upon the new Pilot Rules generally. I am now in possession of their several reports.
"It would seem that, from the 1st July 1867 to the 30th June 1868, six thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven Foreign Ships entered the Ports. Of these,-
3,861 were English.
»
31 were Spanish.
1,511 1,042 123
American.
13
Russian.
"
77
Prussian.
Hawaiian.
27
Dutch.
Austrian.
>>
""
113
French.
""
""
Belgian.
82
Siamese.
12
60
Danish.
>>
36
Swedish.
SN:
Italian.
""
South American.
""
"}
Japanese.
Of the 203 Pilots employed at the Ports,-
103 were Chinese.
6 were Danes.
""
40 English.
35
Americans.
""
10
Prussians.
"
2
1
1
Dutchmen. Austrian.
""
Pules in Chinese.
"The Commissioners also report that the Rules are all well adapted for the protection of shipping (interests); but that, from the varying requirements of the different Ports, some inconveniences were un- avoidable, and that some further discussion and modification would be necessary to render the Rules quite complete. It seems to me that the Rules are the first of their kind, and that the incongruities apparent after a year's experience should be carefully amended. Now, though the Rules are fifteen in number, they involve but four points of importance, viz.---
1st. The selection of Pilots by competitive examination.
2nd. The certification of Pilots by the Customs and local authorities.
3rd. The control of Pilots by the Harbour-master. 4th.-Compulsory Pilotage.
"Of these, the first and second are unobjectionable; the third has some inconveniences and practical difficulties; and as rules under the fourth will be voluntarily adopted by the shipping interest, their formal restrictions may be objectionable to the merchants, while the proper enforcement of such Rules will still further complicate Pilotage matters. It will be better therefore to dispense with the Rules. I beg to suggest, since the British and French Ministers have addressed the Yamên (on the subject), that the Fifteen Rules be embodied in Ten, so as to retain the first and second of the points mentioned above, and the third in a somewhat modified form. They will embody the workable portions of the former Code, and, with the addition of the Bye-laws agreed to at the Ports, will probably be generally accepted. The details of the Bye-laws required at the Ports cannot be decided on in anticipation; each Port must provide such as will suit its particular locality, reporting thereon as occasion requires. I enclose a copy of the proposed Rules for the consideration of the Yamên. I beg the Yamen will forward them to the various Foreign Ministers for consideration and approval. It should be distinctly understood that these Ten modified Rules are tentative only."
The Prince now sends His Excellency the British Minister a copy of these Itules. They are provi- sional only, and can be modified whenever they are found to be unsatisfactory.
A necessary communication.
October 30th, 1868.
&c., &c., &c.
Copy.
Inclosure 2.
INSPECTORATE-GENERAL OF CUSTOMS, PEKING, 30th October, 1868. SIR-I have the honour to enclose, in English and French, translation of the amended Pilotage Regulations; the Chinese version has, I presume, been already forwarded by the Tsungli-Yamên.
The aim and scope of these amended Rules is to provide a means by which none but qualified men shall be permitted to exercise the calling of a licensed Pilot at Treaty Ports,-to place in the hands of the
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