Sessional_Paper_1884 — Page 200

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(2.) That this Station should collect from junks the Tariff duty on imports going in them to treaty ports, and Tariff duty and half on imports taken in them to points on the Coast or up rivers, not treaty ports.

(3.) That the tax upon opium should be levied with the same lekin as it

would pay at Canton.

(4.) That every junk arriving or leaving should call at the new Station and

get a clearance; the Colonial Government assisting in some way.

37. The undersigned ventures to think that, as the Chinese have a complete right by international law to keep the Stations where they are, the Colony should not trouble itself further about their removal, but should seek to have their administration made more honest, and a better class of officers and men appointed to the Cruisers.

38. Probably, therefore, a modified form of Sir BROOKE ROBERTSON'S Basis might meet the views of the Mercantile Community of Hongkong, and the Hongkong and the Chinese Governments, thus:-

(1.) With regard to the collection of duties and War-tax, Salt-tax, Hoi-fong, or any other kind of duty on junks or other Chinese Craft entering and clearing from Hongkong, it is proposed that the Viceroy of the Two Kwang should in conjunction with the Hoppo of Canton appoint two fitting persons as. his deputies, one a Chinese and one an Englishman, to superintend the collection, and that a Customs Station be established in a convenient place near British Kau-lung to collect dues, and issue clearances and receipts, whether on Native exports from China or Foreign imports from Hongkong,

(2.) That masters of Junks may appeal to these deputies against any hardship they have to complain of, and that their complaints shall be at once investigated.

(3.) After the establishment of the new Station all junks clearing from Hong- kong with cargo shall hand in manifests to and pay duty at the new

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Station, and shall receive clearances; the junk shall then be examined at Kap-shui Mun, Fat-tau Mún, or Ch'éung-chau, to see that the cargo cor- responds with the manifest, unless such examination is dispensed with under written authority, where a guarantee has been given against smuggling. (4.) That, assuming the said three Stations are retained, all unsecured junks coming to Hongkong shall stop at one or other of the Stations for exami- nation and payment of export dues from the Chinese port of departure if such are unpaid, but no dues shall be demanded from Junks coming to Hongkong from Chinese ports save such export duties as are payable at the respective ports of clearance.

(N.B.-This is to prevent Hongkong being treated as a port of China). (5.) That all Revenue Cruisers of every description, whether steamers or sail- ing craft, shall be entirely under the jurisdiction of the new duty Station, and shall be supplied with a special flag, and their crews dressed in a special uniform. Any junk they capture must be forwarded to the new duty Station that the case may be examined into by the two Deputies, who will publicly inquire whether she is guilty of smuggling or not, and duly record the proceedings.