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THE KOWLOON EXTENSION AND
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CHINESE JURISDICTION.
FRANCE AND THE OPENING (F TRADE ROUTES.
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| July 9, 1898. "tion to the transit dues there is a charge on every invoice of goods entering Tonkin "for docks, examination, sealing cases in bond, statistics, etc., a variable amount ac cording to the numbers of packages, with "$0.60 for three acquits de caution on every "bill of lading. The minimum charge on "this account seems to be $1 on a single case "and might be 810 on thirty or forty cases. It seems to be somewhat arbitrary and to partake of the nature in some respects of "what is known in this part of the world as a squeeze.' On exports from China to
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
mandarin is to be maintained there, could not be much more extensive than those of a tipao. When Hongkong was established it The last mail brings further particulars was at first intended to make use of the tipao regarding the Kowloon concession, in the system, that is, the government of the Chinese shape of a telegram from the Peking corre- population through elders or head men, and, spondent of the Times dated 9th June, although that system has long been dis- which reads as follows :-" Sir CLAUDE MAC carded it may possibly be deemed desirable "DONALD signed to-day with the Tsungli to revert to it for the administration of the "Yamén a Convention leasing to Great new territory about to be incorporated with "Britain certain territories around Hong- the colony. The tipaos, however, should this "kong. On May 2 the Tsungli Yamén system be adopted, would be subject solely formally acceded to the friendly repre- to British authority, and we fail to see sentations of the British Minister with how an exception could be made in the Hongkong by the Red River Tonkin at regard to an extension of territory for the case of Kowloon. The gambling question present levies no transit dues, but takes "better protection of the colony and agreed alone would render the continued main- "the same levy for docks, etc., as described to a lease of the territory on the mainland teuance of Chinese authority there im- above for imports." At Mengtzu imports "behind Kowloon up to a line joining Mirs possible. One of the arguments used in have to pay the Chinese Customs dues,
Bay and Deep Bay, as well as of the favour of the acquisition of the new namely, seven-tenths of the treaty port tariff neighbouring island of Lantao. The territory was that it would enable the and a transit duc of half the coast ports im- "Convention signed to-day embodies that Government to do away with the gambling port duty. A piece of grey shirting im- agreement, with some important additions. houses in Kowloon city, which are largely ported into Yunnan therefore pays to the "China retains the north shores of Mirs frequented by residents of Victoria, both Tonkin Government more than Tl. 0.261 Bay and Deep Bay, but leases to Great European and Chinese. From time to timend to the Chinese Government Tl. 096, or Britain all the waters of both bays, these houses have been closed, upon re nearly three times as much to the French reserving only the right to use them for presentations made by the Hongkong as to the Chinese. Together these amounts "her own ships whether belligerent or
Government, but have been reopened come to T1, 0.357. By the West River route "neutral. The total area leased, amount-after a brief period, and if the place is to a piece of grey shirting would pay. Tl. 0.8 ing to about 200 square miles, will be remain under Chinese jurisdiction the import duty and Tl. 0.4 transit pass due, "under British jurisdiction, except within efforts of the Hongkong Government in the making T1. 0.12, or, say, one third only of "the native city of Kowloon. The lease is direction of suppressing gambling would be the charges by the Tonkin route, supposing "for 99 years, and becomes operative on rendered to a great extent nugatory. We that the levy of illegal exactions were re-
July 1."
The boundary mentioned in have not much faith in the efficacy of thesisted as successfully by the British as it has the above is not quite the same as that
moasures taken against gambling, which been by the French. On this point, how shown on the map prepared by the seems to flourish under suppression like a ever, we are at present at a disadvantage, Navy League and which was declared vine under pruning, but whatever opinions as may be seen by the following ex by that body to be absolutely essential may be entertained on that point it would tract from Mr. BOURNE's report. As far to the safety of the port. On the Navy certainly not do to have two opposite policies as Yunnan-fu itself is concerned lekin and: League's map the line was drawn from a pursued on the same side of the boundary fu-shui, thanks to the efforts of the point a little to the north of Starling Inlet, line.
French, do not concern us; but in the case in Mirs Bay, to a point in Tyshan Bay,
of goods coming across our Burmese fron, north of Deep Bay. According to the
"tier not only is lekin levied at Tengyueh Times correspondent China retains the
'(Momein) according to the provincial northern shores of Mirs Bay and Deep Bay. The ambition of France seems to be to It would appear, therefore, that the bound- keep a toll gate. She has little foreign ary line will probably start from the_east trade of her own to speak of, but is anxious at or about the point shown on the Navy to establish and open trade routes in order League's map, but instead of running almost that she may levy toll on the goods using due west to Tyshan Bay will follow a more them and take such incidental profits as the south-westerly direction to strike the coast handling of the trade may bring. In open- about the middle of Deep Bay. If that being the Tonkin route she has unmistakably correct the town of Sam Chuen, to the done good to the trade of Hongkong, but possession of which importance has been if another route can be found which offers attached in some quarters on account of its equal or greater advantages she will neces- connection with the food supplies of the sarily lose the traffic. Hence the hostility colony, will be left on the Chinese side of she exhibited to the opening of the West the boundary line.
River. Mr. BOURNE on his recent visit to The most remarkable feature in the Yunnan-fu found that since his previous telegram, however, and one which we think visit in 1885 the import trade in foreign must be due to a misunderstanding, is the goods had almost entirely shifted from the statement that the native city of Kowloon West River route by way of Pose to the is to remain under Chinese jurisdiction. Tonkin route by way of the Red River All the rest of the territory leased is to be and Mengtzu. This revolution, he under British jurisdiction, but that one says, is entirely due to the vilė little spot, Kowloon city, which is a ergy of the French in vigorously en- constant danger to the colony both on forcing on the Chinese Government their sanitary and moral grounds, is, it is right to transit passes to cover goods from said, to remain Chinese. There must Mengtzu to Yunnan-fu. The result is that surely be some mistake. Such an arrange our goods are cheaper there than they were ment as that described would be equivalent and that Yunnan-fu is well supplied with to setting up a Chinese colony in British foreign goods of all sorts, at least those territory and it would inevitably lead to light enough in weight to bear caravan misunderstanding and friction. By what transit. But although the French have force would the authority of the mandarin freed our goods from Chinese exactions be maintained in case of disorder? Would between Mengtzu and Yunnan-fu the dues he be allowed to bring Chinese braves over- they themselves levy in Tonkin go a long land or through the waters of the colony? way to counteract this gain. Mr. BOURNE Would he be allowed to continue the use gives a table of the French dues on certain of torture in his criminal court, or to inflict classes of goods, from which it appears that capital punishment? Would he be allowed grey shirtings have to pay Tl. 0.261 per.. to draw a revenue from gambling houses? piece, fine cotton yarn Tl. 0.756 per It is impossible to believe so. Whatever 133 lbs., coarse yarn Tl. 0.615 per 133 los., arrangements may have been made on paper cotton lastings TI. 0.64 per piece, long ells the administration of Kowloon city must in Tl. 0.425 per piece, and kerosine Tl. 094 fact.come under British influence and con-
per case, the approximate ad valorem per- trol and the powers of the mandarin, if a centage ranging from 34 to 11. “In addi-
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tariff, but a fu-shui or prefectural duty is "levied at each prefecture through which "the goods pass, and there are five of them
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A piece of grey shirting im- ported via Bhamo and Tali-fu would have. "to pay in addition to import duty, not now but soon to be levied, lekin Tl. 0.15, five fu-shui at Tls. 0.03 each. Tls, 0.15, total the Foreign Customs have to take note of this
Tls. 0.30, or 15 per cent. ad valorem," When: trade will the British Government insist on lekin and fu-shui to continue? The treaty the strict observance of the tariff, or allow stipulations with regard to the tariff are iden and as the French have swept away all illegal tical in the British and French conventions, levies on the trade passing by Tonkin so ought the British Government to see that they are not allowed to be charged on trade from Burmah or Hongkong. If the transit pass system were honestly in force in Kwangsi, Yunnan, and Kweichow Mr. BOURNE is of opinion that the greater part of Kwangsi, of K weichow, and of eastern Yunnan would be supplied from Wuchow, unless the French allowed free transit through Tonkin. "Under present con: "ditions in Tonkin," he says, "if the transit pass system were made to work as well "from Wuchow as it now does from Mengtzu, I believe the area supplied through the "French colony would be very small, and "that the districts supplied from Burmah "and Wuchow would meet in Yunnan-fu, "because the exchange of products, and "therefore the course of trade, is between "Yunnan and Kwangsi, Canton, and Hongkong, and not between Yunnan and "Tonkin."
ner, formerly of the Hongkong Police Force. The death is reported of ex-Inspector Brom- He retired on pension in 1896, and had been. living at Glasgow for some time,
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