216
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT TO THE
CHAMBER,
Hongkong, Colonial Secretary's Office,
5th September, 1898.
Sir, I am directed to acknowledge the re- ceipt of your letter of the 2nd instant, relative to the position of the Chinese Imperial Mari. time Customs in connection with this colquy and the extension of its boundaries, and to sfate that a copy of it will be forwarded to the Seere tary of State for the Colonies and to her Ma- jesty's Minister at Peking.—I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
T. SERCOMBE SMITH, Acting Colonial Secretary. R. Chatterton Wilcox, Esq., Secretary, Hong. kong General Chamber of Commerce.
THE CHAMBER TO THE HONGKONG
GOVERNMENT,
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong, 2nd September, 1898. Sir, I have the honour to forward, for the information of His Excellency the Officer Ad- ministering the Government, the following re- solutions, passed yesterday at the monthly meet. ing by the General Committee of this Chamber, after mature consideration of the position of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs in connec- tion with this colony and the extension of its boundaries, as the rightful course to adopt con- sistent with the dignity of the Government and the preservation of the freedom of the port:
1-That the Customs Office be no longer permitted to collect duties in the colony or its
walers.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
2.That all opium arriving in the colony be accounted for, either through the agency of
bonded warehouses or otherwise.
3.-That the Government do all in their power to protect the Chinese revenue, more especially with regard to the Opium Farmer.
-That the Revenue Stations and Revenue cruisers be removed beyond the limits of British territory and British waters.
The Committee will deem it a fardur if His Excellency will make known these resolutions to Her Majesty's Secretary of state for the colonies. I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant.
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX, Secretary
To Hou, T. Sercombo Smith, Acting Colonial
Secretary.
SIR CLAUDE MACDONALD TO THE
CHAMBER.
|
Peking, 16th August, 1898. Sir.-I beg to acknowledge with thanks your courteous communication of July 26th forward- ing to me copy of a despatch addressed to Lord Salisbury by the Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce-I am. sir. your most obedient humble servant, R. M. Gray, Esq., Chairman Hongkong General
CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.
Chamber of Commerce.
||RENTAL OF WHARVES.
The following correspondence is published with the minutes of the last quarterly meeting of the Committee of the Hongkong General
Chamber of Commerce-
Hongkong. 15th August, 1898, R. Chatterton Wilcox, Esq.. Secretary Hong-
kong Chamber of Commerce.j
Dear Sir. We beg to draw your Committee's attention, with a view to their addressing the Government on the subject, to the recently in- croased rental levied by the Government on Wharres and Piers in the harbour advertised in the Gazette of 3th ult. under the heading of notification No. 341.
We append a return shewing the difference between what was previously levied and the rates under the new regulations.
Ordinance 25 of 1891-
11
$240
Piers of 10,000 sq. feet or less $180 p. aunum
10,000/20,000 Notification No. 341 of 1898-
500 sq. feet $240 p. annum
500/1,000
360
"
1,000/2,000
"
2,000/3,000 3,000/500
600 960
.་
39
1,320
>>
5.000,10,000
1,800
10.000 and over 2,400
We submit the increase of the rental by ten times the amount previously charged without a word of explanation or warning is most unfair and uncalled for. The wharves are not a source of revenue to us; they are provided for the use of the public to facilitate easy access to or from ¦ our steamers, and we consider that, as our ressels pay light dues they should not be further burdened with these additional rents, which form a direct charge on shipping as far as we are concerned,
We repeat we do not obtain any rerenne whatever from these wharves and we would further beg to draw your attention to the in- convenience that would be caused the travel- ling public should we. through the Govern. ment, insist. on these enormous rentals, be compelled to abandon giving passengers these facilities. We are, Dear Sir, your obedient servants.
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE. Agents, China Navigation Co., Ld.
THS. ARNOLD, Secretary. Hongkong, Canton & Macao St. Bt. Co., Ld.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 1th August, 1898. Sir.- I am directed to bring to the attention of His Excellener the Officer Administering the Government the exceedingly heavy increase in the annual ronts levied for piers and wharves under the regulations recently made and pub. lished in the Government Gazcite under Noti fication No. 311 in lieu of those contained in
the schedule to Ordinance No. 25 of 1891.
In illustration of the foregoing, I beg to ap- pend a comparison of the rates formerly charged and those to be levied under the Regulation just sauctioned:--
Ordinance 25 of 1895.
$ square feet or less 180
Piers of 10,UOM!
exceeding 70,000
10,000, 201,600 20,000, 30,000
216
240
30,000 50,000
300
50,000 70,000
348
350
Notification No. 34 of 1898.
square feet.
240
500 1000
2
་་
1,000. 2,000
2,000. 3.004
T
3,000: 5,000
Piers of 500
5,000; 10,000
960 1,360 1,800
į
10,000 upwards 2,400 This constitutes an increase of fully ten times that previously charged, and it has been made without any notice or explanation to those concerned.
It is urged by the Steamboat Companies that these wharves which are provided for the use and convenience of the public are a source of serious burden which it is proposed to lay upon revenue to the owners, and if, owing to the them, they had to discontinue the use of lauding places, great inconvenience would be caused to the travelling public.
The Committee would respectfully suggest that if it be desired to provide a graduated scale commencing at 500 square feet the rents should commence at a sum in proportion to the 8240 originally levied for 10,000 square feet or nearly on that basis, since it is manifestly undesirable to curtail the landing facilities in this port. I have the honour to be, sir, your
most obedient servant.
R. CHATTERTON- WILCOX,
Secretary,
Hou. T. Sercombe Smith, Arting Colonial
Secretary.
(September 10, 1898.
OPENING OF KIAOCHAU,
According to a telegram received by the German Consul from the Governor of Kino- chau, the free port of that place was opened to traffic on the 2nd ihst.
REPORED AQQUISITIONS BY GER- MANY IN THE PHILIPPINES,
Advices received from Munila on 6th Sept. state that reports were current that Germany had purchased Palawan and Suln from Spain. The German Consul at Manila and the Captain of the Kaiserin Augusta both emphatically contradicted the rumours.
The German cruiser Arcona, which left Nagasaki some time ago for an unknown des- tination and provisioned for a long cruise, is said to he at Palawan.
UNIED SCATES GENERALS IN 1. QNGKONG,
GENERAL GRÉENE LEAVES FOR BAN
FRANCISCO,
DINNER TO GENERAL MERRITT,
Hongkong, 3rd September. General Greene left for San Francisco en
route for Washington, in the China yesterday.
General Merritt, who sails for Europe in the Chusan to-day, was entertained to dinner at the U.S. Consulate last night. Consul-General Wildman had invited a distinguished company to meet him, including H.E. Major-General Wilsone Black, C.B. Subsequently a reception was held. The band of the Olympia was in at-
tendance.
THE AMERICANS AT MANILA.
ADMIRAL DEWEY FAVOURS THE RETENTION OF LUZON.
THE NEW GOVERNOR.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Manila, 30th August. Major-General Merritt, his three aids, Majors Male, and Strothers, and his secretary, Mr. Howell, leave to-day for Paris via Hongkong in the steamer China. General Merritt is to be present at the meeting of the commission in Paris to determine the disposition of the Philippines, either as a member of the com- mission or as an expert to aid the United States' representatives in their negotiations. It is understood that Admiral Dewey was asked by the Washington Government to be present at these important deliberations, but that he respectfully declined, saying that his place was for the present here. He was requested then to state what portion if any of the Philippines
the United States should retain for the sub- servance of their best interests. It is reported on good authority that the Admiral pointed ont that Luzon, if any, was the island to be held. The only regret in connection with General Merritt's going is that he is uot more familiar with the vast resources and unlimited op- portunities of the islands as well as acquainted by personal observation with the people and their wants and needs. This is not Merritt's fault, but his time has been so taken up with the administration of military and civil affairs here that he has not had time to study the situation in all its phases, including those which must necessarily come up for consideration before the commission at Paris. His aids are bright men, but their experience is even more What limited than that of the General. surprises us host is that none of those naval and army men, who have made a special study of the Philippines and have been here a much THE FORTHCOMING COMMISSION,
longer time than Merritt and his staff were F. Agoncillo, High Commissioner and Envoy selected to decompany him. There are also some Extraordinary to all the World for the Philip-civilian authorities in the field who were over. pine Islands, sailed with General Greene in the China last week and will accompany him to Washington From thence he will go to Paris and will endeavour to get appointed ou to the Commission. If not he will urge in his own name and that of Aguinaldo that Con- sul-General Wildman should be made a member. The Commission meets about October 5th.
THE UNITED STATES AND THE PHILIPPINES.
i
looked, but it is hoped that General Merritt will be equal to demands in his knowledge, experience, and statesmanship and prove a worthy representative of Uncle Sam. We expected to hear that either Consul-General Wildman or Consul Williams would be ordered to Paris, but ap to the present have learned of no such instructions coming from Washington:
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.