418
EXCLUSION AT VLADIVOSTOCK. ;
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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(Daily Press, 20th November i The recent action, or rather refusal to rake any action, on the part of the Russian au- thorities at Vladivostock news of which has just arrived from that port, is not withon i significance. It appears from a letter whic' reaches us from a correspondent in Vladi- vostock that on the 28th ult. a general meeting took place at the house of the Military Governor, Lieutenant-General' TCHITCHAGOFF, of the municipal. harbour, and other officials, and representatives of all the Russian and foreign firms, for the pur. of handing to M. ROMANOFF, Deputy pose Minister of Finance, a Note in which were specified the various wants of the Russian maritime province and of the city and harbour of Vladivostock itself. The Note contained a carefully considered protest against the enforcement of customs duties at Vladivostock. It also criticised the way in which the Customs House conducts its work and the insufficiency of the staff employed, necessitating occasionally that cargoes have to lie for weeks on board owing to the lack of warehouses, whereby they are often spoilt before the Customs officer can pass the goods. The Note, however, it is to be remarked, offered no suggestions as to how the present difficulties are to be got over and the local merchants to be saved from the heavy losses which they are now xperiencing. M. ROMANOFF, having read the Note with care, replied that, in the first place, all hopes of making Vladivostock again a The free port must be abandoned at once. law passed by the Russian Government, with definite political objects in view and the general welfare of the country at heart, could not, he continued, he upset in consideration for the comparatively minor interests of Vladivostock and its neigh. bourhood. On the other hand, said M. ROMANOFF, the Department of Finance at St. Petersburg was ready to help the young community in its development by various concessions. This assurance, according to our correspondent, did little to encourage the Vladivostock commercial houses, whose dreams of once more seeing the port thrown open were ruthlessly dispelled by the words of the Deputy Minister of Finance. We do not know that the commercial community at the Northern port entertained strong hopes of the restoration of freedom. There has been little enough in the past commer- cial policy of Russia to warrant sueb hopes. Nor is there any reason to imagine that in event of Russian predominance in Man- churia continuing unchecked there will be any more commercial facilities offered there than in any part of the Russian Empire.
The Rangoon Gazette, summarising the report on the administration of the Indian Telegraph Department for 1900-01, says --Quite apart from disturbances, the Bhamo telegraph route to China has proved a great disappointment. The route would have been a popular one between India and the Far East, but no business man dreams of using it on account of its uncertainty and other failings. The same is the case, though to a much smaller extent, with the Maulmain-Bangkok line via Kanburi. During the year this ronte was interrupted for about thirty-one days against twenty-one days in the previous year. The number of interrup tions beyond the Indian limits was fifty-six, ¡
Accidents lasting twenty-seven days.
will
happen, of course, especially in tropical jurgles, but it is clear the Siamese thorities, thongh better than the Yunnan officials in this respect. are still very slack in their care of the wires. There are now 181,179 miles of wire under the Department. The surplus revenue during the past year represents à return on the capital outlay of 6.22 per cent.
THE YUNNAN RAILWAY.
November 23, 1901.
}
three years 1897, 1898, 1899, but pending its completion and publication, and in order to minimise trouble and expedite business, Duty (Daily Press, 19th November.)
will be accepted on the values set forth in the From jaip rs which reach us from home by yesterday's mail we ran that no little Statistical Scoretrary's List of Valnes for 1897; curiosity has been aroused by the dissolu- copies will soon be procurable, price 50 cents per copy, at Shanghai at Messrs. Kolly & tion of the Commission lately appoistel in
Walsh's, au al ontports at the Custom House. Prance of army officers and engineers to Where the valuation of this List is questioned, the market valuo of the day mins Duty and survey the Chinese portion of the territory through which the proposed Yunnan Rail- charges, or where that cannot be ascertained,
The Indo-Chinese Press, as
invoice value plus 10 per cent., will rule instead; way is to run.
but as this will involve detention of goods con- we have already noted, has hinted at
cerned at owner's risk and expense till such difficulties which have arisen between M.
market or, failing market, invoice value can be DocMER, the Governor-General of Indo-ascertained and settled, it is hoped the valna-
tion of the List will be acquiesced in. China, and the Governmeat in Paris. Any
4. Goods exported pay Dnty according to the such imsunderstanding, however, is denied
Tariff hitherto existing. in the French metropolis. The real ex- planation of the cessation of preparations for laying the new line is stated to be that M. DELCASSE, the French Foreiga Secre- tary, is not quite satisfied with the aspect of affairs in South China and has decided that it is better to delay the survey until From what complete calm is assured. news has reached us here as to the feelings on the Franco- at present entertained Chinese border toward the railway operations it would certainly seem that M. ĎELCASSE is wise in his decision. Sentiment at the moment seems to be distinet); hostile toward French enterprise within the borders of Yunnan, and it would hardly be wise for the Indo-Chinese authorities to risk an outbreak of disturbances unless they are "ooking for a quarrel.
THE NEW CHINESE TARIFF. The following notification was issued by the Imperial Maritime Custons at Canton over the date of 14th November :---
Noties is hereby given that :—
1. On and after the 11th inst.. the Tariff of Import Duties hitherto existing and the list of Duty-free Goods cease to be operative and. until further notice, whatever is imported, with certain exceptions, is to pay an effective 5 per cent. ad valorem Duty.
2. The exceptions are as follows:-
(a.) Foreign Rice, Cereals, and Flour, as well as Gold and Silver, coined and uncoined, are exempt from Duty.
(b.) The Import Duty on Opinm re- mains unchanged at thirty taels, that and lekin at the rate of eighty tuels, or one hundred and teu tuels in all, per picul, being payable simultaneously as at present. (e.) Foreign Goods on the way to China or which shall have been despatch a to China within six days after the signa ture of the Protocol- that is, on or before the 13th September-are to pay Import Duty according to the old Tariff, a fixed Duty if enumerated, and an ad valorem per cent. Duty if unenumerated. and are to be exempt from Duty if on the Duty- free list. Goods despatched after the 13th September are to pay an effective 5 per cent. according to the new rule.
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(d) Merchandise taken out of bond is to pay Duty according to its liability on the day of bonding-that is, if already in bond, or it bonded on any fature day but forming part of a carro now on the way to China or despatched to China on before the 13th September, it is to be treated according to the old Tariff and Tariff Rules. All other bonded imports are to pay an effective & per cent.
or
(e) Whatever is imported for the use of Legations at Peking is exempt from Import Duty applications for Exemption Per wits, etc., to be countersigned and sealed by the Consulate of the Legation concerned.
Whatever is shipped or disebarged for the re of Foreign forces, military or 2619 15 upt from Import Duty-ap. liestions for Exempion, ermits, etc., t be counter signed and seated by the Con- sulate of the flag concerned.
3. The values on which the new Tariff is to fix Duties will be the average values for the
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5. Coast Trade Duty, which is not an Import Duty, but a Coast Daty on Native produce inwards, remains as before, and is not affected by the effective 5 per cent. rules.
The IM.C. have taken over the Native Customs, up to the prese, only at Swatow, Kiangchow, and Pakhoi in Kwangtung pro- vince. At Canton the status quo ante exists, as the Hoppo declines † › hand over the Customs, and preferential duties continue as in the past, The I.M.C. have referred to Peking, and pend- ing the decision an ace nut is being kept of all duties collected by the Native Customs official.
THE LATE PRESIDENT MCKINLEY,
The following telegram to H.M.'s Ambassador the death of President at Washington on McKinley, and reply from H.M.'s Chargè d'Affaires, are published in the Gazette:-- TELEGRAM FROM GOVERNOR
WASHINGTON. DATED 1TH SEPTEMBER, 1901.
AMBASSADOR,
RESOLUTION.
ΤΟ BRITISH
The Members of the Legislative Council, on behalf of the people of this Colony, desire to express their horror at the atrocious crime which has deprived the American nation of a great President. and to convey through His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington the ex- pression of their deep sympathy with the American nation and of their condolences with Mrs. McKinley in her bereavement.
BLAKE.
BRITISH CHARGE D'AFFAIRES TO GOVERNOR,
British Embassy,
Newport, R, I., October 2, 1901. Sir, I have the honour to inform Your Excellency that in accordance with the request contained in Your Excellency's telegram of September 18, I immediately conveyed to the United States Government the expression of horror felt by the people of Hongkong on the occasion of President McKinley's death, and the resolution of sympathy passed by the Legis- lative Council of Hongkong.
I have now the honour to inform Your Excellency that I have received a note from the Acting Secretary of State of the United States desiring me to assure Your Excellency that this brotherly action on the part of the Council is gratefully appreciated by Mrs. Mc- Kinley and by the Government and people of the United States,
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your Excellency's most obedient,
humble servant,
His Excellency
GERARD LOWTHER, H. M. Chargé d'Affaires.
Sir H. A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.,
&c., &., Hongkong.
&C.,
The Cologne Gazette states that in the coming winter there will be 31 German warships in for- eign waters--uamely, 20 on the Chinese station, four on the East American, three in the Medi- iterranean, and two each on the West African and the South Seas stations. There is, and will be, no German warship on the East African station owing to so many vessels being called away to China,
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