47-4
PIRACY IN THE CANTON DELTA
we
who
[December 16, 1901,
TARIFF REVISION.
that of river conservancy.
Eastern tele-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
only to enquiry into a particular case and punishment of some coolies who may or (Daily Press, 11th December.)
may not be guilty of the crimes charged It is with great regret, but without the against them, or only consist of vague pro
(Daily Press, 13th November.) least surprise, we learn that there is another mises merely given to quiet the too insistent
One of the six Appendices just published recrudescence of piracy in the Canton Delta, foreigner. The patrolling of the rivers by the China Association in pamphlet form and that life and property in that rich and foreign gunboats has had some effect, but for information of members, pending the spreading territory are again practically at much less than was anticipatel, owing partly appearance of the annual report in March the mercy of lawless ruffians. Within the
Tariff Revision" and past week or two there have been five serious pirates and partly to the latter hoodwinking the Association and the Foreign Office,.
to want of knowledge of the lairs of the next, is entitled
eintains communications passing between cases of piracy, and it is an established fact the guubonis. Nevertheless, as
we have that regular organised hands, ranging from said, the appearaner of these little craft has together with certain enclosures, etc. The half-a-score persons to half-a-hundred, are had a good moral effect on the people of first letter, dated the 12th June last, is roving about the Canton and West Rivers the Delta, which would be greatly enhanced from the Association to the Marquis of and their numerous branches, cutting ont if the commanders had powers to deal sum--
LANSDOWNE and deals with the project of steam-launches and native junks and pass-inarily with pirates or robbers. But they restoring the Chinese Customs tariff to an age-boats. This state of things has been
are powerless unless they catch a pirate effective five per cent. The letter says that going on for many years, but within the
boat in the act of attacking a foreign the concurrence of the Government in the past three years the condition of the Delta steamer, and they are, we presune, unable Association's view of the desirability of has gone from very bad to much worse,
to intervene in the ease of a native eraft avoiding a large addition to the tariff in despite complaints, remonstrances, and some being attacked, even if they were so fortu. existing circumstances has been received well meant attempts by the foreign squad-nate as to witness such a piracy. What is with much satisfaction. The proposed re- ravages of these fues to good order. In Police under the control of the Imperial The Chinese are entitled to claim as a treaty rons to assist in providing a check upon the wanted is an organisel system of River storation of an effective five per cent. tariff stands admittedly on a different basis. July, 1899, representations were made by Maritime Customs, who should be supplied right the readjustment of the obsolete the silk-merchants of Canton on the subject, with a flotilla of six or eight gunboats, un- setting forth the grave interference with der the command of and partly officered by schedule of values attached to the Treaty of which had terrorised the Delta and prevented hand to extirpate pirates and restore and market" under transit-pass is also a treaty trade caused by the robberies and piracies Europeans. These should be given a free Tientsin but, continues the letter, the right to convey imports from a port to an inland the silk-growers from forwarding their pro- preserve order on the waterways. Some- ducts to Canton to enable dealers to fulfil thing was done in this direction, right. Moreover, the Chineso have failed their contracts with the foreign firms, and believe, early in the seventies, in the to carry out other obligations too, notably were sent on to the Hongkong Chamber of time of the Viceroy JIU LAN, Commerce, who thereupon addressed strong put. Europeans in command of some grams (namely, from the Shanghai and representations on the subject to the half-a-dozen of his gunboats with instruc- rectification of the tariff should be accom- Hongkong Committees) suggested that a British Minister at Peking, to His Excel-tions to hunt flown and root out pirates, lency the Governor, and to the London with great effect, and for years thereafter panied by a redress of such grievances. Chamber of Commerce, urging that the the land had at least comparative peace. Kwangtung waterways should be patrolled We comment the iles to the Foreign Minis by British gunboats, and pressing for the
ters at Peking, with the sincere hope that it early opening of these waterways to navi- will be taken into serious consideration. gation by foreign steamers. The outcome The evil complained of is of such magnitude, of all this agitation was the despatch of its effects are so extensively felt, and its several small gunboats up the rivers and a existence is such a scandal to civilisation, temporary-very temporary-reduction in
that unless some determine l effort be made the piracies committed. The West River, which had been opened to tra le as far as
to grapple with it, its continuance will gests two reflectious: -(1) That the Im- Wuchow, has not yet been opened to
cast a reflection alike on the ability and perial Revenue would be measurably re- couped by the expansion that might be the humanity of the Foreign Representa anticipated if trade were relieved from em- Nanning-fu, and the other waterways are
tives in China. More particularly are the still closed to foreign steamers. No serious
barrassing imports. (2) That an aggravation attempt has ever been made by the Pro-ritish, French, and German Ministers of inland taxation - as one method of meet- vincial Government to grapple with the Canton Delta, a district wherein, under unless countervailing precautions be taken. interested in the repression of piracy in the
ing foreign exactions-may be anticipated evil, either because they are powerless to do
happier circumstances, there might reason-
Further, a rectification of the export duties so, or because some of the mandarins are in
ably be expected a large development of the pay of the pirates, or because they are
as well as those on imports is suggested. trade, with the increased prosperity that
"On the recognised incapable of a persevering effort to put would follow the maintenance of good order
principle that ล down any established abuse. In any case,
country pays for its imports with its be the causes what they may, the Govern and restoration of security. The subject exports," says the memorandum,
was, we believe, brought to the notice of fication of the burdens on produce with a ment of the Two Kwang is hopelessly and Sir JAMES, LYLE, MACKAY, the British view to promoting export trade would seem incurably incompetent to suppress brigand-Special Commissioner sent out to negotiate age or to protect trade in the two provinces.
as desirable as a re-adjustment of the It may be pleaded that they have no effer-
import dues." Reciprocal corrections, in tive organisation, but such a plea cannot be
short, are what are called for. Finally, a letter from the Shangbai Committee is for- warded to Lord LANSDOWNE, regarding the rumoured project of an increase of tariff to Mr. DUDGEON concludes this letter with the ten per cent, and urging a renewed protest.
=
entertained, because the mandarins can
nearly always succeed in making themselves felt if it pays them to do so. Treaty obli- gations are nothing to these men; they neither feel bound to carry them into effect nor have they the wish to do so. The state of anarchy to which certain dis- tricts are reduced causes them no incon- venience and gives them no concern, except on those rare occasions when a foreign Consul makes a demand for justice, pre- sents a big claim on behalf of a countryman, in sheer despair of obtaining an answer to his representations, threatens to resign as a protest against the inaction of the Govern-
or,
ment.
the commercial terms with regard to the Tariff, &c., during his visit to the Colony; and we trust therefore it will not be lost sight of. At the same time, it might be
well if the local Chamber of Commerce
would once aga take up the question and bring it at this juncture to the notice of the
British Minister.
++
From the Cornish Times of 2nd ult. we see person of that an old Hongkong resident in the Mr. Georgo Harris has been returned to the Liskeard Town Council. After the declaration of the poll Mr. Harris was immediately surrounded by his supporters, who hoisted him upon their shoulders, and, with great cheering, carried him up Pike Street, and escorted him through Barras Street into Dean Street. whither he was followed by a large crowd of interested spectators. Liskeard Borough Band played selections at various points, and handbell ringers were also out." Mr. Harris was fore- man of the masons employed in the construction of Tytam Reservoir. Since returning home to his native town, Mr. Harris has built several
Matters have now got to such a pass that something should be done at once to pro- vide a remedy for the evil. It is not to be found, apparently, in representations ad- dressed to the Viceroy through the Consuls. These are met by denials of the piracies, by pretty dwellings on a finely situated suburban promises of intervention and the punish-plot of land that he purchased and named ment of the offenders, which either extend Hongkong."
A inemorandum from the Association,
signed by Mr. GUNDRY, the Honorary Secretary, accompanies the letter, emphasis- ing the necessity of both sides fulfilling the especially in the matter of Article 28 of the Treaty, China as
which might be made, Mr. Gundry sug- Treaty of Tientsin. Deprecating objections
well as the Powers,
•
a recti.
worls: :-"Ill considered is a mild term to apply to a scheme which plainly has its origin in the desire of some of the Powers "to get their money as speedily as possible, "at the expense of a trade in which they
have little interest."
J
The Association received a three-line reply from the Foreign Office, acknowledging the receipt of the letter and memorandum, This document is followed by letters from Bristol, Leeds, and Liverpool Chambers of Commerce, approving the Association's communications to the Government. Next comes a telegram to the Shanghai Committee to this effect:-"Intend urging Foreign Office delay introduction tariff revision as long as possible. We suggest basing "rectification last five years' average." To this the Shanghai Coinmittee agreed, urging
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