September 18, 1909.]
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CHINA CVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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steamers would have to be taken by the Govern- ciliary search on the warrant of a single J. P. ¡ debate on the second reading, for the principle But after hearing the senior unofficial Altogether these clauses seemed to leave of the Bill has been accepted, I think an- member this afternoon I should like to think nothing of our former liberties beyond what animously, by the Council, but strong objection over that again. But upon this we were all agreed, the Government might be pleased to allow us to has been taken to various clauses, and these that there were to be no finnikin regulations enjoy on sufferance. Having agreed, after much for dealing with passengers by ocean steamers. painful heart-searching, to the surrender of the The globe-trotter and his luggage were to go port's freedom to the extent of a most carefully free, From these hints as to what occurred it measured inch, immediately the Government will be evident that the unofficial members were annexe an ell. Explaining this, Your Excellency not indifferent to the principle of freedom, assured us that all these powers which it which it is, perhaps, their first duty to protect, was proposed to take were not intended for Your Excellency commented on the unusual use, but that from the Government point of nature of the step which we took in making view it was desirable to have them. I can public the resolutions at which we had arrived. understand that from the administrative point These were sent to the Press not because we of view it is always confortable to have large were sure that we were right, but because in a powers in reserve. But the possession of large case of the kind the fullest possible publicity powers which tends to make administration seemed desirable. It seems to me desirable comfortable frequently make the public that any proposals involving taxation should uncomfortable, and these seemed well cal. be referred to the public. Erglish political onlated to have that effect. The con. liberty is supposed to rest on the theory templation of them made me, as a member which prompted our action. We had some idea of the public, most uncomfortable.
And as a that our suggestions,might stimulate criticism humble representative of the public I felt bound and reveal neglected aspects of the question. to protest. I did so at the first possible oppor- But, in any case, what happened shows that a tunity, as Your Excellency may remember: bald statement to the effect that the unofficials Subsequently I found that already in the first urged the Government to put on an import revised version of the Bill, which was laid on duty, as if the circumstances had its origin the table at the last meeting, the offending in their eagerness to impose one, is at words" recently landed "had been cut out of least open to misconstruction. Our choice lay clause 31. And to-day the Government has an- between two evils, the doubled licensed fees on nounced the deletion of clause 30 and sundry other the one hand, the duty on the other. We important modifications. I admired the skill and chose, we hope, the lesser evil, but we were not address with which the hon. the Attorney so blind as to fail to see it in the light of an General built up a defence of these powers evil. Personally, I regret having had to agree to and gracefully retired under cover of the surrender of a single inch of our freedom it from an untenable position. I commend from trade restrictions. It goes against the the conciliatory spirit in which our representa- grain with me to witness the institution of even tions have been thus met. I hope it may the smallest Customs service. I am haunted by prove a happy augury of the spirit in which the prospect of seeing upon our quays the man this Bill will eventually be operated. The in the brass hat whose business it is to challenge Senior Unofficial Member has dealt with the passenger to anstrap his trunks. I object certain other clauses to which he objects. At to that man wherever met. I object to meeting present I do not propose thus to criticise the him so often. He straddles across the thres Bill. I shall have many objections to make hold of nearly every country a standing Committee. We have now to vote on the nuisance to travel-the symbol of economic principle of raising revenue by an import duty false doctrine, financial heresy, and political on liquor. To that principle the unofficials schism. He is the outward and visible sign of stand committed. We cannot, therefore, denial of the great doctrine of universal free vote against the second reading. I hope trade. In that I still believe, although the we may find the officials whose duty it will hopes on which it is based seem more than ever be to operate the Bill imbued with the idea of dim. But dim though they may appear, and maintaining the essentials of freedom-resist though elsewhere it may be that retaliation is ing the temptation to introduce restrictions justifiable, the jealous guarding of that doctrine convenient to their immediate purposes, but in this Colony is dictated by the vital necessities calculated to hamper trade or hinder travel. of our situation. And so when I read the That will be one of our dangers. It is not version of this Bill which reached me last that officials are less thoughtful than other Thursday evening - the evening before the first men. Other men in their place would do the reading took place-I was staggered to find same. They would be just as liable to get that the Government proposed to arrogate to carried away by zeal. Further, all protective themselves powers under which a complete services tend to expand. Weak spots keep Customs service could be established. How revealing themselves to officials eager for extensive those powers were does not seem efficiency. A demand sets up for more and to have been fully realised in some quar. more stations, more and more regulations, more ters. Under them Customs stations could have and more officers. This I dread the multiplica been established at every wharf in the harbour, tion of minor officials. In this case their one in every bay in the coast line, and on every thought will be revenue. They will become road leading into the Colony. Passengers eager to stop every conceivable hole and corner landing from any steamer could have been where it may get past. They will need restrain- held up and arrested without warrant if ing. And the power behind them, the Govern- they objected to open luggage at thement, may conceivably now and then also need bidding of
officer, any revenue
who restraining. That is perhaps the main danger. might be a Chinese talking no English. Appetite grows by what it feeds on. The And not only could such an officer have so Government will be exposed to the constant held up any passenger landing, he would have temptation of trying to get more and more been equally formidable when, after landing, revenue in this way. Here it will be the duty the passenger might reasonably have imagined of the representatives of the community to himself safe in the bosom of the Colony. Ac-keep wa'ch and ward, remembering that no cording to (lause 31 in that version of the Bill amount of revenue could compensate for 'any person landing or being about to land or starting a diversion of that through trade having recently landed from any ship or en- on and by which the port lives and thrives. tering or having recently entered the Colony I shall vote for the second reading of this Bill by land shall, on demand by any revenue or in the hope that it may be administered through- police officer, permit his baggage to be searched, out in the spirit of Your Excellency's assurances eto." Having recently landed! This meant and in the manner originally suggested by the that none of these huge trucks of luggage unofficial members. In that case the character which are man-hauled up to the doors of our of the port need suffer no noticeable change. leading hotels in the travelling season would be Freedom may still be our motto. We may still safe from the danger of being arrested by any regard it as the pole star of our policy, the Indian constable or Chinese lukong whose 'sus- "fixed mark" which has so far looked on picions might fasten on the saratoga trunk of some many tempests and never yet been shaken. American globe-trotter, probably an elderly total At least the policy which made the place is abstainer from a prohibition State. (Laughter. not in any danger from any fundamental The phraseology of Clause 32 was similarly open change in attitude of the unofficial members of to objection. Clause 34 gave power to any reve- this Council, and this fact I hope I may have nue officer to arrest anyone without warrant on helped to make clear. suspicion of his having in his possession any dutiable liquors, and 35 gave the right of domi-
番薯
Į
T
HIS EXCELLENCY-Gentlemen, I think there is very little for me to say in winding up the
we shall be able to discuss in Committee. The senior unofficial member takes very strong exception to the rights of search, and he has pointed out to us that in his opinion all that is required, or all that is rendered possible by those sections, could be achieved by using the machinery of the Opium Farmer. I confess I am surprised at such a line of argument as that. If that machinery was capable of being used for the purpose he advocates, it stands to reason that the Government is not going to duplicate it by oreating a second machinery, but at an interview I had with him and other leading members of the Chinese community, it was strongly urged upon me that a farm was not desired by the Chinese. The Government has done its utmost to meet the wishes of the Chinese community. Perhaps we are attempting the impossible, but in deference to the strong wishes expressed to me by leading members of the Chinese community, we have not instituted a farm. We hope to carry through with what I consider to be the minimum rights any Government must secure to itself, not only to protect the revenue, which is in fact the assets of the taxpayer, but also to protect those who do pay their duties and who also have every right to the protection of the Gov ernment. The hon. unofficial member at the end of the table has been good enough to say that he for one has received what he thinks to be very satisfactory assurances since the Bill was first raised, and that he hopes that in Committee the spirit of conces sion and conciliation will be continued. I can only say that any reasonable sugges tion regarding any clause in the Bill will receive the utmost consideration, not only from the whole Council, for that is assured, but from Government in the most conciliatory spirit possible. But neither this Government nor any Government is prepared to sacrifice what is essentially a principle of a Bill without which it cannot be operative. To do 80 would be to abandon the principle of the Bill itself. The hon. member who represents the Chamber of Commerce complains that one revise after another had been shot upon the Council and that he was unaware of and had not before seen a revise dated this day. I may tell him that I had not myself befor seen it. This revise dated the 16th is not strictly speaking before the Council at all. It embodies for the convenience of mem- bors amendments which it had been proposed to make verbally during the passage of the Bill in Committee. The origin of those amendments is to be found in that spirit to which the hon, member alluded, of conciliation, to endeavour to meet any reasonable and ration- al suggestions which have reached the Govern- ment. The hon. member, too, remarked-I refer to the hon. member who spoke last that a great principle was being infringed by the imposition of import duties, and he appeared to me to indicate-I don't know if I rightly understood him that the
imposition of those import duties was infraction of the great principle of free trade. Perhaps I misunderstood him. That was his view. I cannot say that I share it, for I have always understood that duties imposed solely for the purpose of revenue were not consider- ed protection. There is nothing in this Bill which imposes any duty of a protective nature-in fact, as you are aware, the excise duty is put on a par with the import duty, and that if it is criticised in any dires- tion I think it may be criticised as being rather against the principle of protection than for it. The senior unofficial member drew a humorous picture of the Chinaman with two bottles, one up each sleeve, and I think with great force asked why the bottles should not contain opium instead of spirits. That ap peared to me fo some degree to afford an answer to his own argument. If it is so much lucrative to smuggle opium, and if, as he says, there will, therefore, be no smuggling of spirits, it is certainly natural that the right of search claimed by Government will not be put in force. It will be put in force only so gra- dually and to such degree as circumstances may show that it is necessary. I think, gentlemen,
an
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