Prince Kung to Mr. Burlingame
Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith sends a communication.
In the month of February last year, I received a minute from Mr. Robert Hart, inspector general of customs, in which he proposed that all matters relating to pilotage at the several ports should be placed under the control of the commissioner of customs. As he was then on the point of returning home on leave, I referred his suggestions to the two superintendents of commerce of the northern and southern ports for their consideration.
Mr. Hart having returned and resumed his duties, I addressed a note last month upon this subject to the French chargé d’affaires, and received a reply, in which he observed: “If the Chinese government desires to establish at each open port an office for the uniform administration of the pilot service, and to place the pilots under the control of the inspector general of customs, let the foreign office submit the details of the arrangement to the foreign ministers for their consideration; and after they have been examined and agreed upon, I will report them to my government for its approval, so that there may be uniformity in carrying out the plan.”
This suggestion has been acted upon. I immediately directed the inspector general to [Page 479] draw up a body of regulations, which would be applicable to every port, and he has now submitted them, arranged under fifteen articles for my approval.
During the past few years, Mr. Hart has repeatedly brought to my notice, in carefully prepared minutes, several matters calculated to improve shipping and navigation, and involving the appropriation of funds, and as they were all likely to result in advantage to both foreigners and Chinese, the foreign office has willingly received them, and from time to time adopted them.
Last year, after his return to his post, he brought forward a proposal, whereby the tonnage dues should henceforth be set aside regularly and permanently for certain objects; and this was acceded to by the foreign office, which ordered that the inspector general of customs, in addition to the oversight of the collection of duties, should likewise attend to the erection of light-houses, the location and setting of buoys and light-ships in the channels and anchorages frequented by merchant ships and the superintendence of pilotage. It appears that the shoals near the entrances of the open ports, on which vessels frequently ground and are injured or lost, have been growing larger in the lapse of time, and obstruct the channel, and the necessary expenditure for removing or dredging them will be very large. In addition, buoys and light-ships have been to some extent placed along the coast and rivers, which will require further outlay. Furthermore, everything connected with pilotage in and out of the ports must also be regulated by such rules as will be applicable to all alike, with due regard to the greatest benefit of trade and navigation and the economical use of the public funds.
At first Chinese only were employed as pilots at all the ports, but since the opening and extension of foreign trade, foreign pilots have gradually increased, since it can well be allowed that native and foreign vessels should each choose which class of pilots they will engage. But if the supervision of the whole business be entrusted to a single head, its various details can all be regulated on a uniform principle-, and to the general advantage. Mr. Hart is, therefore, to designate a competent man at each port as harbor master, who will oversee everything connected with the shipping; one well acquainted with all things pertaining to vessels and the circumstances of his port. The superintendence of the pilotage would also properly come under him, and the examination and selection of competent pilots for the port. In this way, not including natives of China, there will be no other than trustworthy and skilful pilots chosen from among the subjects of the treaty powers, who will be allowed to act.
The 15 rules upon this business which the inspector general has now submitted to me are very comprehensive. After they have been published at the ports, the harbor master will be required to make himself familiar with all the circumstances and wants of the port, and then he can draw up such by-laws as shall be deemed desirable, which will be from time to time sent to the foreign ministers for their consideration.
The present body of pilotage regulations in 15 articles are now sent to your excellency, with the request that they be forwarded to each port with directions to the consuls of the United States to co-operate with the harbor master, who shall be appointed to oversee shipping matters there on the part of the Chinese government. In this way, it is confidently expected that every occasion of contempt of his authority or restraint of his lawful proceedings will be obviated.
The other regulations respecting passengers luggage, duty-free goods, and tug-boats, will be communicated in a separate despatch, and can be acted on after a reply has been received, and the English, French, and Chinese versions of the 15 articles on pilotage are now forwarded for your examination and approval.
His Excellency Anson Burlingame, United States Minister to China.