Mr. Williams to Mr. Seward
No. 13.]
Legation of the United States,
Peking,
June 8, 1868.
Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 3, of January
11, 1868, relating to the reduction of the duty on tea-dust, I have now
the honor to send you an additional correspondence supplementary to
that, (inclosures A, B.) It appears that a question was started as to
what was properly included under the term tea-dust, and in order to obviate any further doubt the
Chinese government has reduced the limit under which the half duty is to
be levied, from that costing 15 taels per pecul to that costing 10
taels. However, as no tea-dust has been in market for many years whose
cost has reached 10 taels, the change has no practical bearing. It is
said it has been customary at some ports to admit tea-dust from Japan at
an ad valorem duty of five per cent., but the import is trifling. At
Tientsin 765½ peculs of tea-dust and tea stalks entered last year,
valued at 3,033 taels, or four taels per pecul.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
[Page 515]
A.
Prince Kung to Mr. Williams
[Translation.]
May 22, 1868,
(Tungchi, 7th
year, 4th intercalary moon,
1st
day.)
Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith
makes a communication:
On the 25th ultimo, Mr. Hart, the inspector general of customs, sent
me the following report:
“On receiving the orders from the Foreign Office fixing the duty on
tea-dust at 1t. 2m.
5c. per pecul on all that whose cost did
not exceed 15 taels per pecul, while such as cost over 15 taels per
pecul was still to pay the regular tariff duty of 2t. 5m., I immediately gave
directions to carry the same into effect, as the chief object of the
change was to benefit the native merchants in their trade between
the various ports. But when the duty on the cheaper sorts of
tea-dust was placed at 1t. 2m. 5c. per pecul, I heard that
foreign merchants erroneously concluded that all kinds of tea leaf
which cost less than 15 taels per pecul were likewise included in
this new regulation. As this would, in my opinion, be a detriment to
the revenue, I have to request that orders may be issued directing
that the tariff on tea-dust shall be fixed at 1t. 2m. 5c.
for all that whose cost does not exceed 10 taels per pecul, while
all whose cost exceeds that amount, whether sent from port to port
or exported to foreign countries, shall pay the former duty of 2t. 5m. per pecul,”
&c.
An examination of this subject shows that tea leaf and tea-dust are
quite different in many respects, and the object of making the new
regulation was to reduce the duty in some proportion to the article,
as was shown in the dispatch sent you on the 29th of last December.
But if it is, as the inspector general of customs says in his
report, that foreign merchants have mistakenly inferred from this
that tea leaf itself (when under that cost per pecul) pays only 1t. 2m. 5c., they have truly confused the matter. The
rule must accordingly be changed in order to mark the difference
more plainly, and the limit placed on tea-dust exported must
accordingly be restricted so that the revenue shall not be
diminished.
Hereafter the duty on tea-dust exported from any port shall be levied
in accordance with this recommendation of the inspector general of
customs. For all that whose cost does not exceed 10 taels per
hundred catties, the duty shall henceforth be 1t. 2m. 5c.
for that quantity, whether it is to be sent abroad or carried to
another open port; while for that whose cost exceeds 10 taels per
pecul, the duty shall be as before, at the rate of 2t. 5m. per pecul. By
this arrangement the duty on the article will be clearly
distinguished, and no doubt, too, to the advantage of all
interested. Orders to act in conformity to this arrangement have
been sent to the inspector general of customs, and this
communication is now likewise sent, that your excellency may give
the necessary instructions to all the American merchants to act
accordingly.
His Excellency S. Wells Williams, United States Chargé d’affaires ad
interim.
B.
Mr. Williams to Prince Kung
Legation of the United
States, Peking,
May 28, 1868.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge your
imperial highness’s dispatch of the 22d instant, in which you inform
me that in consequence of mistakes having been made by the foreign
merchants, who inferred that the new regulation fixing the duty on
tea-dust at 1t. 2m.
5c. per pecul applies also to tea leaf
whose cost did not exceed 15 taels per pecul, you had decided, in
order to protect the revenue, to adopt the suggestion of the
inspector general of customs, limiting the reduced duty of 1t. 2m. 5c. per pecul on tea-dust to all that,
whenever exported, whose cost did not exceed 10 taels per pecul;
while all above that price should pay the former duty of 2t. 5m. per pecul,
&c.
The articles of tea leaf and tea-dust are no doubt very different,
and as I now learn from your imperial highness’s dispatch that the
foreign merchants have erroneously supposed that the cheaper kinds
of the former were included under the new regulation, you have
deemed it best, in order to prevent mistakes, to limit the reduced
duty of 1t. 2m. 5c. to those kinds of tea-dust whose cost does
not exceed 10 taels, which modification shall accordingly be made
known to American merchants at the various ports.
I have the honor to be, sir, your imperial highness’s obedient
servant,
His Imperial Highness Prince Kung, Chief
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
