No. 138.
Mr. Seward
to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of
the United States,
Peking, December 10, 1879.
(Received January 27, 1880.)
No. 530.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I have
recently received from Mr. Cheshire, vice-consul at Canton, a copy of rules
for the issue
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of transit passes,
framed some months since by the local Chinese authorities, and promulgated
without reference to the consulates or the legation.
I shall have occasion to refer to these rules again, and to lay a copy of
them before you. They are very long, and for the moment we are not able to
make a copy.
The rules seemed to me so objectionable that I at once placed them before my
colleagues, and we agreed together that it is desirable to instruct our
respective consuls at the several ports to declare to the authorities that
they have no power to assent to any rules whatever without having received
first the approval of the legation.
To my own circular letter, prepared in accordance with this understanding, I
have added a request that our officers should exercise care when sending up
statements of the grievances under which trade is suffering, to transmit
also documentary evidence of facts alleged.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure in No. 530.]
Circular to consuls in China.
Peking, December 3,
1879.
The fact, having been brought to my knowledge that the Chinese
authorities at some of the ports have framed, with or without the
concurrence of the consuls, regulations for the issue of transit passes,
I have to call your attention to the matter, and to request you to
inform the authorities that you have no authority to agree to any
regulations so made or proposed, without having first obtained the
sanction of the legation.
It is my desire and that of my colleagues to frame here, in concert with
the government, all the rules necessary to the proper working of the
transit pass system. This is desirable for the sake of uniformity and in
order that the best possible arrangement may be secured.
In responding to this dispatch, please be so good as to hand to me copies
in duplicate, in English and Chinese, of the form of transit pass inward
and of the transit certificate used for produce coming outward, or in
case these forms have been sent to the legation, please refer to the
dispatch with which they were transmitted.
I desire to call your attention, further, to the fact that in urging upon
the attention of the government here the failures and abuses of the
transit pass system, and the irregular and undue taxation of
uncertificated imports, and of jroduee intended for exportation, we find
no lack of allegations that abuses exist, but the proofs are, in many
cases, wanting. You are requested, therefore, to present to me such
proofs in documentary form whenever it is possible for you to do so.
I am, &c.,
