The native authorities are now urgent in their desires and measures to place
a limit of time on such passes at this port, and such other ports not
already included, with a view of preventing any recurrence of
irregularities. I also inclose a copy of a note from His Excellency the
German minister, which will explain an excellent suggestion to his
colleagues and to the foreign office that these limitations be determined
and arrived at by the Chinese authorities with the consuls, not confining
such deliberations to the customs taotais and commissioners to the exclusion
of the consuls.
[Inclosure No. 1 in No.
1114.—Translation.]
The Tsung-li-yamên to Mr.
Denby.
Your Excellency: With reference to the transit
memoranda in triplicate issued for the exportation of native produce,
the inspector-general of customs proposed, in the eleventh year of T’ung
Chih (1873) a limit of time within which they should be delivered for
cancellation. This limit was for the province in which the pass was
issued, 50 days; for adjoining provinces, 100 days; for distant
provinces, 200 days. To exceed the limit constituted a violation of the
customs regulations, entailing confiscation of all the goods.
In the eleventh moon of that year (1873), and again in the eleventh moon
of the second Kuang-hsü (January, 1877), this yamên communicated these
proposals for the information of the representatives of the various
countries resident at Peking, from whom, one after the other, replies
were received agreeing that they should be adopted
At various subsequent dates, viz, in the eighth moon of the third
Kuang-hsü (1877) first and second moons fifth Kuang hsü (1879), ninth
moon seventh Kuang-hsü (1881), the yamên received dispatches from the
southern superintendent of trade and the governor-general of the
Liang-Kuang, stating that they were in receipt of reports from
Ching-Kiang, Wuhu, Pakhoi Kiung-Chow, and Canton, stating that the
customs taotais, together with the consuls, the commissioners of
customs, and the inspector-general of customs, had decided upon limits
which would govern transit passes for native goods. At Ching-Kiang and
Wuhu the limit was put at half a year; at Pakhoi, 6 months; at
Kiung-Chow, 3 months; and at Canton, for the province of Canton itself,
3 months, and for going beyond the province 6 months. Penalties for
exceeding the allotted time were to be exacted in accordance with the
regulations. This system of limits once in operation was found
satisfactory to the mercantile community generally, and, though long in
operation, no irregularities were discovered. We have now, however,
received from the northern superintendent of trade a dispatch stating
that on the twelfth day second intercalary moon of the sixteenth
Kuang-hsü (April 1, 1890) a boatman, Chang Yu-te, having as cargo 116
packages of wool, arrived at the Hung Ch’iao (Red Bridge) subordinate
customs station and tendered for examination a pass in triplicate,
Tien-Tsin, No. 178, originally issued to the English firm of (Wilson
& Co.) Hsin T’ai Hsing, authorizing the purchase of native goods at
Tulu Hsien (a village southwest of Tien-Tsin). Investigation showed that
it had been issued on the twelfth day of the fifth moon of the fourth
Kuang-hsü (June, 1878); that it was 12 years old. Fraud having been
suspected, the customs taotai submitted the man to an oral examination.
While conducting the examination, however, he received a note from
Consul Bullock requesting that the man be released. No limits for the
expiration of these passes having ever been established at Tien-Tsin,
the customs taotai yielded to the request and discharged the boatman. He
wrote at once to the consul, however, urging that deliberations be
entered into with a view to the establishment of definite limits for
transit passes at Tien-Tsin in accordance with the procedure at other
ports, which limits, once agreed upon, would prevent the recurrence of
such irregularities hereafter.
The superintendent of trade, having received this report, requests that
this case be definitely decided, and that the yamên communicate the
matter to all the representatives of the foreign countries resident at
Peking. We have replied to the superintendent of trade to transmit
orders to the said customs taotai to come to some satisfactory
arrangement of the present case with the consul, and we have also
written [Page 186] to the northern and
southern superintendents of trade to direct the inspector-general of
customs to ascertain what ports have no established limits for duration
of transit passes, and to order the customs taotais and the
commissioners of customs at such places, taking into consideration the
particular circumstances of each locality, to establish limits for
duration of transit passes in accordance with regulations, making a
distinction for time allowed in nearer and remoter places. Should a
merchant have any real causes for delay, he may, before the expiration
of the limited time, make application for an extension in accordance
with the rules. This will be granted as a favor to him. We communicate
this matter for Your Excellency’s information, and we hope you will
order the consuls at the various ports concerned to act in accordance
with the spirit of this dispatch.
Thus we hope frauds and irregularities will be avoided, and that
mercantile affairs will more and more favorably progress with lapse of
time.
Confident of Your Excellency’s cordial good will in the transaction of
business with us, we are sure to receive as early as possible a reply
from you.
A necessary communication, etc.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 1114.]
The German minister to
his colleagues.
Mr. von Brandt has the honor to present his compliments to his colleagues
and to place the following proposals before them:
In the yamên’s note of the 9th instant on the subject of the fixation of
the duration of the export transit passes, the yamên states that the
taotais or commissioners of customs at those ports where such measures
had not yet been introduced would be instructed to fix a time they
thought adequate.
In the same note it is, however, mentioned that at Ching-Kiang, Wuhu,
Pakhoi, Kiung-Chow, and Canton similar measures had been introduced
after an understanding had been arrived at between the Chinese
authorities and the treaty powers. Would it not be well under the
circumstances to tell the yamên that, while approving the principle of
the measure proposed, the foreign representatives thought that if it
were based, as in the former cases quoted by the yamên, upon a joint
understanding between the Chinese authorities and the consuls, the
interests of the customs, as well as of the mercantile community, would
be best protected and future reclamations and difficulties avoided?
If his colleagues should approve of this proposal, each legation might
draft its answer in the same sense.
Mr. von Brandt avails, etc.
