[Inclosure.—Translation.]
We, Prince Ch’ing, Grand Secretary Li Hung-chang, and the ministers
of finance, deliver the present bond, according to the clauses of
Article VI of the Protocol signed September 7, 1901, by the
plenipotentiaries of the eleven Powers, viz, Germany,
Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Spain, the United States of America,
France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Holland, and Russia, and by the
Chinese plenipotentiaries, who stipulate the following:
By an imperial Edict dated May 29, 1901, His Majesty the Emperor of
China agreed to pay the Powers an indemnity of 450,000,000 Haikwan
taels, calculated in gold at the rate of the Haikwan tael to the
gold currency of each country, as indicated below:
| Haikwan tael |
=marks |
3.055 |
|
=Austria-Hungary crown |
3.595 |
| =gold dollar |
0.742 |
| =francs |
3.750 |
| =pound sterling |
0. 3s. 0d. |
| =yen |
1.407 |
| =florin, Netherlands |
1.796 |
| =gold ruble (17.424 dolias find) |
1.412 |
This sum in gold shall bear interest at 4 per cent per annum, and the
capital shall be reimbursed by China in thirty-nine years, under the
conditions indicated in the plan of amortization annexed to the said
Protocol.
The principal and interest shall be payable in gold or at the rates
of exchange corresponding to the dates at which the different
payments fall due.
The amortizations shall be paid annually.
The interest shall be paid semiannually and shall start from the 1st
of July, 1901, but the Chinese Government shall have the right to
pay off, within a term of three years, commencing January 1, 1902,
the arrears of the first six months, finishing December 31, 1901, on
condition, however, that it pays compound interest at the rate of 4
per cent per annum on the sums the payments of which shall have thus
been deferred.
The present bond shall be converted into fractional bonds, signed by
the delegates of the Chinese Government designated for this
purpose.
The resources assigned as security for the bonds are the following:
- 1.
- The balance of the revenues of the imperial maritime
customs, after payment of the interest and amortization of
previous loans secured on these revenues, plus the proceeds
of the raising to 5 per cent effective of the present tariff
on maritime imports, including articles until now on the
free list, but exempting rice, cereals, and flour from
abroad, gold and silver bullion, and coin.
- 2.
- The revenues of the native customs, administered in the
open ports by the imperial maritime customs.
- 3.
- The total revenues of the salt gabelle, exclusive of the
fraction previously set aside for other foreign
loans.
The product of the resources assigned to the payment of the bonds
shall be remitted monthly to the commission of bankers designated by
the various Powers for the collection of the sums belonging to each
of them.
The present bond represents the sum of 450,000,000 Haikwan taels,
calculated in gold at the rate corresponding to the gold currency of
each country as indicated above.
