The point of chief interest is, that the city of Chinanfu is not to be
opened itself; consequently, merchandise from the port to the city must
be shipped with a transit pass or pay the native customs, octroi, and
likin dues. The question of the payment of such dues on goods passing
from the foreign settlement to the walled town has never been clearly
decided in some of the ports opened by treaties.
Another point to be noted is that the establishment of customhouses is
temporarily postponed with a view to encourage trade.
[Inclosure.]
Prince Ch’ing to
Chargé Coolidge.
It appears from the records that my board after consultation agreed
with the superintendent of trade for the north and the governor of
Shantung to submit a memorial to the Throne, praying that a
commercial port might be opened by China herself outside the walls
of Chi-nan Fu in Shantung with branches at Wei Hsien and Chou Ts’un.
Concerning this matter my board sent a dispatch to your legation on
the 3d of the fourth moon, thirtieth year of Kuanghsü (May 17,
1904), as your files will show.
These being ports opened by China herself, the regulations for their
opening and management ought to be determined by the viceroy and
governor concerned, and I have just received the regulations in nine
articles which the superintendent of trade for the north and the
governor of Shantung have submitted in memorial and which have been
approved. It is clearly stated, moreover, in the original memorial
that on the first opening of the ports the matter of chief
importance is to encourage people to locate there, and that it is
proposed therefore to postpone temporarily the establishment of
custom-houses.
As in duty bound, I transmit herewith a printed copy of the
regulations for your examination.
A necessary dispatch.
Kuanghsü, XXXI year, 2d moon, 2d day
(March 7, 1905).
[seal.]
[Subinclosure.]
Regulations for the newly opened treaty ports in
Shantung.
* * * * * * *
I. Boundaries.—Boundaries must be laid out for
the commercial port outside of Chinanfu in order to distinguish this
place from the “interior.” The following boundaries are proposed:
From “Shih-wu-tien” (situated southeast of the Chiao-chou and Chinan
Railway, west of the city), west to Pei-ta-huai-shu, south to the
Ch’and-ch’ing road, and north as far as the railway. From east to
west this boundary line will be a little less than 5 li (about a
mile and a half) and from north to south about 2 li (about
two-thirds of a mile). Thus there will be in all some 4,000 mou of
land which will comprise the port for both Chinese and foreign
[Page 162]
trade. Countries having
treaties with China will be permitted to establish and maintain here
commercial officers; and commercial citizens of the various foreign
nations may come and go, and may rent land, and open up shops, and
may reside and carry on business the same as Chinese merchants. All
outside the boundaries of this commercial port, both inside and
outside the city wall, and all places in the vicinity shall be
considered as still being under the regulations for “interior”
districts, according to which foreign merchants must not rent or
lease houses or open up hongs or shops in such places.
II. Renting of land.—All public and private
land inside the limits of the port, as laid down herein, must be
surveyed and laid out in divisions, and prices must be determined
upon for the different lots. Private houses and lands which are to
be used must first be bought by the officials, and then rented out
to Chinese or foreign merchants. This is to prevent coercion and the
holding of property till the market price has gone up. Proclamations
must also be issued preventing landowners and renters from making
any private transactions (in land), but if anyone contemplates
renting a certain piece of land he must go first to the board of
public works and register his application, then any troubles will be
avoided by acting upon applications according to priority. (More
detailed regulations as to the renting of land will be drawn up
later.)
III. Officials.—The port once opened, a great
number of people should locate there, and Chinese and foreign
intercourse of all kinds will necessarily be very great. It will be
necessary then to have special officers to have control of these
matters. It is proposed to appoint the taot’ai of the
Chi-Tung-T’ai-Wu-Lin circuit, being near, as superintendent.
There are three classes of matters which must be dealt with at the
new port. First, the board of public works must take special charge
of the improvement of the roads, the erection of public buildings,
and building of all kinds. Second, the board of police must look out
for the policing of the streets and the investigating of cases of
smuggling, etc. (Detailed regulations will be decided upon later.)
Third, the judicial bureau must take charge of all matters of
litigation, Chinese and foreign. The taot’ai of the
Chi-Tung-T’ai-Wu-Lin circuit must appoint deputies to manage the
various different affairs, but if the affairs in the port become
multitudinous, another official with large experience in
international matters can be appointed to assist him or the
superintendent of trade for the north and the governor of Shantung
can consult together and appoint a foreigner to assist in the
management of affairs.
V. Duties and taxes.—Chinanfu being a
distinctly inland port, differs from the various other ports,
wherefore the matter of customs regulations will be left until we
can look into the conditions of the case and then in due time decide
how to deal with them. The necessary expenses for the streets, the
police, street lighting and sweeping, must be raised by the Chinese
officials. After taking into consideration the circumstances,
licenses shall be collected in due order from houses, shops, and
large and small vehicles, in accordance with rules similar to those
generally in use at the other ports, and this tax, when made, shall
be paid by Chinese and foreign merchants alike.
VI. Expenses.—When the new port is opened, all
kinds of business will increase greatly, and there will be two
principal uses for which funds will be necessary. First, the
expenses connected with opening up the place—buying up the land, for
instance, and the expense of public work—which will amount to a very
large sum; second, the annual expenses of the port, the salaries and
expenses of the officials, the wages and provisions for messengers
and police, and the miscellaneous expenses.
A memorial will be submitted asking for special appropriations of
funds to defray these expenses when necessary, that there may be no
waste of public money.
VII. Prohibitions.—It will not be permitted to
erect straw houses within the limits of the port, nor to store there
any powder or dynamite. None but soldiers may carry knives, and it
is forbidden to do anything which might injure the general health.
Offenders will be dealt with according to the laws of their own
country. In cases where dynamite, etc., is needed for use in works
of some kind, permission may be obtained from the officials to
import it, but it can not be stored up for any length of time.
VIII. Mail, telegraphs, etc.—When the new port
is opened, news must be efficaciously despatched. The mail,
telegraph, and telephone service shall be under the control of the
Chinese, who will establish the systems also and draw up
restrictions preventing the establishment of the same by others.
IX. Branch ports.—As the memorial calls for
the opening of Wei-hsien and Chou Ts’un as branch ports, these
places will be opened up under regulations similar to those for the
port outside of Chinanfu.
The above nine articles constitute only the main outline; more
detailed regulations must be drawn up for the carrying out of the
main rules. Moreover, additional regulations may be added at any
time when the circumstances of the place or conditions not
previously met may demand it.
