I. Sce Agrcemenl of Cliefoo, II, Art. ii

^34 CONVFNTIONS DK PE-Rl.NG

The Consul will inquire into thc mcrits of the case, and do his utmost to arrange it amicablv. In like manner, if a Chinese havc reason to coniplain of a Brilish subject, the Consul shall no less listen to his complainf, and cndeavour to settle it in a friendlv manner. If disputes take place of such a nature that the Consul cannot arrange them amicablv, thcn he shall recpiest the assistance of the Chinese authorities, that thoy mav together examine into the merits of the case, and décide it equitablv.

Art. XVHI. — The Chinese authorities shall at ail tinies afford the fullest protection to the pcrsons and propertv of iiritish subjects, whenever thèse shall bave been subjectcd to insuit or violence. In ail cases of incendiarism or robberv, the local authorities shall at once take the necessary steps l'or the recovcrv of the slolen property, the suppression of disorder, and the arrest of the guillv parties, whom they will punish according to law.

Art. XIX. — If an\ British inerchanl-vosscl, while whilliin Chinese waters, be plundered bv robbers or pirates, it shall be the duty of the Chinese authorities to use every endeavour to capture and punish the said robbers or pirates, and to recovor the stolen propertv, that it mav be handed over to Ihe Consul for restoration to the owner.

Art. XX. — If any Bristish vcssel be at anv lime wrecked or stranded on the coast of China, or be compelled to fake refuge in any port wilhin the dominions of the Emperor of China, the Chinese authorities, on being apprised of the fact, shall immediately adopt measurcs for its relief and securitv ; thc pcrsons on board shall rcccive friendlv treatniont, and shall be furnislied, if necessary, ^vith the means of convevance to thc nearest Consular station.

Art. XXI. — If criininals, subjects of China, shall take refuge in Hongkong, or on board the British ships thcre, thev shall, upon due réquisition bv the Chinese authorities, be searclied for, and, on proof of their guilt, be doliverctl up.

In like manner, if Chinese oll'cndors take refuge in the bouses or on board the vessels of Brilisii subjects at the open ports, they . shall not be harboured or concealed, but shall be delivered up, on due réquisition bv the Chinese authorities, addrcssed to thc Britisli Consul.

Art. XXII. — Should anv Chinese subject fail to discharge debts incurred to a British subject, or should he fraudulcnlly abscoud, ihc Chinese authorities ^illdo ihcir utmost to efifect his

TREATY OF PEAGE ^25

arrest, and enforce recovery of the debls. The Britishaulhorltics will likewise do tlieir utmosl to bring Injustice any Biitish subject fraudulenly abscondi'ng or failing to discharge debls incurred by him to a Chineso sid)jecl.

Art. XXIII. — Should iialives of China wlio may repair lo Hongkong to trade, incur dobts there, the recovery of such debts must be arranged l'or by the English Courts of Justice on tiie spot; but shoukl the Chinese debtor abscond. and be known to havc prnperty, real or personal, within tlie Chinese terrilory, it shall be the duty of the Chinese autliorities, on applicaiion by, and in concert Avitli, the British Consul, lo do their ulinost lo see justice donc between the parties.

Art. XXIV. — It is agreed tha.t British subjects sliall pay, on ail merchandisc imported or exported by them, the duties prcscribed by the Tarilï' : but in no case shall they be called upon lo pay other or higher duties than are reqnired of the sulijecls of any other foreign nation.

Art. XXV. — Import duties shall be considered payable on the landing of the goods, and duties of export on the shipment of the same.

Art. XXVI. — Whereas the Tarif! fixed by Article X of the Treaty of Nanking, and which was estiniated so as to impose on imports and exports a duty at about the rate of five per cent, ad valorem, bas been found, by reason of the fall in value ofvarious articles of merchandise, therein enumerated, to impose a duty upon thèse, considerably in excess of the rate originally assumed, as above, to be a fair rate, it is agreed that the said Tarilï shall be revised, and that as soon as the Treaty shall bave been signed, application shall be made to the Emperor of China to députe a high oiïicer of the Board of Revenue to meet, at Shanghai, ofïicers to be deputed on behalf of the British Government, to consider ils revision together, so that the Tariff, as revised, may come into opération immediately after the ratification of tins Treaty.

Art. XXVII. — It is agreed thaleither of the High Contracting Parties to this Treaty may demand a further revision of the Tarin", and of the Commercial Articles of tins Treaty, at the end of ten years ; but if no demand be made on either side within six months after the end of the first ten years, then the Tariff shall remain in force for ten years more, reckoned from the end of the preceding ten years ; and so it shall be, at the end of eacli successive ten years.

Art. XX^ ITI. — A\ horeas it was agrced in Article X of the ïreaty of .Nanking, tliat British imports, having paid the Tariff duties, should be conveyed into the interior free of ail furlhor charges, except a transit dutv, the ainouiit whereof was net le exceed a certain percenlage on tarifl vahie ; and whereas no accurate infonnalion iiaving been lurnislied of the amount of such duty, British niercliants bave conslantiv complained tliat charges are suddenlv and arbitrarily imposed by the provincial authorities as transit duties upon produce on its way to the foreign market, and on iniporls on their way into the interior, to the détriment of trade ; it is agrood that within four months from the signing of tbis Trcatv, at ail ports nowopen to British trade, and within a similar period at ail ports that may hereafter be opened, the authority appointed to superintend the collection of duties shall be obliged, upon application of the Consul, to déclare the amount of duties leviable on produce between the place of production and the port of shipment, and upon imports l)otween the Consular port in question and the inland markets nanied bv the Consul ; and that a notification thereof shall be publishcd in English and Chinese for gênerai information.

But it shall be at the option of any British subject, desiring to convev produce purchased inland to a port, or to convev imports from a port to an inland market, to cloar bis soods of ail transit duties, bv payment of a single charge. The amount of lliis charge shall be leviable on exports at the first barrier Ihey mav bave to pass, or, on imports, at the port at which they are landed ; and on payment thereof, a certificate shall be issued, which shall exempt the goods from ail furiher inland charges whatsoever '.

It is further agreed that the amount of tbis charge shall be calculated, as nearly as possible, al the rate of two and a-halfper cent, ad valorem, and that it shall be fixed for each article at the Conférence to be held at Shanç^hai for the revision of the Tariff.

It is distinctly vmderstood that thepaymentof transit dues, by commutation orotherwise, shall in no wayaffect the Tariff duties on imports or exports, which will continue to be levied separatelv and in full.

Art. XXIX. — British merchant-vessels, of more than one hundred and fifty tons burden, shall be charged tonnage dues at the rate of four mace per ton ; if of one hundred and fifty tons and under, thev shall be charged at the rate of one mace per ton.

I. Sec TarilT Rules, Arl. VII ; and Agreement of Chefoo, II [, art. iv.

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Any vessel clearing from any of the open ports of China for any other of the open ports, or l'or Hongkong, sliall be entillcd, on application of the mastcr. to a spécial certificate from the Ciistoms, on exhibition of which shc sliall be exemptée! from ail further payment of tonnage dues in any open port of China, for a period of four months, to be rcckoned from the date of hcr port-clearance.

■ Art. XXX. — Tlie master of any British merchant-vcssel may, within forty-eight hours after the arrivai of bis vessel, but not later, décide to départ without breaking bulk, in which case he will not be subject to pay tonnage dues. But tonnage dues sliall be hcld due after the expiration of the said forty-eight hours. No otiier fées or charges upon entry or departure shall be levied.

Art. XXXI. — No tonnage dues shall be payable on boats employed by British subjects in the conveyance of passengers, baggage, letters, articles of provision, or other articles not subject to duty, between any of the open ports. Ail cargo boats, however, conveying merchandise subject to duty shall pay tonnage dues once in four months ', at the rate of one inace per register ton.

Art. XXXII. — ïhe Consuls and Superintendents of Customs shall consult together regarding the érection of beacons or lighthouses, and the distribution of buoys and lightships, as occasion maydemand.

Art. XXXIII. — Duties shall be paid to the bankers, authorised by the Chinese Government to receive the same in its behalf, either in sycee or in foreign money, according to the assay made at Canton on the thirteenth of July, one thousand eight hundred and forty-three.

Art. XXXIV. — Sets of standard weights and measures, prepared according to the standard issued to the Canton Custom- House by the Board of Revenue, shall be delivered by the Superintendent of Customs to the Consul at each port, to secure uniformity and prevent confusion.

Art. XXXV. — Any British merchant-vessel arriving at one of the open ports, shall be at liberty to engage the services of a pilot to take her into port. In like manner, aller she bas discharged ail légal dues and duties, and is ready to take her departure, she shall be allowed to sélect a Pilot to conduct her out of port.

Art. XXXVI. — Whenever a British merchant-vessel shall