The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-10-17 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL TREATY WITH CHINA

By virtue of the Commercial Treaty concluded with the
Emperor of China, the following are the Regulations of
Trade agreed upon between the two governments :

GENERAL REGULATIONS UNDER WHICH THE BRITISH

TRADE IS TO BE CONDUCTED AT THE PORTS OF CAN-

TON, AMOY, NINGPO, FUCHOW, AND SHANGHAI

I. Pilots.—Whenever a British merchantman shall
arrive off any of the five ports opened to trade, viz.,
Canton, Fuchow, Amoy, Ningpo, or Shanghai, pilots shall
be allowed to take her immediately into port ; and, in like
manner, when such British ship shall have settled all legal
duties and changes, and is about to return home, pilots
shall be immediately granted to take her out to sea, with-
out any stoppage or delay.
Regarding the remuneration to be given these pilots,
that will be equitably settled by the British consul ap-
pointed to each particular port, who will determine it with
due reference to the distance gene over, the risk run, &c.
11. Custom-house Gttards.—The Chinese suprintendent
of customs at each port will adopt the means that he may
judge most proper to prevent the revenue suffering by
fraud or smuggling. Whenever the pilot shall have
brought any British merchantman into port, the superin-
tendent of customs will depute one or two trusty custom-
house officers, whose duty it will be to watch against
frauds on the revenue. These will either live in a boat of
their own or stay on board the English ship, as may best
suit their convenience. Their food and cxven!3es will be

supplied them from day to day by tie custi.m-house, and
they may not exact any fees whatever, from either com-
mander or consignee. Should they violate this regula-
tion, they shall be punished proportionately to the amount
so exacted.

111. Masters of Ships reporting themselves on arrival.
—Whenever a British vessel shall have cast anchor at any
one of the above-mentioned ports, the Captain will, within
twenty-four hours after his arrival, proceed to the. British
Consulate, and deposit his ship's papers, bills of lading,
manifest, &c., in the bands of the Consul ; failing to do
which, he will subject himself to a penalty of 200 dollars
For presenting a fals
dollar

he penalty wi

For breaking bulk and commencing to discharge before

. .
dollars, and confiscation of the goods so discharged.
The Consul, Laving taken possession of the ship's pa-
pers, will immediately send a written communication to
the Superintendent of Customs, specifying the register

THE, LI VERPO

tonnage of the ship, and the particulars of the cargo she
has on board; all of which being done in due form, per-
mission will then be given to discharge, and the duties
levied as provided for in the tariff.
IV. Commercial Dealings between English and Chi.
nese ilerchants.—lt having been stipulated that English
merchants may trade with whatever merchants they please,
should any Chinese merchant fraudulently abscond or
incur debts which he is unable to discharge, the Chinese
authorities, upon complaint being made thereof, will, of
course, do their utmost to bring the offender to justice.
It must, however, be distinctly understood that, if the
defaulter really cannot be found, or be dead, or bankrupt,
and there be not wherewithal to pay, the English mer-
chants may not appeal to the former custom of the Hong
merchants paying for one another, and can no longer ex-
pect to have their losses made good to them._

V. Tonnage Dues.—Every English merchantman, on
entering any one of the above-mentioned five ports, shall
pay tonnage dues at the rate of five mace per register ton
in full of all charges. The fees formerly levied on entry
st.d departure of every description are henceforth abo-
lished.

VI. Import and Export Duties.—Goods, whether im-
ported into or exported from any one of the above-
mentioned five ports, are henceforth to be taxed according
to the tariff as now fixed and agreed upon, and no further
sums are to be levied beyond those which are specified in
the tariff ; all duties incurred by an English merchant
vessel, whether on goods imported or exported, or in the
shape of tonnage dues, must first be paid up in full, which
done, the Superintendent of Customs will grant a port
clearance, and this being shown to the British consul, he
will thereupon return the ship's papers, and permit the
vessel to depart.
VII. Examination of Goods at the Custom-house.—
Every English merchant having cargo to load or discharge
must give due intimation thereof, and hand particulars of
the same to the Consul, who will immediately despatch a
recognised linguish of his own establishment to commu-
nicate the particulars to the Superintendent of Customs,
that the goods may be duly examined, and neither party
subjected to loss. The English merchant must also have
a properly qualified person on the spot to attend to his
interests when his goods are being examined for duty ;
otherwise, should there be complaints, these cannot be
attended to.

Regarding such goods as are subject by the tariff to an
ad valorem duty, if the English merchants cannot agree
with the Chinese officer in fixing a value, then each party
shall call two or three merchants to look at the goods, and
the highest price at which any of these merchants would
be willing to purchase shall be assumed as the value of the
goods. To fix the tare on any articles, such as tea :if the
English merchant cannot agree with the custom-house
officer, then each party shall choose so many chests out of
every 100, which being first weighed in gross, shall after-
wards be tared, and the average tare upon these chests
shall be assumed as the tare upon the whole, and upon
this principle shall the tare be fixed upon all other goods
in packages. If there should still be any disputed points
which cannot be settled, the English merchant may appeal
to the Consul, who will communicate the particulars of
the case to the Superintendent of Customs, that it may be
equitably arranged ; but the appeal must be made on the
same day, or it will not be regarded. While such points
are still open, the Superintendent of Customs will delay
to insert the same in his books, thus affording an oppor-
tunity that the merits of the case may be duly tried and
sifted. _

VIII. Manner of Paying the Duties.—lt is herein be-
fore provided that every English vessel that enters any
one of the five ports shall pay all duties and tonnage dues
before she be permitted to depart. The Superintendent
of Customs will select certain shroffs, or banking estab-
lishments, of known stability, to whom he will give licenses
authorising them to receive duties from the English mer-
chants on behalf of government, and the receipts of.these
shroffs for any money paid them shall be considered as a
government voucher. In the paying of these duties,
different kinds of foreign money may be made use of, but
as foreign money is not of equal purity with sycee silver,
the English Consuls appointed to the different ports will,
according to time, place and circumstances, arrange with
the Superintendent of Customs at each port what coins
may be taken in payment, and what per centage may be
necessary to make them equal to standard or pure silver.
IX. Weights and Measures.—Sets of balance yards for
the weighing of goods, of money weights, and of measures,
prepared in exact conformity to those hitherto in use at
the Custom-house of Canton, and duly stamped and
sealed in proof thereof, will be kept in possession of the
Superintendent of Customs, and also at the British Con-
sulate, at each of the five ports, and these shall be the
standards by which all duties shall be charged• and all
sums paid to government. In case of any dispute arising
between British merchants and the Chinese officers of
Customs regarding the weights or measures of goods, re-
ference shall be made to these standards, and disputes
decided accordingly.
X. Lighters or Cargo Boals.—Whenever an English
merchant shall have to load or discharge cargo, he may
hire whatever kind of lighter or cargo boat he pleases, and
the sum to be paid for such boat can be settled between
the parties themselves without the interference of govern-
jpent. The number of these boats shall not be limited,
lior shall a monopoly of them be granted to any parties.
If any smuggling take place in them, the offenders will,
of course, be punished according to Ina'. Should any of
these boat people, while engaged in conveying goods for
English merchants, fraudulently abscond with the property,
the Chinese authorities will do their best to apprehend

them ; but at the same time the English merchants must
take every due precaution for the safety of their goods.
Xl. Transshipm,rets of Goorls.—No English merchant
ships may transship goods without special permission;
should any urgent case happen where transshipment is
necessary, the circumstance must first be submitted to the

Consul, who will give a certificate to that effect, and the

Superintendent of Customs will then send a special officer
to be present at the transshipment. If any one presumes
to transship without such permission being asked for and
obtained, the whole of the goods so illicitly transshipped
will he confiscated.

XII. Subordinate Consular Officers.—At any place
lected for the anchorage of the English merchant ships,

approved good conduct to exercise due control over the
seamen and others. He must exert himself to prevent
quarrels between the English seamen and natives, this
being of the utmost importance. Should anything of the
kind unfortunately take place, he will in like manner do
his best to arrange it amicably. When sailors go on shore
to walk, officers shall be required to accompany them,
and should disturbances take place, such officers will be
held responsible. The Chinese officers may not impede
natives from coming alongside the ships to sell clothes or
other necessaries to the sailors living on board.

XIII. Disputes between British Subjects and Chinese.
—Whenever a British subject has reason to complain of a
Chinese, he must first proceed to the Consulate and state
his grievance. The Consul will thereupon inquire into
the merits of the case, and do his utmost to arrange it
amicably. In like manner, if a Chinese have reason to
complain of a British subject, he shall no less listen to
his complaint and endeavour to settle it in a friendly
manner. If an English merchant have occasion to ad-
dress the Chinese authorities, he shall send such address
through the Consul, who will see that the language is be-
coming, end if otherwise will direct it to be changed, or
will refuse to convey the address. If unfortunately any
disputes take place of such a nature that the Consul can-
not arrange them amicably, then he shall require the as-
sistance of a Chinese officer, that they may together
examine into the merits of the case, and decide it equitably.
Regarding the punishment of English criminals, the
English government will enact the laws necessary to attain
that end, and the Consul will be empowered to put them
in force ; and regarding the punishment of Chinese cri-
minals, these will be tried and punished by their own
laws in the way provided for by the correspondence
which took place at Nanking after the concluding of the
peace.
XIV. British Government Cruizers anchoring within
the Ports.—An English Government cruizer will anchor
within each of the five ports, that the Consul may have
the means of better restraining sailors and others, and
preventing disturbances. But these government cruisers
are not to be put upon the same footing as merchant ves-
sels, for as they bring no merchandise and do not come to
trade, they will of course pay neither duties nor charges.
The resident Consul will keep the Superintendent of
Customs duly informed of the arrival and departure of
such government cruisers, that he may take his measures
accordingly.

xv . On: the Security to be given for British Merchant
Vessels.—lt has hitherto been the custom when an
English vessel entered the port of Canton that a Chinese
Hong merchant stood security for her, and all duties and
charges were paid through such security merchant. But
these security merchants being now done away with, it is
understood that the British Consul will henceforth be
security for all British merchant ships entering any of the
aforesaid Chinese ports.

11, ST \SD kRD.

32 Lead (white lead), ditto
33 Lead (red lead), ditto
34 Marble slabs, ditto
35 Mats (straw, rattan, bamboo, &c.) ditto. 0 2 0 0
36 Mother-o'-pearl ware, ditto ...... 1 0 0 0
37 Musk, per catty....
38 Nankeen and cotton cloth of all kinds,
per 100 catties
39 Pictures, viz., large paintings, each .... 0 1
Rice paper pictures, per 100 pictures . 0 1
40 Paper fans, per 100 catties
41 Paper of all kinds, ditto
42 Pearls (i. e. false pearls), ditto
43 Preserves and sweetmeats of all kinds,do 0 5
44 Rattan work of all kinds, ditto ..
45 Rhubarb, ditto
46 Silk, raw, whether from Chekiang, Can-
ton, or elsewhere, all kinds, per 100
catties
Course, or refuse silk, ditto
Organzine, all kinds, ditt0............
Ribands, thread, &c. ditto ..
Silk piece zoods, of all kinds, as silks,
satins, pongees, velvets, crapes, lute-
strings, &c., ditto
N.B. The additional duty of so much
per piece, hitherto levied, to be hence-
forth abolished.
47 Silk and cotton mixtures, silk and wool-
len mixtures, and goods of such clas-
ses, ditto
48 Shoes and boots of leather, satin, or
otherwise, ditto
49 Sandal wood ware, ditto
50 Soy, ditto. ..
51 Silver and gold ware
52 Sugar, white and brown, ditto 0 2
53 Sugar Candy, all kinds, ditto

54 Tin foil, ditto

55 Tea, ditto •••• ......
56 Tobacco of all kinds, ditto
57 Turmeric, ditto
58 Tortoise-shell ware, ditto
59 Trunks (of leather) ditto:,

10 0
2 5
10 0
10 0

2 5
O 2
O 2
10 0
O 2

60 freasures, i. e., coin of all kinds

. .
61 Vermilion, per 100 cattier . 3 0 0 0
*** Articles unenumerated in this tariff to pay a duty
of five per cent. ad valorem.