The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-09

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snd living tssds sad the wheis bsasa Of tbs fsdue
tleH would stu fs lsst % l;is caqssasf,
Under these crsrmstsnoss yodt Committee hsse Ne
tie doubt that the full eject OF any reduction of duty
would very shortly II not Immediately, be felt Ia the
selling price, and thus In long interval of time
s hv ;ncrsasaa cons.mnt;on ,.n 10
bersd that the increased consumption of sugar
quen large increase In that Of tea would assist
In repairing the loss.
For these reasons your committee think themselves
warranted In recommending to the house considerable
reduction In the duty tea at the earliest period which
la its wisdom 1t may t most desirable in itself
with view to the comforts and the social habits of the
people, involving but temporary loss the
anu - :. .ns ex.enson OF our trade with mi
has alre idy reached"
The question Of the form Of the duty has been raised
by various Witnesses and by two has pro-
posed to return either to ad vaforem duty In the
time of tho East India Company to rated duty,
rying with the different qualities OF tea, the princ
pie Of that which attempted for the first eighteen
months after the opening OF the trade Butthe fiscal
and CONNER ,al convenience Of single fixed duty to-
gsthe with its proved tendency to draw bstter quality
similar cases taxation the apparent equity Of attempt
ing to proportion the duty to the quality Of the article
consumed
csl relations with China your committee have not much
to suggest. The provisions Of the treaties negotiated
By Sir H. Pottgsr appear to have been honestly carried
out by the Chinese authorities except at Canton; and
there the difficulties which have been experienced
to have arisen from the turbulent character
and hostile disposition of the populsce and the weak
ness of remote government, than from any i'll will or
want Of good faith the part of the ruling powers.
Indeed any other supposition would he totally nconss
tent with the concstory of policy pursued in
the other ports and especially with the character
Of that distinguished Statesman, Keypg who prssdes
casons himself not less the friend Of peaceful in
tercourse than the enlightened supporter Of his
try interests The port OF Shaughae being Immediate
ly adjacent to the richest districts of the Chinese
pire and especially those which produce the principal
articles OF export promises to become formidable rival
to Canton, and viii inevitably draw from 1t consider
able portion Of its traffic II already furnishes 10000
out Of the 20 900 bales of silk aud out of the
81 900 pounds Of tea which China la year appears
to have furnished to British markes.t The next in i'm
portancs is Annoy, which purchases to tha extent OF
nearly half million sterling Of opium and British ma
nufactues but yet furnishe, little produce in
With rd to Nagpo aud FOocho wfoo the trade has
hiterto proved but triHing but the period which has
elapsed they opened has too short
and tbs attractions Of the greater ports have been hi
therto too powerful to enable US to pronounce that
towns considerable connected with provinces po-
pulous will not hereafter become important seats OF
British commerce This opium trade, however already
fourishes at Foochowfoo with its usual drmorasing
influences on the popuiaton, and embarrassing effects
upon the monetary condition of the plact The latter
the former afraid, nconestabe, and insepa-
rable from its existence Into this question however,
complicated as 1t with considerations beyond the pur
view of Its inquiries your COMMITTEES fSrbear to enter
further.
The difficulties attendant on the navigation of the
China seas generally to have been much mitgaed
and scientific surveys which have been carried by
Capt Coluson and other officers but further security
Tou.a 90 given TO ths approaches TO snanshae and
buoys and moorings at moderate cost, out OF great
advantage to the navigation These surveys have been
already Of great service to in pecunia
ry point Of view and we would recommend that they
should be continued. regular post Office communca-
ton by steamboats, from Hong Kong, both to Canton
aud to the northern ports would add much to the
ity and activity Of our commerce.
From Hong Kong cannot be said to Lave derived
directly much commercial advantage indeed does L.
seem to be likely by Its position to become the seat Of
an extended commerce. 1t has considerable popule-
ton OF its own to feed or cothe and has right
poet to draw the established trade of the popuous
town and province Of Canton. to which Is
From the only traffic for which 1t Is fitted, that of a
pot for the neghborng coasts it is In great degree
barred except In regard to the five ports by treaties
which stpulate distinctly for the this
strcton. In addition, however to these natural and
necessary disadvantages It appears to have aborsd
der Others created by system Of monopoes and FARMS
and petty regulations peculiarly unsuted to its posi-
have arisen partly from attempt to struggle with
difficulties in the way Of establishing and security
which frequent its waters and nfst It's coasts and part
ly from desire to raise in tho island In some
degree adequate to the maintenance Of 1t, civil govern
ment To this latter object, however, think IL
wise to sacrifice the real interests Of the settlement,
which only prosper under the greatest amount of
freedom Of Intercourse and traffic which is consistent
with the Engagements of treaties and internal order
nor do think 1t right that the burthen of maintaining
that which rather post for general Influence and the
protection OF the general trade in the China than
colony in the ordinary should bs thrown in any
great degree on the merchants or other who
system would call the early attention Of the govern
ment well to that of tho establishment of the set
tement which we cannot but think, has been placed
o footing Of needless expense
Inconvenience appears to arise also from the depen-
dence of the governor two departments Of adnnra
tion at home AS governor OF colony he Is re.pou.i-
BILE to the Colonial office In represeut
Of the cr owl to foreisn court and OF
ton could be smpifed Wewould also recommend that
some short code should be drawn up for thu
venient administration Of substitute for that
general reference to the laws of Eglsnd far
are applicable to the case which in this In some
other colonies the sole rule Of guidance and
much confusion and embarrassment That drafts of all
new laws and regulations unless Of urgent nature,
should as in india be published for three six months
before they are finally enacted That share in the ad
mnistration of the ordinary and local aairs the
island should be given by system ofuncipal gov
ernnient 10 the British residents good court Of
view for the decisions of the consular courts should be
established so constituted "a to general conf
dence In its decisions and in such the Jurisdiction
the consus over civil suits might be extended beyond
800 dollars, the present limit eec tualy
SECURE justice to the Chinese in their transactions with
British subjects Facilities should aso be gven in Hong
Kong for the acquisition of the Chinese language and
encouragement 10 scheols for the Chinese; and the
study OF the Chinese language should be encouraged In
the consular officers whose efficiency is in every respect
Of the highest importance especially in the present stage
of our commercial intercourse with the country. The
attention of these officers should be viganty directed
to the question Of trsue duties the internal COM
munications of China, by which the effect of low du-
ties at the ports OF entry might be eectuay defeated
On this head however there e not yet much ground
of complaint
petition was referred to your committee, emanatng
from highly respectable body of merchants resident
Hong Kong, complaining among other things, Of the
mode in which the land sales had been conducted and
that good faith had been kept in conveying pur
chasers than limited tenure of seventy FIVE
years in lies permanent interest which they
aege to have been held 1t certainly appears that
the however vague under which of the
early settlers made purchases and entered into engage
ments, and expended money may easily have led to this
expectations and therefore, surprised at the
disappointment. No charge, however, has beea sus-
tanned against the public officers engaged in the tran
sections, who appear to HAYS acted In good faith
throughout. The same petition complains of q want of
vigor the part Of the Governor Hong Kong pro-
tectng the interests of British subjects in their inter-
with the Chinese but this subject have