Ost! of the sentimental grievances of the Chinese, which at intervals turns up when pressure is attempted to get rid of some abuse or violation of treaty stipulations: ow their part, has always been the fiscal arrangements of: the Colony of Hongkong. From the first cession of the island, shortly alter which Sir Henry Pottinger made the mistake of signing the "Bogue" supplementary treaty, up to the present time, it has always been the interest of some one or ator, native or foreign, connected with the various departments of the Chinese Government, to take up this so easily stated grievance. In the first instance referred to, Keying, the Imperial Commissioner, introduced a set of rules which, bad they been carried out, would have effectually strangled in the birth the infant colony.
They were not carried out, apparently because, however much' the idea of abstract propriety recommended them to the British Plenipotentiary, and however the chance of procuring an imperial revenue recommended them to Commissioner Keying, the provincial governments along the coast did not view in the same hight a system which, to be successful, could onl; be carried out to their loss; and whicl would introduce, by the necessity of comparing tallies, a system of tabula ted accounts above all the dislike of a Chinese mandarin, It was arranged that a series of passes were to be granted to native vessels trading with Hongkong, and that it should be the duty of the Colonial Government to examine those passes, and see that the proper certificates of payment of duty, &o., were held by the vessel. So elaborato a-system, and one so unlikely to subserve its end, could only have occurred to a Chinese statesman; yet it is perhaps little less practicable than the various later schemes which, under the auspices of the Foreign Customs servants of the Peking Government, have at various times been suggested. It is indicative of the steavge ideas which contact with Chinese platitudes somotimes impresses even on superior mind, that fancies of this sort should ever have found supporters in the Colony itself, and that schemes for the collection of a Chinese imperial revenue should actually have been listened to by those engaged in the commerce of the place, The abuse of such words ax "smuggling," "illicit trade," "loss of revenue," &c., have, in the eyes of those unacquainted with the intricate working of the system, much the same effect as ave clap-trap party cries with the uninformed masses, - "Hongkong, we are told by certain Tnterested parties, exists" by smuggling. To quote the words of the' Hoppoat Canton, "Thelocality of Hovgkong in Kwantung is one where Chinese and foreiguersoongregato; bat Ohiabas ao Oustearhonse' whatever there, nor are persons stationed there for the parpose of inspection." Hence, he proceeds, foreign vessels profer anchoring at Hongkong, saving thereby tonnage dues; and although goods for Canton pass through the Customs there, the main part of those intended for the "four prefectures of Kao, Sion, Siew and Kiung is carried down by junks, chartered for the purpose by"dishonest traders, to out-of-the-way harbours and creeks on the West coast, where no Customs stations exist, and where the merchandise is clandestinely Inuded for sale" ce. His Hxcellency concludes by the strange suggestion; "Great detriment is suffered, in consequence, by the revenues from Customs and tonnage dues; and the Superintendent submits for consideration the question of desiring the british Minister to call upon the Governor of Hongkong to issue instructions to the Consul of that place, directing him to take stringent men-sures for preventing the smuggling of opium and of foreign merchandise." Now in commenting on the.above, it is well to remember the peculiar, and we may say unconstitutional position of the Canton Hoppo. He is solely an imperial officer, being, if not ex-officio at Toast by. long established custom; a
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.