Sin,—With reference to what has already passed between the Council and your Body, regarding the commutation from the aot for dues on Merchandise passed through the T have red by mp) alubough they were unwilling 80 long as there was a prospect of getting the Taotai to define its that it does not cover any Bade, nor that part oft by foreigners undoubtedly original intention, of freeing t ordinary Chinese trader, while at the so time leaving the Council free to obtain amounts due from the foreign trader; yet, as re seem to be grave doubts of such a
'Taotai, and in the meantime foreigners, to the jon being oflcially agreed to by the great detriment of the revenue, are' taking advantage of the present system, by which they can refuse all dues on Merchandise, under the plea that they have been entered at the Custom house in the name of a Chinese, and are therefore covered by the commute: tion, the Council are willing to recommend to the Ratepayers the abandoning of the com. mutation, and the collecting in future dues direct from all traders, native as well as foreign, residing within the Settlement.
Before doing yo, however, the Council would be pleased to learn from you, whether in the event of the Chinese, refusing to pay the dues and taxes, nut being compelled to do so by the Mixed Court Magistrate, the Council could rely upon the assistance of your body to place the matter before the proper Chinese authorities to have the payment enforced as a reasonable, just, and equitable tax. The Council need not point out, that unless this were done it would be manifestly impossible for them to abandon the communi jon, for as goon as it was known that Chinese were exempt, the foreigners would refuse to pay, or else pass their goods through in the name of Chin present system of raising revenue from dues can only repeat that so Jong as the on merchandise is pursued, the Council are much in favor of the commutation, if officially detined og above; as they would then get nearly all, if not all, dues rightfully belonging to flem; and it would take away any good objection on the part of foreigners to yy; and the Council are of opinion that few Hany firms would seck to evade their fair share of the taxes, by passing goods in the name of one of their employes in the neigh-
Trusting, therefore, that it may still be possible to get the Taotai to define the com-imitation, and thus avoid the necessity of recommending its abandonment, 8d. Joan G. Purpox, Chairman, Gronce F. Szwarp, Eeq.,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.