The following documents have been published by the Silk Guild, in contin: tion of the letter to the Chamber of Commerce which we published on the 17th.
Zo make anything, people must deliberate, and words once spoken must be accomplished.
'A few days ago, the Silk Merchants deliberated to sell Silk year at ready money, and they petitioned the Taotai to inform the Foreign Consuls of this step taken by them, As no information has yet been received from that official regarding their petition, and Silk Merchants are about to leave for the Silk-producing districts, perhaps what they have deliberated upon will not be carried into effect; therefore another deliberation will be held in this respect.
Now the now silks are about to arrive, still people have not a decision, anyhow a Rule must be established before musters are produced, so that everyone may be in accordance, The money affair la not a small one; we must all protect one another and not destroy ourselves, 80 that everyone may get a profit, for general satisfaction.
Ho who does not conform with the Rule wil be lable to pay " fine of 2071 on the value of the goods, The brokers and buyers who give information of this to the Guild, will receive 2% from the fine.
Let us sign the Rule, that it may be carried into effect.
Tue Narrve Sux Mercuanrs, 4th Moon of the 12th Year of Tun-che, Being of opinion that there must be consultation in order to transact business in the best possible manner, and that when a contract is once made, it is disgraceful not to fulfil it, we, now assembled at the Silk Exchange on this 28th instant, having consulted together, have determined on adopting the following regulations.
1. Hereafter, when a foreign merchant promises to pay ready money, then int tera may be produced and a bargain com-2. When the silk has been weighed, the account must be made out, and the money paid. If it is too late to receive payment on that day, then it must he received on the following day. If any further delay of payment is asked for, then the silk dealer must immediately inform the Guild, the silk must be taken back, and informa~ tion must be sent to every silk store that henceforth no silk dealer shall be allowed to transact business with that (Foreign) Hong.
3. The silk dealers shall not sell on any one do soclandestinely, wil be severely fined if discovered, and if any foreign hong shall force avy silk dealer to trade on that day, thu, as in the case of delay of payment, no silk dealer shall be permitted to trade there in future.
4. After the present date, any one about to go into the interior to' buy silk fora Foreign Merchant, if he has not previous consulted, must clearly inform the Guild with what silk dealer he wishes to trade on behalf of what Hong; and what quantity of silk ho wishes fo buy. Moreover, he must wait until all silk dealers have been made acquainted with these rules and then he can proceed into the interior to transact business.
6. The silk traders sending down silk from the interior to silk dealers here, must observe the same rules with regard to ready money payments, 6. If any one transgress these rules, and shall clandestinely give credit to' any Foreign Merchant, and the transaction be discovered, he shall be fined 20 per cent on the price of the goods; the seller and buyer each paying half;'and the amount shall be paid in to the Guild to be given away in charity. The informer shall receive 2 per cent for making the case known, 7. After these Rules come into force, if any one transgress them, the Master of Guild with his subordinates shall proclaim the punishment inflicted, without any attempt at concealment.
8 Should any one hear a report that any silk-dealer has combined with any Foreign Merchant to transgre: Rules of trade, he must give immediate infor-motion to the Guild, in order that an account books of the seller end buyer, licer may be appointed to bring the
together with the Banking books, for examination, in order to ascertain the true state of the case, Suanomat Gump or Sik Mencuanrs, 28th day, 4th moon, 12th year of Tung-che. (May 24th.)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.