Petition of the Kicxtaxe Tea Merchants aguinst the opening of Hexow as a port of call.
The Tea Merchants of Kiukiang (26 hong names given) present a petition. 'They most humbly beg to state that, inasmuch as the measure intended to' be a benefit to the people will in reality prove most disadvantageous, they pray your Excellency will, of your goodness, be pleased to represent the matter to the high authorities, and request a suspension or abrogation of the proposed change.
Your petitioners have received Your Excellency's proclamation announcing that, in accordance with the terms of the Convention concluded on the settlement of the Yin-nan affair, the six ports of call selected under that agreement would be opened for the disc! and shipment of cargo soon as regulations had been agreed upon, Your petitioners would observe as regards Hukow, that it is only distant 50 li from Kiukiang that since the latter port was opened to trade, now over ten years, all merchandize conveyed by steamers, wh being brought from or conveyed to the interior marts of Kiangsi, has, as a rule, merely passed the confines of Hukow (the necessity of stopping there never having arisen), which practice, while conforming to the existing regulation, has proved to be mutually advantageous to both the Customs and merchants. Furthermore, Kiukiang itself produces no exports whatever, and, being a small place, the local consump tion of imports is insignificant; so that when ever Hukow is opened as a subsidiary port, Kiukiang will lose all the shipping business centred there, which aust inevitably result in the complete ruin of our trade now established at this port; and this, too, without, being of the slightest gain to Hukow, to the merchants and people of Kiukiang it cannot fail to be most disastrous.
Moreover, Hukow, situated as it is at the confluence of the Yangtsze and Poyang lake, is subject to free gules and high seas, which dash against the boats, rendering that place absolutely dangerous and inconvenient for shipping and landing cargo.
And your petitioners having beant that the foreign merchants have already petitioned their respective Consuls (against the opening of Hukow), now venture, with bended heads, to repair to the presence of YourExcelleney, in the hope that you will graciously condescend, in consideration of these circumstances, to submit the question tothe different authorities, and request that in the ease of Hukow, all carya (for or from Kiangsi) may as hitherto be landed or shi Kiukiang, that the business and foreign' merchants be not interrupted or disabled, And your petitioners will be boundlessly grateful.
Kwang-sil, 3rd year, Sr moon.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.