1,—With reference to taxi: silk cocoons, it has been the custom to tax them on the saute principle as raw silk, that is to say, they are taxed first. before being put in the marke tax was levied on the people by the olliciuls. It is, therefore, sug gested that, following the sume principle, this change shall be made—that the Licensed Cocoon Hongs should collect the taxes, and shall in tura report the amount to the nearest lekin stations. On a report being made, the lekin office shall depute one or two allicient officials to examine the goods, and thus prevent avy attempts at smu; gling.
permits on cocoons hitherto granted differ among Chinese and foreign ers; that is to say, foreigners obtain transit pass from the Customs in which it is expressed that the pass has been grant: ed to foreign merchant, while Chinese merchants in transporting the cocoons to Shanghai have a ailie permit on which large as well as small seals are stamped, It is proposed in the future, when the eocoons have been weighed and are ready for export to tax them according to the transit puss system. [f the merchants alrendy have transit passes for goods and wish export them, they can go directly to likin office and have the necessary stamps of the permits allied to the transport passes, We would also suggest that orders may be given to the Sung-chiang (fAYT.) and Shanghai head likin offices to have the Northern and Southern barrier stations collect Cho-kiang likin passes from both native and foreigners alike.
sent monthly to on it passes granted to foreignors.—Formerly the Shanghai Customs communicated with us, saying that th for this quantity of goods was written on' it, ped and separated from the other parts and given to the merchant to be shown on the way, and to be stamped successively by each Tiki and part tora off and hai Customs to servo asa tally; the third was to be placed on file at our office. Tu the dth year of Kuang Ha we asked the Shanghai Customs to communicate with the different Consuls requesting them to notify their subjects after that date, when getting cocoons from Chie-kiang, to obtain permit and go tu the barrier stations and report the quantity of cocoons they required to purchase. Also that they should procure one pass for exch best, and, in barrier station, allow it to b id have the stamp affixed on the Wo also suggest that the likin. stations be notified about the holders of such transit parses, that as ouch lot of goods (cocoons) pass feom the firat barrier station they should fill up the permits according to form, designate the quantity of goods and stamp the pass, They are then required to send us a copy, and we will then issue transi d permit the goods to ed by exch The permits and passes given by the likin office can then be compared and exatiued by the officials of each barrier that the goods may pass through. If the weights do not agree, or if there no passes, the station which the fact shall detain the boat, and aboli be treated according to the article provided by Treaty.
4.—The export of cocoons was at one time very small, and a distinction between fresh and dry ones was made, the duty on fresh ones being lighter, in order to encourage those of smaller means among the people. These fow yours the export of cocoons very great and their prices have accord ingly doubled, Hence the cases of now-a-daya and former times ato different, and it is therefore necessary to meet such an emergency and raise the duty on them. We find that the country people mostly bring fresh cocoons to the collectors, so we
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.