The first point that. calls for settlement, it seems to the writer, is whether the Chinese had or had not the right to stop the transport of silver out of the Chahar district, that is to say, had they a right to stop Mr. Coltman's cars at all? The shipment. of money within and out of China is governed primarily by the Rules of Trade of 1858. Rule 2 reads "Duty free goods. Gold and silver bullion, foreign coins... The above pay no import or export duty.
Rule 5 (2) says Mee it shall be lawful to ship (copper cash) at one of the open ports of China to another on compliance with the following regulation, Now, the Chinese Government argue that, as the Rules specifically refer on the one hand to bullion and foreign coins and on the other hand to copper cash, all Chinese coins which were not in existence in 1858 and have since then replaced the old cash are not covered by treaty at all and that, consequently, the Chinese Government are entirely ay liberty to impose any restrictions they choose on the movement of such coins. As a matter of fact, the free movement of silver Chinese coins between treaty ports, save under licence, has on more than one occasion been prohibited by, provincial authorities whose ruling has been enforced by the Maritime Customs. Foreign governments may or may not have pro tested against such prohibitions, but in no case.has the prohibition been relaxed in consequence of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.