Foreign Agents Accused Of legal Acts to Be Arrested and Punished Mr, Hsu Yuan, Commissioner of Foreign Affairs, has received a despatch from the Civil Governor, No, 7160, to the following effect:
"The Finance Commissioner has submitted to me a memorial from the Director of the Shanghai-Paoshan Cigarette Tax Office, as fol-
Since the imposition of this tax, there have frequently been agents of a certain company selling unstamped cigarettes in the interior, obstructing inspection and prejudice ing the tax receipts. In spite of using peaceful persuasive means to get them to withdraw, they soon returned. They are still coming and going at will, and persuasive means can have very little effect. This Office has no power to take strong, measures, for fear of creating diploaxatie complications, as already ported before.
"Lately, the said company has int-agents to the interior, selling cigarettes at Nantao and Chapei front of cigarette shops, as if they were bent upon causing confusion to tax collection, This Office a tried to persuade them to withdraw from Chinese territory, in order to oid unpleasant incidents. As they refused to obey, this Office ordered the detention of their cigarettes and expulsion of the agents; but th latter firmly maintained that the goods should not part company rom them, and that they were quite ready to follow their goods and submit to arrest and fine. As these men are not amenable to reason, this nuisance cannot be radically dealt with unless severe penalties are inflicted (upon them). in future, may this Office detain cigarettes and fine the culprits, when such eases occur; and if they jot submit, may this Office send to the Constabulary Court for punishment; and also summon the Police at any time to prevent the: wen from interfering with its dut~ ies? If approved, kindly instruct tle Commissioner of Foreign Affairs and the Constabulary Bureau of Woosueg and Shanghai to take note and set accordingly.
"41 find that it has been repeated-ordered that foreign merchants sell cigarettes in the interior, as on record; and that, having rescripted this memorial accordingly, T beg to submit it for your instruction.'
"Having received the above and having ordered the Finance Commissioner to instruct Director Chang. Ching-tsen that in cases of ich agents selling cigarettes in the terior, and refusing to desist when ordered, he may in future send them to the Constabulary for punishment and to be fined; the said Commissioner of Foreign Affairs is hereby ordered to obey this resevipt and negotiate according treaty for the suppression of such cases!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.