cognizance. These certificates will form the basis of duty payment at way stations, and the vessels concerned, unless there is reason to suspect them of smuggling, will not be detained for rigid examination at each place, but will be released on payment of proper duty. Manifests of all cargo to be landed are to be handed in at the landing-places (in Chinese if the places are away from the Treaty ports). 8. As regards the publication of the rules and regulations in force at the several places where dues and duties are payable, referred to in Rule 7, it is understood that the publication is to take place before the end of this Chinese year. In the meantime, if vessels do not stop at stations they will not be liable to any penalty for passing them, unless they are hailed to bring-to by the station or one of its boats, and disregard the summons. 9. After the regulations have been notified, the provincial authorities will appoint at each Treaty port a responsible officer, who will collect on provincial account the dues and duties prescribed in Articles 2 and 3 on goods going to or coming from inland waters, and report the collection at stated intervals to his superiors. He will receive in one lump sum all the dues and duties a vessel lading for a certain destination is bound to pay at the various stations she will pass on the way. The officer will give a certificate of receipt, presentation of which at the stations will exempt the goods from levy of duty or vexatious examination. The officer appointed will have an office in the vicinity of the custom-house, and will work in concert with, and under the guidance of, the Commissioner. In case any question or difficulty arises, the Commissioner and the Superintendent of Customs will arrange it amicably; when a foreigner is concerned, he has the option of having it dealt with under the Joint Investigation Rules. These Supplementary Rules, like the Rules to which they are appended, are provisional, and liable to change as required. September 1898. No. 38. AGREEMENT RESPECTING THE NEW CHINESE CUSTOMS Tariff. Signed at Shanghae, August 29, 1902. WHEREAS it was provided by the Final Protocol signed at Peking on the 7th of September, 1901 (Article VI), that the existing Tariff on goods imported into China should be increased to an effective 5 per cent., and whereas it was further provided that all duties levied on imports ad valorem should be converted as far as feasible and with the least possible delay into specific duties, this conversion to be effected in the following manner:The average value of merchandise at the time of landing during the three years 1897, 1898, and 1899, that is to say, the market price less the amount of import duty and incidental expenses to be taken as the basis for the valuation of such merchandise. The Special Commissioners of― Austria-Hungary M. E. von Hirsch ; Belgium M. D. Siffert; Germany Dr. A. Boyé ; Great Britain Sir James L. Mackay; Japan Mr. E. Hioki, Mr. M. Odagiri, Mr. J. Yamaoka; Netherlands M. G. D. Advocaat, M. F. B. s'Jacob; Spain M. D. Siffert; and of China Their Excellencies Lu Hai-Huan and Sheng Hsuanhuai, have agreed and determined, on the basis aforesaid, upon the Tariff hereto appended together with certain Rules for the application thereof; and do hereby agree that the said Tariff and Rules shall be binding on the Governments and subjects of their respective Countries and of China. * See "Commercial Treaties," Vol. XXIII, p. 366. [536] L The Tariff and Rules aforesaid shall be binding on and after the 31st October, 1902, the first day of the tenth Chinese moon. Should it be ascertained hereafter that any articles have been omitted from this Tariff which it is found can be conveniently provided for on a specific basis in terms of the Final Protocol of 1901, it is understood that the necessary additions shall be made at rates to be mutually agreed upon by Representatives of the various Powers by whom this Tariff has been signed. It is understood that, in the event of there being any difference of meaning between the English and Chinese Texts of the Tariff and Rules, the sense as expressed in the English Text shall be held to be the correct sense. The present Agreement has been drawn up in eight identic copies and signed by all the Special Commissioners of the countries aforesaid. One copy shall be given to the Special Commissioners of each Foreign Country, and one copy shall be given to the Chinese Special Commissioners, (Signed) E. v. HIRSCH. (Subject to the approval of His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty's Government.) |