June 31), and extending to the 24th day of the fifth moon of the 2nd year of Hsüan-t'ung, Russian calendar, June 17 (i.e., June 30), 1910.

ARTICLE IX.-During the period in which these regulations are in force all foodstuffs transported on the Sungari River shall be exempt from the provisions relating to security and guaranty.

ARTICLE X.-From the establishment of any customs station on the Sungari River to Hsüan-t'ung 2nd year fourth moon, fourth day (Russian calendar April 29, 1910, i. e., May 12) all accounts for duties and tonnage collected or not collected shall be closed, but from that time until these regulations are published if any taxes are in excess or under those prescribed in the new regulations the owner of the goods may report to the Customs. From the date of returning the original customs receipts, within three weeks the amounts due shall be returned. (The Customs) shall be asked to limit the time for receiving the petitions regarding the return of excess taxes to the 27th day of the 11th moon (Russian calendar December 15, i.e., Dec. 28). The receipts mentioned in the petitions must be dated between the fourth day of the fourth moon of this year (April 29/May 12) and the sixth day of the sixth moon (June 18/31). All extra funds must be temporarily deposited in the Russo-Chinese Bank and after the new regulations come into force these funds must be turned over to the Maritime Customs.

ARTICLE XI.-Russian vessels may use Russian statements of tonnage and goods which will be received by the River Customs, but such statements must be in the form prescribed by the River Customs.

The above memorandum has been drawn up at Peking in Chinese and Russian in duplicate and the copies compared and verified.

Date: Hsüan-t'ung, 2nd year, 7th moon, 4th day.

(July 26/August 8, 1910.)

ANNEX.

[Provisional Customs Regulations for Control of Vessels' Movements, Import and Export of Goods on the Sungari River.]

PART I.

GENERAL RULES.

1.-Vessels which have the right of navigation and trade on the Sungari River are subject to the following Regulations.

2. Customs Officers will board vessels entering, and inspect them after clearance outwards; they may claim access to any part of the vessel at any time during her stay in port.

3. All vessels must in port anchor at places assigned by the Customs of the port concerned upon their entry within its limits where all formalities of entry will be attended to with despatch.

4. Neither cargo nor passengers may be landed or shipped before permission has been given by the Customs. Cargo landed or shipped without such permission is liable to confiscation.

5.-Manifests as well as Customs covers must be presented to the Customs on arrival. A special Manifest must be handed in to the Lahasusu Customs Barrier by all vessels entering from, or leaving for, the Amoor. It must specify all cargo on board and give place of shipment and intended destination of all goods inwards and outwards.

6. Manifests must contain a true and full account of all cargo on board, including duty-free goods, giving marks, numbers and contents and must be signed by the Master or the responsible agent of the vessel concerned who will be held responsible for their correctness.

7.-Shut-out goods will be recognized as duty-paid goods only on the condition that they be presented immediately for re-examination.

8.-Vessels must produce their papers for inspection when called upon by any Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs or Inland Barrier Official acting on behalf of the Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs boarding them at the ports or

en route.

9.-Customs employees may be put on board of vessels to search them or to accompany them for the purpose of surveillance.

10. At the option of the Captain or the responsible agent of the vessel the Customs may seal the hatches of the vessels; such seals must not be broken until the vessel reaches a port where she has to work cargo and until the necessary permission has been obtained. The breaking of seals or opening of sealed hatches with fradulent intentions will entail liability to a fine not exceeding Hk. Tls. 500.

11. For working cargo or passengers on Sundays or holidays as well as on week days out of the regular working hours-6 a. m. to 6 p. m.-Special Permit Fees must be paid. These Fees will be collected according to the Table appended hereto.

12. Masters of vessels are expected to report to the Customs any changes in the channel, accidents to shipping, loss of guiding marks, wrecks and other noteworthy events.

13. Trade in the following articles, viz.: gunpowder and other explosives, shot, cannon, fowling pieces, rifles, muskets, pistols, saltpetre, sulphur, spelter and all other munitions and implements of war and sport and salt is prohibited on the Sungari; arms found on board, not covered by certificates showing them to be for self-defence or ship's use, will be confiscated. The export abroad of rice, husked and unhusked, and Chinese copper cash and coins is also prohibited. The importation of foreign copper coin blanks, copper coins, and copper cash is likewise forbidden.

14. Infraction of Customs Rules and Regulations will render the vessel liable to the infliction of fines not exceeding Hk. Tls. 500.

The Russian vessel subjected to a fine has the right to pay the fine to the Customs under protest and petition against it to the Russian Consul.

In case of the non-payment by a vessel of a fine imposed on her by the

Customs, as well as in cases of repetition of a breach of Customs Rules and Regulations by the same vessel, making the infliction of the maximum fine of Hk. Tls. 500 necessary, or in the event of it being necessary to inflict a heavier penalty, the Chinese Customs addresses, whenever Russian subjects are concerned, the Russian Consul for further treatment of the case.

The present Regulations are to be considered as provisional and will be in force for a period of three years.

PART II.

DUES AND DUTIES.

1.—The Imperial Maritime Customs on the River Sungari collect on goods carried by vessels exclusively Customs levies and do not levy any Inland or other duties or taxes. They also collect Transit Dues and River Dues.

All local taxes, when such are due, will be levied on cargoes before their loading into, or after their discharge from, vessels in order to avoid detention of the latter.

2. For the present, and until further notice, the existing general system of Tonnage Dues will not be enforced and a system of River Dues will be introduced instead, calculated according to the nature and quantity of cargo and the distance over which it is carried, vide the appended Table.

3.-Import and Export duties are leviable according to the existing Tariffs of the Chinese Maritime Customs. (General Tariff of 1858 and the Revised Import Tariff of 1902).

Transit Dues on foreign goods are leviable at one half of the rates enumerated in the above-mentioned Revised Import Tariff of 1902.

Goods unenumerated in the Tariffs, whether Imports or Exports, pay 5% ad valorem.

4.-IMPORTS FROM RUSSIAN PORTS.-On goods coming from Russian ports import duties are leviable in accordance with Art. 3 of Part II when these goods are destined for places beyond the limits of the 100-li (50-versts) Zone.

Goods, however, imported into the limits of this Zone are not subject to any duty.

Transit Dues are leviable on duty-free goods at the rate of 22% ad valorem, and on dutiable goods-at one half of the rates of the existing tariffs.

5.-NATIVE GOODS.-All Native goods will pay one full Treaty Export duty on their first passing an Imperial Chinese Maritime Custom House at Harbin, Sansing, Lahasusu or any other place on the Sungari River where revenue considerations or trade conditions may warrant the establishment of an Imperial Maritime Customs Office.

The present stipulation does not apply to the following grain products, viz.: Barley, Buckwheat, Buckwheat grit, Kaoliang, Maize, Millet (hsiao mitzu), Oats and Wheat, as well as to Beans and Beancakes, brought by water to Harbin, which goods will provisionally pay the general Treaty Export duty reduced by one-third.

Native goods loaded on vessels on the Sungari River and having for their destination one of the places within the limits of the Russian 100-li (50-versts) frontier Zone are exempted from payment of Export Duty.

Suitable documents will be issued to ensure the exemption of duty-paid goods from a second levy of duty at another Imperial Maritime Customs Office. Exemption from a second levy of Export duty will also be granted to cargo exported via the Stations Manchuria and Suifenho (Pogranitchnaya).

The Outward Transit Pass system remains unaffected by the above. The above commutation general Export duty, once paid, will in no case be refunded.

6.-Documents in proof of payment of duties and dues are issued on the lines of the general rules in force at the Treaty ports of China; cargo from one Trade Mart to another which is not covered by these documents is liable to confiscation.

7. Dues and duties are payable on imports before goods are removed from Customs supervision, on Exports before shipment.

8.-Re-export and goods under Transit Certificates are entitled to same Customs treatment as at the Treaty Ports of China.

9. Before goods can be shipped, application must be made to the Customs, who, after examination of them, will collect duty and issue Permit to ship.

10. For presenting a false Manifest the master or the responsible agent of

a vessel will subject himself to a fine not exceeding Hk. Tls. 500.

All unmanifested or contraband goods found on searching a vessel will be dealt with according to Treaties or, in certain cases, also according to the practice of other ports in China.

For all manifested inward items of cargo found short on board, their respective duties must be paid.

HARBIN RIVER CUSTOMS PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS.

Inward bound vessels for Harbin must, on entering the port, present a Manifest of all cargo on board together with all documents received in closed covers from the Sansing and/or Lahasusu Customs, as well as a Memorandum stating places visited en route, passengers and/or cargo discharged and/or shipped at these places.

Outward bound vessels, when wishing to clear, must present a Manifest giving full particulars of all cargo on board, Nos. of Shipping Orders, marks and number of packages, description of goods, etc.,-separate statements for each place of destination. This Manifest will be checked with Customs documents and, if all in order, the vessel will be allowed to leave.

Duty paid cargo for open Trade Marts will be covered by Cargo Certificates and Certificates proving payment of duty which will be handed to the Captain or the responsible agent of the vessel in sealed cover for delivery to the Customs at the place of destination.

Vessels passing Customs examination stations without stopping, or stopping at places other than those prescribed by the Customs, will be liable to the penalties laid down in Art. 14 of Part I of the Regulations.

SANSING CUSTOMS PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS.

Inward bound vessels coming from the Amoor must on entering the port present to the Customs the Manifest received in closed cover from the Lahasusu Customs Barrier. If a vessel has called at places between Lahasusu and Sansing, an additional Statement as to passengers and/or cargo discharged and/or shipped at such places must be handed in.

When the vessel is ready to proceed up river the Manifest-of original cargo, and of cargo newly shipped at Sansing-for Harbin must be handed to the Captain in a sealed cover for delivery to the River Customs at Harbin.

Outward bound vessels from Harbin must on entering the port hand in Cargo Certificates covers, and a Manifest of all cargo on board, separate statements for each place of destination, with an additional Memorandum giving Inland places called at en route, cargo and/or passengers shipped and/or landed at these places.

When a vessel is ready to proceed down river, a Manifest, giving so and so many packages original cargo on board and additional statement of cargo taken on board at Sansing, must be handed in. If, after Customs documents have been checked, all is found in order, the vessel is at liberty to leave.

Vessels passing Customs examination stations without stopping, or stopping at places other than those prescribed by the Customs, will be liable to the penalties laid down in Art. 14 of Part I of the Regulations.

LAHASUSU CUSTOMS BARRIER PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS.

Inward bound vessels coming from the Amoor must on entering the port produce Manifests (in duplicate) giving full particulars, marks and numbers of packages, etc., of all cargo on board,-separate statements for each place of destination and shipment. After Manifest has been checked with the cargo, one copy is retained for the archives, whilst the other, with any remarks that may be called for, will be signed and sealed by the Lahasusu Office and handed in a closed cover to the Captain or the responsible agent of the vessel for delivery at the next Customs station.

Outward bound vessels proceeding to the Amoor must stop for examination. A Manifest must be handed in stating particulars of all cargo on board, showing also cargo and/or passengers shipped and/or discharged en route. Failure to observe this rule will render the vessel liable to a fine.

Vessels passing Customs examination stations without stopping, or stopping at places other than those prescribed by the Customs, will be liable to the penalties laid down in Art. 14 of Part I of the Regulations.