The Chinese Superintendent of Customs at each port will adopt the means that he may judge most proper to prevent the revenue suffering by fraud or smuggling. Whenever the pilot shall have brought any British merchantman into port, the Superintendent of Customs will depute one or two trusty custom-house officers, whose duty it will be to watch against fraud on the revenue. These will either live in a boat of their own, or stay on board the English ship, as may best suit their convenience. Their food and expenses will be supplied them from day to day from the custom-house, and they may not exact any fees whatever from either the commander or consignee. Should they violate this regulation, they shall be punished proportionately to the amount so exacted.
III. Masters of Ships reporting themselves on Arrival.
Whenever a British vessel shall have cast anchor at any one of the above-mentioned ports, the captain will, within four and twenty hours after arrival, proceed to the British Consulate, and deposit his ship's papers, bills of lading, manifest, &c., in the hands of the Consul; failing to do which, he will subject himself to a penalty of two hundred dollars.
For presenting a false manifest, the penalty will be five hundred dollars.
For breaking bulk and commencing to discharge, before due permission shall be obtained, the penalty will be five hundred dollars, and confiscation of the goods so discharged.
The Consul, having taken possession of the ship's papers, will immediately send a written communication to the Superintendent of Customs, specifying the register tonnage of the ship, and the particulars of the cargo she has on board; all of which being done in due form, permission will then be given to discharge, and the duties levied as provided for in the tariff.
IV. Commercial Dealings between English and Chinese Merchants.
It having been stipulated that English merchants may trade with whatever native merchants they please, should any Chinese merchant fraudulently abscond or incur debts which he is unable to discharge, the Chinese authorities, upon complaint being made thereof, will of course do their utmost to bring the offender to justice: it must, however, be distinctly understood, that if the defaulter really cannot be found, or be dead, or bankrupt, and there be not wherewithal to pay, the English merchants may not appeal to the former custom of the Hong merchants paying for one another, and can no longer expect to have their losses made good to them.
V. Tonnage Dues.
Every English merchantman, on entering any one of the above-mentioned five ports, shall pay tonnage-dues at the rate of five mace per register ton, in full of all charges. The fees formerly levied on entry and departure, of every description, are henceforth abolished.