Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 8.djvu/605

 ment of the United States may appoint consuls or other officers, at the same, who shall be duly recognized as such by the officers of the Chinese Government, and shall hold official intercourse and correspondence with the latter, either personal or in writing, as occasions may require, on terms of equality and reciprocal respect. If

disrespectfully treated or aggrieved in any way by the local authorities, said officers on the one hand shall have the right to make representation of the same to the superior officers of the Chinese Government, who will see that full inquiry and strict justice be had in the premises; and on the other hand, the said consuls will carefully avoid all acts of unnecessary offence to, or collision with, the officers and people of China.

ARTICLE V.

At each of the said five ports, citizens of the United States lawfully engaged in commerce, shall be permitted to import from their own or any other ports into China, and sell there, and purchase therein, and export to their own or any other ports, all manner of merchandize, of which the importation or exportation is not prohibited by this Treaty, paying the duties which are prescribed by the Tariff herein before established, and no other charges whatsoever.

ARTICLE VI.

Whenever any merchant vessel belonging to the United States shall enter either of the said five ports for trade, her papers shall be lodged with the consul, or person charged with affairs, who will report the same to the Commissioner of Customs; and tonnage duty shall be paid on said vessel, at the rate of five mace per ton, if she be over one hundred and fifty tons burden; and one mace per ton, if she be of the burden of one hundred and fifty tons or under, according to the amount of her tonnage as specified in the register; said payment to be in full of the former charges of measurement and other fees, which are wholly abolished. And if any vessel, which having anchored at one of the said ports, and there paid tonnage duty, shall have occasion to go to any others of the said ports to complete the disposal of her cargo, the consul, or person charged with affairs, will report the same to the Commissioner of Customs, who, on the departure of the said vessel will note in the port clearance that the tonnage duties have been paid, and report the same to the other custom-houses; in which case, on entering another port, the said vessel will only pay duty there on her cargo, but shall not be subject to the payment of tonnage duty a second time.

ARTICLE VII.

No tonnage duty shall be required on boats belonging to citizens of the United States, employed in the conveyance of passengers, baggage, letters, and articles of provision, or others not subject to duty, to or from any of the five ports. All cargo boats, however, conveying merchandize subject to duty, shall pay the regular tonnage duty of one mace per ton, provided they belong to citizens of the United States, but not if hired by them from subjects of China.

ARTICLE VIII.

Citizens of the United States, for their vessels bound in, shall be allowed to engage pilots, who will report said vessels at the passes, and take them into port; and, when the lawful duties have all been paid, they may engage pilots to leave port. It shall also be lawful for them to hire at pleasure, servants, compradors, linguists, and writers, and passage or cargo boats, and to employ laborers, seamen, and persons for whatever necessary service, for a reasonable compensation, to be agreed