Chester Holcombe to Prince Kung, November 21, 1878

Mr. Holcombe to Prince Kung.

I have the honor to inform your Imperial Highness that I am in receipt of a communication from the United States consul at Hankow, in which it is stated that Mr. M. A. Jenkins, an American merchant at Hankow, having applied for and received ten transit passes for the purpose of bringing to that port certain native produce purchased by him in Szchuen, has been warned by the local authorities at Chung Ching that the passes would not be respected, and informed that upon the arrival of his goods at Kwei Chow he would be required to pay the usual barrier charges, the same as for goods unprotected by transit passes. As a result of this procedure the produce purchased by Mr. Jenkins is stopped in the interior, and he is subjected to serious loss from deterioration of the produce and changes in the market. The consul requests me to bring this business to the notice of your Imperial Highness, and to seek from you such remedy as the circumstances demand.

Your Imperial Highness will, doubtless, remember a correspondence had with Minister Seward upon the subject of the issue of transit passes to American citizens who may desire to bring native produce from the interior of Szchuen to Hankow, and which resulted in a scheme proposed by yourself and accepted by this legation last spring, by which such passes could be secured, and the transit dues upon the produce covered by them could be paid at Hankow.

The consul at Hankow was in due course informed of this arrangement, and the ten transit passes in question were issued under it. It appears that the tax authorities in the district named refuse to acknowledge the validity of these documents, although issued by virtue of a distinct understanding arrived at between your Imperial Highness and this legation, and venture to take a course which is in manifest violation of treaty, and calculated to work grave injury to the interests of my countrymen.

Under these circumstances I have the honor to request that your Imperial Highness will issue such orders to the local authorities concerned as will cause them to respect treaty obligations, adhere to the arrangement made between your Imperial Highness and Mr. Seward, and regard the rights of such Americans as may be within the limits of their jurisdiction.

I inclose a copy of the notice served upon Mr. Jenkins.

I have, &c.