THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
[April 1898. 
7 ©4 
one vouble twenty kopecks per pool!. This I 
may rneation is, by the aeciilenb timt Uie stea- 
mers 01 tlie Volunteer fleet call at Coloiiiho, not 
lulverse to Ceylon (and indeed favours that 
Colony to the disadvantage of Imlia) but it is 
none the less a clear brea h of sections IV and 
V ot the treaty (see extract). At one time a 
great proportion of the China tea consumed in 
Kussia passed through London, and this dill'er- 
ential transit r.ate has been .a factor in killing 
that trade. I believe the ditterential rate efl'ects 
other goods and probably other routes, but I 
conld not obtain positive information on that 
point. I informed the Consul General at Odessa, 
tliat dift'erenlial rates were in existence (of which 
he had not ]ireviousiy been aware) and heat once 
tried to g it an oflicial statement of the tai itf, but 
up to my .advices of a few days ago he bad, on 
one pretext or another been ])nt off. I believe 
efforts are being made at .Saint Petersburg to 
obtain the infonnation. 
I was informed in Odessa, that the trade in 
rice between India ami Uns-ia bad been killed 
■when the latter country coneluded a treaty with 
Persia, under wliich all the goods of that cnnntry 
are admitted at a o jter cent ru! raiorciu dtily — 
muBh less than is charged to other conntiies. — 
It >s difliciilt to understand bow sncli a 'I'real v 
should liave been jiassed apparently withnttt any 
prote.st on onr side. 
I liave little doubt tliat bad isy entjitiries 
been in connection with our trade generally, 1 
would have come across otlier instances of iiti- 
, fair treatment in breach of engagements .supposed 
to be binding. 
The ituportance of all this becomes manifest 
in connection w'itli the completion of tlie Siberian 
Kailway, and in my conversations with the Mos- 
cow tea merchants (who are very inliuetitial), it was 
evident that sotne of them have already con- 
■'dered that question and b oks for a change 
trade conditions when tlie line is opened. 
If the Russian Governm ;nt maintains that 
differential import ilnty and iitroduces railway 
rates on the O iessa-Moscow priuci[ile, the trade 
in Ceylon and Indian teas, now ab.mt fne 
million lb, per annum, will be Rilled, and there 
will, in various directions, be most serious 
further diversions of goods from British Cluinnels 
if the existing treaty clauses are ignored. 
I understand that llussian inereliants aie ro- 
preseutiug to their Government how British trade 
itas benelilod at the expense of Russian by the 
Kara sea free ports, and the question of dis- 
continuance of such free ports and the policy 
to be pursued in connection with the Siberian 
r.ailway must now or very shortly^ be under eon- 
.sideration, and it would seem to me oi)porLune 
and of great importance that wlien such taritt' 
ariangements are being discussed, Her Majesty’s 
Representative in ,St. Petersburg sliould have 
his attention directed to the circumstances which 
hav^ given lise to this letter. 
A reductimi of the European tea duty to the 
.same level as the Siberian should be aimed at, 
but failing that the increase of the latter to the 
same rate as tlie former would gieativ benefit 
British interests. 
I annex extiacts from (be Treaty of l.S ")9 
and a translation of that portion of the Russian 
Customs t.ariff relat ing 1 o te.'i. - I am , &c., 
(Signed) THOMAS NORTH CHRISTIE. 
The Riglit Hon. the Secretary of State for the 
Colonies. 
* See nest column— Ed, 2 '. A. 
TREATY OF COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION^ 
BliTWEEX HER M.\JESTY .VXD THE EMPEROR OE 
Al.r, THE RU32IAS, OF 1859 . 
Article II. — No other or higher duties shall be 
i iiposed on the iinportaliou into the dominions and 
possessions of Her Britanuio Majesty, of any articles, 
the growth, produee. or manufacture of the dominions 
and possessions of His Majesty the Emperor of all the 
Russias, from whatever place arriving, and no other 
or higher duties shall be InqDosed on the importation 
into the dominions and possessions of His Majesty the 
Emperor ot all the Russias, of any article of the 
g owth. produce, or manufacture of He.." Britannic 
Majesty's dominions and posses.sions, from whatever 
place arriving, than are or shall be payable on the 
like article, the growth, produce, or manufacture of 
auy other foreign countiy ; nor shall any prohibition 
he imposed on the importation of any article the 
growth, produce, or maunfactnre of the dominions and 
possessions of cither of the two contracting parties 
into the domiidons and possessions of the other, 
which shall not equally extend to the importation 
of the like articles being the growth, produce, or 
manufacture cf any other country. 
Article IV. — The same reciproc'd equality of treat- 
ment shall take effect in regard to warehousing, and to 
the transit trade, and also in regard to bounties, 
facilities and drawback's, which are or may be here- 
after gv.iiuer. liy the legislation of either country. 
Article V. — .\ll merchandise and articles of com- 
merce, the produce or mannfaetnve either of the 
dominions and ptsssessions of His Majesty the Emperor 
of all the Russias, or of any other country, which 
are or may lie legally importable into the ports of the 
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, its 
dominions and possessions in British vessels, may 
likewise be imported into those ports in Russian 
vessels, without being liable to any other or higher 
dutie.s, of whatever denomination, than if such 
merchandise and articles were imported in British 
vessels : and reciprocally, all merchandise and 
articles of commerce, the produce of manufacture 
either of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 
Iceland, its dominions and p:ssesRions, or of any 
othe' cjuiury, vvhich are or mav b legally impoti,- 
able iu'o the ports of I'he dominions and pnsaeasiou- 
of H:s M,;j.rsly the Emperor i f il tn - Russias, in 
Russian vessels, iiiny hke-visc be imported me tu se 
poitiin British ve.ssel-, . ithout beb.g li.blc to anv 
other or higher duties, of wu ' Li ver 'Ituomiu.ation, 
than if such merchandise and articles were imported 
in Russiin vessels. S'ach equality of treatment shall 
take effect without distinction, whether such 
niercliaiidise and articles come directly from the 
place of origin, or from any other place. In the 
m tuner, there shall be perfect equality of treatment 
in regard to exportation, so that the same export 
duties shall bo paid, and llie same bounties and 
drawbacks allowed, in the dominions and possessions 
of either of the high contracting parties on the ex- 
portation of any article which is or may be legally 
exportable therefrom, witliout distinction, whether 
such export-ation shall t ike place in Russian or in 
British vesseK, and whatever may bo the place of 
destination, whether a Port of the other Contracting 
Party, or of any third Power. 
axxexurb. 
Tra.nslation of section 20 of tlie Russian Cuitoms 
Tariff official oditi'in of the Depirtment of Customs 
of the Imperial Ministry of Finances, printel in 1S94. 
Tea of all kinds imported at the Euiopean Customs 
H'Duses pay duty Roubles 21. -gol f per Poud (of .96 
lb. English). 
OiiSF.RvATiox. — Tea of all kin-ls imported through 
the Irkutsk Custom House and at th e. S.nUh ol it 
ov.r the Siberian and Steppe Region fromiors pay a 
dutytf; — (a) On Baikhoff Black, flower, gie-.m and 
L feral tran. lation from the Chinese — “ little white 
hairs.” ii, wuia t,;n. i ame originally ,^iven to flowery 
teas wi h perttcLly wi.itc tips — Ijatcr on aik teas pass- 
ing tlirrudh Kiachla got the name of Buihovoi. 
