THE  INSPECTORATE  OF  CUSTOMS  355
witlCa  facility  which  greatly  aids  in  the  despatch  of
business  and  the  ready  lading  of  ships  when  haste
is  of  importance,  while  with  the  minute  and  in  some
respects  vexatious  regulations  established  by  the
inspectors,  this  advantage  disappears,  and  this  in
itself  is  no  small  item  in  the  account  against  us.  Therefore, ­
  while  expressing  our  desire  in  all  cases  and
circumstances  fully  to  meet  our  obligations  under
the  Treaty,  a  desire  we  have  proved  to  be  sincere
by  our  conduct  on  all  former  occasions,  we  feel  ourselves ­
  called  upon  by  the  interests  of  the  port  and  of
those  whom  we  represent,  to  press  earnestly  upon
your  attention  the  expediency  and  justice  of  abolishing ­
  the  present  system.”
British  opinion  was  divided,  some  of  the  merchants
supporting  the  American  representation,  while  others
approved  of  the  existing  régime  and  pressed  for  its  extension ­
  to  all  ports.  The  letter  is  noteworthy  in  three
respects.  It  emphasises  the  unanimity  with  which  the  plan
had  been  accepted,  and  it  betrays  a  hankering  for  the
flesh-pots  of  Egypt—for  a  return  to  the  “  facility  ”  with
which  Custom-house  business  was  conducted  in  China
under  Chinese  supervision  ;  it  also  marks  the  inherent
weakness  of  the  arrangement  in  the  stricter  control  applied
to  one  only  of  the  ports  open  to  foreign  trade.  The  last
consideration  was  held  to  be  the  most  important  when  the
Tariff  Commission  met  and,  in  November  1858,  agreed
to  Rules  of  Trade,  of  which  the  tenth  (substituting  French
and  American  respectively  for  British)  was,  for  all  three,
as  follows  :
“  Rule  10.  Collection  of  Duties  under  one  System  at
all  Ports.  It  being,  by  Treaty,  at  the  option  of  the
Chinese  Government  to  adopt  what  means  appear
to  it  best  suited  to  protect  its  Revenue,  accruing  on
British  trade,  it  is  agreed  that  one  uniform  system
shall  be  enforced  at  every  port.
The  High  Officer  appointed  by  the  Chinese  Govern-