Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 3).djvu/124

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foreign ships, unless they be ships of the country producing these goods, and from which they are usually imported"[1] (8 & 9 Vict., cap. 88, sect. 11). But an Order in Council might declare that goods, &c., the growth of any foreign country, might be imported into Hong Kong from the same or any other foreign country, in vessels belonging to the same or any other foreign country, and however navigated (see 8 & 9 Vict., cap. 88, sect. 12).

Her Majesty might also, by Order in Council, declare that goods of any sort, or the produce of any place, not otherwise prohibited by the Law of Navigation, might be imported into any port or ports of the British possessions abroad, to be named in such Order, from any place, in a British ship, and from any place not being a part of the British dominions, in a foreign ship of any country, and however navigated, to be warehoused for exportation only (8 & 9 Vict., cap. 88, sect. 23).

Their rigorous character. Rule 4. The privileges of trading allowed to foreign ships under Rule 3 were limited to the ships of those countries which, having colonial possessions, should grant the like privileges of trading with those possessions to British ships, or which, not having colonial possessions, "shall place the commerce and navigation of this country, and of its possessions abroad, on the footing of the 'most favoured nation': unless her Majesty, by Order in Council, shall in any case deem it expedient to grant the whole, or any of such privileges, to the ships of any foreign country, although the conditions aforesaid shall not

  1. This section was originally specially aimed at the Dutch, who had few native productions of their own.