Page 222 - The colours of each piece: production and consumption of Chinese enamelled porcelain, c.1728-c.1780

CHAPTER 6 A New Context of Porcelain Trade 1760-1770

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comfortable to reason, nor be regarded as in the public good.’ On the 22nd July, the

Viceroy declared that the local officials would provide a list of shops that were

permitted to carry on retail trade with Europeans, and also to deal with them for their

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private merchandize, and these shopkeepers were obliged to enter into joint bonds.
Shopkeepers had to register in groups of five with the Nanhai County (Nanhai xian,

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南海县), which was the fourth and lowest level of trade administration in Canton.

The registration required written commitment from all members of each five-person

group that each would be jointly liable for any unpaid foreign debts of other members

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of the five persons registered group. The Council for China was informed that:

The shopmen by order this day attended the Quanchufu [prefecture of

Guangzhou] who acquainted them with the fact that the Tsongtonk

[viceroy] was willing to grant them all indulgence possible. As a proof of

this he was directed to inform them that they would be allowed to deal in

China ware, wrought silks, and every other article as before, with the

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restriction only that they should not deal in large chests of tea.
We have no further information about this registration. We do not know who were

registered as a group. It is believed that such an arrangement was not conducive to

large-scale trade, and instead brought great benefits to shopkeepers. As was noted,

‘this license was extremely satisfactory to the greatest part of the Shopmen who

22 Ibid, 5 September, 1755. This regulation was issued by the local government, the original
language was in Chinese, however, there are no records survived in the Chinese sources.
23 Ibid.
24 The administration of the trade was supervised by civil officials, who were appointed by and
reported to the Court. Key officials were the Viceroy (the Governor-General), the Governor and
the Hoppo.Jurisdiction was divided by district among the magistrates of Nanhai district, Panyu
district. Beside Nanhan xian, there were other three administration officials, regardless their rank,
they were Hoppo, (户部)，Viceory or Tsontuck(总督), the governor of Guangdong(抚院, known
as Fohien). See Cheong, Hong Merchants, p.194;
25 Morse, Chronicles, vol, V.p.29, p.39; Cheong, Hong Merchants, p.94 and p.205.
26 IOR/R/10/3, 22 July, 1755.
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