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This 1891 translated newspaper article, originating from the *Ling-nan-chi-pao* (The Southern Daily), No. 438, dated 22 June 1891, and transmitted as an enclosure to Despatch No. 7-A from the Portuguese Consulate in Canton on 29 July 1891, provides a contemporary Chinese perspective on the political and economic status of Macau under Portuguese administration. The document asserts that Macau was leased by China to Portugal for commercial purposes, with annual rent paid, and challenges the legitimacy of Portuguese territorial claims, arguing that any attempt to sell the territory would violate treaty obligations explicitly prohibiting its alienation. It outlines the weakening geopolitical position of Portugal, characterised as no longer a major power, and references its prior colonial sales as fiscally motivated acts inviting international derision. The text further details Macau’s economic decline, sustained primarily by revenue from opium and gambling, and notes repeated failed attempts by the colonial government to impose taxation due to local resistance. Strategic vulnerabilities are emphasised in comparison to Hong Kong’s fortified defences, rendering Macau militarily insecure. The article concludes with prescriptive recommendations: that Portugal should develop Macau as a free port through harbour improvements and trade-focused policies to ensure fiscal stability and effective governance. Translated by Ph. Quan and formally submitted by J. T. Emalli, Consul of the Portuguese Consulate in Macau, the document serves as a critical primary source on late 19th-century colonial discourse, sovereignty disputes, and economic conditions in South China.
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Official dispatch from the Portuguese Consulate in Canton, dated 24 May 1892, addressed to Dr. Demétrio Cinatti and copied to Mr. Ct. Atyras de Gonçalves All. and an unnamed British official. The document analyses three parliamentary proposals concerning a proposed 50% customs duty reduction on goods originating from Macau, intended to stimulate its economy. The first proposal, by Deputy Mota e Costa, advocates a 50% rebate on shared duties for industrially produced Macanese goods shipped directly to Portugal. The second, Bill No. 84, limits the benefit to goods transported on Portuguese vessels, effective from 1 July 1892, while the third, by Peer Coude de Castro, extends the reduction to all Macau-origin goods cleared at Canton and adjacent islands. The author critically evaluates each, warning that the third is overly liberal and risks benefiting foreign enterprises more than Portuguese interests. Emphasising Macau’s entrepôt function and limited industrial capacity, the consul argues that previous incentives, such as the 1889 25% tea bonus, yielded no tangible results. He highlights severe fiscal implications: potential annual revenue losses exceeding 1,600 contos de réis due to displaced domestic production and expanded colonial competition, particularly disadvantaging African territories. Noting that Macau’s trade is largely controlled by Chinese and foreign actors, he cautions against measures enriching foreign capital at the metropole’s expense. Instead, he proposes a moderate 10–15% tariff reduction combined with a 36 contos subsidy to secure regular shipping services, ensuring economic stimulus without disproportionate cost or loss of state revenue.