从滦州公司1910 年煤炭购销合同看贸易规章之健全

■孟元涛

在翻阅档案卷号为2018-347的英文历史档案时，发现了1910 年滦州公司与代理人关于订立煤炭销售合同的草拟范本（On the perfection of trade regulations from the coal purchase and sale contract of luanzhou company in 1910 全英文版），经过全面细致的翻译后，笔者发现110 年前的商业法律条款之完备，贸易规章之健全令人叹为观止。原件如图：

图1 合同第一页

图2 合同第二页

合同的原文是：

Agreement, made on the day of one thousand ninehundred and ten( the day of the year S.T.) between the LANCHOW MINING CO.Ltd,( hereinafter called the”Company ”and hereinafter called the Agents )of the other part, whereby it is mutually agreed as follows:

1) The Company hereby appoint, the Agents as the Agents of the Company at,and the Agents undertake to act during the curreney of this agreement as such agents on and subject to the conditions hereinafter containded:

2) The Agents shall with the aera of their Ageney

a) make sales from stock or ex ship and or

b) secure and book orders for delivery or shipment for the Company and use their best endeavours to promote the companies intereats.

3) The Agents shall not sell under the prices, given them from time to time by the company.

4) The Agents shall send all orders or recommendations for consign-ments to the headoffices of the company at Tientsin, who will fullfillthem directly.But the Company shall have the right without prejudice to the continuing guarantee by the Agents in respect of a11 business introduced by them in accordance with the provisions of the sixth clause here of to ask, that adequate security be given by purchasers for the due fullfillment of their contracts in the event of any purchasers not beeing well kmown to them or if in the opinion of the company desirable on other grounds,provided always that the existence of this right shall in no case be construed by the Agents as an obligation on the part of the company to call for such security as aforesaid.

5)A stock in accordance with the Agents requisition shall always be layed dowm free of charge by the Company and kept by the Agents for account of the Company at for sale.Special accounts as mentioned below under clause 9, are to be kept for all shipments and all sales with prices are to be recorded therein immediately after each sa1e，Freight and Marine insurance to port of destination are to be paid by the Company.All customs Dueswharfage,Landing, soring and Insurance-Charges at local rates areto be paid by the Agents on behalf of the Company and to be debited to thetr Companys account with the Bank.

6)The Agents shall be responsible for all payments of goods sold through them up to the full velue.

7) All paymentes, collected by the Agents on behalf of the Company for goods sold from stock against cash of amounts received from pur-chasers for goods, sold on credit or otherwise received on behalf of the Company special account with the.Bank on the date of recand the bank'B special receipt shall be sent by the Agents to the Companies headquarters.- All expences on behalf of the company and Agents commission shall be debited to the same account.

8)All payments for goods sold shall be collected by the Agents for the company not later than a months time from date of delivery and if payment cannot be collected within that time, the Agents shall be responsible according to clause 6.

9) The Agents shall send the following regular reports to the company at the end of every month:

a)statement of movement of stock in hand, showing amount of stock carried forward from previous monthe and landed weights of arrivals during the month,giving namens of carrying steamers,and showing aswell diliveries from stock and exsteamer.

b) statement of sales from stock and exsteamer,showing purchaser's name,quantities and prices.

c) statement of money,collected on behalf of the company and also statement of money,expengded on behalf of the company.

d) statement of accounts outstanding with names of debitors and quantity and price aswell as the date,when the amount falls due for collection.

10) After arrival of each shipment a statement of the landed weight shall be sent to the company and this quanty,received by the Agent,shall be considered as the consignment.

11) The Agents shall receive 2% commission on the value of goods,sold by them and 2% commission on all contracts,made by the company direct and handled or delivered or collected by the Agents.

12) No Commission shall be payable until payments for delivery of goods have been received by the Agents from the purchasers and the proceeds credited to the Company's account.

13) In consideration of the commnission as stated,the Agents shall pay their general expences， telegrams,postages, advertisment, tra-veiling and all other expences arrising in connection with the business.

14) This agreement is entered into by both parties for a period of three years from the date hereof, after which period it shall be ter-minated.If the parties are willing to renew the contract, the ne-cessary arrangements are to be made three months before termination of this contract.The company shall have the right, to cancel this contract after one year for such place, where the Agents or theirbranch office should not work to satisfaction, but notice must be given half year in advance.

15) The Company agree ,to constitute,their sole Agents in ,and the Agents undertake, not to deal in any othercoals, excepting those of the Company.

16)The Agents promise to engage &/or charter the necessary tonnage on behalf and for account of the company at cheapest rates possible and **** quickest possible.-A specia contract will be made with the Tientsin branch office of the Agents to that effect.

17)The company reserves the right to make arrangements with a Bank to draw drafts against their consignments and the Agents shall accept such drafts for account and on behalf of the company and be free from the Companies obligations against the bank.

代理合同译文如下：

滦州矿业有限公司（以下简称“公司”）与某某代理人，拟定于1910 年签订的煤炭购销代理协议，双方约定如下：

1）本公司特此任命，某某代理人作为本公司煤炭购销代理人，代理人承诺在本协议有效期内，严格履行以下条件：

2）履约期内，代理人应时刻牢记代理身份履行合同。

a）根据库存或船运情况进行煤炭销售。

b）确保已预订的订单及时交货、装运，并尽最大努力加强上下沟通。

3）代理人不得在公司供货价格之下进行出售。

4）代理人应将所有委托订单或建议，发送至天津公司总部，并由天津公司总部确认。但公司有权在不损害代理人在本协议第6 条规定的担保情况下，要求买方提供足够多的担保金，以便在任何一个买方出现问题的情况下，仍然可以履行其合同，同时将该协议内容事前告知买方。该内容为强制协议，任何情况下，代理人不得将此权利解释为担保义务，而是担保责任。

5）根据代理人的要求，公司应始终免费为代理人存放其股票，并替代理人代为保管，以方便股票出售。本协议第9 条所述的特别账户，应记录与所装运货物相符合的价值，所有销售过程和价格应在每次交易之后，立即记录到账户。运费和海运保险费等费用，需到目的港后，由公司支付。所有按当地费率收取的运费、卸货费、分拣费和保险费均由代理人所在公司支付，并通过滦州公司在银行所开的账户交易。

6）代理商销售货物完成后，应将销售所得的货款全部交给滦州公司。

7）由代理人出售货物所得款项，应与采购价格相对比，记录好差额，允许代理商以赊销或以其他方式代公司在银行开立的特别账户收款。代理人应告知银行将特别收据寄送至天津公司总部。代表公司的所有支出费用和代理佣金应记入银行同一账户的借方一栏。

8）所有已售货物的应付款项,应由代理人在不迟于交货之日起的一个月内为公司收取，如果在该时间内无法收取货款，代理人应根据第6 条执行。

9）代理人应在每月月底向公司发送下列定期报告：

a）库存变动表，显示从上个月结转的库存量和当月到达的到岸货物重量，写出运输船的名称、库存、出口货物船舶所载货物清单。

b）库存和出口货物销售报表，必须显示买方名称、数量和价格。

c）代表公司收到的对账单，以及代表公司支付的对账单。

d）有借方名称、数量和价格以及到期收款日期的未清帐目报表。

10）每批货物到达后，应向公司发送一份卸货货物重量表，代理人收到的这批货物应视为已经安全收到的货物。

11）代理人应获得由其销售的货物价值的2%作为其佣金，以及由公司直接制定、由代理人处理、交付或收取的所有合同的2%作为其佣金。

12）在代理人收到买方交付货物的款项和记入公司账户的款项之前，不得支付佣金。

13）考虑到上述约定，代理人应支付一般费用包括电报、邮资、广告费、运输费和与业务有关的所有其他费用。

14）本协议由双方签订，有效期为三年，自本协议签订之日起计算。如果双方愿意续签合同，则应在本合同终止前三个月作出必要的安排。公司有权在代理商或其分支机构不能圆满完成工作的地方，在一年后取消本合同。但必须提前半年通知代理人。

15）本公司同意由***和***组成独家代理商，且代理商必须承诺不经营我公司以外的其他任何煤炭生意。

16）代理商承诺以尽可能低的价格和最快的速度，代表公司和为公司租用或购买必要的船舶运输所需吨位。为此，将与代理商负责船运的下属天津分公司签订特别合同。

（说明此时已经明确代理商人选，并明确知道其下属拥有船员公司。）

17）本公司保留与银行对其委托物开具汇票的权利，代理人应代表本公司接受该汇票，并免除本公司对银行的义务。

经过深入探究，笔者提炼出一些历史信息：

图3 清政府发给滦州公司的采矿执照

一是110 年前商业法律条款之完备，贸易规章之健全令人叹为观止。1910 年商业代理合同的法律内容与现在最新颁布的《中华人民共和国民法典》和《国际贸易法》中关于商业代理的法律规定有许多类似之处，说明1910 年的滦州公司英籍高级管理人员十分熟知法律知识和法律条款，且法律维权意识强烈，管理思维之缜密令人赞叹。

二是煤炭在110 年前属于稀缺资源，煤炭实业公司社会地位较高。通过17 项条款的严格约束和合同中的严厉措辞，可以看出在合同签订过程中，滦州公司占有主导地位。说明当时的煤炭开采并不广泛，煤炭在110 年前的中国属于稀缺资源，掌握煤炭资源的公司属于行业翘楚，拥有谈判话语权。

图5 滦州公司下属的马家沟矿

三是银行业和银行支付转账在110 年前的华北地区，已经蔚然成风。鉴于合同中提到的煤炭销售应收货款和其他杂费，可以通过滦州公司在银行开设的账户交易，可知1910 年的银行业务除了在富庶的江浙、广东一带流行之外，在华北地区同样拥有完备的银行收支体系。

四是110 年前的煤炭实业公司单纯专注于煤炭单一生产，尚未发展煤炭上下游产业链。通过合同内容可以看出，1910 年的滦州公司只负责煤炭生产，没有下设销售分公司，煤炭的销售只能依靠代理人来完成。合同中提到的代理人实为中方买办。

买办原意是采买人员，指清朝末期的1800年-1910 年，受雇于外商并协助其在中国进行贸易活动的中间人、经理人。买办是外国资本家认为忠实、得力的人物。买办为外国资本家服务，受到外国资本家的“培育”。买办违法犯罪，因受雇于外商企业，可以在治外法权庇护下，逃避中国法律的制裁。[1]

这类被外商雇用之商人通常外语能力强，一方面可作为欧美商人与中国商人的翻译，也可处理欧美国家商界与中国政府之双向沟通。除此之外，这类型商人还可自营商铺，因此致富者颇众。[2]买办一职，中国人不得随便充当，外商亦不能任意选雇，受到清政府的严格控制。买办阶层推动了中国的洋务运动，催生了中国的民族资本主义。自清末至1949 年新中国成立前，买办阶层与官僚、资本家结合在一起，形成“官僚买办资产阶级”。官僚买办资本主义是旧中国“三座大山”之一。[3]

图6 晚清时期的中国买办

五是通过合同中关于船运的反复描述，可知110年前华北地区的煤炭运输主要依靠水路航运。

六是该代理人合同为签署前的草拟合同范本。经过在历史档案中反复查找，只找到了纸张类型不一样但为同一内容的合同历史草稿3 份，纸张类型分别为硬版纸和软纸2 种。这3 份合同历史草稿均没有总经理亲笔签名，也没有官方印章。因此，推断此为正式签署之前的草拟合同范本。

七是110 年前的滦州公司管理制度完善。合同草稿经多名高级管理人员审议和批注，说明合同起草和订立过程中，企业管理民主，管理过程集思广益。3份草拟合同出现了3 种不同笔体的勾画和备注，且全部为英文书写，说明该合同经过3 位英籍高级管理人员的分别审议，并各自提出了修改意见，因时间超过110 年，需要进一步搜集史料证据来考证3 位英籍高级管理人员的具体姓名。

图7 三份历史合同原件