The committee of China merchants appointed to draw up a memorial with reference to the new treaty have concluded their work, and the follo document, the result of their Inbours, has been forwarded to Lord Clarendon, with a request that a deputation may wait upon his lordship. The Government have intimated that a day will be appointed on which to receive such a deputation, as soon as possible after the arrival of Sir Rutherford Alcock.
To the Right Hon. the Earl of Cuarespox, K.G., GB, &., &e., &e., Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of' State for Foreign Affairs.
The Memorial of the Committer appointed at a Meeting of Merchante and others interested in the trade with China, held in London on Jan-ary 13, 1870, respectfully showeth 1, That at the meeting above referred to, which was attended by representatives. of neaely all the principal houses in the China trade, the provisions of the supplementary convention to the Treaty of Tientsin, recently concluded between Her Majesty's Plenipotenflary and the Chinese Government, were considered, and resolutions, of which a copy is enclosed for your lordship's information, were unanimously agreed to. A committee was xt the same time appointed to represent to Her Majesty's Government the views upon this subject which were adopted by the meeting.
2% When it was stipulated by the Treaty of Tientsin of 1858 (embodied in the Convention of 1860) that the tariff and commercial articles were open to revision at the end of every ten years, there can be little doubt that the purpose of such a stipulation was to afford an opportunity for securing in the future greater facilities of intercourse, increased Fansion of trade, and more enlightened regulations for conducting it than had previous; prevailed. In this sense Her Majesty's Plenipotentiany sought t collect the opinions of the mercantile community in China, based on the results of their experience, desiring them to point out where the existing Treaty was defect tive, and what new conditions would most benefit trade. A variety of information was furnished to him in reply, with the natural
ina considerable degree form a basis for his hope that proposals thas recommended, would
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.