Tae recent action of the Customs authorities in regard to Portuguese subjects, hus led us to enquire as far as jossiblo into the real position which portugal holds with regard to China, The actual point at issue is interesting onlyastaising the question. The Customs refused to grant a permit to land opium, to a Portuguese applicant, unless he signed a guarantee to pay the Lekim tax—on the ground that Portugal is not a treaty power. At the time, we expressed surprise at this declaration, and quoted a document purporting to be a convention between the two countries, executed in 1845, So far as we are able to learn, however, the do-cement of 1845 is not a treaty, but a set of Regulations for trade assented to by the Emperor of China at the reguest of the Macao Goversfaént. The Regalations are accompanied by an edict which sets forth that sanction has been asked to these privileges and regulations of trade; and that, as the Portuguese have resided for 200 years at Mneao, and their relations have been friendly, the: Emperor is pleased to grant their request. An effort was made at the same time, to 188 induce the Imperial Commissioner, Keying, to forego the payment of the Tls. 500 per annum ground rent, which had been paid since 1552; but this proved fruitless; and payment was continued till the murder of Governor Amaral, four years Inter. Obviously, unless there is some further agreement, of which we are unaware, the Chinese would be right in not calling this document treaty. It appears to be simply an imperial Edict. We also published the text of a treaty, which was actually negotiated by Governor Guimaraes in 1882, under the shadow of the English as it was understood that the treaty recognised, by inference, the territorial right of Portugal over the island—placed it, in fact, on the same footing as Hongkong, as an independent colong. But it was, we believe, precisely on this point that negociations afterwards fell through. When the time for exchanging ratifications arrived, the Chinese Government declined to perform the act, alleging that the implied concession had not been fairly obtained; and the document became, therefore, null and void. Neither has there since been any attempt to Fenew negotiations. The only chance, therefore, would be the possible existence of a treaty anterior to 1845; but we have not been able to hear of any such; and the history of Portuguese relations with China precludes the supposition that one can exist, Visions of prosperous trade first attracted the Portuguese to China in 1516, when one Rafael Perestrollo visited the coast, in a junk despatched from Malacca, of which his countrymen had lately become masters. The Canton authorities seem to have been friendly at first; but afterwards disagreement arose, and the Portuguese ships wore driven for a time from the coast. A fow years later, however, their perseverance was rewarded by permission to anchor off the islands of Sancian and Lam-bacao and, in 1557, to land and erect storehouses at the island of Macao. There appears to be some uncertainty how the latter privilege was gained but the balance of evidence tends to show that it was in reward for assistance rendered to the Cantonese in hunting down a pirate chief named Chang-si-lao, whose hend-quarters were on the island, and whose fleet the Portuguese destroyed. To quote a Portuguese writer, Commander Rebsiro, on the subject:—* It was for the victory gained over these pirates that Macao was given to the Portuguese, not to a Sovereign or to a Power, but to a band fal of well-trained adventurers, who, though ina position toliveindependently, subjected themselves.voluntarily to their legitimate Sovereign thoking of Portugal." For five-and twenty years, they appear to have occupied the island Tls. 500 was demanded, which as we free. But in 1582 a yearly rental of
have said before continued to be re~ galavly paid up to 1849. For mam years, now, Macao continued to flourish and increase. The Chinese, according to the admirable article on Macaoin the "Treaty Ports of China and Japan," did not seck to control the settlement in any way, with the exception of maintaining there sub-Prefect, to exercise jurisdiction over their own subjects; though they resisted on several notable occasions, the assertion of territorial rights. Eventually, in 1749, after repeated disputes with the local government, "an Agreement or, as it has been denominated, a Conventional Pact was arranged between a Council of the inhabitants and certain Chinese officials, which remained, for nearly a century, as the basis upon which the joint Portugese and Chinese Government of Macao was conduct cannot learn that in China words are not and French successes in the war just ted." This however was a pure-things. Your English student in Chinese, is almost without exception ignorant [i Macao at the time; more especially! of the natare of a treaty. The next terminated. This gave great satisfaction ly local agreement, evidently not at all
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.