Forsiga Relations Immediately after the conclusion of the negociations at Chefoo, the Chinese were required to enter upon a revision of the German treaty; and negociations with that object are understood to be now in progress. Two of the points arranged by Mr. von Brandt have been already made public. Lekin dues on foreign goods within the Settlements at Shanghai are to cease immediately; and Drawback certificates are to be exchangeable for cash, at the option of the holder.
The first is, of course, a partial realisation of what was secured by the Chefoo Convention. Sir Thomas Wade stipulated that lekin should not be collected within the limits of the foreign Concessions at any of the open ports; but left the date for giving effect to that stipulation, to be fixed after the British Government had arrived at an understanding on the subject with other foreign Governments. Mr. von Brandt has expedited the application of the clause as regards Shanghai, and we are indebted to him for hastening even by a few months the extinction of a tax which has so long weighed heavily, and as we contend illegally, upon foreign goods. We are told that, in making this arrangement, the foreign Ministers have protested against the act being construed into a recognition of the
hope that they see their way to make legality of Tekin elaawhere, We only the protest of effect.
The new arrangement with regard to Drawbacks terminates what has been a constant source. of complaint and difficalty for the last sixteen years. The treaty of Tientsin places no limita: tion upon the time within which duty may be recovered on: re-exported goods; but, in the year 1860, for some occult reason, the then foreign. Ministers sanctioned the restriction of the priv-liege within a period of twelve months,
and the Customs have ever since refased with reference to the port of Shanghai to grant drawbacks after twelve months, everywhere. The discussions which inated in 1872 by an agreement to took place on this subject were term-
accept 30 months as the period after which no drawback should be allowed bat this agreement fell through in company with the impracticable lekin and transit duty rules with which it was coupled. So matters stood when Sir Thomas Wade compelled' the Chinese Government last autumn, in the agreement of Chefoo, to extend the period for the issue of drawbacks from twelve months to 36. Mr. von Brandt has now induced them to agree, farther, to the repayment of drawback duties in coin if the. merchant desire. It has-hitherto been the practice that certificate merely should: be given, that such an amount of drawback duty was due, and that this certificate should be accepted at the Custom House in payment of import duty as occasion arose. Practically the system works fairly conveniently. Merchants get a drawback certificate one week, and tender it in payment of duty the next; so the privilege of receiving coin instead of paper will probably not be very largely availed of. It is, however, manifestly fair that when a man has paid money he should be entitled to get back money, and not paper, if he wishes; and this he will be entitled to do after the lst day of the third year of Kwangsi—that is to say, the 13th Febraary, 1877.
The opening of the little railway to Woosung claims a prominent place in the history of 1876; and the occasion is opportune to put on record the circumstances under which the project was conceived and carried into execution.
Every one knows that the Mandarins have always opposed railways, as they do any other innovation. To suggest the subject to them was simply to invite refusal; to urge the advantage that haa:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.