fuiiga Re The most interesting questinued. tion before us is, what farther steps will be taken in regard to treaty Tevision. Will Great Britain pursue alone the negociations broken off by the rejection of Sir R, Alcock's convention, or will the other Powers join in persuading the Chinese Government to move another step or two in advance One thing is certain; the audience question will be mooted so soon as the Emperor's marriage indicates his assumption of the full responsibility of office; and Western Powers are quite disposed to insist on the concession, to their Representatives, of a privilege which has been granted to Chinese enveys in Europe. On the other baud the Missionary question may be mooted by the Chinese; and, judging from the evidence lately given by Sir R. Alcock before the committee on Indian Finance, they show a strong inclination to remonstrate against the opium trade also. We have at last, from Sir Ratherford's own mouth, a narrative of the interview at which Prince Kung expressed his famous wish to be rid of missionaries and opium, as the two chiefly disagreeable features in foreign intercourse. It is worth while quoting the account of the interview.
"Prince Kung came vith the other Mi-ulsters to take leave of me as a matter of courtesy, and naturally he referred to all the discussions which we had had in the revision of the treaty; and, as we had neither of us obtained exactly what we wished, and the missionaries and the opium had very often been brought forward as the obstacles to any perfect understanding, T alluded to those conversations and to the signing of the convention, and I said, "After all these discussions, now that. we had entered into convention, re-fam ig many points, I hope that, though going away, you will find other matters will settle themselves satisfactorily, and that there will be a gradual improvement in our relations and in the 88 of our commerce." He shook my hand Very cordially, and said, "Yes; we have had a great many discussions, but we know that you have always endeavoured to do justice, and if you could only relieve us of missionaries and opium, there need be no more trouble in China."
Sir Rutherford expresses a strong opinion that, despairing of inducing us to consent to de-legalize the opium traffic, China intends to try to rain the Indian trade by encouraging the manufacture at home, trusting then to stamp out the habit of smoking by the power of theexecative. We apprehend theexigencies of Indian Finance will oppose an insurmountable barrier to the concession which the Chinese seek; justos the sympathies of France: more especially will prevent any cartailmentof the privileges claimed under the treaty, for missionaries. It is interesting, however, note the views of the Chinese on these two points.
One important question seems to: have been removed during the year, from the category of demands—we refer to Transit Passos. Livery one interested in China knows that Art. XXVIII of the Tientsin treaty provides that a payment of of per cent ad valorem shall free foreign goods to any place inland; but that the Chinese have long sought to restrict the cone eign bands, dai ing that, when they had passed into native ownership they became subject to the usual' barrier taxation. This evidently was to neutralise the treaty; for, as foreigners have no hongs in the interior, they have nowhere to send goods to. The desi, was, to protect foreign goods from the ity and exclusive instincts of the of the restriction Chinese—virtually selling them to arrive at their inland destination, instead of on the spot. The validity of the pass was then constantly questioned and dispute was frequent. Mr. Med-horst took the first step to break down the opposition to the d in procure ing the recognition of transit passes at the Hweiquan barrier, in 1868; and the enormous growth of the trade of Chinkeang has convinced the Taotai of that port that free trade is a trae principle, We learn from the Blue Book No. 5 of 1871 (p. 218) that the Chinese admitted the principle in conversation, 80 long ago as July 14th 1868; but begged that it might not be insisted on. Str. Medharst's action at Yangchow, however, seems to have persuaded them to view it differently; for we find, in an official book of treaties and explanatory despatches published by the then Taotai of Shanghai, a note by Tseng-kwo-fan, dated Nov. 10th, 1868, referring to aw order from the Tsung-li Yamen which lays down that Chinese as well us foreigners have the right to take foreign imports inland on payment of the fixed transit due. Notwithstanding this order, however, the officials continued the old squeeze, until the question was again raised and strenuously fought by Mr. Markham, last autump, The matter seems then to have been brought to the notice of the Tsung-li Yamen by My. Hart, and re-nowed instructions to have been issued, which are now obeyed in this province. At same other ports, however, the old restriction is still maintained; and it behoves H. M. Minister, as representing the nation most interested, to procure, and officially notify, a copy of the Tsung-Yamen's order, $0 as to strengthen the hands of the Consuls in fighting the point with the local mandarins. We are glad to have to record this intelligent
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.