Audi altera parted, No rule could be better. Therefore as we gave our own views about the opium question the other day, we feel it almost a duty to let the pablic have the benefit of the latest opinions expressed in Europe on the same topic, though these views are diametrically opposed to ours. A Dr. Christlieb has published in German a violent denunciation of the traffic, and his book has just been translated into English by a Mr. Croom, under the title of The Indo-British Opiwn Trade and its Effect. Both author and trans. later are, we venture to say, equally unknown to fame in the literary world or scientific, or indeed in any world ex-copt perhaps that of the congregations who love to assemble in Little Bethels.
Dr. Christlieb is a doctor of divinity, of something the same stamp no doubt as those Baptist doctors at whom a correspondent, whose wickedness we deplore, though we despair of reform. ing it, lately poked fun in these columns. Tndeed doctors of divinity are becoming so numerous now-a-days that if they go on increasing at the same rate, respectable ecclesiastics will, five years hence, avoid the title as they would a contumelious nickname, Wo don't know what authority the doctor now under notice has for his assertions, as our knowledge of his book is derived neither from itself nor from its translation, but from a highly appreciative review of the latter in the October Chinese themselves, or as many of them as read foreign journals, mast often be set agape by information about their country, their officials, and follow countrymen, which they would never have gained were it not for the efforts of foreign newspaper writers, That such information la all false matters little or nothing—to those who circulate it. Bat in spite of the earnest and successful efforts of the Chinese Government to stamp out the poppy, the trade from India still carries poison (with a capital P) to millions in China millions" is good). It no longer aids the revenues of India, but rather endangers them, and it even casts ite dark shadows on England and America. It must be confessed that we are not justified in expecting doctors of divinity be consequent in their arguments, Batit is uncommonly odd that although the opium traffic no longer ids the revenues of India, the great difficulty in the way of abolishing it lies in the deficit it would create in the Indian budget wherein one seventh of the revenue is attributed to opium. It is not our business to reconcile these statements, but it seems that they can searcely both be trae. Dr. Christlieb has at all events satisfied himself that the opium trade is the ugliest blot that rests on any nation's civilisation. Ho is welcome to his opinion, but it is nob very polite to express it so uncompromisingly. Nor indeed is it very prudent, for it sets one thinking whether if he looked at home instead
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.