Tue Wo-shih-shan affair at Foochow is apparently entering on a new phase, and the Viceroy has enlisted on his side the services of Mr. Bidwell, who happened by accident to be present at Foochow. Of the appointment of Mr. Bidwell, or the acceptance of the appointment by the latter, we have little say. It is probably in the interests of both parties that some impartial intermediary should be availed of, and Mr, Bidwell's position seemed certainly to have a tendency to render his views impartial. It is therefore with the greater regret that we notice that Mr. Bidwell, while acting in the capacity of intermediary, has seen fit to throw aside the reserve becoming to that character, and in a letter published in the Foochow Herald of the 10th instant has appeared on the sceneas the advocate of the Chinese, not only in this matter ofthe Wu-shih-shan, but in the question of Missionaries in general; a thing quite beyond the purpose and long ago established by direct treaty stipulations. The matter in dispute in the Wu-shih-shan affair is not whether English or Roman Missionaries, according to the stereotyped expression, "do most good," ie, make most converts in China, but whether the Rev. J. R. Wolfe had a valid title to the land in question; and whether the measures adopted by the Mandarins and the mob, for both are unfortunately so mixed together that it is difficult to distinguish one from the other, were sanctioned by the laws of China or the stipulations of the Treaty of Tientsin. That instrament, which defines the international relations between Great Britain and Ohina, says distinctly "The Christian religion, as professed by Protestants or Roman Catholics, inculcates the practice of virtue, and teaches man to do as he would be done by. Persons teaching it or professing it, therefore, shall alike be entitled to the protection of the Chineseauthorities nor shall any such peaceably pursuing their calling, and not offending against the law, be persecuted or interfered with—British subjects shall enjoy the same privileges, é&o., including the right of residence, of baying or renting houses, of leasing Jand therein, and of building Churches, Hospitals and Cometeries—If a Chinese have reason to complain of a British subject, the Consul shall, no less, listen to. his complaint, and endeavour to settle it in a friendly manner. If disputes take place of such a nature that the Consul cannot arrange them amicably, then he shall request the assistance of the Chinese authorities, that they may together examine into the merits of the case, and decide it equitably.—The Chinese authorities shall at all times afford the fallest protection to the persons and properties of British subjects, whenever these shall have been subjected to insult or vio.
Tence. In all cases of incendiarism or robbery, the local authorities shall at once take the necessary steps for the recovery of the stolen property, the suppression of disorder, and the arrest of the guilty parties, whom they will punish according to law."
The complaint of the Rev. J. R. Wolfe in the matter of the Wu-shih-shan disturbance, is that all of these treaty stigulations hare been contravened by the Chinese authorities. First, that violence has been offered on the plea that he, as a Missionary, preached the doctrines of the Protestant faith. Secondly, that having legally rented land within the limits of the city of Foochow, attempts have been continually made to induce the Mission to remove to the foreign settlement at Nan-tai. Thirdly, that instead of bringing their complaints before the Consul, who was bound to hear them, and if well founded to give the case in their favour, threats of violence were made uso of; and lastly, that the protection bound to be afforded to British subjects in cases of disturbance was not so afforded, bat on the contrary the mob were permitted to burn and destroy some at least of the buildings erected on the land in question.
These are facts which no amount of evasive evidence or special pleading can upset. The ruined buildings, destroyed without the sanction of the court provided to try such cases, remain as unimpeachable evidence. We are not now going to enter into the question of the validity of the title of the Missionaries to the premises rented by them. If their title was not clear, the way was open in the regular courts to upset it. The Consul would have afforded every assistance, as he was bound to do, to prevent encroachments, and without a word of ill feeling the whole question could have been decided. It is pal-bably too late for the Chinese authorities to plead the alleged defect in the title as an excuse for their miscon-duet. The whole proceedings of the 30th August were in contravention of the express terms of the Treaty of Tientsin; and until the Chinese Government proceeds to place matters in star quo ante, they have legally no right to raise the question of validity of title. It was to provide against instances such as that of the Wu-shih-shan, where by a small but violent faction, attempts are made to override law and order, that the stipulationsregarding the protection of life and property were inserted in the Treaty. There is no reason to believe that the majority of the peaceably disposed inhabitants of Foochow feel any grievance at the foreign buildings erected on the Wu-shih-shan, a ground which has now for some thirty years been in the occupa. tion of foreign owners.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.