The following lotter is addressed to the Editor of the London Daily News Sm,—It isa pity that a good cause should be marred by inaccuracy as to facts. Statements have been advanced of late, with more or less of precision, to the effect that the legalization of the opium. trade was wrung from Chinese fears, At the recent meeting in Birmingham Lord Blgin is credited, in'so many words, with havin "extorted" at Tientsin the legalization of the article in question. There ig no truth whatever in the allegation; and I do not think, in fairness to Lord Elyin's memory, or in justice to all concerned, that I ought to observe silence any longer. Jointly with Sir Thomas Wade, our present Minister in China, I was Chinese Secretary to Lord Elgin's special mission. All the negotiations at Tientsin passed through me, Not one word upon either side was ever said about opium from first to last. The revision of the tariff and the adjustment of all questions affecting our trade were designedly left for after deliberation and arrangement, and it was agreed that for that purpose the Chinese High Commissioners should meet Lord Elgin at Shanghai in the following winter. TheTreaty of'Tientsin assigned on the26th Tune, 1858; the fleet was withdrawn, and Lord Elgin turned the interval to account by visiting Japan, and concluding a treaty there, In the meantime the preparation of the tariff devolved upon me, at the desire no less of the Chinese than of Lord Elgin. When I came to "opium," Tinguired what course they proposed to take in respect to it. The answer was, We have resolved to put it into the tariff, as " Yang yoh," (foreign medicine.) This represents with strict accuracy the amount of "extortion"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.