Tae new treaty that has been effected between China and the United States reminds one of the celebrated epitaph *IfI was s0 quickly done for, I wonder what I was began for?" with allusion rather to its extreme brevity. and meagreness than to its actual length of existence, Tt seemed when it was first announced that Commissioners were to accompany a specially-appointed Minister to this country for the purpose of making a trouty, that the proposal was merely a move in the political game to secure the allegiance of Culifornia to the party ft present in power. The value of the Californian vote and the necessity of an apparent anti-Chinese disposition to avy endeavour to secure that vote, were proved by the importance given to the celebrated Morey forgery: and many people who were in a position to judge believed that the display on the part of the Government of an intention to conclude a treaty, which should enable the United States to check or suspend Chinese immigration, was only intended to amuse the Pacific slope until the election was over, and would then be quietly shelved. The Commissioners, however, fired no doubt by their Californian colleague, took their instruct seriously, and concluded a treaty which was wrapped up in as much mystery as if it decided the fate of Empires, and returned with it to the States. At last the labouring mountain his produced, and we stand round in mute admiration of the mouse. It was generally known that there was no privilege of any value that the Americans could give up in return for the concession demanded from the Chinese, and it was wondered what persuasion the Commissioners could bring to bear on the Teung-li Yamen to induce them to sacrifice a right to which probably not a single member of the Grand Council really attaches any importance, The Chinese Government has no idea that China is overpopulated, and has never shown any desire to favour or encourage emigration. The people who do emigrate come from the provinces farthest removed from the seat of Government, who are hardly, indeed, of the same race as the inhabitants of the Northern provinces. But Chinese, like other diplomatists, naturally prefer to give nothing for nothing, and those who goto ask something from them, must not go empty-handed. It says a great deal for the intelligence and acuteness of the American Commissioners that they found something to offer whioh was of no real value to themselves for the grant which was of no real value to the granters. We published the text of the treaty in our issue of 28th February. It is exceedingly brief, and consists of two parts, the immigration treaty and the commercial treaty. The former comprises four Articles, the first being the en pital one, and provides that whenever the immigration of Chinese labourers affects or threatens to affect the interests of the United States,-or to endanger the good order of any part of the United States, the Government of the United States may regulate, limit, or suspend that immigration, but may not absolutely prohibit it, And the immigrants are to be protected against personal maltreatment or abuse. The provision that immigration is not to be totally prohibited is no doubt asalvoto the wounded Constitution of the United States, which demands the free right of every man to travel and change his residence and allegiance whenever it pierises him, It is merely a nominal permission, for by making law that no vessel shall bring more than one labourer, the State of California can virtually prohibit immigration altogether. It is snd to see the great country which we hoped to find always in the forefront of the battle of freedom reverting to such a worn-out policy as this prohibition of immigration, Lest the Chinese should retaliate and ask for the right of restricting tion into China, we ide LI a strict limitation of the prohibition to labourers. Since Consul Ala gold mines in Shan. 0, but fow Ameri-caus of the labouring class have come to China to reside, and itis therefore provided in this second Article that Chinese coming to the United States as traders, students or merchants, or from curiosity, are not to be interfered with, and are to be allowed to bring with them their body and honsehold servants. Whether traders will include the cigar-makers and washer-meu of San Francisco, and what number of people will be allowed to come from curiosity, we are not informed. For these details we must wait for the discussions on the treaty in the Senate. It seems rather a slur on American civilisation that the Commit sioners should have deigned to insert the third Article in the treaty at all. It provides that Chinese in the States who meet with ill-treatment shall be protected, and that the Government will secure to them all the rights, privileges and exemptions to which they are already entitled by treaty. matter of common knowledge th Chinese in California have been are constantly subject to ill-treatment at the hands of the lowest classes of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.