A native Correspondent has reopened in our.opluane the well-worn but still burning question of the taxation levied on the Ohinese in the Foreign Settle ments, and the disadvantages under which they Inbour. The grievance is 'a double.one. Not only are they taxed two per cent. higher than foreign residents, but they are debarred from many privileges enjoyed by those who pay legs than they do; and the disssatisfaction felt in consequence is, our Correspondent assures us, very widely spread. Now at firat sight the anomaly is no doubt striking enough, and *A Chinese' has put his case with moderatiou: and effect.. But when the que into, the extreme difficul-be a reform, will be at once apparent. Let us ome of the grievances he quotes. We Chinese, he says, are called pan to.coutribate largely to the Munipality, and our contributions go towards the maintenance of certain institutions from hich we, derive no benefit, That is very plausibly put. Bat, from what are the Chinese debarred From subscribing to the. Shanghai Library, or. moking: use of it as.a rending room If 80, thia is the.first time that we, have, heard of it,. We do. not suppose. for.a moment that, any Chinese gentleman of European culture, such as jour Corres. pondent, would meet' with. refusal if he wished to become a subscriber the Library, or that the Librarian would do anything so ungracious or. so.
ulional ug to prevent such a, man from sitting in the: Library as long -as he liked rending a book.
Sach, Chinese are, of course, fow, and it is not necessary to refer to those who know nothing but their own language, as none are likely to desire to participate in the privilege. The Volunteers Well, we have never yet heard of, a Chinese being refused permission to join that gallant body, for the sufficient reason that no Chivaman has ever evinced a swish, to do.so,, Bub.if our Correspondent thinks that in. the, case of a serious disturbance the, Volau' would not protect his property from the. rioters with jast: as nach energy and valour as the Mike ho-loong constantly protect Chinese property from fice, he is. again mise token, It is true that if ever the Volunteers have to be called out it will be against his own countrymen, but not those of the class to which our Correspondent himself belongs, 80 that so fur from having @ grievance here he participates in precisely the same ndvantages ne foreigners.
Bat there la ithe Garden!
The Chinese are. shut out from that, Yes, and why? cipally if not entirely because of thei vast numbers, fore it is difficult, and would be practically impossible, lo make a distinction between the lentor. and the gentleman, If the Garden were a hundred times larger than it is, that would be another matter; but under present conditions, were it thrown open to all Chinese, it would simply cease to exist, There would be no room for foreigners to walk about; every sent. would be occupied by Chinese; and ina very short time it would be simply trodden out of existence altogether. That, we take it, is the reason why, the Chinese are not admitted, and the reason is. valid one, That it presses hardly upon class of Chinese of the highest respect ability and good breeding is undeniable; but we do not see how it is to be avoided. Such a restriction would not be possible in London, because: the number of Chinese there is insignia" ficant, and those who avail themselves of the public gardens in that city belong to an orderly class., Here the case is different; and in the annoyance even now. is caused; by, ithe coolies in atten i. obi who not unfrequently monopolise the best. seats in. the enclosure—w an indication of, what, the condition of affairs would be if: no restriction whatever. were placed.upou, the..admission of -the Chinese, At. preseub
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.