In our issue of the 1st instant we believe we succeeded in showing conclusively that foreigners have a right by treaty to establish manufactories in China, and that the native authorities have therefore no power to grant monopolies to their own people to the projudice of such right. Wo believe we are in a position to say that this is the view taken of the subject by most if not all the Foreign Ministers at peking. Such being the case, whatever may be the opinions of the Chinese on the subject, any question in regard to such right clourly arises under the treaties, and is a matter for diplomatic intervention. When therefore the native Cotton Ma. nufacturing Company put forward their claim to exclusive privileges to the prejudice of the Cotton Yarn Company which was formed under foreign aus. pices, the Vice-Cousn!-General of the United States on behalf of the parties chiefly interested at once brought the matter lo the notice of the ao-tui, In his communication to that func. tionary lo stated that the question had been referred by him to the Hon, J. Russell Young, United States Minister at Peking, and that pending the consideration of the matter, and until they were fully empowered to do so by the proper authorities, the Cotton Yarn Company would make no attempt to carry out their scheme. Under these circumstances it was manifestly the duty of the local authorities to take no action whatever against the Cotton Yarn Company but to await the result of the negotiations between the United States Minister and their superiors at the Capital. Instead of doing so, however, the most determined and persistent endeavours have been made by the local officials to break up this company before any decision could be arrived ut in Peking, apparently in the hope that a disagreenblo issue might thus be avoided. This attempt of the native authorities to force by a resort to threats and intimidation of the most startling nature, a premature settlement accord-to their own views of the quostion which they have been officially informed had been referred to the United States Minister and been snbmitted by him for the consideration of the only authorities competent to deal with if, must be regarded asa wilful disregard of treaty obligations, if not authorities; unless indeed it is promptly and completely disavowed by Peking Government,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.