Taere is one point in connection with the form of the German treaty which well deserves the serious attention of all those who take any interest in the relations between foreign countries and China, As regards the'subject matter of the treaty we have already said almost all that has to be said; indeed, there is scarcely anything worthy of comment. The permission to stop at Woosung to embark or discharge merchandise, especially when read in connection with the special stipulations, seems to put the matter, if anything, on a worse footing than at present, The reference to bonded warehouses is not open to the same objection, but it does not amount to much. That goods which are imported into any of the open ports and re-exported shall not be subject to duty is a point of vital importance, bat whether such business is carried on by means of bonded warehouses or by the merchants paying daty on importing and receiving it back on exporting the goods, even if the drawback be only paid in the form of a certificate available for subsequent payments of daty, is only a detail. It is an important detail, no doubt, but when it has been settled that the Government are in truth to receive no duty on such goods, it is hardly necessary or expedient for the "High contracting parties to decide the special mean to be adopted for giving facilities to traders without injuring the Customs revenue, and unless the regulations regarding bonded warehouses be conceived in a liberal spirit they will prove but slight boon to merchants.
Bat it is not with the substance of the treaty that we purpose to deal at present. What we wish to draw attention to is the form in which the treaty is composed of concessions by the two parties to it, even to the extent of making each Article consist of two concessions which apparently are intended
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.