Tae English Treaty with Corea la to all effects and purposes the same as that negotiated by the United Slates. Now the more the American treaty is considered the clearer docs it appear that the interests which have been principally considered by its framers are those of China. Corea will, of course, get some benefit from the Customs revenue, and foreigners will be allowed to make what they can in an unfavourable position where their trade will be hampered in every way; but China will gain grent advantages immediately. In his eagerness to secure anything which might be called a treaty, the United States negotiator accepted terms that fall far short of those he might reasonably have oxpected to hive had conceded to him, The English Admiral has blindly followed his lead, and the result, we suppose, will be that the treaty as it stands will be confirmed by Hor Majesty. The advantages it will give to trade are problematical, and their extent will dopoud upon the scale of import daties which is to be established by the Corean officials. If these are fixed at anything near to the maximum rates mentioned in the treaty, it is quite imp ble that the trade of foreigners in Corea can be large, But arrangements may be concerted between the Chinese and Corean officials which will virtually band over the trade in importa to the Chinese. The first clause of the treaty contains an acknowledge ment by Corea of the suzerainty of Ohina, which is not much affected by the intimation that "heretofore" the peninsular kingdom has managed its own domestic and foreign offal The relations between the two coun. tries render any commercial treaty unnecessary. They will regulate their relations with each other by private arrangements about which the outside world will know nothing, Supposing the Corean officials to place a heavy import duty on Lnglish Grey Shirtings and similar articles when these are imported in foreign steamers, and a considerably lower duty when they are imported in Chinese vessels, foreign traders would be driven from the Corean trade which would pass wholly into the hands of the Chinese, It may be said that the Corean Government is not likely to do this, but on the contrary we think that something of the kind is medi. tated and is one of the schemes of Li Hung-chang and his party to monopolize the trade of these parts for their countrymen. Alceady they have virtually induced the American and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.