Ir must be estisfactory to all British jo China that, afler an unpre cedentedly long delay, a new Minister has been appointed to Peking. The of Sir John Walsham is not very wmiliar to us in the Far East. There moreover just a possibility that the aps pointment may not be taken up. Sir John is @ baronet, and as Depaty Lieutenant of a county may be presumed to have money, He has twice deotiued to proceed to poate to which he has been appointed, and his record is such ar to show that he is a man witha good chance of rising. He is now the Senior Seoretary of Embassy in the service, and has long been desirous of procar+ Constantinople. It would therefore be premature to conclude that a mau mho has been in charge of the Embassy in Paris looks forward to Peking as the goal of his ambition, or would be content to lovk upon it as more than a stepping-stone, "Sir John has, Lowovor, a good record, at ie appointment ought to prove a succesefal one. His only connection with China, duri a pretty long diplomatic career, consists in having been nominated to the post of Seoretary of Legation at Poking in the year 1873; but instead of proceeding he resigned the hough he was soon afterwards appointed to the embassy at Madrid, With the experience of diplo-rustic procedure earned by servi Mexico, Spain, Holland, Bet Paris, at which lastsuamed pla boon acting as Minister Plenipotentiary, Sir John is at least no novice, and to be hoped that his reign at the Peking Legation will be a benefice cessful one. In any case, he is likely to have responsible duties to fulfil. China just now amiably disposed towards us; she has made friends with Lord Sal bury's Cabinet, has assured the of ber cordial assent to all that he may do in Burma, and appears in respects unusually anzions to maintain amicable relations with England. This attitude may prove of service to the new Mi is arrival next spring. in a conciliatory mood, and may possibly prove easier to deal with in minor matters than she generally is, The readiness with which the Tsungli Yamen has lately considered the proposals of the Miuisters in the matter of likin taxation in the foreign Settlements is of iteclf sufficient to show the direction in which the wind is blowing. Bat there is a We may be andaly sceptical, but we Lesitats to believe iu.the absolute dis. se other hand, and their attitude is, in Chinese eyes, one of silent With two powerful nations in her im. mediate neighbourhood, either of mich may be the source of trouble on her borders, it is only natural that should show a more or less cordial to England—as long as. the exigewoi time demand it, And while tage may properly be taken of certainly behoves' our represen ein Peking to gauge the pros fessions of Chinese statesmen at their jast value, and not allow himself to become too deeply indebted "to China for empty courtesies or entangled with with her in sucha way as to hamper our free action, An alliance with Chinn may prove an excellent thitig for the Imperial interests of both octine tries 5 it may be a very dangerous thing, theless. It is nlwaya aa well to at while Great Britain has 4 distinct int t in the welfare and progress of Obiun, Chinn has none in the welfare and pros; of England: and while Chin at the present moment is to pi her borders in tact, without reference to other matters, that of England is far wider in its scope, embracing not only the cousere ation of lee Indian Beopire in ite integrity, but the oper routes and the ete particularly popular in Peking:
'TAB NEW OPIUM 'CLavsE, Tuene are grounds for serious doubt whether the opium-arrangement come to' between Lord Salisbury and the Marqais Te8ug will prove @ permanent solution of the likin difficulty, if indeed it ever comes into force at all, The attempt of the Likin Tax Office to take premature advantage of it lao failed, og it deserved to fail: but the question still unsettled, and the jubilations he AntiOpinm Society may yet give place to renewed groans and oh. jurgations. The opposition, actual or potential, comes indeed from four quare ters! in other words, from everybody who has an interest in the trad The provincial them of a very big revenue without which they cannot carry on their several administrations, besides curtailing their power. -The foreign opium-merchants have reason to four that so heavy an impost will speedy ruin of their business, thet importations have already fallen off to an alarming extent since the uew agreement became known; and among the foreign opium-merchants must be reckoned the Iudinn Goverument itself, whic mast of course be Leary loser from the falling-oft
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.