Commerce has sent to the journals there copies of some interesting correspondence' in regard to the pro-josed additional article to the Chefoo convention, in reference to the naviga~ tion of the Upper Yangtze by steamers, and the opening of Chungking. The chief document is a very well-considered letter on the subject from the London Chamber of Commerce, East India and China Trade section, to the Marquis of Salisbury. The letter is in reply to a communication from the Marquis covering a copy of the proposed agreement; these documents are not given, but we can readily don Chamber's letter, which begins other their contents from the Lon-
by stating that "subject to certain modifications, the course proposed meets with the general approval of London merchants concerned in trade with The course proposed' is then the opening of Chungking to foreign trade, foreign steamers to be allowed to go there as soon as the permission is granted to Chinese steamers, and the trade to be carried on meantime by junks, "but under such a system of facilities and privileges as will as far as possible assimilate it to that now enjoyed by steamers at the treaty ports on the Lower Yangtze."
In approving of this arrangement, the East India and China trade section of the London Chamber lays stress upon the importance of securing two rights to British, and therefore to all foreign traders; 1, to charter and navigate junks and other sailing vessels under the British flag and under the command of British subjects; and 2, to repack bales and cases of goods at Hankow or Ichang, for transmission to Chungking, into smaller packages, without payment of any additional duty. The Customs' regulations at present in force only allow foreign goods imported into China to be re-exported coastwise or up-river without a fresh payment of duty, if they are in the original packages, and with the original marks and numbers; but for the Chungking trade it will be necessary to diminish the size of the packages in which the goods are sent, and the Customs' regulations should be modified in this direction. It is obviously quite possible for the Customs while granting this necessary privilege, to surround its practice with such precautions as will make frauds on the revenue practically impossible.
The Section then points out that while it is very desirable to open Chungking as now proposed, the right to navigate the Upper Yangtze must not be abandoned. It suggests that this right should be waived for a period of, say, ten years, when it should revive, and when the Upper Yangtze might be properly surveyed, and the obstacles to navigation removed; "such measures would be extremely important in the event of Chinese allowing a general improvement of the means of communica tion by land and water between the inland centres of population and the sea-coast, thus affording increased facilities for the distribution of British goods to the large markets of the interior." The Section goes on to express its gratification at the willingness the Chinese government shews to grant the concessions involved in the proposed additional article to the Chefoo convention, but hopes that no Treaty rights will be given up in exchange, The Hongkong Chamber, in acknowledging the politeness of the London Chamber in sending a copy of its letter, is doubtful whether the opening of Chungking will lead to a large immediate increase in the volume of trade, and entirely agrees in thinking that the right to navigate the Upper Yangtze must not be abandoned; and it regrets that the British Minister at Peking "was apparently not instructed to oppose the vacillating and temporising policy adopted by the Chinese government in reference to this question. Persistent obstructiveness at every stage of the proceedings has secured them a diplomatic victory which will scarcely tend to smooth the way for further negotiation at a future date."
We are glad to see the Hongkong Chamber make this point, for the London Chamber seems to have somewhat overlooked the fact that the agreement that Lord Salisbury is about to make with the chinese government is a distinct concession to Peking obstructiveness, for which we are getting mo compensation whatever. The sungli Yamen has recognised, as it was obliged to do, that in principle British subjects have a right to navigate the Upper Yangtze by steamers, and that Chungking should be opened as soon as a steamer has arrived there. Every one who has been up and down the rapids is convinced that they are practicable and therefore this additional article is merely giving up for seven or ten years, or whatever the time may be, the right to navigate the Upper Yangtze, and getting nothing in return, Whether the opening of Chungking will result in a large immediate increase to the volume of trade depends entirely on the honesty with which the inland officials respect transit passes. If they are respected, the increase will be very. marked, for the capabilities of Szechuan, the largest, richest, and most populous if the inland officials try to ignore the province of China, are almost unlimited.
transit passes, as has been done before
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.