An adjourned meeting of this Society was held on Thursday evening, in the Royal Asiatic Society's Library at the Museum Buildings, for the purpose of hearing and discussing lecture by the Rov. Y. K, Yen on Foreign-Chinese Iutercourse. Mr. William Bright, President, occupied the chair, and there was a rati The Prestpsyt, in opening the meeting, said Mr. Yen was too well-known to wil those present to need to be introduced to the meeting. He did not think he was violating any confidence when he said he believed Mr. Yen intended to make it rather warm for foreigners; he huped it would provoke a discussion, The Rev. Y. K. Yen then read a paper on the "Conflict of Interest in Foreign-Chinese Intercourse." We make he following extracts any interpreters of international wrongly hold that there tions on nations to enter commerce.
But the better and the true only a duty, an of good-will. China, Japan, and Corea evidently took this stand w the first they shut their doora to vessels from beyond the seas, It was an intuition with them, Unfortunately, it was the mistaken view which entered into the forming of the Foreign-Ohinese treaties, and hence have arisen many grievances ati the p-rt of China.
After a protracted war, there are always high excitement and wrath on the side of the victors, and trepidation and despair 1 the vanquished. At such times, one re to exact too much, and the other to yield to readily. ' Unhappily na, the principal treaties were the of disastrous events to her. 1 the Chefoo Conventi consequent on the murder of Mr. Marzary.
The fable of the lion and the sheep hunting together and dividing the bag, has n moral for nations also, It is that in a treaty between the strong and the weak, even in ordinar, one, by dint of its sup: orgy, intelligence and will, carries the day. How much more when meeting in diplomacy is immediately after the meeting in the battlefield. How temperate th Foreign-Japanese, the Fo-and the Foreign-Corean treaties are, compared with the Foreignisn proof of this. Ihave smiled at the frequent statement that the Chinese statesman outwits the Foreign Minister in diplomacy. Lhe truth is, that the typical chase, and his representa ti right to get only APs share, the ery, Our minister is sacrificing our andi favouring the Mongolian." 1 that three influences, viz., (and Kgoism nequaintance it is not surprising that in the treaties there should be germs of conflict, This leads me to my subject. I have purposely 8 long introduction, order to dispel the pre ug misconception that she ought to grant their every demand Leoause forsooth she is equally benefitted.
The first point of conflict lies in the privilege of exterritoriality. Of course, I Troon only that part of it which relates to a and iything of For Chinese iitercourss, its working is wu factory.
What is law? Tt may be defined as an institution evolved by the mind of man to it existing temper, disposition, and peuple, moral idess. A savage will ordain " savage nnd it is the best code for him. A itis condition of a people, but let their laws be tu amended, and incompatibility will ari resulting in anarchy and dissolution, will happen, if we change the laws, let the popular character remain untouched. This being the truth, any individual who is placed in abnormal circumstances needs new laws to control him, since those which fit him in his nomial state now no longer do #0.
Now, generally speaking, the average European mal condition is more honourable a noble than th These es strike our oriental forcibly when he lands in Europe or America. But if truth must be told, in his count ¢, he more or less e. Uf course, there are exception uch are worthy of all esteem. Th planation is not far to seek. Mr. de Candolle, us quoted by Mr. A. Kt. Wallace, has said, for enation to be two civilized, which is living in the midst of warlike neighbours, is suicidal. It hing to be warlike also, or else will be swallowed up. "warning with it, which like in order to self-preservation pute it in the greatest temptation of becoming aggressive, and of committing national robberies promiscuously. Aualogously, an dividual living anion fellows who are enlightened, and moreover of a differ-race, la compelled to be constantly on his guard as to his life, property, and conduct, but there is danger that self-carefulness' will beget pure selfishness, to the neglect, and even ancrifice of other's welfare. Whether it be the nation or the the certainty is that less seated principles exist, human nature ps the golden mean of "he angry and sin not," and to lend to evil deeds, Wo ing of the coluniata, Of the early back settlers of North America among whom unavenged murders, rifle duels, and Lynch law prevailed, and rs who descended bits, scalping and even eanniwhich is called the law of heredity gives us a key to phenomena; it is thatas ally emerged from an a1 ial, from barbarism to civil to relapse into his, old propensities, if there should be opportunities in allow it, and causes to other hand, no array Such opportuni-thrown xd foreign people; and ciples, deep, solid and immova i-shan, how many in any country are blessed with them Therein is the explanation why the average European, who lives in Chin in other parts of the East rotrogeadon character. Do facts confirm this conelusion} Lot us Certain foreigners under the avowed object of building tramway, 80 blinded the Tavtai that he stretched his paternal fluence in making the farmers sell their lands. When they got the tit behold they inid a railway remonstrated, and even throu on the track to.stop the locomotive answer, which was worthy of a sophister, wan that as they were owners of the road, they could do wine they chose with it, and that as to the throat, was his and his power to keep or to lose, Did this affair reflect honour or dishonour on thor concerned Again, when our government, in order to pr right. of saying where, and how the rail-road will company up at the full instead of making an international questi ign press yonerall; Gaunted it with stupid waste of money with anti-progress. Was not this taunt adding insult to injury? Several yours nye, & Kuropean bought goods from the Chinese with pro they wore shipped. had gone, it was found the bank advances, to countryman, Now, whi them, certainly he was not honourable to the Chinese, Chere is a European selling his wane to a Chinese hon, defraud his government; there doing the same to x river Larch! port, there are members who make it a regular bus ness to obtain transit passes for Chinese-owned goods. In each case a trouty privilege is outrageously used, which even if legally enjoyed, is nothing less than an over-reaching, and therefore utterly wrong from the ning. At la yet more incredible, that stich abuses had boon noticed at all it was the buyers of the pried, while the sollers were heir way requi From these examples, is it no that foreign honour tins lost its tone?
In the matter of their diminished hiinanity, two inci and many such like bear mo out A first officer in an ocean steamer said to me, "When I came to China, I was disgusted with the way the foreigners treat the coolies, But I now
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.