10th Sept. Is the Nineteenth Century for July there was an article by Sir Jol Pope Hennessy, K.C.M.G., headed "The African Bubble." Opposition is the breath of Sir John's nostrils, and he was in his element in recommending that England should get rid of her African acquisitions as soon as possible. If he were right, it would be a good plan to send him out as Governor. In the Auless, generally less; but children are! but its contents show that the new gust number of the same review, however, allowed to pick up the art of reading dollar has full Imperial sanction. Yet! Mr. H.H. Johnston, vow British Cou-writing the best way they can, The! its use is tentative and this is probably sul at Mozambique, replies to Sir John, consequence is that much excellent one of the reasons that two Taotais were ud gives some figures to show what the writing is never properly read at all, directed to issue the announcement. The value of Africa is; he is not likely to and an infinitude of unnecessary trouble words are: "T'beCanton local administra-convince the late Governor of Hor is taken to read what, if the reader had tion have purchased mint machinery and Mauritius; but he will re-assure been properly taught, should have been and commenced coining dollars as an those timid people who are wot certain apprehended at once. We constantly experiment. Nhe Board of Revenue whether Africa will not overload the hear the recipient of a letter or of} memorialised the Emperor on the sub-' country already staggering, in Matthew some autograph doctunent say, " what abominable writing, I can't read a word of it!"; and with the too frequent cussedness " of humanity, the blame is put on the writer, instead of the reader.
the latter had been properly taught to read writing, the trouble would not have occurred.
Tt may be objected that there are so many varieties of writing, no two people writing exactly alike, that it would be impossible to teach the most student to read them all. So it is known that there are no two people exactly alike, but the differences are so slight that it is quite possible to group the individuals in classes; and so it is with writings. here are people who for a modest fee delineate character from handwriting, and often with considerable success, It is obvious that they must have representative sets of handwriting to xo by, for they could not live on their fees if they had to puzzle out unscientifically each specimen by itself. It would be very easy to get sets of representative writings, lithograph thew, and distribute them to schools, and a very interesting study would be added to the curriculum, as valuable as interesting. It is well known that general post offices employ people who can read every handwriting, however uninteleligible it may appear to the untaught observer; so that it is quite possible to learn to read writing, Again it may be objected that if everybody were taught to write, it would be unnecessary to learn to read writing. This would be true if everybody were taught to write alike; but what a dull world it would be in that case; almost as bad as if everybody always used a typewriter. Luckily the majority of people find the typewriter a much slower and a much more laborious means of recording their thoughts than a pen. Meanwhile, our suggestion is for the present, not for the future; and for the next thirty years or more there will be millions of people writing what other people call illegibly; and thousands of children now at school will have to read that writing, and they are not being taught to do it, ject and the Imperial consent was given. Li, the ent Governor-General of Canton, has communicated specimens of the coins to Li, the Governor-General of Chilli, who has sent some to us with the order to issue this proclamation announcing that these coins are to be in use in future as coins of China, We have examined them and observe that they are like foreign dollars except that there is a curling dragon outside of which foreign characters are embossed. On the front are the words current chin of Kuang-hsit" and minted at Canton.' The 'l'reasury weight of these coins is stated. Orders were given to make them in weight and size similar to the dollars common in trade, and they were to be of good metal and to agree one with another in all respects. Hence they ought to be and are now issued as current coin for the benefit of trade, as by this proclamation indicated. Orders are therefore hereby given to all merchants and others that from the issue of this announcement the Canton coins are to be taken at their standard value. Their price is not to be lowered. They are not to be refused as strange. Let all know that heavy punishment will be dealt to those who impede their circulation."
China has now, like Japan, a silver coinage of her own and the way is open for her also, if she pleases, to form a national bank, extend her silver coinage and make it the basis of a paper currency on European principles, This mint, however, was established later by nearly twenty years than the Japanese mint. InChinachanges takeplaceslowly. The government is just now uncertain as to how far the new coins will be circulated. hey may be accepted less willingly than Mexicans, and the more pure silver they contain the greater will the temptation to tamper with them till they become like the chopped dollars of the southern ports. But this coinage is certain evidence that China is resolved to follow in the path of European pro= gress. The Cautow aint is in fact a tentative mint for China, and these coins are tentative coins for the empire. ces Amold's words, under the tov vast orb of her fate.
giving a summary of Mr. Jobuston's reply, we cannot do better tha begin with an extract from his article premising, however, that the writer does owns that Sir John's charge is " clever, not attempt to pooh-pooli SirJolm, He concise, and is written at an opportune time," and that Sir John knows something of what he is writing about, for he was Governor of Sierra Leone for a year, il probably visited Zanzibar on his way to or from Mauritius. But Mr, johnston claims justly that his know ledge of Africa is wel wider and deeper, anil he says _"Thave come to the conclusion that those parts of tropical Africa, whither our aspirations tend, and where our ested interests lie, are of value to the British nation, and are even a necessity to the expanding enterprise of the empire. Of course, if you do not. believe in the expansion of the empire, you would prefer to discourage the attempts fof our populations and commerce to seek fur fresh woods and pastures new,' and you will logically oppose all acquit ditions of African territory; but if, on the other hand, you believe, as I do, {with all my heart and soul, and such }intellect as I may possess, in the continued, well-ordered extension of the British empire as that of a Great League of Peace and Freedom, of profitable and comfortable civilisation, then you will approve of the creation and retention of African dominions which will form fresh markets for our British manufactures, and new homes for our surplus population, whether the overflow roceed from the British Isles or from ritish India."
There is no question about the retention of the South African colonies, and Sir John is willing to retain Sierra Leone, as an imperial coaling-station, and Egypt. There remain the Gambia, the Gold Coast, Lagus, the Niger Protectorate, British Central Africa, Zanzij bar, British East Africa, and British Sowali-land. The Gambia has been so hemmed in by France that it is reduced to about a hundred square miles; but
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.