HI 13th July. Tue third section of Mr. Brenan's Report, headed "The Suggestions and Coniplaints of Merchants," is, as might be expected, a long one, and yet Mr. Brenan begins by saying that he found that British merchants had very few complaints and suggestions to make. He says: "As I have already stated at the beginning of my report, our merchants in China are on the whole satisfied that within the limits pre~ scribed by treaty they are free to pursue their avocations without let or hindrance, and my invitation to make suggestions for the promotion of British trade did not evoke such a response as at the outset I had been looking for. Even the casual observer must be impressed with the idea that there is room for a vast expansion of commerce in China, and, when speaking in general terms, none is more emphatic than the British merchant on this subject, but when asked to define more particularly what shaft he would wish to take in this development, it becomes evident that the chief ground of his discontent is that the Chinese Government is unprogressive, and bent ov restraining the people of the country from developing its resources. Tt sum, all are cou-vineed that things are not as good as they might be, but few can indicate, except in general terms, the means by which their own particnise business can be itaproved. A long and painful experience of thwarted efforts has had such a discouraging effect on foreigners in China that a condition of stagnation lias come to be accepted us in the nature of things."
Mr. Brenan goes on to notice the complaints that were brought to his neties at various ports, At Hongkong he fonnd that the obstacles to trade were the objection of the Canton Government to transit passes, the preferential tariff enjoyed by junks over steamers in the Canton river, and the non-opening of the West River. The transit pass question has been already dealt with as tothe preferential tariff for junks, the British merchant gains where the steamer owner loses; "the Chinese revenue with the connivance of the Peking officials is defrauded, and we are, it can hardly be said hoodwinked, but at any rate trifled with, and the lesson is useful as showing the danger of making any compact with China when there is left any loophole for evasion." The West River is partially opened at last, and the Chinese are doing all they can to place hindrances in the way of trade on it, Mr. Brenan recommends a system of chartered junks to ply between Nanning, the head of navigation for steamers, and Poeé in Yunnan, such Jas exists between Ichang and Chang-king.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.