The Japanese officials are at present i difficulty 4s to the advisability of applying the new treaties to Formosa, "The inhabitants of the island consist of Chinese and Aborigines witha few thousand Japanese and hundred foreigners. The direct application of the code compiled for civilised nations would work great injury to the Chinese here and no doubt result in continual disorders Tu commercial atfiirs, transfers of land other civil matters, it is absolutely neces that the former customs of the Chinese be taken in consideration and that the new order of things be not enforced upon them before they are able to understand them. 'It might be well that a special code suited to the conditions of the island be framed but with less than three years' experience the Japanese are not yet sufficiently familiar with the condition of the Chinese to know just what is required. A prominent official informed me thatit is very evident that the time has not isi arrived when the inhabitants can, to their own advantage, be placed under the laws and regulations which the new treaties will place itr force in Japan and it is not unlikely that the Powers will be asked to take into consideration the present condition of affairs and enter into supplementary treaty applying to Formosa, This is to be but a temporary agreement ax I understand it, in which foreigners will be granted the same rights and privileges as are contained in the new treaties but that so far as the native subjects and Japanese are concerned the old conditions will prevail.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.