'THE interview between the British Minister and the Committee of the China Association was remarkable for the unanimity that evidently existed between the Association and the Minister. We have had Ministers before who required to be urged and spurred on to what has seemed to the merchants to be their duty; Ministers who let the merchants talk, but who felt all the time that they were talking about things they knew nothing about, and asking him to display an energy which would never be understood in Peking, and would make him disliked by his colleagues if he did display it. "Those were the 2|/days when Peking was a lotus land; 345 it is now a centre of storm and stress, jug [000 there is no Englishman in China who will not confirm the concluding paragraph in the address presented to Sir Ernest: "We desire to repeat the feelings of satisfaction which are held by all British subj"cts in China"—the sentiment of this is better than the wording—'at the presence of your Excellency once more amongst ins, to have this personal opportunity of making our acknowledgments of the untiring care to British interests which has characterised the period of your Excellency's tenure of your high office."
The address itself—as the inter-Yew was a private one we are unable to print it or Sir Ernest's answer in fnll—refers to the principal points which are agitating men'sminds at the precent moment. It naturally begins by congratulating his Excellency oe his return to China with fresh distinct tions and wider powers; und it as naturally goes on to refer to the alarm that is felt lest Russia should close the open door in Manchuria, and impose before long discriminating tariffs and trade disabilities. That Russia has any intention of doing this is consistently denied—to the outside world; but quite another story is told in Russia to the Russian merchant and manufacturer. It is satisfactory to know that our Goverament is determined that whatever comes, Russia shall implement her promise to maintain the open door in Manchuria, and not, to use a recent phrase, merely "the open door, as understood in Russia."
It was natural that the A-sociation should draw Sir Ernest's attention to the strides that are being made in railway construction in China by the subjects of other Powers with the constant aid of their Governmente. as contrasted with the very slow progress made by British railways. It was natural that they should point out that many of these railways have political not commercial aims, ani that intentional endeavours seem be made to thwart British enter prises even in what Great Britain claims as her sphere of influence But it must honestly be confessed that British enterprise is not withen' blame in this matter, and that the British Legation has not been backward in giving all the assistance in ita power. Meanwhile, it is a great thing that railways should be mad: in China at all, and even those why build them with political aims will have before long to try and make them a commercial success; and Sir
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.