Writine on the 30th of March on Lord Lansdowne's statement in the House of Lords two days before on the China question, the " Economist said; " The idea of providing for the indemnity by doubling the Maritime Customs is believed to have found favour with the Governments of certain nations whose trade with China is small, but for the reasons stated by Lord Lansdowne it would be a very unwise course for us to favour, and it is to be hoped that our opposition to it will prevail." It 1 been repeated over and over again that there would be no objection on the part of merchants to ten per cent tariff, if all internal taxation, likin, were done away with: but what p certain Powers are now proposing is to consent to a ten per cent tariff without any provision whatever as to the abolition of likin. Against this the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce protested through itsCommittee at its meeting on Saturday last, and the principal Chambers of Commerce of Europe and the United States are being urged to do their best to persuade their respective Governments to refuse their assent to the proposition.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.