The following is the report of an article on an interview with Sir James Mackay, which was published in the San Francisco onicle" of the 18th October Sir James Mackay does not entirely agree with General Thaddeus S. Sharretts in the latter's statements respecting the difficulties he encountered in his efforts to protect American commercial interests in the revision of the Chinese tariffs. Sir James Mackay arrived on the steamer Coptic yesterday from China, where for a number of months past, as the dipplomatic representative of Great Britain, he looked after the protection of Britain's trade interests in the framing of China's new tariff. Incidentally he negotiated a new British commercial treaty with China, which has been formally signed and is to become effective one year from next January. He is now on his way back to England, after spending nearly a year in the Orient, and while passing through the United States he is apparently takin advantage of his visit to throw discredit must be some mistake about the whole business, I do not desire to become volved in any controversy with General Sharretts, so I do not care to say any thing more. I was on the most friendly terms with him in Shanghai. When he left Shanghai he left me his powers, and Twas able to do him a good service, after which I forwarded his powers to him. I }am accordingly at a loss to understand why he should say anything calculated to promote feelings of discord between Great Britain and the United States."
When General Sharretts arrived hero he told how he had prevented the signature by China of the new commercial treaty negotiated by Sir James Mackay. This treaty provided, amongst other th the abolition of likin tax, which is a tax imposed on goods, imported and domestic, moving up the waterways of China. the likin tax is largely a "squeeze" designed for the benefit of the Chinese officials more than for the benefit of the Chinese Government, and has done much to stifle trade with the interior markets of the Empire. Great Britain proposed in treaty, in lien of the likin charges, a surtax on imports that would raise the import duty from 5 per cent, as provided in the protocol, to 10 per cent. Sharrotts was opposed to this for the reason that such a high duty would have the result of practically excluding many American commodities from the Chinese markets, and he made a hurried trip to Nanking on the United States steamer Monterey, where he persuaded the Viceroy of Nanking into promising that he would not consent to the signing of the British treaty until he was assured that it was acceptable to the United States.
[sociated with the national event that had been celebrated the day before, viz., the Dirthdiy of the King. Without' makiay a speech he might remind them that they all belonge! to the Victorian era—an era which took plice in history as the greatest in the building up of the British Empire, All present knew how the previous great. ness of Great Britain was expanded daring the Queen's reign, and they also knew, bub imperfectly as yet, how great was the personality which" the Queen put into the ma ters connected with tat expansion, Queen Victoria would live in history not only as a great monarch, but as a great woman; a8 a loving wit, a bereaved widow, a devoted mother, one wh" devoted herself and her station not only to the loving care of her own fumily, but also to the claims of that larger family over which she was called upon to rule.
'To the Consul-General there was left little to add to what Mr. Dudgeon had said, but he stressed the point that the Queen would live in her subjects' memories us a great and goud woman as well as a wise Sovereign.
As the curtain of Union Jacks was drawn aside by Mr. Mansfield the band of the Ja's struck up the nation"! anthem and the gathering broke up into groups. who admired the excellence of Mr. Richards portraiture before proceeding to the terrace or smoking BOOKS, ETC,,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.