If the Chinese know that it. was Mr.
B.S. Little of Shanghai who, by his recent agitation, anent the " to keep or not to keep" of the Mackay treaty; whioh amongst other things "iso provides for the abolishing of the inland likin, has brought about the abolishing of all the stations on the Hau River, and the surtax on imports and exports thrown over into the bargain, I say if they thought him tobe the man, they would build him a temple excelling in splendour that lately dedicated to Li Hung-chang, and worship his spirit for ages to come—uuless they got converted in a - hurry. But as it is, neither they nor we know, therefore the Christians praise the Lord, and the others don't know whom to praise, but feel none the less happy for the riddance of this plague Oh, the books that could be filled with recital tions of the despotism, injustice, and cruelties of this system. What a revelation it would be to the average Westerner. But now it is gone. May it never return. A telegram came the other evening, without any foregoing warning. Next day the doors of the likin office and surtax office wore barred—flags hauled down and notices of discontix ance posted up, eager crowds devouring the contents, which was to them a gospel.
It is certainly " step in the right direction on the part of the Chinese Goverament, and will certainly accrue in blessings on its venerable head.
Observes Treaty Obligations, Jet me mention an experience I have bad just these fow days. In gotting up our stores, we ly manage to got them up with some missionary, or per the C. I, M. freight boats, in which the goods are passed at Havkow, the 24 por cent duty paid, which clears it for the whole distance of the Han River.
In this case I got a Chinese friend who came up in an otherwise empty, small boat. The goods were. bought at Soorabjee Guzdat & Ca., Hankow, and passed by 6 gentleman at the toms i in the usual Ho 0.38 and procured a transit pi bearing the stump of the Commissioner of Customs at Hankow. Nevertheless the transit pass was not honoured at any of the four likin stations on their way here. The first likin station is sixty li out from Hsnkow. Fore my frivsud was compelled to pay 120 cwh for exch box, which he did under protest, requiring stumped receipt, and requiring also that the official stamp of the office be put on the transit pass to prove that they had seen it and dishonoured it. This the official had the audacity to comply with, and the same thing wie repeated at Hanchuan; Layaug, and Tongkinwan (Ian-cheng).
When they dare thus t" disregard treaty stipulations and regulations of their own Governmental Customs regulations, when they know it concern a foreigner who commands means whereby he can make these things known, what then will they not do to helpless native merchants? what is the use of rusking treaties if the keeping or breaking of them does not mean anything to thee at whose request they sre negotiated 7
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.