8th May.
Tue etter we publish this morning under the heading a above and signed "True Spaniard draws attention once more to a subject which has been before the public on several occasions, and which, no doubt, is one of considerable impor-that public opinion thinks that it is very easy and cheap, too, to become a Spanish subject," The remarkable point, however, in this connection, is that, whereas it appears to be a very simple and easy thing to become a Spanish subject here, it is, on the contrary, a very difficult matter to become naturalised in Spain, According to our correspondent, who notes from the Articles of the Spanish Civil Law, letters of naturalization can be granted only by the Sovereign in a Royal Decree, and the Sovereign himself enn give such a document only when neces sary to reward the merits and services of a foreigner." The very pertinent question is then put as to "where are the merits and services rendered to Spain by those Chinese who rush to the Spanish Consulate for protection?"
That certificates of nationalisation are issued to Chinese by the Spanish Consulate at Shanghai there oan be no question, The copy of one of these documents, in Spanish and English, which we are able to reproduce, is sufficient evidence of this fact. naturalisation paper was issued less than two months ago, and it would be interesting to know on what grounds the bearer, a native of Canton, was able to s-cure it; nothing is entered upon this certificate except the name and age of the bearer, Tt is, at any rate, a matter of fiction that Spaniards living Shanghai are awakening; necessity of looking into the matter—of getting fuller information on subject of grave importance. Our correspondent quotes, very appro-Brine the words used at the ixed Court in September last year, that "it was a very dangerous practice to allow Chinese subjects who had committed crimes, or were about to commit crimes, to rush to the Spanish Consulate and register themselves as Spanish subjects, and thus obtain the protection of the Spanish Consul." Without going so faras to say flixd this hag actually been done, the mere fact that itis supposed to be possible makes it worth while to examine the question. The case in the Mixed Court, on the 19th of Inst month, when a number of Chinese were charged with gambling, is hero in point, Mr, Musso, who defended the prisoners asserted that, inasmuch as four of these men had certificates from the Spanish Consul, the Court had no jurisdiction over them, and Dr Barchet, (the American Assessor) could only admit that this was so. The four men were remanded for the hearing of the case before the Spanish assessor, Nearly three weeks have elapsed since then, bub as far as we have been able to ascertain, no further steps have yet been taken in the mintter.
We have endeavoured in the fairest way possible, and without any international prejudice, to an-mer the questions our correspon, dent puts to us, questions in which many besides himself are intereated, The privilege of extraterritoriality one which, in the present atate of China, foreigners must continue to guard jealously. But the privilege carries also with it the responsibil lity of seeing that it is not abused, whether by design or merely by ity the extension of protec-finn to those who own not properly claim it,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.