present system, increasing their powers by the occasional display, if not employment, of more than moral force when dealing with the Chinese Authorities connected with their individual jurisdiction.
(7.)
Taking the sections of the Treaty of Tientsin in numerical order,-Your Memorialists beg to lay before Your Grace their opinions regarding their revision and amendment.
(8.)
Privileges to Protestant Mis- sionaries.
Freedom of tra-
vel in the inte
rior.
Permission for
ply on Poyaug
steam vessels to
Lake, and ex. tension of steam
ton River,
ARTICLE VII. Special immunities having been granted to Roman Catholics, Protestant Missionaries put forward claim to like privileges, viz.: right to live in the interior, to hold property for Mission purposes, and to pursue their ordinary avocations in the interior of the country without limit of distance and without hindrance.
(9.)
ARTICLE IX-Travel into the interior under passport has, in numerous instances, been prevented by the evident ignorance of the Chinese people of the terms under which the privilege was granted, and opposition has been offered in consequence: though the Convention of Peking expressly requires that promulgation of the terms of the Treaty be made for general information. It is therefore very desirable that, on the revision of the Treaty, special attention be given to making all its terms known throughout the Empire.
(10.)
ARTICLE X-requires the additional privilege to ply steamers upon the Poyang Lake. The desirability of this extension is expressed in the report of Her tradic on Can Majesty's Consul at Kew Kiang (Commercial Reports, 1862-64) and, again, has been brought before the notice of Her Majesty's Minister by residents at that port, on the occasion of his recent visit. At the time the article was framed the presence, on the Yangtze River, of lawless persons of various nationalities, and the occupation of districts bordering on the Lake by Rebels, justified in some degree the desire of Restoration the Chinese Authorities to limit the navigation of these inner waters.
Treaty ports
that still remain
closed.
of legitimate authority and the revival of traffic, with the prospect of commercial transactions increasing in importance, now offer to enterprising persons inducements to extend tradal operations with the interior which for a length of time have not existed. The facility of carriage afforded by the employment of steam tugs would, therefore, greatly benefit local trade.
(11)
Under regulations, authority to take steam boats further up the Canton River than the provincial city should be granted, bringing distant markets nearer and doing away with the constant delays occurring to boats detained by prevailing contrary winds.
It is also suggested that river steamers carrying cargo and passengers shall, under permit, have resort to towns situated within the limit of the jurisdiction of the Maritime Customs.
(12.)
ARTICLE XI.-The cities of Chauchow (Swatow) and Kiungehow (Hainan), included among the open ports, have renmined virtually closed, the result, in a measure, of the unwillingness of the local Authorities to grant facilities to British subjects desirous of proceeding to these places to carry on trade. With regard to Chanchow the right of residence has been refused and, at the present time, this vexed question is the subject matter of correspondence between the aggrieved is parties and Peking. Trenty privileges have been entirely withheld and evident that official authority is not exercised on behalf of applicants, indeed it would seem that the threatening attitude assumed by the populace is connived at by the local Chinese Authorities, a matter easily corrected if the Yamen of Foreign Affairs at Peking made a repetition of the offence ground for removing the Prefect of the city from office.
236
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EX