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ENGLISH DEMANDS ON CHINA.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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They see that, unless this is done, the trade of Kwangsi, Eastern Yunnan, and "Western Kwangtung will in a few years "flow southwards through Tonkin, and the "duties thereupon will be completely lost "to them
The Chinese Government, like other Governments, want some quid pro quo and so they have made it a condition of opening "the river to foreign trade that Great Bri- "tain do not take back the territory "ceded to her by the Burmo-China "Convention." It seems that according to report, Lord SALISBURY, with a view of punishing China for breaking the treaty by the cession to France of Mangü and Utai in Chiangheng province, now demands the opening of the West River and the retrocession of the Burman Shan territory handed over by England by treaty | to China. The British Minister for Foreign Affairs will, it is to be hoped, hold strongly to this point, for he is sure to get it by insistence,
[February 27, 1896.
threatened from the adjoining mainland or from the adjacent islands to the south. And no time more opportune than the present for insisting on this concession is ever likely to occur.
MR. ANDREW AND THE TRANSIT! PASS TRADE,
Politically in South China the question of the hour is that of the opening of the West River. To say that it has not become somewhat stale, or that the delays which attend its discussion have not become weari- some, would perhaps be inaccurate, to put it mildly. The question has come up over and over again; it has been discussed ad
Mr. JOHN ANDREW is rendering an im- nauseam; and every argument in favour of
portant service to trade in South China. the great inland waterway being made free to
Possibly the service may not be quite the navigation of foreign steamers has been
voluntary, but it is none the less valuable on advanced and pressed on the attention of the
that account. He is sticking tenaciously to Governments of Great Britain and China.
his cargo at Wuchow, and though no doubt he On two or three occasions the time for
would be glad if he could close up his accounts urging this question on the Tsungli Yamén
and return to the comforts of civilisation has seemed so propitious, the arguments to
circumstances compel him to remain. Un- be presented in favour of the concession so
pleasant as the circumstances may be to incontrovertible, that scarcely a doubt was
Mr. ANDREW personally they are not to be entertained of its being. yielded. But the
regrettell, from a public point of view, for public either exaggerated the persuasive
they have brought to a head the long powers of the British Minister or underrated
pending question of transit passes in the the obstinate contumacy of the Chinese
South and a solution has now become im- mandarins. The British Government had
But, if this story be true, how comes itperative. Here we have a British merchant a long account to settle with China; and that no reparation is askel for the foul lawfully conveying goods into the interior this account has, again and again, been in massacres 'which have so disgraced China? kunder transit pass confronted by an orga- creased, but there has been no limit, hitherto, Can it be true that Lord SALISBURY, follow-nised boycott on the part of the Chinese autho- to Anglo-Saxon patience and forbearance, ing the RoSEBERY lead, has contented him- rities, who have terrorised his customers and the mandarins must ere now have ar- self with the mere exaction of blood for into throwing over their bargains and re- rived at the comfortable conviction that blood and silver for destruction of property.fraining from having any further dealings. John Bull's forbearance is a soundless depth. Surely this cannot be the fact ! Justice with him: It is inconceivable that the He may, they argue, fume a little and may may have been delayed; the case for the British Government can tolerate such a even threaten, but he will not proceed to missionaries has not, let us hope, been flagrant violation of treaty rights. There action. Of course this conviction may prove suffered to drop. Of what value are the heads is but one course to pursue, and that to be a mistake, for the Lion does occasion of a few coolies-human flesh is so cheap in is to insist not only on the opening ally awake and his anger is then terrible, the Central Kingdom!-as compared with of the West River to trade, but also but it certainly takes a great deal to rouse those of delicately nurtured and educated on- the issue and full recognition of him, and it is so long since his anger was Englishmen, women, and children, who transit passes in accordance with the terms felt in China that the memory of it has personally had given no possible offence to of the treaty and an ample indemnity to palel. Then, again, he has not seemed in the wretches who planned the murders, and M. ANDREW for the loss and discomfort. real earnest in demanding reparation for the who are still, we doubt not, at liberty tonul inconvenience to which he has been Yangtsze Valley, Szechuen, and Kucheng plot new crimes against the foreigner? subjected. The case is an absolutely clear riots and massacres. True, he demanded Only the other day a mandarin, those sole aid clean one and the British Government the punishment of the immediate instruments claim to distinction seems to have been the could desire no better ground on which to in the perpetration of these abominable authorship of an anti-foreign work, was urge the claim for a radical alteration and crimes, but has he yet seriously insisted on advanced to one of the highest offices in his improvement in the conditions under which reparation for the wrong? Does not the province. In this open manner does the Im-trade in foreign goods is carried on in South Chinese Government imagine that a few perial Government reward those who incite | China. From the account published in taels of silver and a few blood-stained heads. to riot and violence against the foreigner.nother column it will be seen that the of coolies have sufficiently condoned those The statement of this Peking correspondentofficial obstruction is supported by a com- crimes against humanity and civilisation? may, however, rest on only slight founda-mercial combination to which it has given If, as we believe, through the pre-occupation, perhaps merely the fact that Mr. rise. The right of collecting lekin on cotton tion of the Foreign Office and the lethargy
yarn and piece goods has been farmed by a of the British Minister at Peking, this he
Hongkong Company, and it is this Com- the case, it is small wonder that the
pany, composed of men who would benefit negotiations for the opening of the West
most materially by the adoption of more River to foreign trade make seant progress.
honest and liberal trading regulations, We note that the Peking correspondent of
that is at the bottom of the ob- our Shanghai morning contemporary, writ-because we are satisfied that it would benefit struction in the present case. It is a vice of ing on the 24th ultimo, announces that not only foreign but native trade also, We Chinese fiscal system that it gives rise to another ultimatum was presented to the also want it because trade with the interior such combinations as that of the Tong Yick Tsungli Yauen by the British Chargé of Southern China by means of transit Tong, thus bringing to the support of its d'Affaires, demanding the opening of the passes is wholly impossible on account of the own corruption the very elements upon "West River." If this be true, it is doubt-obstruction of the provincial officials. We which it battens. However, the Tong Yick less as a corollary to the settlement arrived
Tong are in the background and do not at with France with regard to the Mekong
appear as parties to the case. We have on question. A reckoning would have to be
the one side Mr. ANDREW trying to carry Dome to with China for having, without
through a legitimate commercial venture authorisation, ceded territory in the Shan
and on the other the Chinese Government country to France which England had ceded to her as a third party.
as represented by its officials riding rough- Even this does not,
shod over the treaties and forcibly restricting in the estimation of the Peking mandarins,
trade. It is for the British Government to constitute a sufficient claim for England to
step in and see justice done to its subject ask for the opening of the West River.
the duty is one which cannot be evaded and They are prepared to take all and give
which there ought to be no desire to evade none their presumption and assurance are
Negotiations for the opening of the West literally boundless. The correspondent above
River have for some time been in progress quoted, speaking on the reluctance of the
at Peking, and they must necessarily touch Chinese Government to come to a. settle
some of the points raised by Mr. ANDREW'S ment on this question, says: "The Chinese
case, but in the meantime it would have a very "Ministers have, among themselves, resolved
salutary effect if a gunboat were sent up "upon this step [the opening of the river]
to Wuchow with instructions to bring "in the interests of their own revenue, " and
Mr. ANDREW back with the full price of very little pressure is needed
his cargo and a liberal indemnity for his loss to influence them to adopt this action.
of time and the trouble and inconvenience
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BEAUCLERK is once more discussing the West River question with the Tsungli Yamên. We hope that this and some other scarcely less burning questions are being actively negotiated at Peking. We want the West River opened up to foreign trade
urge the step from no feeling of hostility to France, who will still have a grand oppor- tunity to open up a magnificent trade route through Tonkin. And we are prompted by no selfish
desire to gain an exclusive privilege, for, if obtained, the concession will be general, and all untions who can will benefit. The Governments of Kwangsi and Kweichow will, moreover, if steamers he allowed to navigate the West River, he able to procure supplies of food in time of drought and scarcity which will enable them to avert the famines that have in former years played such havoc in the interior of those provinces. But we want, in addition, a rectification of the boundaries of this colony--the political, strategical, and commercial importance of which become daily more apparent such as will enable us, living and trading within it, to make ourselves secure from all attack whether
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