808
CUSTOMS DUES AND THN RUMOURED INCREASE.
(Daily Pres”, 28th April.)
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND resign all attempts to lavy any further tax- | ation, and permit the goods on which duty had once for all been paid to circulate freely, the mere proposal to increase the duties, would meet with no opposition, provided it A report has been assiduously circulated
were accompanied by rectification of values that Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD, the British and a definite Tariff. In such a course there is Minister at Peking, has agreed to an increase little reason to doubt the United States Gov- of the Customs Dues from five to seven per ernment would be at one with the English and cent. The rumour is silly, but like many possibly something might be accomplished, silly sayings is likely to do harm in theThis, however, would be too straighforward exact proportion of its silliness. ✨ Sir CLAUDE.
a course for Li HUNG-CHANG to adopt, and has consented to increase the Customs Dues the Chinese Minister in London is put on to seven and a half per cent, and so has the the track. Now, as we have before said, there British Government-nay more, the Cham is no reason to doubt that Sir CHI CHEN bars of Commerce, the individual merchants, Lo FENG-LO is quite capable of seeing the and even the China Association itself, have
advantage to China herself of such a course, all expressed their perfect willingness to but the Minister has his instructions, which agree to such a modification. In fact it has are at any cost to prevent such a set not been the amount of the Duties that at tlement being arrived at. He instructs any time have entered into the discussion, his subordinates accordingly to throw but the very much more important cireum- stance that the Customs Duties represented as much cold water as they individual ly can on the scheme, while he pre- but the smallest portion of the disabilities to which trade was subjected; andthat each pares himself to undertake the old game of Progress. It is nothing to him that the petty official took upon himselt, with the
game is getting worn out so long as he can tacit consent of Peking, to levy on goods, and people willing to be gulls; BUBLING- foreign as well as native, passing his juris-HAME tried it on successfully in 1868, and diction just what fees and dues it pleased it took immensely; he himself has in a mild him to assign. When the collection of the
way tried his hand at it, and on every duties was first placed in the hands of joint occasion it won the gallery. He has only commissioners appointed by the Powern, it
to add a few little inventions, and one of was undoubtedly presumed that these com- missioners would see that none but the du- these is naturally that Sir CLAUDE MAO- DONALD ha been converted, and has agreed ties fixed by the Tariff would be imposed. to the increased Tariff. So far, of course, It was, in fact, to prevent such abuses that
May 5, 1900,
brought the two nations face to face on the opposite shores of the North Pacific.____ have our ways of colonisation, and Runci has hors; and it is, to say the sleast of it, unfortunate that Russia, with so fa open a case in her hands, should have d conded to the unfriendly and too frequently underhand methods which have accompanied her march through Asin. It is true that we did not understand Russia, and that much of the ill-feeling that has arisen tween the two Empires is the fruit of this misunderstanding; but the misunderstand- ing has been the fault of Russia herself, and could have been avoided, had Russia taken
the collection was taken out of the hands of there is little harm done, and if the affair | unnaturally expect to be coated as a cus-
were permitted to rest on the foundation of the Minister's assertion, no one would believe it, but unfortunately certain silly nobodies have caught hold of the story, and are making themselves very busy spreading it about with an air of mystery. It is possible that many are ignorant of the foundation of the tale, but there are others whose sole aim is to cast discredit on the British Minister, and who are quite well aware of the tainted source whence it pro- ceeds. Unfortunately we have seen
80 many instances of the feebleness of Lord SALISBURY, when China is in question, that we cannot acquit him of having given some Dountenance to the tale.
little more straighforward course in her diplomatic intercourse. There has always been an evident desire on the part of the English people to work with Russia, the swo nations had sufficiently much in common and the commerce between them showed that each was in a position to supplement the other's needs; and had the people of the two nations been left to work out their own destinies, there is no doubt that a state of mutual confidence would have sprung up botween the two. But the Russian Gevern ment had no confidence in its own people and less in that of England; it was berides in that inchoats stage of financial develop. ment when it sought to render trade most profitable to itself by arresting its develop- ment with barriers raised at every possible passage. It was true that England was its best purchaser, and might might not
the native officials, and when the Inspector
tomer with a growing account. But unfor- tunately the more England poured into ship passed into the hands of an Inspecter
Russia, the more distrust she experienced; General, who became a high Chinese official,
and this distrust once engendered went on much of this ideal clung to him, Unfortunate ly with the course of time it came to be
in an increasing ratio, and from trade spread into politics. Why the discomfiture recognised that the Inspector General was a
of Bussian trade should be conceived as Chinese official pure and simple. Had this
being in any way advantageous to England position been accepted in its entirety little
it is difficult to surmise, but that it should harm would have been done, but unluckily
be was accepted as a truism by every some of the old tradition still clung to the
Russian Finance Minister, who took steps British Foreign Office, that it was specially
accordingly to render it impossible, is the business of the, Cu-toms Staff to see that
still more remarkable. That this was the British and generally foreign interests were
view taken is unfortunately too true, but part of the duties of the office. Hence
meanwhile ev «que in whloh ministers had comparatively little to n commenced to Arose the strange custom that the British
revolutionise even Russia." Though it was Foreign Office, in place of trusting to its
the fashion to deride the emancipation of the own Minister for information, made an in-
serfs as the harmless fad of an amiable Em- variable rule of going down to Portland Place or the office of the Inspectorate Gen-
peror, the measure, after a generation, began (Daily Press, 2nd May.) eral, when such was needed. So far as
However much we may deprecate Russia's to have its natural effects in gradually mere facts go, the information given was doubtless in the main correct, but the action in the Far East, and we certainly are opening the eyes of the people to the great Counsel for the defence is hardly the person not going to whitewash her methods of pure wealth of their country, waiting only to be to apply to for information as to a criminal aggression and undisguised selfishness, there developed. The present Tsar, aided by the charge. We have no desire to cast any is yet much in it that consists of genuine most able Finance Minister that Russia has reflection on the gentlemen in charge, fur-progrem, which as Englishmen we should be as yet produced, threw himself heart and ther than to remark that this was a position the last to oppose or contravene. The race soul into the project, and with the financial that has peopled the entire breadth of the help of France at his disposal set himself to in which the Government of the day had no justification for placing any honourable North American continent, and has made a the task. The ambition is a worthy one, and man. However independent an officer un-nation of Australia, and accomplished all the country has already felt its affects; fol der such conditions might strive to be, it this within the century, is not likely to lowing out the tradition of PSTER the Great, became morally impossible for him to not view with hostile feelings the natural outlet Russia turned her attention to the consolida otherwise than he has done. He was in that Russia has found in Eastern Asius; | tion of those · great tracts of Asia which in possession of certain, facts belonging to his rather would she extend the right hand of the previous generation she had overrun, employers, and could not, as the Foreign friendship, and hail Russia as a follow- and the result quickly showed the wisdom Office itself must be aware, betray their worker in the great cause of humanity. In of the step. In such a task Russis might secrets. Yet it is to sources such as these many respects the two great colonies of have felt assured of the co-operation of Eng- that one British Government after an- British Columbia and Primorsk, which have land, but old prejudices - have 、 hitherto other has looked for the righting of fallen to England and. Russia respectively, proved too strong, and the work was un- the numerous subjects of complaint that will bear comparison; both are fortilor both luckily taken up in a spirit of hostility rise up from day to day. Let us take this possessed of great mineral wealth, and_both | rather than of friendly co-operation, and affair of the enhanced duties. The duties, within that climatic range where the Euro-cordon of hostile tariffs was raised between as we have said, only form a part of a very pean finds the greatest scope for his faculties, the two countries. Again in the developzient much wider question, and of this the British mental and physical. Moreover, both have Minister is well aware and has informed his been part of the natural expansion of the Government accordingly. The Minister re- nations' legitimate advance, We cannot go ports that under certain conditions and back to the times of WILLIAM III., nor can guarantees there has been a general con- Russia retrace her steps to the foundation course of opinion, and that if the Chinese of her empire under her great PETER; yet Government would once for all formally 1 so old are the underlying causes which have
RUSSIA'S AIMS AND BRITAIN'S ATTITUDE.
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of Eastern Siberia the same unfriendly feeling was permitted to gain the upper hand. This was more especially shown in the case of the Great Siberian Railway, where it was sumed that the attitude of England would of nosessity be a hostile one. Yet England had shown all through her interest, and her
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