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THE ABOLITION OF LEKIN.
(Daily Fress, 29th July.) The statement telegraphed by REUTER as having teen made by the Times correspon- dent at Peking, to the effect that "China had agreed to abolish lekin dues throughout the Empire in return for an increase in the import and export duties," is, we fancy, a little premature cr a little vague. It is conceivable that China would not be averse to abolish lekin in ri turn for permission to impose a substantial addition on the import and export duties. It would le so easy, in the opinion of the Chinese official, to Lury lekin and resuscitate tle tax under another
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[August 2, 1902. in the past in dealing with the benighted opium-barriers, about t! e abolition of which foreigner will be used again and again. we have heard nothing, which could readily Having served so well during past inter- be converted into a new kind of lekin. On course with foreign Powers, what need, they the whole, it seems probable that before will ask, to change their tactics? Topromise the treaty is actually signed, the whole lekin and not to perform; to give contracts to question will be thoroughly gone into at the greediest and keep all the Powers com- home, with the assistance of expert advice peting for their favours; to cringe to-day and from European commercial men in China. to be insolent to-morrow, when a supporter And we should not venture to prophesy that has been found, in return for a fancied the result of the deliberations will neces- concession: there will be the tcties of thesarily be the abolition of lekin. Government of Peking, and it may be well, therefore, if such a thing be possible, to get the terms of the new commercial agree- ment laid down with a precision that will at least afford yo pretext for the evasion that will surely be attempted.
THE COMMERCIAL TREATY,
plausible-scunding name. A tax by any other name would smell just as fragrant to the mandarin: he could therefore concede the name and conserve the game, by levying a war-tax in place of the lekin. It was no
(Daily Press, 1st August.) doubt in reference to the reported acceptance
We are told by REUTER'S tel gram of the of this proposal that on the 19th inst, 29th July that the commercial community Lord LANSDOWNE, speaking in the House at home is well satisfied with the terms of of Peers, said that be bad received from Sir Sir JAMES MACKAY's agreement with China. JAMES MACKAY a hopeful proposal which We bave had but a few outlines of the final promised to prove a basis for the arrange-form of this agreement, though we learnt a ment of this question, but before accepting few days ago that China had unconditionally this proposal the Government would consult accepted the draft of the proposed treaty. the est authorities loth in Great Britain The latter expression, however, is in no and Chiua. As we remarked at the time, danger of misleading us into thinking that this was a very scund and prudent step. Chinn has given in to all that Great Fritain Too much enquiry or too much considera- bas asked for, since We are already tien could hardly be given to this question. acquainted with the previous abortive It has many sides and bristles with diffi- attempts to arrive at harmony. What culties on each. Were it possible to accept LEUTER gives us as the main points of the Chirere pledges or to icpore fle slightest new treaty are there. China Ias agreed to confidence in Chinese acuisrces, then the abolish lekin taxes throughout the Empire, ath of the diplomatist. would be greatly in return for consent to a surtax which will smoothed; but seeing that the Celestial | bring the taxation on foreign imports up to Government only enters into Treaties as a between ten and eleven per cent. ad valorem, cans of pacifying insistent Western according to the present system of valuation. demands, with a ict design to minimise allChina will also open the five new Treaty the concessions or conditions as far as ports of which we spoke yesterday. Great Fossible by any means al crt of actual force, Britain, on the other hand, has “expressed it is a jerilous and thankless task to attempter willingness to support China in her to bring it to tums. It is difficult policy of reform." We wrote in our issue of indeed, at the moment, to suggest any
the 29th ultimo on the subject of the aboli- form of guarantee the Fcking Govern. tion of lekin and did not find it possible Lent could. le made to give that to hope much from the abolition of the would prevent it from lightheartedly dues, it being practically certain that the ercating а 1€ W lax to take the local officials would find some means of Ilace of the cbnoxious lekin. In the salt excting the same charges under a different nd opium-lamiers, which it has not Leen name. How Sir JAMES MACKAY'S treaty ¡ropored ly foreigncis to abolish, they proposes to guard against this we cannot would have all the requisite machinery for tell. We fear that the vast difficulty of the collection of a new duty, which would the operation lightly called the abolition at once take the place of lekin and possibly of lekin" cannot Le expected to strike those a single even more troublesome. If it be for who have not at least pas ed a considerable one moient supposed that the existing part of their life in China ports. The best Chinese Goverment is cue whit more authorities in Great Britain and China are scrupulous, he degree more civilised than to be consulted, Lerd LANSDOWNE said on that which for forty years coutinuously and the 19th July, before accepting the proposal unblushirply violated the stipulaticus of the of Sir JAMES MACKAY. Yet the treaty is Treaty of Tientsin, why then it will be well speken of now as if it were practically to dispel this illusion, to lanith this idle arranged. Perhaps Lord LANSDOWNE dicam, The Chinese as a 1ople or as & intended to convey that the authorities Government do not progress; they will not
would be consulted on the manner in which even advance along the line of least resis-tle abolition of lekin was to be carried out. tance if it be at all apparent that such advance in any way commits, or is calcu- lated to commit, them to a change in the Labits, customs, cr policy to which, they lave adbered for the last two thousand
vais.
There jetons who cherish the idea ilat Econer or later the Chinese will march willrgly and determinedly along the path of regiets as the Japanese lave done will, we thirk, le urdyceived at lugth, and the cher the lettur Thue is 10 Besie for Lange of ty kind in Chita, and all the changes cfected are entirely, or almost en- thely, the cult of external fregue. And most immutable of all things, we think, in Chica will prove the policy of its rulers. The same weapons of dissimulation and procrastination which have answered so well
We for in that case that they may have some difficulty in arriving at a satisfactory agreement. In some ways there is hardly a none evolutionary step which would be suggestel in Chinese administration than this attempt to do away with the inmemo- rial "squeeze" of the provincial authorities. Having obtained from China the promise to abolish the rexaticus imposition, we shall le worse than foolish if we giant what is aft r all a very large surtax on our imports and then low a tax similar to lekin to creep in again. Yet, as we have already said, it is difficult to suggest any form of guarantee the Chinese Government could be made to give that would prevent it from creating a new tax to take the place of lekin. There are already the salt and
One other point in the terms of the agreement, as announced telegraphically, also fails to inspire much satisfaction. Great Britain has expressed her willingness to help China in her policy of reform. This is diplomatic language, but it seems rather absurd to talk of China's policy of reform. Since the return of the Imperial Court to Peking it is the reactionaries, not the pro- gressives, who have been gaining strength, and it would seem therefore to need much more than our willingness to help" to enable the few enlightened officials to start China on the way to reform. It looks improbable that any reforms not specified in treaties will be carried out in China for many years yet to come.
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NEW TREATY TORTS.
(Daily Press, 31st July.) Writing on the 27th of last month the London and China Express said: "In the 'negotiations for the revision of the com. “mercial Treaty with China now in process by the Commission presided over by Sir "JAMES MACKAY at Shanghai, it seems to be virtually agreed-and to be the only definite issue achieved so far that eight new Treaty ports will be created. The Chinese, however, have not entirely acquiesced at the present. The ports, if they may all be so termed, are Shuntien-fu (Peking), Changha and Changte in 'Hunan, Ngauking in Anhwei, Hukou in Kiangsi, Chengtu and Hsuchou in Szechuen, and Chiangmen-hsien ? in Kwangtung." REUTER'S telegram of the 28th instant, appearing in to-day's issue, announces definitely that China will open Kongmun, Changsha, Ngankin, Wanhsien, and Waichau. Three of these five can be identified in the list of eight given in the London and China Express, namely Kongmun (Kuangtung)-if we can assume that Chiang-
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of
en-hsien is the same- -Changsha (Hunan), und Ngankin (Anhwei). Kongmun is familiar as one of the West River stages, situated in the Canton Delta and of consi- derable commercial importance already. Changsha is the capital of its province, lying on the right bank of the Hsiang-kiang, 190 miles SSE of Ichang, and is a walled industrial city with a population of some 300,000. Ngankin is another provincial capital and lies on the left bauk the Yangtze, about one hundred miles from the port of Wuhu. Wanhsien, the fourth plate in REUTER'S list, is situated in Eastern Szechuen, on the left bank of the Yangtsze. It has been known as a seat of the China Inland Mission since 1887. Waichau, or Weichow, is an important addition. The town is of some
size and will be remembered as the headquarter of the "Triad Rebelliou "of last year. The Chinese opposition to the epening of Peking as a Trenty port was known to be very strong, and it is not surprising that we should miss the name of the metropolis from among those of the new
ports." "The opening of Changsha was no doubt upheld by the Chinese as sufficient for the province of Hunan at the present moment, without the addition of Changte, on the western side of the Tungting Lake, though as that
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