350
THE NEW COMMERCIAL
TREATY.
On the 18h inst. we reproduced from the N.-C. Daily News the first of a series of articles by Mr. E. S. Little, of Shanghai, on the above subject. We have not space to quote more than Mr. Little's conclusious, as published in a number of the N.-C. Daily News just to band. We give first, however, Mr. Little's remarks on two details of the cigth article of the Treaty:-
BECTION 14.
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The Treaty made d-pendent on other Powers: -This is an audignified tone to assume, since it puts it in the power of any fifth-rate uation to cancel the eutir: Treaty. It also puts ito the hands of these powers a strong lever with which to move China to the granting of any terms they may desire. An iustance is even now reported in which it is stated that Portugal says to China in effect, If you do not give us what те require По will withhold Our sanction to the British Treaty, the Treaty will either fall to the ground: or China, if she is supreñiely auxious it shall come into force, will be coerced into granting the demands of Portugal. All other Treaty Powers are in the same position and are. furuished by Britain with this powerful weapon.
SECTION 15.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
During the progress of the negotiations there were more troops of more nations upon the scil and within the territorial waters of the Chinese Empire than during the negotiations of any precious treaty. These troops were in practical occupation of the Capital and of the two strategie Ports (Shangai and Tientsin) of the Eupire and ffectually hold China by the throat, so that the Governme felt in any orso they would have to yield to facce majeure In this requiet therefore there is very little difference between the prosent aud any form r Treaty
Nith have we any grounds for heli-ving that China will mora sine rely and honestly endevour to purry out the editious of this Trest, than she has of her previous treaties, far there is no taugilde evidence that she has changed her fiws or parties, and we may only expect the fulfilmini of its pr visions as a result of constaut vigilang til the exercise of more or less permanent pressure.
As a concret instance of the present attitude. of the Chinese Government and of its probable to honestly carry sincerity in its endeavours aud
out the Treaty, w my instincs the Whang oo Conservancy sehen. It is now more than a yea" since the Chinesa Government solemnly affixed its seals to the Peace Protocol and to the particular clauses of the same which provide for the cons irvancy of the Whangpos Since that time endless negotiations have taken place without, apparently, any tangib e resalts what- ever The Chiues Government have shown uo sig at all of willingass in mest the foreigners, and, as far as the pub'ie ars aware, have not even yet appoiat dihir member of the Board of Conservancy. Not until further pressure is brought to bear and the Chinesa are compelled to yield may we expet this engage ment to be carried through. Julging from previous treaties and from the present condition of this affair at the very moment of writing, we have little euecuragement to expect any better treatment at the hands of the Chinese Govern- meu than we hare experienced in the past and are even now experieucing.
Consent of lie Powers: Supposing by the 1st of January, 1904, some Power or Powers have failed to signify their acceptance of these engagements," what is to become of our position? Are we to be left where we are at present? Sugely some alternative should b› provided by which the position of our goods as far as their ihlaud circulation is coucerned should be clearly stated and defined. This can be done by restating in definite t rms the pro- vision of the Tientsin Treaty, by which British goods are imported into the Treaty Ports for 5 per cent. import duty and are free to circulate within such lekin free area, which area should also be clearly defined, and are then free to pass to any part of the Chiu-se Empire upon the payment of a further per cent. without being subject to lekin, luti, or any other charge or tax of any description.
RESUME.
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Mr. Little's résumé of his articles follows :--- It is evident from a full consideration of this eighth Article, which is, of course, by far the most important of the entire Treaty, that the Article as it at present stands puts both foreigners and Chinese in a less advantageous position than they are at present under existing Treaties. Er.ry effort should be made on the part of British merchants in China to prevent the ratification of this Treaty and to insist upon its modification. I have gone into detail, in my review of the paragraphs of the Article and havo showd the objections to them as I see them. I have also suggested what seemed to me to be improvements.
I would suggest that the subject be con- sidered in due time by the China Association, the Chamber of Commerce and other public borlies interested, and that representations be made to the Foreign Office with a view to the improvement of this Article. If it is allowed to be atified in its present form and comes into force we shall rue the day of its signature for many long years to come.
Mauy express the hope, and rely upon it, that other nations will refuse to be led into such a trap, but it is a most uudiguifi d position for a Britisher to occupy, namely, to have to depend upon other nations for that which he has a right to expet at the hands of his own Government. It behoves every Britisher interested in the commerce of this country, and indeed every Britisher of every kind who lives in or has any interest in this co ntry, to do his part to bring about the non ratification of the Treaty as it now appears and to secure a re modelling of the Treaty as it at present stands. Advocates of the new Treaty see a great difference between the present and preceding treaties, inasmuch as the previous treaties, so they affirm, have all ben forcel upou China, while in the presen' instance she has entered into the Treaty voluntarily and of her own accord, and will therefore keep its provisous. A very hasty survey of the circumstances will prove that the hope based upon this foundation is foredoomed to disappo utment.
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[November 3, 1902.
A resolution of approval of the Mackay treaty, qualified by an am ndment asking for safeguards from Chion and suggesting additions to prereut misunderstanding and frict on, was passed at the meating by roles to 4, as has already hoon announced by talagra ph
HONGKONG.
II. E. Hsu, Viceroy of Cauton, accompanied by his wife, arrived here on the 28th ult. by the German mail steamer Hamburg.
The reappointment of the Hon. Wei Yuk as Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council is netified in the fateffe,
The conditions and scil of fees for bacterio-
logical eximirations in the Government Bacle- inrical Department are published in the
Odober
Gia;effe
During the week ended 25th October there were notified 1 case of plague, Chinese, fatal; of cutetic fever, European (imported from 1eas of cholera, Chinese, fatal; and 2 cases
Manila), non-fatal.
By the Haida, Capt. J. S. Roach, ou the 26th ult. there arrive 1 Dr. Solff, Governor of Samoa, who has been visiting the const ports in con- nection with the native labour question.
A Government Gazetle Extraordinary issued on the 25th ult, announced that restrictions at Burma ports against arrivals from Hongkong have been removed; and thst medical inspection at Shanghai of ships from Honkong has been discontinued, but the importation of rags, old paper, coffins, and earth-mould is still prohibited.
The police reported on Friday that a cargo- boat had been sunk by a steam-launch in the harbour on the pievi us day. The crew were rescu d by the Water Police. (n the same day a ergo-boat ran into a sampin which crossed its bows, the occupants being thrown into the water and the sampan overturned The crew of the luckless craft ware picked up, and the sampau was subsequently righted,
In the Bankruptcy Court on th-30th ult.— before His Honour the Chief Justice-evidence was heard in a case re Luk Hang, house-builder, THE CHINA ASSOCIATION AND deltor, ex parte Li Pak Hi, creditor, Mr.
THE NEW TREATY.
M. J. D. Stephens, solicitor, appearing for the creditors, who had proved, and the Official Ohr Shanghai contemporary the M-C. Daily | Rereiver (Mr. G. H. Wakemai) in person. News, which is one of the strongest supporters; After certain evidence had been given, further of Sir James Mackay's treaty with hina, public examination was adjourned sine die, and wrote thus on the 27th alt, just before the, the debtor was ordered to be prosecuted under meeting of the Chiun Association in Shanghai:—
The China Association will dreide this
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section 82, sub-s ction 4:and sub-section 5a, of the Bankruptey Ordinance No. 20 of 1891.
evening whether it will comi suicide or not.
We regret very much to have to record the If it decides to be influ uced by the specious į death on the 26th ult. of Mr. Robert Trevelyan dos quciations of Mr. E. S. Litil», it signs the ! He..!, who expired at 8.45 p.m., at the Peak death-warrant of its ut fity as a songes of Hospital, where he had ben ly'ng ill for about information and advice to the British Foreign a wo»k. Mr. Head first came out East in 1888, Office, for the Traty of Shinghai, which is to ; when he was employed by Messrs. Cornes & Co. be the subject of to-day's moeti.g, undoubtedly ¦ of Kobe, In 1822 Le went to Messrs. Dodwell, embodies all 'e points which the Association | Carlill & Co., a'so of Kobé, and in 1896 joined has been urging ou the Foreign Offies for as assistant the firm of W. II. Gill of the same years; and the Association's self-stultification | port. In 1898 he came down to Hongkong will be complete if it now turns round and says that it may still want these things, but this treay is uo use because it does not attain them. they being in fact unattainable. The obvious retort of the Foreign Offer is that the Association has beeu for years urging it to do what it now declares is and always will be im possible. Every member of the China Assu-; ciation in Shanghai is morally bound to attend, to-day's meeting, the most important that his been held in Shanghai since the days of the Alcock Cnvention. The Association has to decide whether it will confirm a treaty which expressly secures everything that we Lave for years been asking our Foreign (ffice to secure; which has been framed by the best man that the British Government could find for the purpose in England, and the man in Suaughii, whom unquestionably the British commercial community here would select as its ablest representative; which has been met only with! destructive criticism; and for which none of its opponents with all their verbosity has been able į to suggest a substitute. We cannot believe that any thoughtful member of the Association cau even hesitate to give his vote in favour of the treaty. It is not a question of improving the treaty before ratification, for no improve men's are so much as suggested, it is a question of adopting what is undoubtedly a great step in advance, or throw ug the whole matter *.f Treaty Revision back into chaos."
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and entere i the service of Messrs. Douglas, Lap aik & Co., with whom he remained, but for a brief interval, until the spring of the present year, when he commenced business as a broker. He joined Messrs. Erich Georg & Co.. share and general brokers, bu, had only been with them a few months when he died. The cause of death was a complication of liver complaint and malaria, but he had been unwell since he was atacked by dysentery in North China in 1900, when he was temporarily acting as one of Ruter's correspondents with the Allied troops. The hardships of the march to Peking, etc., in a bad so son of the year no doubt weakened his constitution considerably. He was a popular figure at the Hongkong Club, where he had a large circle of friends, by whom Head Sau," as he was known in reminiscence of his Japanese days, will be much missed Apart from his social qualities, the deceased, who was the sou of an Exeter solicitor and was educated at Rugby School, had a store of classical knowledge such as is rare in the Far East, and was a man of very variel tastes, eveu including the writing of satiric verse. He was a in tuber of the Perseverane Lodge and of the Devonian Society. The funeral took place at the Happy Valley soon after 8 o'clock on the 27th ult.; between 30 and 40 friends being present. The Rev. F. T. Johnson, chaplain of S. John's Cathedral, rad the burial service. A number of wreaths were sent as tokens of respect.
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