The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-09-28 00:00:00

THE TREATY WITH CHINA.

The Monileur publishes the following artiole
The expedition sent to China has itooomplishod the
object the Emperor had in view. On the one hand,
full @Mids.:Con is given to well founded complaints, and
the chastisement inflicted upon the magistrate guilty of
the murder of the Pare Chspdelaine will be made public
throughout the whole of Chine; on the other hand, a
treaty, signed almost at the gates of Pekin, swim to
our commence and to our missionaries free access into
the heart of the Celestial Empire. The barriers of are,
which still kept abut out from the rest of the world a
territory peopled by nearly 300,000,000 inhabitants, ere
definitively removed. China IS completely thrown
open, and can no longer escape the march of civili-
sation. _ _ _

It wits on the 27th of June last, that Baron Gros
signed the treaty of Tienein. Fully to appreciate its
value it must be remembered what were hitherto the
relations of the Western Power, with China, and how
limited were the advantages resulting therefrom.
The war between England and China lad in 1842 to
the conclusion of a treaty which__, placing in certain m-
oped. the ' barbarians' of the Wed on the aanie footing
as the eubjects of ' the Central Kingdom,' opened certain
ports to them, granted them guarantees for their cow
mere. and personal safety, and created the Bret elements
of an international law, untU then unknown in China.
By the Convention of 1844 France assured to herself
the advantage of the benefits of those various dames,
and in addition elicited • decree from the Emperor re-
voking the penalties infiieted upon the Chine.* converts
to Christianity. Assuredly those were important oon•
cession., and most have imbued the Chinese mind with
• more distinct notion of the power of Frame, warmly
known at Pekin, except by the vague remembrance which
the recital of miesion arias had left there of the greatsees of
Louie XIV., and afterward, of the renown of the name
of Napoleon. The decrees of toleration, moreover,
transported into Chins one traditional protectorate of the
Catholic religion, extending it to Christianity in general.
But if this first nooses was of ineoutestabie value it
must be allowed, however, that the admission grunted
to us into the Chinese territory, 'Milted to five ports,
I was an insutlioient concession. It is also to be observed
that the measure taken in favour of Chinese Chriatiane
by the edict of Taou-Kowing did not boar the stamp.of a
synallagniatio act, and, emanating solely from the Im-
perial will, that act had not the force of • oonventional
engagement, and in no manner euthorised the preaching
of Christianity nor the admission of missionaries into
the provinces of the Celestial Empire.
On the other hand, the foreign legations were only
allowed to reside at Macao or liongkong, and never
could treat except with the Viceroy of Canton ; our
diplomatic embassy was obliged, like the others, to fix
its residence outside the Chinese territory, and always
found it impossible to oonimunioate directly with the
Central Government. This state of things was a source
of serious inoonvenience, placing foreign representatives
in • inferior position, which completely tied their hands,
and lowered them in the estimation of the Chinese.
The treatment and the advantages which the Govern.
mont of tile Emperor has thought lit to exact are now
granted to us formally, and without reserve.
All the important parts of the Chinese coast, as also
the great internal highways of oolumunication, are open
to our navigation and our ooinmeroe. Frenchmen who,
according to the terms of the Convention of 1844, were
only admitted to five porta, may henceforth, provided
with passports, traverse, unobstructed, every portion of
China.

.....
It is no longer in virtue of a spontaneous edict from
the Sovereign that the Chinese Christians oease to fear
the persecutions of the Mandarins,—it is in virtue of
conventional stipulations which, rendering homage to
the blessings of the Christian doctrine, abolish the laws
which forbade it and allow missionaries of the West to
circulate freely in the interior of the empire to propagate
It among the Chinese.
The Viceroy of Canton ceases to be the neoemary in-
terinedhun for our communications ; the representative
of France will treat directly with the Cabinet of Pekin,
and with that view he will have a residence in that
capital. The advantages of this oonoesaion, which we,
very revolting to Chinese pride, are manifest. It can
no longer be feared that the dishonesty of certain func-
tionaries may prevent the prompt and satbdactory solu-
tion of any differences which may arise. MIA direct
communication with the Chinese Cabinet will tend to
dispel more than one false notion, and to enlighten on
many points • Government which has nearly everything
to learn respecting the nations of the West.
Commerce will receive a new impulse in virtue of the
right henceforth acquired to merchants to purchase di-
rectly, without an intermediary, merchandise on the spot
of production. A new revision of the tariffs will bring
the custom dues in harmony with the fluctuations of
price. Merchandise will no longer be subject to the ar-
bitrary taxation placed upon it by the provincial Manda-
rins while on its way ; the Government will publish a
uniform tax of transit. The tonnage dues will also be
reduced.
For • long time the shipping trade has stood in need
of protection against piracy in these seas, where it is ex-
ercised with impunity. Measures will be taken to put •
stop to this scourge.
Finally, the Chinese Government is bound to pay to
France the sum of 16,000,000 f. on account of losses
suffered by French merchants, and as a compensation for
the expenses of the war. Thus the sincere wishes of all
enlightened minds have been granted. China, snatched
from it. state of immobility and isolation, will undergo
the happy influence of Chnstianity and civilisation, and
will at the same time assume in the commercial move-
ment of the world the place &feigned to it by its im-
mense rtSolll.o6s.

In oonolusion, it may not be out of plaoe to observe
that if such great results have been obtained at the end
of the world with such a small display of military force,
it must be attributed to the good understanding hap-
pily maintained between the Governments of Franoe
and England, and to the valour of which tho sedlors of
both oountriee have just given additional proof.