Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-21 00:00:00

TRADE WITH CHINA

—sission in section E of the British Asso-
ciation, on Saturday, Sir !Olin Bowring made some in-
teresting observations on the Russian trade with China.
That trade, he said, is now about to undergo a great
change. It has flourished as far as any trade can
flourish under. the baneful influence of monopoly.
Whether from commercial, political, or other motives,
he did not know ; but in view of the great prospec-
tive change alluded to, it is, perhaps, not undesir-
able that the British merchant should anticipate the
state of things which is coming on in consequence
of the late treaties which Russia has made with
China. It should be made known that Russia, formerly
having a monopoly of the inland trade with China, was
not permitted to carry on , commerce with what were
called the five treaty ports opened to British trade by
Sir H. Pottinger. There trade was confined to a single
locality in the north-western part of China, and the
whole of that trade was in the hands of certain monopo-
lists, who enjoyed special privileges florn the Russian
government, enormously to the prejudice of the Chinese
people. It was important to remark that he (Sir John)
found that Russian manufactures had made their way pe-
culiarly in China. There were many towns in which he
did not find any English woollens, in which there was a
considerable sale for the woollens of Muscovy. Now we
know that the cost of woollens in Russia is much greater
than in Central Europe ; Russia imposing duties, some o
them very elevated. How, then, is this effect produced ?
By an extraordinary ukase of the Russian Emperor,
who absolutely prohibited the sale of Russian goods for
Chinese money, or the purchase of Chinese goods for
silver, the only instrument of exchange in China. •Thus
the whole trade was carried on by a system of barter.
Therefore, all the monopolist had to take care of, was
to get an enormous price for goods introduced by the
vexatious overland communication. Russia further
protected herself by the prohibition of cheaper goods
from China: Sea-borne tea, was absolutely prohibited
in Russia. It bad been stated that the tea drunk in
Russia is, much superior to what we find in England; ,the
simple fact, however, being that the Russians pay about
treble for tea in China that the British pay. Tea which
could be bought in England for about 7s. or Bs. per lb., was
absolutely selling in Russia from 15s. to 255. per lb. That
these facts must excite the attention of 'his Imperial
Majeky, and also the question which had been often
mooted in Russia, viz., that tea conveyed overland lost
none of the qualities that recommended it, while sea-
borne did necessarily lose some of its qualities. He (Sir
John) made a suggestion some years ago of this cha-
racter : That a purchase should be made in the locality
which produced this excellent tea, that half of it should
be sent overland, the monopolists giving them all the
advantages they possessed from monopoly, and that the
other half should be carried by British ships, by
which the results as to the effects of the different
modes would be established—what the tea cost which
was brought by sea and by land, and what the period
in which the tea could be delivered after going from
port to port, and what the time occupied by the cara-
van carriage ; and, thirdly, was it true that tea lost
anything of its excellent sanitary qualities by convey-
ance by sea? He believed that the result would have
been, that the tea lost nothing of its excellent qualities,
but that an immense delay of land carriage would
be prevented, and that the Russian consumer would
have the privilege of drinking tea for about a third
the present cost. In fact, there were English houses
disposed to deliver tea in Russia at 7s. or Bs. a
pound. The Russians, however, with admirable saga-
city, are using the elements which have been presented
to them in China with a foresight and anticipation:of
future benefits which by-and-by there would be seen
the development. Representing only the interests of
peace, they have obtained vast possessions in Chinese
Tartary, and the, time was at hand in which they would
have to anticipate the.new position of Russia. Russia

Duriaz a disc

at present was excluded from- the Atlantic and Pacific
by the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus. It was impos-
sible that Russia could make her way there unless in
amicable terms with the maritime powers.

now
wlfoiPn INTELLIGENCE.—BENT.
inEg.pieEkerT
d.—inahlel
thhoepsdiwathriiec a
districts
are
rapidly becoming brown, considerable alteration in their
colour having occurred within the last two or three
days. Should the change progress for a week longer,
it is feared that a large quantity of the produce will
be so discoloured as greatly to deteriorate their value.
The produce is everywhere spoken of as quite up to, if
not exceeding,-the estimate.—Sussex AND KENT —The.
hops come down rapidly, and of excellent quality
hitherto ; but. as in Kent, we are informed that they
are already much discoloured.—South Eastern Gazette.