The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-08 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, SEPT. 8, 1864.

It is well known that there is no greater mistake
of its kind than an over-haste to get rich. From
the days of the Psalmist, when he uttered the pro-
phetic warning that "It is but lost labour that ye
rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the
bread of carefulness," we have been witnessing the
truth of this sage advice. Many men have sacri-
ficed their health, and not a few sink into un-
timely graves, in consequence of the fatal tenacity
with which they clung to their engagements, and
devoted themselves to the pursuit of gain. Sad as
it is to mark the havoc thus caused by the over zeal
and undue efforts of independent individuals, it is
ten times more dreadful to notice the misery
brought upon those who work for others by the
,vant of care and the absence of caution that attend
their ways. It was the doom pronounced against
the first man that he should labour for his mainte-
nance, but in the curse was contained a blessing.
It has truly been said that "Work was the boon
which GOD vouchsafed to our first parent when
hs turned him out of Paradise, and the five thou-
sant. years that have passed since have given dis-
aPPoinvnent no better remedy." This is true; for
it may often be noticed that those whose position
exempts them from the active and immediate neces•
city for exertion sink under the trials that others of
humbler circumstances are enabled to surmount.
To be of service, however, work must be confined
within due limits. No toil that is too much pro-
longed, or conducted under trying circumstances,
can be otherwise than injurious to the health, and
by depressing the system must in the end defeat its
own object. It is a scandal to our community;that
the wealth which mazes the country the emporium
of the world is, in some measure, the cause
of
the
evil. It is a cruel thing to trade on the strength
and spirits of the poor; their health is their capie
tal, and when that is expended they are forlorn
indeed. The evil results of over• work have been
sketched by a master-hand, and th© words so for-
cibly uttered, in a burst of honest indignation, are
still familiar in our ears, though for many a year
he who penned them has been called away from
this scene—

"It is not linPn you're wearing out,
But human creaure's lives."

May it not be said that now is the ac-
cepted time, and that they who neglect
the opportunity and disregard the warnings
EO plentifully given to them will have much to
answer for when the day of final reckoning comes.
Jr is, at all events, desirable from time to time to
call attention to the subject, for the sake of those
who may be ignorant of the extent and nature of
the evils that surround the unhappy beings wno,

If the present generation needed any proof of the
advantages of Free Trade, it would be abundantly
afforded by the condition of Chinese finance. The
throwing open of the treaty ports has produced a
most striking effect, and the returns of the import
and export trade under foreign flags, just forwarded
to this country by Sir F. BRUCE, exceeds the most
sanguine anticipations. The import trade, which,
according to this report, was in 1860 41,000,000
taels, or about thirteen millions of our money, had
increased in 1863 to 81,000,000 taels, or about
twenty-seven millions sterling. This surprising
change, it will be seen, took place in two years,
but it is explained by the fact that 1860 was the
last year before the opening of the Northern ports
and of the Yangtze river, which is so important an
element in Chinese commerce. The application of
steam to navigation has proved of the highest value
in navigating this river, since the violence of the
winds and the currents were previously great ob-
structions. The foremost nation of the world is
thus indebted to the skill and science of the outer
barbarians for the free use of their own liver, It
is a noticeable fact that the Chinese themselves
share largely in the increased trade, and a consider-
able proportion of the goods carried up and down
the Yangtze are designed for home consumption.
The central provinces of the empire are thus enabled
to find a market for their produce withoutthe tedious
and costly circuit they have hitherto been compelled
to make. An unnecessarily lengthened journey is
especially to be regretted and avoided in China,
where the exactions of the officials are extortionate
and oppressive. The exports of Shanghae itself
have suffered from the raids of the insurraents who
ravaged the silk districts, and either eArried off klie
labouring population ez drove the' away through
fright. The rebelF.en is now do far extinguished,
or at least subdr,ed, that we, may reasonably hope
that another
will show a favourable alteration in
this partic-,liar, since our own merchants must neces-
sarily E-dffer as well as the Chinese. This fact con-,
firma the justice and propriety of Lord PALMER-
ST,ON'S resolution to protect the Treaty Ports, since
Shanghae itself might otherwise have fallen into
the hands of the Taepings, thus undoing all the
work which Lord ELGIN had accomplished, and in-
ng on Chinese commerce and Chinese pros.
pflecrtitlythe most serious and perhaps irreparable in-
jury. The Chinese are the very people to appreciate
the value of commercial dealings. They are
cautious and painstaking, and find it neces-
sary to exert all their industry to obtain
support for their dense population. They
are not slow to appreciate and to realise the
advantages opened up to them by their dealings
with the %Yeti, lied accordingly we find a large

amount entered under tae head of re-exports
from Shanghae—goods which have been brought to
that port as an entrepot, to be thence forwarded to
other ports of China and Japan. The native boats
have an advantage over European vessels in being
ab:e to visit any of the ports, and the Chinese natu-
rally avail themselves of this power to a large ex-
tent. The report of the trade of the port of Swatow
during the last year, made by the British Consul,
Mr CAINE, confirms the favourable impression made
by the Shanghae returns, The shipping returns
f0r,1863 show an increase of 73 in the number of
British vessels enter the port, with an additional
tonnage of 30,123, while there was an increase
of 83 in the number of vessels leaving
with cargo. I❑ the foreign shipping there
is also a large increase ; greater, indeed, in propor•
tion, than that in the British, but the coast trade in
steamers is still entirely in British hands. The
value of the import trade of Swatow during 1863
shows an increase of half a million over the pre.
vious year, the principal item in the increase being
beancake ; while the excess in the exports, which
amounts to more than £BO,OOO, is principally owing
to sugar and tobacco. The total value of the trade
of Swatow, exclusive of the native trade in native
vessels, is estimated at more than two millions and
a half sterling, being considerably more than half a
million in excess of the former year. In commu❑i-
eating this fact the Consul is anxious that the
various disadvantages should be taken into account.
The foreign merchants are denied access to the chief
cities, certain powerful village clans claim heavy
dues on all goods sent inland, and the internal
state of the country is anything but tranquil. The
trade between Swatow and Singapore has also
been almost entirely suspended by the exactions of
the Chinese officials, and the extortionate demands
of the villagers. The Singapore vessels are, there.
fore, compelled to resort to the expedient of dis-
charging their cargoes into lorchas at Hong Kong,
so that these lorchss, being native owned, can
choose their own market and select some less grasp-
ing and extortionate port. The state of our trade
with China is, therefore, highly satisfactory, and
there seems little ground for the discontent and
uneasiness expressed by some honourable members,
who averred we had spent blood and treasure in
enforcing unprofitable treaties. The opening of
such channels for commerce may tend, we may
hope, to the gradual civilisation of the Chinese, and
to tranquilizing their internal provinces. When
it is clearly ascertained by experience that peace is
more profitable than war or rebellion, all parties
will soon discover that their inclinations correspond
with their interests.