The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-04 00:00:00

neither is it difficult to provide that Europeans
shall be held responsible to their own Governments
for any misconduct, and to stipulate that the native
authorities shall punish their own subjects for any
infraction of the treaty. All these matters are
very easily arranged on paper, but no sooner are
commercial relations actively established than a
thousand little difficulties spring up with which
it is very embarrassing to deal. Englishmen, who
are unfortunately by no means remarkable for
courtesy or deference to local prejudice in more
civilised countries, arc often recluses and rude in
their bearing towards the crafty, cruel, and
treacherous native, who seldom or never fails in
outward observances. The traders, too, are often
regardless of anything but the interests of trade,
and push their advantages mercilessly. The autho-
rities, overawed by superior strength, are afraid
openly to break the terms of the treaty, but are
very willing to overlook any breach of it on the
part of their dependants. The natives, on their
side, who have been professing good-will while
cherishing a hidden animosity, often play their part
with knife and dagger, so that the agreement
which began so smoothly is very apt to end
in a tedious and costly war. There are
many unavoidable obstacles to the main-
tenance of a friendly feeling between such
opposite races. The energy and bustle which is
the soul of commercial enterprise, is quite out of
place in the sleepy and indolent East. The two
races, moreover, do not yet know how to deal with
each other. Englishmen are never famous for a
ready comprehension of other men, and the Eastern
nations, as we know, regard all Europeans as " bar
barians," so that diplomatists and statesmen have
no easy matter to deal with when legislating for the
interests of commerce, and it might easily be fore-
seen that Earl GREY, in moving his resolutions on
Friday night, would find a very plausible ground
for a virtual attack upon the policy we have hitherto
pursued in Japan. The noble Earl brought forward
a series of charges against Englishmen, both ( fficial
and independent, beginning with Sir RUTHEEFORD
ALCOCK himself, who went up a road where he had
no right to go, and ending with the riots excited
by intoxicated sailors. There may probably be
grounds for the general complaint whether or no
the particular instances cited may have been exag-
gerated, but Lord GREY'S resolutions do not tell us
how to remedy the evil in any practical form. Ttie
proposal to submit English subjects to the jurisdic-
tion of
.Japanese authorities is altogether prepos-
terous, and would never be tolerated by English-
men. It outrages our humanity to witness or even
to hear of the tortures which the Japanese, in com-
mon with most Eastern nations, indict on each other;
while the low value attached to human lifeputs their
administratio❑ of justice oa a totally differen•
footing from that of any civilised or Christian com-
munity. Lord GREY says that such a system could
not be worked id Europe, and that if English sailors
at Havre or Now York, or American and French
sailors at Liverpool, were exempt from the inter-
ference of the police, and could only be dealt with
by their own Consuls, it would be impossible to
maintain order in those towns. It is difficult to
understand how the noble lord could make ao extra,

vagant comparison. ire can scarcely compare
the traffic at the Japanese ports to the commerce oi
Liverpool or New York, but he seems to have totally
overlooked the important fact that all European
nations as well as the American States act upon
recognised principlk s of law and justice—that
crimes are regarded is the same light, and are
punished in the same proportion, whether at Havre,
New York, or Liverpool, and English authorities
have no reason to expect, when submitting their
subjects to the jurisdiction of those places that they
will hear of an innocent man being knocked on the
head for not performing the kc-ton, or of a man
guilty perhaps of participation in a theft or a riot
being impaled, broken on the wheel, or otherwise
tortured to death. One of the great objects which
civilisation should set before her in entering into
dealings with such semi-barbaric races is the ame.
lioration of their code of justice, and it would ba

very rash and inconsistent beginning to subject our

own people to their jurisdiction. The object which
Lord GREY has in 7iew would bo better attainec

through the medium of the Consuls, who might he
instructed to keep a strict watch through their

agents over the conduct of European sailors in

the ports, and to notice promptly and punish
sharply any breach of the public peace. Unfortu.

nately there i 3 now too much, the feeling of hoe-
tile parties, the Japanese making common cause
against the English, and vice versa, instead

of the better class of both races combining
to punish offenders. Neither it do to suppose
that all the blame has been on our side. The mur-

der of Mr. RICRARDSON was an unpardonable act

of wanton aggression, and had it been overlooked,
there would have been no safety for lite or limb
thenceforward in Japan for Europeans. The Go-

vernment then acted well and widely in insisting
upon reparation, and by so doing took the most

effectual means of preventing the recurrence of such
an outrage and of avoiding hostilities. We must

secure the great principles of respect for lifo and
property before we can hope to arrange minor mat-
ters. For the rest of the charges the best answer

is given in the words of Eirl RUSSELL'S very tem-

perate and sensible reply to Earl GREY, on Friday,
when he said--" I know of no particular regula-
tions which could be introduced which could remedy

the present state of things, and we CAD only hope
that while the commercitd intercourse itself with

Japan is productive of great benefit, the abuses

which attend upon it will in time be removed by
the exhibition of better conduct on the part of our

own countr3 men, who have the remedy entirely in
their own hands." It is idly to enppose that any
interference on our part can reconcile the differences

of the Japanese authorities, but we can certainly

take care that no faults of our own put us in colli-

sion with the national prejudices, and we trust that
those Englishmen who have hitherto abused their
power and position will be shamed by the general

denunciation of their conduct into better and more

peaceable behaviour.

COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS.—At a meeting of
council of this corporation,. on the 2d July, the
diploma of licentiate was granted to Miss Brakie, of Upper
Belgrave-place, and that of associate to Miss S. T. Bayer,
and to Mr George Mosley, of Ilolgate Seminary, York. The
following gentlemen were elected members of the College :
—Mr G. Adair, York-terrace, Everton, Liverpool—Mr H.
P. E. de St Damns, Dartmouth—Miss M. A. Harris, Bland-
ford HousP, Reading—Rev. J. Hunter, M.A., Trafalgar-
square, Brompton—Mr John Jones, Grammar School,
Ludlow—Mr Isaac Patchett, Queensbury, near Halifax—
Mr W. H. Rowlatt, Church House School, Ealing—Mr S.
Summers, the College, Worthing—Rev. C. Swete, D.D.,
Elm Grove, Ealing—Mr IV. C. Taylor, the College
Worrning.

AT COMMEMORATION.—It happened, on one
occasion, that some lady visitors had accidentally
mingled with the crowd; and even the chivalry of Young
Oxford could not prevent their being sadly crushed. The
young ladies screamed, when a gallant proctor appeared
within the gates and cried out, " Can you make a road ?"
" Yes," shouted the square caps. "It I open the gates,"
said the proctor, " will you pledge me your honour that
you will not come in ?" " Yes," again shouted the square
cape. The proctor unlocked the gates and threw them
open ; the undergraduates passed the young ladies sanely
within the railed enclosure-7 he proctor locked the gates;
and then, tut not till then, the undergraduates renewed
their struggles to smash the obstacle; hereupon, said the
observant proctor—" I glory in being an Oxford proctor;
for I have had a proof that Oxford men are mon of honour."
—zon44 &WY,