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

If the present generation needed any proof of the
alcuntnges 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 i iver. It
is a noticeable fact that the Chinese themselves
share largely in the increased trade, and a consider-
able proportion or 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 without the 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 ezae •
exactions of the officials are extortionate '
and oppressive.
The exports of Shanghae itself
have suffered from
ravaged the silk the raids of the insurgents NN ho
dietricte,and either carried off the
drove
labouring population or them away through
fright. The rebellion is or at least subdued, that
wevy so far extinguished,
that another will show may reasonably hope
a f
since
our
own
merchantsow
rable alteration in
Tla
e
this particular,
sarily suffer as well as the Chinese must neess-
firms the justice and propriety of Lo d fact con-
, ALmtit.
r ,
STON'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.
flitting on Chinese commerce and Chinese pros-
y the 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 -Not, and licordiligly we tied ti large ,

amount entered under the bead 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
able 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
for 1863 show an increase of 75 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. Ia 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.
vions 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 end tobacco. The total value of the trade
of Swatow, exclusive of the native trade in native
1 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 communi-
cating 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 lorchas, being native owned, can
choose their own market and select some less grasp-
ing and extortionate port. The state of cur 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 channQls 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.
Naval and Military Intelligence,

Her Majesty's paddle sloop Basilisk, 6, 1,031 tons and
400 horse power, built at 'Woolwich in 1846, to carry out the
contest for superiority between the paddle and the screw in
competition with the sister screwship Niger, was yesterday
received in basin at Woolwich, to be supplied with her
engines. The Basilisk has undergone a thorough repair at
Deptford yard, at a cost of, it is said, about £lO,OOO. She
was built at the same time as the Niger in Woolwich
Dockyard, after the designs and under the superin
tendence of Mr Oliver Lang, the master shipwright of
the yard at the time. After receiving her engines at
Woolwich she will be despatched to Sheerness to be refitted
for sea.

The War Department steamship BAlaklava, Mr Pellatt
commander, has arrived at Woolwich Arsenal from Cork)
laden with condemned war stores, and commenced dis-
charging yesterday.

The Lord Panmufe, War Department steamer, Mr
Moore commander, has sailed from Woolwich Arsenal
for Portsmouth and Devonport, laden with guns, shot,
shell, and other war materials, and will reload from Devon-
port, on her return to 'Woolwich with condemned ord-
nance, &c.

Major.-Gen. E. C. Wards, C. 8., Commandant at Wool-
wich, yesterday commenced his half-yearly visitation of the
garrison troops, The whole of the 4th Division Depot
Brigade and the 4th Brigade Royal Artillery mustered on
Woolwich-common at 10 a.m., in marching order, and un-
derwent a most careful examination, it being the General's
first general inspection since his recent appointment in suc-
cession to Gen. Sir Richard Dacres, K.C.8., the late Com-
mandant. This morning the General will inspect three
batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery, in command of Col.
the Hon. E. T. Gage, Major D. S. Greene, and Major L.
G. Paget. The troops will assemble in mounted order at
10 this morning. The General will be accompanied by
Brigade Major Hay, Captain Nangle, Deputy-Assist.
Quartermaster-General ; Capt. Williams, Aide-de-camp,
and other officers.

In addition to the 100 pounder smoothbore oi-ton wrought
iron guns with which the ironclads Northumberland, 26,
6,621 toils, 1,350 horse power ; the Agincourt, 26, 6,621 tons,
1,350 horse power : and the Minotaur, 26, 6,621 tons, 1,350
horse power, are to be armed, a notification has been re-
ceived at the Ordnance establishment, Chatham, that each
of the above vessels will also carry four of the 300 pounder
12-ton rifled Armstrong guns, and the necessary gun plates
and curbing are now being prepared for this description of
guns at the Royal Gun Factory. The armament for the
sister ironclad frigate Achilles, 20, 6,126 tong, 1,20 horse
power, will, according to existing arrangements, consist ex-
clusively of the 110-pounder Armstrongs and the 100-
pounder smoothbores, no arrangements having been made
on board for supplying her with any of the 300-pounder
guns.

The works which have been in progress at Chatham for
the last two years for the extension of the Royal Marine
establishments at that port will, when completed, furnish
accommodation for nearly double the number of officers
and men for whom quarters are now furnished, and at the
same time prevent the great inconvenience which has so
long been felt of quartering several hundred of the non-
commissioned officers and men in the infantry barracks at
Chatham with the troops of the line. The extension build-
ings, which are now under construction, include an addi•
tional south wing to the existing Royal Marine barracks,
together with an enlargement to about double their present
size of the main or centre barracks. The latter buildings
extend to a length of 250 ft by 60ft in depth, and contain 38
additional barrack-rooms, each 46ft in length by 21ft Gin.
wide and 10ft high, and as the ordinary number of men to
be placed in each room is 17, the amount of space appor-
tioned to each will be 600 cubic feet. This number of men to
be quartered in each room can, however, at any time be in-
creased without anything approaching to overcrowding,
being the result, the several rooms being capable of afford-
ing ample accommodation for 25 men should occasion re-
pAire it. This portion of the barracks also provides (par-
ters for 16 non-commissioned officers. Tho south wing
contains 12 blocks or rooms, of the same dimensions as
these in the other part of the building ; but, in addition,
this portion of the barracks will be furnished with a colon-
nade, running its entire length, and of sufficient width and
dimensions to allow of its being used by the men quartered
in the rooms for purposes of exercise during unfavourable
weather. The various offices connected with the command-
ant's, adjutant's quartermaster's, barrackmaster's, pay-
master's, and other departments, will be placed in the new
blocks of buildings, which are fitted with the necessary
requirements connected with each of those branches of
the Royal Marino service. In order, at the same time,
to augment the area of the existing parade-ground, the
present offices at the entrance gates, together with the
grand division offices, field-officers' quarters, and sub-
alterns' quarters will all be demolished, and the parade-
ground lengthened by 160 feet. Under this arrangement
will be necessary to erect additional buildings for both
cfll,:era and subaltern, and accordingly the Admiralty have
sanctioned the taking in of a
io
which will be placed a handsomPeoratnduo f the
commodious dockyardbloc,k on
buildings for both the field and junior officers, together with
a suitable drillshed, fencing rooms, &c. The proposed
quarters will occupy the site of the house hitherto appro-
priated as the residence of the master ropemaker, which is
now in course of demolition, and a suitable house for that
official will be erected in another part of the dockyard, near
the entrance gates. The range of buildings now occupied
by the Royal Marino officers at the opposite end of the bar-
racks will also be very considerably enlarged and improved.
The whole of the extensive works and alterations are being
effected under the superintendence of Mr Davis, the Admi-
ralty clerk of Works, from the designs of Mr W. Scamp,
the Deputy-Director of Admiralty Works, the execution of
the undertaking being under the immediate superintendence
of Mr Rivers, the resident official at Chatham Dockyard.

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has not since been heard
BARON ROTIISCIIILD'S POLITE SARCASM.—The
owGnasrtocarathe2dror
Apr Liol,ndnunod
following story is going the round of Paris :—A
small German baron had occasion, as it seems, to see Baron
Rothschild, of Frankfort. The great financier was writing
away for very life when Baron X. was announced. He
did not even lift his eyes, but said " Take a chair, sir." The
baron, with true German touchiness about titles, said " Sir,
indeed. I think M. le Baron did not hear my name- lam
a baron also—the Baron X." "Ah I a thousand pardons,"
said the banker, still writing ; " you are a baron—take two
chairs, then, if you will be so kind, and wait till I have
bniehed this 'Merl"