The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-07 00:00:00

TATA Tl' frITII MINA.

_ -
Important telegraphic information from China
has bee❑ received announcing that, previous to his
departure from Pekin, Sir Rutherford Alcock con-
cluded the negotiation of a treaty with the Impe-
rial Government. Owing to the Let that the
telegram, from its extraordinary orthography, pre-
sents almost the appearance of a series of hiero-
glyphics, its statements must be received.subject to
correction, but, so far as they can be made out,
they seem to be as follows :—" Treaty nego-
tiated. Duty on opium raised to 50 teals. Duty
on silk doubled. Right to a treaty port in
Ilinan . . and the ports of Wanchow and
Nchamu, on the Yangtze, to be opened. Chinese
Government steamers to tow European merchant
boats of dry goods on the Poyang Lake. The three
coal mines of Kelung . . and Cheyoug to be
opened to Europeans. A transit duty of 2i per
cent. to be levied on imports at treaty ports, in ad-
dition to the present duty of 5 per cent. Imports
to be subsequently held free of duty by the Chinese
Government. If the goods are taxed, a receipt to
be given, and the amount levied to be made
good by the Government. Bonded warehouses
to be established at treaty ports ; conditions of
the same to be arranged by the Chinese Govern-
ment." With regard to these provisions it may
be remarked that the raising of the duty on
opium, which is at present 30 taels, to 50 taels,
will probably benefit the Imperial revenue, since
it is scarcely likely to exercise a proportionate
check on the consumption ; but that the doubling
of the existing export duty on silk, whatever may
be its immediate effect, must certainly in the long
run seriously damage the power of the country to
compete with the produce of Japan, Europe, and
California. The port of Wanchow, which is one of
the new ones to be opened, is on the coast about
midway between Ningpo and Foochow, and the
right to the treaty port in Hinan refers, it may be
presumed, to the island of that name south of the
province of Canton. The coal mine of Kelung, one
of the three mentioned, is at the north of the island
of Formosa. The provision with regard to the levy-
ing of a transit duty of 2f per cent, on imports is
supposed to be intended to free imparters from the
various extortions to which they have hitherto been
liable in the interior, the Government undertaking
to refund any amounts which may be forcibly ex-
acted by local authorities. A literal copy of the
telegram is subjoined, in order that merchants and
others interested may decide for themselves as to
the precise interpretation to be put on its various
sentences :—" Treaty reorgin duty on opium
raised to fifty teals duty on silk doubled right to
a treaty post in Haman to to thirteen direct and
the ports of wenehowand rohamu yantze to be opened
achinclu gow•ernmcnt steamer to tow Luropean
merchants boros of day goods on the pagan() lake
the three oval mines of Kalong lupr lurping and
cheyoug to bo openel to European a trauut duty
mu imports of treaty ports in and to the present
duty of five per cent. imports. To the subsequently.
held free of duty by ehynezi goot if the goods are
taxed a receiptes to begiven and the amount
made good by the Government, beaded ware house
to be ertatlested at treaty ports coartious of same
to to arranged by the Chinen government." The
date of the above is Pekin, Tien-tsin, 11th of
November, and the in_olent receptio❑ given to Sir
Rutherford Alcock by the Governor of Nankin, for
which, according to a telegram from Ilongkong of
the 13th of December, publishLd on Tuesday, an
apology was demanded and tardily made, must
have occurred some time afterwards, on Sir Ruther-
ford having visited that province on his way home
from Pekin to Europe.