The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-09 00:00:00

THE TREATY WITH JAPAN.

We are enabled to state the more important st
pulations of the treaty signed at Jeddo, on the 26th
of last August. This treaty, in the first place,
engages that there shall be perpetual peace and
friendship between her British Majesty, and the
Tycoon of Japan ; secondly, that her Majesty may
appoint a diplomatic agent to reside at Jeddo, and
the Tycoon a diplomatic agent to reside in
London, both of them respectively to have the
right of travelling freely to any part of the
empire of Japan, and to any part of Great Britain ;
also either Power may appoint consuls or con-
sular agents at any or all the ports of the other.
The ports of Hadodadi, Kanagowa, and Nagasaki,
in Japan, are to be opened to British subjects on
the Ist of July, 1859. Nee-e-gata, or if Nee-e•gata
be unsuitable, another convenient port on the west
coast of Nipon, is to be opened on the Ist of Jan.,
1860 ; Hiogo on the Ist of Jan., 1863; and British
subjects may permanently reside in all the fore-
going ports, may lease ground, purchase or erect
dwellings and warehouses, but may not erect forti-
fications. Within a certain distance of the specified
ports they shall be free to go where they please,
or, speaking generally, they have a tether of some
20 or 30 miles around either of them. From the
Ist of Jan., 1862, they will be allowed to reside at
Jeddo, an from the Ist of Jan., 1863, at Osaca for
the purposes of trade. All questions of rights,
whether of property or person, arising between
themselves shall be subject to the jurisdic-
tion of the British authorities ; if they commit
any crime against the Japanese they will be tried
and punished by their own authorities, and vice
versa, Japanese subjects in the same predica-
ment will be tried and punished by theirs ; but
in either case the British Consuls are to act in the
first instance as amicable arbitrators. In respect of
debts contracted on either side, the respective autho-
rities will do their utmost to enforce recovery,
but neither Government will be held responsible
for the debts of its subjects. The Japanese
Government will place, no restrictions whatever
upon the employment by British subjects of
Japanese in any lawful capacity. British subjects
will be allowed the free exercise of their religion,
and for this purpose will have the right to erect
suitable places of worship. Foreign and Japanese
coin may be used indifferently for commercial pur-
poses. Supplies for the British navy may bestored
at certain specified ports free of duty. If British
vessels are wrecked or stranded the Japanese autho-
rities will render every assistance in their power.
British merchants will be at liberty to hire Japanese
pilots. Munitions of war are to be the only excep-
tions to articles of import and export, which last,
on the payment of an ad valorem duty at the place
of import, are to be subject to no further tax, excise,
or transit duty, Such articles may be re-exported
without the payment of additional duty. The
Japanese are to prevent fraud or smuggling, and
to receive the benefit of all penalties or confisca-
tions. The treaty is written in. English, Japanese,
and Dutch, the Dutch version to be considered the
original. Alt official communications on the part of
the British to the Japanese authorities shall, how-
ever, henceforward be written in English, though
for five years from the signature of the treaty, to
facilitate the transaction of business, they are to
be accompanied by a Dutch or Japanese version.
The treaty may be revised on the application of
either of the contracting parties, on giving
one year's notice after the Ist of July,
1882. All the privileges, immunities, and
advantacres granted, or to be granted hereafter, by
Japan to any other nation are to be freely and
equally participated by the British Government
and its subjects. The treaty is to be ratified within
a year from the day of its signature.
For the regulation of trade the articles which
are appended to the treaty are to be considered as
forming a part of it, and act equally binding. The
majority of these relate to the arrangements of the
Japanese Custom-house, but the more important
contain the tariff of duties to be levied. In the
first class, as free of duty, arc specified gold and
silver, coined or uncoined, wearing apparel in
actual use, and household furniture and printed
books not intended for sale, but the property of
persons who come to reside in Japan. On the
second class a duty of five per cent. only will be
levied, and this class comprises all articles used for
the purpose of building, rigging, repairing, or
fitting out ships, whaling gear of all kinds, salted
provisions, bread and breadstuffs, living animals,
coals, timber for building houses, rice, paddy, steam
machinery, zinc, lead, tin, raw silk, cotton and
woollen manufactured goods. A duty of 35 per
cent. will, however, be levied on all intoxicat-
ing liquors ; and goods not included in any of the
preceding classes will pay a duty of 20 per cent.
Japanese products which are exported as cargo
will pay a duty of five per cent. The above are
substantially all the material stipulations of this
important document.

THE LATE COLON. STBATON, C.B.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sir,—l think it my duty to inform you that I
have this day received a letter from Major Kent, of
the 77th Regiment, dated " Calcutta, September
21, 1858," in consequence of his having seen my
letter in the Times of the sth of August respecting
my late brother, Colonel Straton, C. 11.; 77th Regi-
ment. I beg a give you two extracts from his
letter which I feel sure you will consider it right
to publish in your paper. He says :
" The account in the Times is a base fabrication
from beginning to end ; the truth is, your brother
(Colonel Straton) was far too ill to march himself
to Dumdum, and deputed Colonel Chichester to do
so for him." . . •
" No man in the regiment has worn a stock since
we were in Dublin more than a year ago, and it is
simply absurd to attribute his death to such a
cause."
I offer no remarks on these statements, they
speak loudly themselves.
I am, Sir, your faithful servant,
GEO. W. STRATON.
Aylestone Rectory, Leicester, Nov. 5.

NORWEGIAN- GRATITUDE.—SoMe time ago a
your gentleman, evidently a foreigner, and who, we be-
lieve had been studying farming in East
hereLothian, called at
the station of the North British Railway , making in-
quiries about the price of a third-class ticket to Hull. On
being told that there were no third-class by the evening
train to Hull, ho seemed embarrassed. After a good deal
of hesitation, he informed the station master, Mr. J. Bruce,
that it was of great importance to him to get on by the first
train, but unfortunately a remittance o
an f d
he money, which he
had expected, had not come to hand, was unable to
pay for a second-class ticket- Mr. Bruce, in his usual frank
and generous manner, and seeing, no doubt, at n glance the
sterling honest mail written in the face of the youth, at once
offered to pay his fare to York, and if he required any more
money to give it him. This offer was of course gratefully
accepted, and the stranger went on his way. Charming
simplicity of Mr. Bruce, some people will exclaim. However
gratefully thankin,.,c,
in the course of a post or two a letter was received from
Hull, enclosing the money lent, and
Mr.4.Bruce. So the affair is ended, thought he, and so the
most would think. But not so. Some fews .days a • rather
strange-lookitig packet was delivered by the postman to Mr
Bruce, which, on being opened, disclosed to his astonished
view an elegant silver cup, with a suitable inscription en-
graven upon it, as a token of a Norwegian's gratitude, and
"in remembrance of Frederick Due, of Christiania."
—.Berwick iidvertieer,