The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-13 00:00:00

MPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

HOUSE OF LORDS.-{YESTERDAY.)

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at 5 o'clock.

OUR RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES.
The Eat]. of ELGIN gave notice that, on Tuesday
next, he should move for certain papers, and call the at-
tention of their lordships to the state of our relations
with the United Sates.
THE SUCCESSION DUTY.

Lord MONTEAGLE called the attention of the
house to certain returns, which had been moved for
some time since, in reference tb the Succession
Duty. At the period the Succession Duty Act
was passing through Parliament it would be recol-
lected that it was calculated that the duty would
return a very considerable sum. It appeared, however,
that it had returned about one-third of the sum that
bad been estimated. The house must feel greatly sur-
prised when it was told that upon the order being served
upon the particulardepartment for this return, an answer
was given that no separate account of the Succession
Duty was kept. The noble lord said he should take ano-
ther opportunity of calling their lordships' attention to
the subject.

INCOME TAX BILL.
The Earl of DERBY gave notice, upon the second
Leading of the Income Tax Bill, which would possibly
Take place on Monday or Tuesday, he should make
a few observations, which he deemed especially neces-
sary, as a dissolution of Parliament was so near at hand.
CHINA.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGII, in moving for the
production of papers relative to the manner in which
the Chinese treaty had been carried out, said it appeared
to him that when we were extremely strict with the
Chinese Government as to the execution on their part of
the stipulations of the treaty, it behoved us to look to
our own observance of the treaty also, for the purpose of
ascertaining whether we had been strictly correct in the
performance of the obligations which the treaty imposed
on us. Three of those obligations were entered into
with the view of preventing illicit trade. The 12th
article stated that " a fair and regular tariff of duties
and other dues having now been established, it is to be
hoped that the system of smuggling which has hereto-
fore been carried on between English and Chinese
merchants—in many cases with the open connivance
and collusion of the Chinese Custom-house officers—will
entirely cease." If that tariff was a fair one it was but
reasonable to expect that smuggling would cease, for
the only way of putting down smuggling was by esta-
blishing a reasonable scale of duties ; but the case was
different with regard to articles whioh remained under
prohibition. The article went on to say, " The British
plenipotentiary will also instruct the different consuls to
strictly watch over and carefully scrutinise the conduct of
all persons, being British subjects trading under his
superintendence. On any positive instance of smug-
gling transactions corning to the consul's knowledge, he
will instantly apprise the Chinese authorities of the
fact." Now, it was desirable to ascertain whether the
consuls had, in point of fact, carefully scrutinised the
conthict of persons trading under their superintendence,
and whether the Chinese authorities had been ap-
prised of any positive instance of smuggling in the
manner specified. The 14th article was couched in
these terms :—" An English officer will be appointed
at Hong Kong, one part of whose duty well be to
examine the registers and passes of all Chinese vessels
that may repair to that port to buy or sell goods ;
and should such officer at any time find that any Chi-
nese merchant vessel has not a pass, or register, from
one of the five ports, she is to be considered as an un-
authorised or smuggling vessel, and it is not to be allowed
to trade, whilst a report of the circumstance is to be
made to the Chinese authorities. By this arrangemet. it
is to be hoped that piracy and illegal traffic will be effec-
tually prevented." The object of that article was to pre-
vent piracy, and it was desirable to ascertain whether we
had performed the obligations cast upon us by that arti-
cle. By the 16th article "it is agreed that the Custom-
house officers at the five ports shall snake a monthly re-
turn to Canton of the passes granted to vessels proceed-
ing to Hong Kong, together with the nature of their
cargoes, and a copy of these returns will be embodied in
one return, and communicated once a month to the pro-
per English officer at Hong Kong. The said English offi-
cer will, on his part, make a similar return or communi-
cation to the Chinese authorities at Canton, showing the
names of Chinese vessels arrived at Hong Kong, or de-
parted from that port, with the nature of their cargoes ;
and the Canton authorities will apprise tho Custom-
houses at the five ports in order that, by these arrange-
ments and precautions, all clandestine and illegal trade,
under the cover of passes, may be averted. It was neces-
sary to ascertain w h e.tlouerrntihhee
tiecneerds stationed
e t atl
et the five
h e
ports had made the
erng
in pursuance of that prl-1
proper officer a
vision of the treaty. A ethic lord, the other evening, had
referred to a Statementj containedin the report c.f the
Bowring,colo-
nial who, in speaking of that
report, said,
treasurertoSir
"while it is no doubt desirable that the pri-
vilege of hoi-ting the British flag shall not, be conceded
without proper securities, it is desirable that Chinamen
shall appreciate the advan
settled under it in the.colony
tage of their position, in the substantial benefits it con-
fers." The colonial treasurer said, "litnything will be
permanently beneficial to this
tcousntrayr,ticuilsatrlllyattevl7pseyeEt-.
tem of oranting colonial reps er ,
able Chinese settlers, or crown lePsseetsbeeneteitlasetdingtothraodlde
land,s since it has tended to increase
ass the manufactures of were granted for
India—such as cotton, opium,
'tc." Now, the registers and passes
~ .0
the prevention of illicit trade, but they appeared f
.Ifietit
have been used .for the encoura.getuent o
trade in opium, (Hear, bear.) Opium was the great
m
article of trade. Without opium, the export trade from
this oountry and the dependencies of this country Would