The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-19 00:00:00

THE TREATY WITH CHINA.

The following summary of the various provisions
of the treaty of peace with China is from a circular
of Messrs. Joseph Travers and Sons
The Treaty of peace with China, of which the ratifica-
tions were exchanged at Pekin on the 24th of October last,
has been issued by the Parliamentary printers. It contains
56 articles, and is accompanied by a supplementary agree-
ment which was signed on the Bth of November, and is of
special importance, as it embodies the rules for trade. The
tariff of import duties is likewise given. The leading stipu-
lations of the treaty are comprised as follows :
" Articles 2 to 6 authorise and regulate the respective
appointment of Ambassadors at Pekin and London.
" Article 7 provides for the nomination of British consuls
at each of the open ports.
"Articles 8 and 9 give religious toleration and freedom
of travel.
" Articles 10 to 12 authorise trade in the Great River
(Yang-tze) and access to the cities and ports of New-
Ch wang, Tang-Chow, Tai-Wan (Formosa), Chau-Chow
(Swatow), and Kiung-Chow (Hainan), in addition to those
of the five ports previously opened.
" Articles 15 and 16 provide that all questions between
British subjects in China shall be solely under the jurisdic-
tion of the British Consuls or other authorities, and that
Chinese subjects guilty of offences towards British subjects
shall be punished by the Chinese authorities according to
the laws of China; while, on the ether hand, British sub-
jects committing crimesin China shall be tried and punished
by the Consul according to the laws of England.
" Articles 21 to 23 comprise a mutual extradition ar-
rangemen
" Articles 27 and 28 provide for the appointment of a
commission to regulate tke tariff on imports and exports,
which, when fixed, is to remain in force for 10 years, each
Power at the end of that period having the option of de-
manding a revision. Article 28 renders it imperative for
the Chinese authorities to publish their scale of interior
transit duties, and fixes the maximum at 21 per cent, ad
valorem.
" Articles 29 to 49 relates to tonnage dues, pilotage,
clearances, smuggling offences, and other matters connected
with navigation.
" Article 52 gives freedom to British ships of war coming
for no hostile purpose, or being engaged in the pursuit of
pirates, to visit all parts of the empire.
" Article 53 contains an agreement for mutual efforts to
suppress piracy.
" Article 55 embraces the 'most favoured nation' clauses.
" The tariff is preceded and explained by 10 rules.
" According to Rule 1 all unenumerated articles are to
pay an ad valorem duty of .5 per cent.
" Rule 2 is highly important, as it specifies the ' duty
free goods.' These are—gold and silver bullion and foreign
coins, flour, Indian meal, sago, biscuit, preserved meats and
vegetables, cheese, butter, and confectionery ; foreign cloth-
ing (a heading which will take in a large portion of our tex-
tile manufactures) ; perfumery and soap of all kinds, char-
coal, firewood, and candles ; tobacco and cigars (foreign),
wino, beer, and spirits ; household stores and ship stores,
personal baggage ; stationery ; carpeting and druggeting ;
cutlery (an important item) ; foreign medicines ; glass and
crystal ware. These pay neither export nor import duty ;
but, if transported into the interior, will, with the exception
of personal baggage and bullion, be liable to a transit duty
of 21 per cent. ad valorem.
" Rule 3 declares gunpowder, shot, cannon, musketry,
and all munitions and implements of war contraband. Salt
also is contraband.
" Rule 4 gives definitions of weights and measures.
" Rule 5 removes previous restrictions affecting the trade
in opium, grain, pulse, sulphur, brimstone, saltpetre, and
speller • and states its future conditions.
"Rule 6 relates to the liabilities of vessels entering port.
"Rule 7 fixes the interior transit dues at one-half of the
tariff duties. Goods free of import duties to pay 21 per cent.
transit dues.
"Rule 8 agrees that British subjects shall not be consi-
dered entitled to enter Pekin for purposes of trade.
" Rule 9 provides for the abolition of a fee called the
meltage fee.'
" Rule 10 provides for the collection of duties under one
system at all p, rts.
" The general tariff comprises 350 items, on the whole of
which, with the exception of five that are ad valorem,
specific duties are charged. These duties are stated in
Chinese measurements and currency, and can, therefore, be
properly estimated only by persons of practical experience.
They are, however, all moderate, and the principle is under-
stood to have been kept in view as far as possible of making
them equal to about 5 per cent."