The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-26 00:00:00

CHINA.

Further correspondence respecting affairs in
China has just been presented to the House of
Lords. It relates exclusively to the opening of the
two ports of Han kau and Kiu-Kiang in the Yang-
tze to foreign trade. Mr. Bruce writes to Lord
John Russell on Dec. 2, 1860, that under the treaty
of Tientsin we had technically no right to insist
on the immediate opening of the river, but the
capture of Soo-chow by the insurgents, and the
bearing of this incident and of the progress of the
rebellion particularly on the import trade, rendered
it most desirable to find an uninterrupted channel
of communication with the western provinces of
China.

In furtherance of this object a correspondence took
place between Mr. Bruce and Prince Kung. Mr.
Bruce informs the Prince that he regards it as
expedient that for the present but two ports should
be opened ; namely, Han-kau and Kiu-Kiang ;
and in order to the prevention of abuses in the
present disturbed state of the river he would pro-
pose that the trade with these be carried on under
the following regulations :—All duties leviable
under the new tariff upon import or export cargoes
on board British vessels proceeding up or down
the river will be payable at Shanghai or Ching-
kiang-fu, and the customs authorities will take
such steps as seem to them necessary for the
enforcement of this rule. Every British vessel
proceeding up or down the river shall be permitted
to carry for her protection such an amount of
arms and ammunition as shall appear to the
Chinese customs to be reasonable, and this
amount of arms and ammunition shall be entered
in a certificate to be called the " Arms Certifi-
cate," which shall be delivered by the customs to
any master of a British vessel applying for it. Any
vessel trafficing in arms or ammunition, or carry-
ing any amount of either in excess of that specified
in her arms certificate, shall be liable to have her
cargo confiscated and to be prohibited from farther
trading on the river.
Mr. Bruce concludes by requesting his Highness
to issue the necessary instructions. Prince Kung
replies, agreeing to Mr. Bruce's proposals. On
Dec. 6 Lord Elgin writes to Lord J. Russell, from
Shanghai, where he was engaged in considering,
with the officers of the Imperial customs and some
of the leading merchants, the conditions under
which the opening of the river might be carried
out :

" If a legitimate trade can be established on this
river I believe that great advantage will accrue
from it, both to the people of China and to the
foreigners who engage in it ; more especially at
present, when the communication between the pro-
ducing districts and the ports on the seaboard axe
obstructed by the rebellion. It will go some way
towards affording to the inhabitants of the interior
a market and security, which are all that a China-
man requires to render him one of the most valu-
able customers. But very different consequences
will, I fear, ensue from this measure if smugglers
and filibusters, under the protection of terror and
exterritoriality, are enabled to avail themselves of
this channel of communication to introduce foreign
arms and recruits into the disturbed districts, and
thereby to extend and perpetuate the reign of
anarchy which threatens to convert one of the most
fertile regions of the earth and its industrious
population into a wilderness haunted by bands of
ruffians. Irregular profits on consignments of guns
and gunpowder will be dearly purchased if they
are obtained by processes which will dry up the
sources of production in the tea and silk-growing
provinces of China. Your lordship can well under-
stand the anxiety which I feel to frame such regu-
lations for the trade on the Yang-tsze as shall keep
in some check, if they do not altogether prevent,
this great mischief."