The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-20 00:00:00

TREATY TVITH BURMA H.

The text of the treaty of the 25th of October has
been published. It was signed, on the one part, by
Colonel Fytche, and, on the other part, by. the
Pakhan Woongyee, Men-Thudo-Mengyee Maha-
Menhla See-thoo ; and it was ratified by the Vice-
roy and Governor-General of India in Council on
the 26th of November. With the exception of
earth-oil, timber, and precious stones, which are
reserved as Royal monopolies, all merchandise pass-
, ing between British and Burmese territory is to be
liable at the Burmese Custom-houses to a uniform
import and export duty of 5 per cent. ad valorem,
and no indirect dues or payments of any kind for
ten years ; after which period it is to be optional
with the Burmese Government to increase or de-
crease the duty, not exceeding 10 per cent., or fall-
ing below 3 per cent., giving three months' notice
of any such increase or decrease. The British Go-
vernment is privileged to establish a resident or
political agent in Btfrmese territory, with full
and final jurisdiction in all civil suits be-
tween registered British subjects at the capi-
tal ; civil cases between Burmese subjects
and registered British subjects are to be
heard and finally decided by a mixed Court
composed of the British political agent and a suit-
able Burmese officer of high rank. The Burmese
Government reserves to itself the right of establish-
ing a resident or political agent in British territory,
whenever it may choose to do so. The British Go-
vernment is further allowed the right of appointing
British officials to reside at Customs' duty stations
in Burmese territory, to watch and inquire into
cases affecting trade in its relation to Customs' duty;
the Burmese Government to have the like right in
British Burmah. There is to be free trade in the
import and export of bullion between the two coun-
tries. The Burmese Government is to be allowed
permission to purchase arms, ammunition, and war
materials in British territory, subject only to the
consent and approval in each case of the Chief
Commissioner of British Burmah and agent to the
Governor-General. There is to be a mutual extra-
dition of the subjects of the two Governments
charged with having committed murder, robbery,
dacoity, or theft in their own country, and found in
the territory of the other Government, provided that
the charge shall have been investigated by the pro-
per officers of the Government demanding its sub-
ject, in the presence of the political agent of the
other Government, and provided also that such po-
litical agent shall consider that sufficient cause exists
under the law procedure of his country to justify
the demand and place the accused on trial. Sub-
jects of either country found in their own country
charged with having committed murder, robbery,
dacoity, or theft in the other country are; on appre-
hension, to be tried and punished in accordance with
the law and custom of the country in which such
persons are so found. This treaty is to be deemed
subsidiary only, and as in no way affecting the pro-
yiaions of the treaty of 1862.

The Rev. Professor M'CosH said the deputation
appeared on behalf of the convocation of the Queen's
University, which consisted of the members of the
senate, the presidents, professors, and graduates,
who had a very strong and unanimous feeling with
regard to intermediary education in Ireland and
appealed to the Government to carry out their
views. They appealed, first of all, on the ground
of its intimate bearing on the prosperity and wel-
fare of Ireland. Some of them thought that one of
the principal wants of Ireland was the want of
an educated middle class to bind together the upper
and the lower classes of society, and they believed
that this could be provided, as in other countries,
by the establishment of upper classes in the existing
rchools. They pleaded for it because it was inti-
mately connected with the welfare of all the colleges
—of Trinity College, Dublin, as well as of the
three Queen's colleges and the various denomina-
tional colleges. They had now in Ireland a consi-
derable number of colleges in proportion to the
population, and in comparison to other countries.
He thougbt it was a mistake originally to set
up so many colleges without providing them
with adequate feeders. The effect of the estab-
lishment of national schools had been rather
to diminish the number of upper schools
than to increase them. Prior to the establish-
ment of national schools there were many
schools where the teachers derived their living from
giving instruction in classics ; but the admirable
teaching of the schools under the national board
gradually put an end to schools of that class by
drawing away the pupils. The consequence was
that the young men who entered the colleges were
not educated in the way they ought to be. The
commissioners appointed to inquire into the en-
dowed schools reported that there were 91 towns in
Ireland in which there was not a single upper school.
When they looked on other countries, enlightened
and civilised, they found them better provided than
Ireland. In England there were many excellent
grammar schools, and in Scotland every burgh
had a school in which French, and classics, and
mathematics were taught. He himself had been
prepared for the university in a Scottish parochial
school, by one of the ordinary teachers. When
sent out to Prussia by the Department of Educa-
tion, he found a large number of schools in which
the teachers gave instruction in the ancient and
modern languages, and in various departments of
science. In the heart of Germany he was pleased
to find children learning the English language. In
Holland, also, he found intermediary education
extending rapidly, and in America it was the same.
The consequence was, that they were educating a
large number of men to occupy important places in
life, to bind together the various classes of society,
and to enter the universities. In Ireland, not so much
from religious animosity—unhappy though it be—
as the want of encouragement, such schools were
not to be found. They had the means of meeting
this now. There was a practical scheme drawn
out by the Right Hon. Alexander Macdonnell,
and sanctioned in high quarters, to which they
prayed his excellency's attention. It had for its ob-
ject the allowing of classics to be taught in the or-
dinary national schools, in a course of, say, three
years. It was guarded in such a way that no pos-
sible abuse could result from it. It was so arranged
that the teacher would not be drawn away from his
duties in regard to primary education, and there
was an encouragement given him to exert himself to
the utmost. They asked the Lord Lieutenant to
have this scheme put in execution immediately, so
that it might be reported on by the education com-
missioners. That was the first measure proposed
by the committee of Convocation. It had been
sanctioned unanimously by the National Board, but
he was sorry to say that another measure was bound
up with it, different from it in every sense, opening
up wide differences of opinion, and operating as a
hindrance to the execution of the scheme.

The LORD LIEUTENANT —What is the specific
suggestion that you make ?
Dr. M'Cosii asked that this scheme—which he
might, perhaps, call Mr. Macdonell's—be put in
immediate execution as an experiment. He knew
what the effect of intermediate education had been
in Scotland, and from his knowledge of this coun-
try he was ready to testify that therewas here as
great a desire for higher class education as in any
part of the world.

The LORD LIEUTENANT—There is no doubt of it.
schools. There is a want of intermediary.
Dr. M'Cosn said this was the first practical mea-
sure which the deputation had to lay before the
Lord Lieutenant. The second was with regard to
Erasmus Smith's schools, which they believed could
carry out the important end intended by the founder
if differently conducted, and fill the class rooms of
the colleges.

Professor IN ESBITT observed that the establish-
ment of intermediary schools would have the effect
of putting an end to the great defects found in the
working of the national schools—irregularity of
attendance and early withdrawal of the papils.
The Earl of MAYO said he was desired by the
Lord-Lieutenant to state that no subject could be
brought under the notice of Government so vitally
important to the wellbeing of the country as this.
The effect of the decay of intermediate schools in
Ireland has been most lamentable, and it was now
particularly felt since the system of competitive
examinations had been established. A national
want had been created for such schools by the
establishment of these examinations, for even the
poorest felt that there was no chance of obtaining
.a situation in the public service or in the great
establishments of private individuals, unless a
high class of education bad been obtained. Many
difficulties existed in considering the question of the
institution of intermediate schools, but with these
the Government were prepared to deal, were it not
that the scope of the commission recently issued
enabled the commissioners to investigate the merits
of Mr. Macdonell's, as well as other schemes, in the
fullest manner. They had, therefore, thought it
better to await the report of that commission before
proposing any measure to Parliament ; and he
should be only too glad if any efforts of theirs
contributed to the establishment of a system of in-
termediate education in Ireland calculated to meet
with the acceptance of the great mass of the peo-
ple.

The deputation thanked the Lord-Lieutenant
and Lord Mayo, and retired.

Lord and Lady Lindsay and Hon. Miss Lindsay
have during the past week been staying on a visit to Lord
Overston and Hon. Mrs. Loyd-Lindsay, at his lordship's
seat ill Northamptonshire.

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THE CLUIATE AND ME ,,-
Awig I 4zal
.A..nnesley Bay on the 2nd inst., thus speaks of tte health of
the troops, the climate of the country, and the prospects of
a good water supply :" I am happy to say that so fax the
climate, from which so much was apprehended, has done
little or no mischief to bipeds. The troops, European and
native, are enjoying their average health. The mortality -
among the horses and baggage animals is still considerable,
though not so great as it was. We bad this morning our
first instalment of the rain declared due early in November,
but there was no attempt to make up for arrears. The
shover lasted little more than hour, and for the greater
part of this time was only a feeble drizzle. It is here a
question, however, whether we are not better without
rain than with it—strange as this announcement may
seem to those of your readers who remember how much
the expectation of a rainy season had to do with the
decision, so tardily arrived at, that an Abyssinian
expedition was not impracticable. The natives here
say that if the rains begin the horses and baggage
animals will die by hundreds, and our doctors are .
afraid of fever and dysentery. For the last few days,
moreover, there has been an abandant supply of water
from the steamers, and yesterday two condensers on land,
one supplying 4,000 gallons a day, the other 2,000, were
got into working order,—thanks to the energy of Captain -
Goodfellow, and to the cordial support which he has re-
ceived from Captain Edye, to whom, as chief naval officer,
the water supply was entrusted, and whose men, always •
ready for any and every job in their way or out of their
way, have worked with the heartiness which all over the 1
world distinguishes the British sailor. A hot spring has
also been discovered, with.the assistance of the American _
pump sent out from England, at Koomaylee, and as -
Koomaylee—the first depot on the road to Senafd—is
only thirteen miles from Annesley Bay, there is some talk -
of having the water brought down here in pipes ; or,
as Lieutenant Willans has already more than half com-
pleted his railway to Koomaylee, and one locomotive has :
arrived, a supply of water might before long be sent here
daily by rail. A still more welcome discovery of water has
been made up in the Senafe Pass. 'Your readers may per-
haps remember that in a former letter—that is, if it has .
ever reached them—l mentioned that one of the great
difficulties of the pass was the want of 'water between -
Upper Sooroo and Rayray Guddy—a distance of nearly
thirty miles. A well has just been made, containing a fair .
supply, at Undul, which is about half-way between these .
t •o places, and the American pump will probably discover
mor , water there. This will enable a dep6t to be formed '
:1 Undul, and thus greatly facilitate the movement of
troops and supplies up to Senafe."