The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-28

or TWO 0tper articles 1t would be the most desl
Table Of the two; were even another section
added to it, reducing the duties ON those commo-
dities-if they cannot be taken OF altogether
we should welcome its passage. Mr.. Letoher's
bill is good in many respects; but the clause
creating protective duty on foreign bottoms,
and the general confusion Of bis classification
viii be likely to interfere with it's success
Commercial Troubles IN ChlAa-Trsaic with
Casters Nations.
By extracts from the China Aal and the North
CHINO Herald, which we publish elsewhere, it will
be seen that there is great deal Of dissatisac-
tion and mutual iil-win growing up between the
American and British merchants in the ports OF
Sbanghae and Fuchau, or as it is also spelled,
Foo ehOw-foO. In the latter port the difficulty
arises out Of me fact that since early last sum-
ner, American merchants have by permission, or
rather by direction Of the United States Consul,
refused 10 pay the customs duties on the mer-
chandise which they export. This measure has
been adopted for the PURPOSE Of coercing the
| Chinese authorities at Facbau TO deliver up the
nurderers Of Mr.. Cunningham, an American resi-
| dent there, who was killed under circumstances
| which led to the belief that his death was the
result of native hatred 10 Foreigners The
Mandarin processes inability to arrest the
guilty parties-as they are not known; but the
American Consul and community persist in their
| demand, and resolve, until it be complied with,
10 withhold the payment Of duties Guarantees
are, however, required by the Consul from the
| consienees, so that no ultimate loss may accrue
to the Chinese treasury if the difficulty should
be arranged.
In the meantime, however, the British mer-
chants there conceive it to be o great hardship
that they should be forced to pay export duties,
| inasmuch as the Americans, who do not pay them,
can conse quently undersell them in the European
and other markets. A meeting was therefore
| held at the British Consulate on the 22d of Sep
TENDER, 1856, at which Mr.. Medhurst, the Consul,
presided and at which resolution was adopted
declaring it to be the right of British merchants
to enjoy the same privilegesas Americans is
'that the duties be not collected nor payment re-
quired until the payment Of arrears of all Ame-
rica1 duties is enforced and matters are placed
on former footing" A second resolution re-
quested the Consul to carry into effect the fore
going, and to communicate its substance to the
self the prime actor in this movement, declared
to the meeting that he only required such a mani
fesation of its wishes to authorize, or at least
excuse, the action which he desired to take in
reference to it-namely, to withhold also the
payment of export duties by his countrymen
until things should revert into their former
course.
By means OF this combined, If not concerted
action, on the part Of American and British
merchants, the Chinese treasury will be Temporal
rily if not permanently, deprived Of the revenues
which it derived from the immensely increasing
trade Of that port The city itself is in the hands
we believe, of the insurgents but the duties of
the port are still collected by an imperial COM
missioner. The Withholding of payment in the
case Of Fuchau is an entering wedge exceedingly
dangerous to the interests of China. If persisted
there, the foreign merchants at all the other
ports of China will in self defence, have to resort
10 the same measure, and refuse to pay any Gus
toms to the imperial commissioners. And though
he consumers Of tea and silk all over the world
the cost Of these necessities of civilized life, the
loss to the imperial treasury already in the
greatest straits-would precipitatc the fall Of the
Manchu dynasty, and lead TO the universal sue
cess Of the followers Of Thae-piDg-sang.
The difficulties at Shanghae have a totally
different origin, although the element Of
| jealousy between our own and British
or,orv lavfolv int tla orectiop
| IT seems that in consequence of the disturbed
| condition Of affairs there, change was effected
| some year or two ago In the mode Of collecting
revenue. The old Chinese system was abolished,
and sort Of capitalization plan resorted to, un-
| der the management OF superintendent OF
| trade and number Of inspectors, selected from
among the various nationalitics commercially
represented there The American firms com
plain, in communication to Mr.. Parker, the
| United States Commissioner that the business
| Of the port has sustained great deterioration of
late, and IL attributes that deterioration among
other things, to the inconvenience arising from
the new revenue system adopted there, and the
vtxatious regulations established by the inspec.
tors. They state, too, as matter OF personal
complaint, that for the last year the Supcrin-
iendent Of Trade has on frivolous pre,ences de-
clined to appoint one Of their fcllow-citizens TO
an iDspectorship, and they earnestly press upon
the attention Of Mr.. Parker the expediency and
justice Of abolishng the present system. the
necessity for which, they say, has passed away.
Mr. Parker, in non. committal response TO this
address states that be thinks il impossible that
such fact the injury to business by the present
regulations not receive the early and
anxious attention Of the representatives of the
treaty Powers under whose sanction and direc.
ton that system arose. and with whom alone
rests its continuance or abrogation.p The i'm.
mense trade Of Shanehae may be estimated, from
the fact that the export OF tea from that single