The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-14
FROM OUR LONDON spoNDEvr


And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever
pray, &c. E
FROM OUR LONDON CORRESP ONDENT
| LONDON, April 30, 1855.
The events now transpiring at the East Of
greater Importance to the people of the United
States than they at present believe. At this time
there is no topic in commercial circles here that is
discussed with such eagerness. The India rebellion
may be said to be settled with the capture of Luck
now and the dispersion of the forces of Mana Sa-
hib, but the China question is yet scarcely
ed. The last news is that the English and French
ambassadors had sent the secretaries of their en-
bassies, Mr.. OHphant and NJ. de Contades with
important dispatches to Shanghae. The Tao-tai of
that city being absent they left at for the large
city of Sou-tchou-fou, a few miles north and there
met in person His Excellency the Foutai, Deputy
Viceroy and Governor-General of the province of
kiangSo The English and French Secretaries
conveyed notes from their chiefs to the viceroy,
and in them were dispatches to the Premier of
China-the principal Secretary of State of the
Emperor at Pekin. The Viceroy received
them most graciously at his yamun or pal
ace, and after reading the notes to himself-with
his subordinates looking over his shoulders and
reading them too at the same time!-he said he
would send the dispatches to Pekin at once We
all know what Oriental promises are but as the ma
tion of long queues have tasted French champagne
and smet British powder, they will probably do
something now. Here in England there is a feeling
OF Jealousy towards America and Russia that cannot
be disguised, for, while the English and French do
all the lighting, and create the compulsory courte-
sy they do not like the idea that two outside ma
tions are standing good chance of reapng an equal
share of the commercial fruits of the war and the
treaties Still the moral force that will 60 with the
demands of four such natiOns-Outside barbarians
though they are-must be very considerable |
can not help wishing that something might turn
up that would bring our China squadron into
direct contact and active operation against the
Chinese, alongside of the fleets of France and Eng
| land. China is almost entirely a sefsupporting
sef-sustained nation; China has nearly every va
riety of soil, cmat and natural production of the
whole globe, and China alone has population that
Is more than twice as great as the four powerful
nations now at her doors seeking commercial trea-
ties If the Oriental Emperor is determined to keep
up his usual reserve, his habtual reticence and non
intercourse, do not the excuse the chance the
| opportunity or the power that the great CONNER
cial nations have of throwing open his gates Rus
sla has long carried on a profitable trade with
China, overland, and by way of the great rivers of
Siberia and being inferior in commercial and naval
resources to England France and the United States
| the Gar will undoubtedly be on the side of
China in reality, rather than cordially
with the great maritime powers. But pre-
Stunning the best suppose we get a really
good commercial treaty with China, what will it
| benefit us? Very largely. As our commerce now
stands there is large balance of trade against us
with some nations, while with others it is in our ia
vor. few countries with which we carry on a
very important trade, show yearly balance against
us-loOking for example at the fiscal year. 1866 Sc
! of S65000 900. OF this amount over S55 900 900
will be found in three great divisions of the globe.
| With China and the East Indies the balance against
us Is about 900 900, with South America, S18,-
100000, and with the Spanish West Indies Sl9 ,000
OO0 To these countries the exports from the United
States, the year ending July 1st 1856, amounted to
only So, 900, while the imports from them to
the United States, was S7S,250,000. With the West
Indies and South America, the United States trade
| will always be in unsatisfactory state, un-
| TIL we have ocean steamers and are able to COM
pete with Great Britain. But with China
| there are other considerations of great mo-
| ment. The most profitable trade between our At
lantic coast and the shores of China and the East
India islands must be principally by sailing vessels.
When there is sufficient population, production,
and commerce on our Pacific coast, then a fleet of
steamers will cover that vast ocean to an extent
that the widest dream of the enthusiast never
reached. But unless we can put our trade in the
ports OF China satisfactory footing, we cannot
look for profitable trade in that quarter Our
gross exports to China in year amounts (lS55-6)
to 81 2,55S,237, and to the East Indies 81 320 439
During the same year Great Britain exported of
British produce and manufactures alone, to India
So, 100000, and to China Sl1 ,0S0 900. have be-
fore me return showing that in nine years-lS49,-
'57-British produce and manufactures were ex-
ported to India to the amount of S40G 500 0O0 and
to China SIS, 100000; not far from five hundred
millions, while the United States, in the same time
never exported to the countries forty millions
dollars worth of our products
We must have tea, coffee, spices, drugs and 9TH
er products that are not yet produced in own
country, and these articles must be paid for, but
why liberal commercial arrangements, and sound
commercial policy, will produce more favorable
balance, why should we be so completely distanced
| in our trade to the East ? French paper-the
OnUers-charges Great Britain with forcing the de-
testable and illegal trade in opium on China, even
at the point of the bayonet, and true or not it is
very certain that opium, anarcotc or stimulant is
used to great extent in China 1t is eqally certain
hnt fhn nf fob
throughout the civilized world is far less pernicious
IN Its effects than opium, and might be made to take
the place of the latter under most circumstances
tract OF country across the entire continent of Amer
lea, from $40 to $50 or 800 n Latitude could be
made to produce as much tobacco as all the rest of
the world would consume. On the score of human
ity, if the fragrant Virginia weed could be once in
troduced into China, there would not only be crea-
ted vast demand that might supply in ex-
change for the products of China but in the mean
time the opium trade could be made to suffer
greatly, if not completely rooted out.
John Jacob Astor said it cost him more toll to
make his first thousand dollars than it did to make
any ten thousand after it. Now, if we could start
| a monthly line of steamers from Baltimore to Cuba
and Aspinwall to correspond with a monthly line
from Panama to San Francisco, and Shanghae
China, and with sailing vessel take half a cargo
of tobacco and "notions' to Canton, round the
Cape of Good Hope, it would be the commencement
of a commerce that would admit of almost in
definite expansion. Great Britain enrches her
ties on tobacco alone, which is than the origi
| nal cost of the article imported and consumed
china contains 350 900, 900 people, and where
is the limit to the amount of tobacco to the cotton
manufactures, iron manufactures, ingenious imple-
ments, and other peculiarly American products
that successful trade with China would call for
China has one river-the Yang- -tse- -Kiang-that car
res off water, and fertilzes and irrigates valley
equal to the Mississippi itself. Instead of popua
tion of ten Millions the valley of the Yang Kiang
has nearly 2000 900 of people. The city near its
mouth th-Sou-tchou-fou - where the French and
English secretaries met the Viceroy of the pro-
vince, contains population of 'from two to three
millions, equal to London itself-and while it is
near the coast, not two days journey from Shang-
hae, the name is scarcely known in America
At meeting of the Royal Geographical Society
on Monday evening last, there paper read,
and discussion on the vigatiOn and commerce of
the Yang-tse-Kiang. In the discussion, heard
gentleman who had been a British Consul in China,
say he had seen four thousand unks at Shanghae at
one time. He said there no conception of the
vast commerce of the course and valley of this
mighty river. The Grand Imperial Canal extends
from the Langkan river near Pekin, crossing the
Y Yang- -Kiang to the city OF Nankin, and down
the river to Sou-tchou-fou, to Shanghae and tban
into the interior to the city of Hoe-tcheou. Think
of a vast canal floating vessels of large size. com
mencing at Albany, New York and going tbronrb
Philadelphia Baltimore, and Washington. and ter
minating at Richmond, Virginia. Then Won must
imagine that the country Immediately intersected
by the canal, has population Of saw 100 millions
of people.
An old gentleman in Manchester, a manufacturer,
hearing that the Chinese wore cotton night-caps
said he would rather have the contract to supply
the Chinese with night caps, than have all the
uiactarlng business of Manchester and Leeds COM
blned. Now, | would rather have the contract to
hl all the pipes and tobacco boxes of the people who
do, or who might could, or would smoke and chew,
In the valley of the Yang -tse-kiang, than have the