New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-15

sllke fancy aTuclef, DiIde, &C. NOW, VI" hi''
thought striking Mr.. Alcock's mind was, that tho
Japanese Government, by the Improvisation OF
Yokohama had tried to eude Art. Ill of Lord ri.
GINS treaty, providing for British location NJ
Kanaeawa itself, viz: the town situated on the
edge of the Bay and each side Of the tocado, ana
had taken upon itself alone, without any concert
with the foreign representatives to select the site OF
the new settlement. The American Envoy he con-
tended had decided upon another site, although ne
could not deny That Mr.. bunker Curhus, the Dutch
Commissioner Lad taken no exception ~ the pro-
posed site and arrangements oil Y0kuhama. lie
must also owe that the advantage ON the site OF
Yokuhama, in point of facility Of access from inc
Bay, with the aid of the fine cttes built ana depth
Of water, the free and open space on shore, the
greater water frontage and the easier approach at
all times OF the tide, " admit OF no question.
Nevertheless, he stands there on bis diplomatic
punctio. Not content with assailing the Japan
foreign Ministers by a formidable yoley OF protests
remonstrances and expostulations, he hastens to
issue by Capt. Vyse, bis acting Consul at Kama
gawa, notification warning British merchants 10
take no houses in the japanese settlement since ny
NO doing they would incur the danger OF defeating
efforts made in their interest for fitting location
{" ard better understanding with the authorities
on that and other subjects immediately connected
with the Opening port"
| But, horrible dietu, the mercantile interest
seems deaf to the diplomatic appeal. The
Dulch merchants rent HOutS anu stoico ~ iohu-
| hama; an American schooner discharges her cargo
| on the forbidden side of the bay, and Mr.. Kes-
wick a Brtisher, q representative OF the house
| of Jardne, EfathesOn a. Co., sees fit to take
residence in the japanese settlement as do also the
passengers of the Loeb LOmOud Lord John Rus
! sell himself in answer TO the lamentations OF the
| British Envoy, has the good sense to write:
Tho preparations made by the Japanese Government
although Contrary treOy been well adpted or The
OF that i probable ths ia Japan
Foreigners instead OF ksntass and me house Of
Ess; that where they settle other likely follow"
| But Mr.. Alcock nothing dauItcd, proceeds to
| press ON the japanese Ministers the rights OF q
treaty extorted by surprise and terror lie iaters
himself at last to have the question settled IN his
sense, but the upshOt, as IN the currency question,
| ia 10 unsettlc everything, TO turn the new colony
topsy.turvy, to leopard the lives and limbs Of the
| foreigners, and 10 bring trade TO standstiil.
What more striking Illustration Of modern British
| diplomacy, at once atrOci0us, 0verbearing, ana
| stupid, would it be possible 10 give Instead OF
conciliating the japanese Government 10 the ex-
| torled treaty, Dir. Alc0ck seems only bent upon
making them swallow its most unpalatable clauses.
! Commerce he handles as ilimsy val to cover
claims at political usurpatoD. Instead of allowing
| commercial intercourse TO smooth the inroads made
by the foreigners, he stays his bend, and puts the
YeddO Government to the alternative OF advocating
or tearing the treaty to pieces Ills own Importance
| seems dNoRtlftI ~ vi thc "iANA
he hunts for sources of controversy grievances, and
| interference.
| There are bis disputes about passports, in which
he intIinges himself upon the express words OF the
Elen treaty as said by the Japan foreign ministers,
who give HIM TO understand that it is natural that
" every country differing in customs will also diter
80 in their laws and regulations" He, the repre-
sentative of a nation in which vested interests play
! 60 paramount a part that at this moment the
| mighty coalition of Palmerstonians, Wings, Peel
ties and Radicals trembes before the Ire OF the Ii.
censed victualers fighting for their old monopoly of
poisoning the British public-he expects the weak
| japanese Government to execute ut once, to the
| point of the letter. treaty suddenly imposing
| on them absolute free trade, breaking through
the centenarian monopoly granted to the Chinese
for the traffic in certain articles through the an
cient system OF trading guilds with exclusive priyi
eges and through the profitable participation IN all
the operations between japanese and foreign deal
era OF the Government officials. This revolutionary
change be wants ~ be brought about not by the
slow acten of the newy-opcned foreign intercourse
| and commerce, but at his mighty iGt.
1t is then not to be wondered at that the YeddO
Government get ut last tired at his constant teas
| ing nteImeddhng and assiduous impertnence, and
under vail Of courtesy and good WILL IN tone
perfectly cOncliatoIy and IN part deprecatOry, IN
grave manner and with vague expressions of regret
and promise Of deberation Try to get rid Of the un
welcome customer and his treaty, the SHARES laid in
which they become cOgnizant of the harder he
bears on the concessions made in its single para
graphs. 1--WE feel uneasy about all these quarrels
" with foreign nations" exclaim the japanese For
eign Ministers, in q dispatch addressed to Mr..
AcOck.
There was q concurrence of other circumstances
driving things 70 an extreme point. The rumor of
the Peiho disaster and the brutal proceedings OF
Mr Bruce and Admiral Hope in the Chinese waters
had found its way to Yeddo. The Japanese Gov
eminent heard OF threatened missions from Prussia
and Denmark and Sweden. quasi agent of the
Swiss Confederation appeared on the stage. On
Mr. Alcock's referring to Belgium, one of the jap
anese Foreign Ministers counted the existing Treaty
Powers on bis fingers, and added:
with these Eve find desess and scarcity already result
ins hon foreign trade viii dolly increasing dilcaisi wns
then TO become Of new soun-s added to the hP
The arrival of Russian squadron at Kanagawa
gave occasion to an act Of violence and murder,
committed at Yokuhama, on one of the Russian OFF,
GERS and two sailors, by some Japanese. In the
transactions with the Central Government, thence
arising, Mr.. Alcock, in his zeal, succeeded IN
so managing the affair that all the odium rested on
! him, while I'll The profit was p0ckeed by General
! MaurayieG. The balance was at last turned by the
reckless and violent proceedings of the British conf
mercial adventurers in the trading ports. Mr. Al
cocks Consular subalterns at Nagasaki, Kama
| eGwa and HakOdadi, instead Of curbing the inso
ence ofheir cOuntrymen seemed eager to exaggerate
panic and excitement. 1t happened, for instance,
! that Chinaman in the seryice of Il Britisher,
assassnaied in a broil with the japanese, at Kama
gawa. Immediately, Mr. Yyse, the Acting Consul,
| issued the following atrociCus notification:
"The undersigned her Britannia Majeys Acting Consul at
Kans.swA desires all British subjects win foT the future
about nw aint much possible for their personal
eeafds revolver ether deadly
may be able 70 obtains and the undersigned gives free permission