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

merce through their estates ai' ou'y sr..L; and
troll Yeddo and the two ports OF Nagasah on"
UoLo5a5; arc saverally in the Imperial domain,
Int tho domains of the Damios intercept al nv
Snss ~ oownarce 10 and from the interior ana inc
great centres of trade and produce; ho uat
therefore TO any extent, can 'aAe oc,oDp
w;tbont their consent. Ihey hcio "'v'co', "
"nno e ne, and death over all within their terri
- ;vr;sd;cton: and the administration oil JUS.
80 !; eoualy in their hands, uncontrolled except
.N e. 90 Established laws and customs may place
ory cLeek ON the arbitrary VIII OF the iord OF aus
Sai,oates. The coal mines are all their properly;
also those of copper, lead silver ana an ue ouier
snu,cps cf mineral wealth in which the country is
saiJ Ia abound IL should be remarked, en- PEASANT
tbot fle importance uf the japan commerce to the
maritime nations would principally rest on the Goals
thence to be supplied, and generally, ON the export
of its mineral wealth. But throughout the empire
there prevails settled conviction OF the danger oil
exhausting the mineral resources of the country,
and the mpolcy and injustice of doing so, if even
for their own profit, in any one generation. All
mineral products are looked upon as in great part
the inheritance OF posterity, being, unlike the
produce of the soil, unacceptable OF reproduction;
and therefore, they hold them not to be- ut the
disposal of any one generation save ior for its own
reasonable aud immediate wants Now, the
Damios, or territorial maguates, the proprietors of
the land, the mines, and all the lines of commerce.,
form as in all aristOratic countries, powerful
center Of the sO-cal!ed national prejudices. Ii is
they who mainly cling to the traditions of the past,
and represent all the hostile and antsgonstic tend
enoies Of Japan 70 all extension of foreign relations
or commerce. The signing of the American treaty,
concluded by Mr.. Harris was the signal
for great political commoton, and the disgrace of all
concerned in the negotiation, even down to the sub
ordinates The lives of the chief ministers were for
some time in danger, violent was the feeling ex-
cited amorg the majority Of the Dainios, the great
hereditary princes Of the empire, whose nominee the
Tycoon bmsclfis in point OF fact The prompt dis
| mssal Of the ministers who were in Office at the
time of the execution Of the treaty with America,
aud the nomination of those who have since eOntin
ued in power, was n retrogade act intended by the
| DamiOs to put check to any further concession
| Circumstances however, proved too strong Tor
| them, and they found Themselves under the cruel
necessity of signing in rapid succession treates with
most of the great Powers in Europe, each more hb-
| eral than lis predecessor.
From the sketch just given, it becomes evident
that The foreign representatives have to overcome
not Only the resistance of the General Government,
lut the power exercised collectively by the perna-
| neit Council of the DamiOs, and individually by
each magnate in his own territory. Instead OF
smoothing the way by exhibition OF the greatest
ros sile Difference TO the Imperial Government, the
foreign Representatives, with Mr.. Alcock at their
head put il to the alternative of d revolution Or
war.
No sooner had Mr.. Alcock thought himself by
| dlnt oil the exchange vi HiHuy S'otpu
in BIS saddle when, fairly supported by Mir. Harris,
his American colleague, he began to ride rough the
japanese Government, and to attempt the estab-
lishment OF an imperum IN tmperto
On his iirst arrival at Nagasaki, he found fifteen
square-Tigged vessels in the harbUr-IneIi-0f-war
| and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS British, Dutch, Anen-
| can and Russian flags, and some fifteen British
subjects resident on shore and actively engaged i'll
f ade NEST Of it transacted by means of contract
with the Government or its officers. Fifteen thou
sand tuns of shipping had found profitable employ
rent here within the last six months (since Janu-
ary 1851. All trade had been carried ON under
the provisions of the Dutch treaties and additional
acts OF the 30th January, 1856 and 10th October,
1857 or the Russian treaty of 10Th October, 1857,
signed by Admiral Putiatin, opening the ports OF
| hagasahi and HakOdadi to trade under certain re-
strictions and prohibitions. He ascertained that
1.-THE trade under Dutch, British and other flags
"indiscIinnatey had thus been carried ON with the
'dircct sanction and official cognizance OF the Gov
"error of Nagasaki, who had in many instances
" facilitated the merchants in acquiring houses and
places of business" Foreign commerce thus ap-
peared in fair way of starting until brought TO
sudden Stand-still by the new treaty OF friendship
peace and free trade.
The fret blessing Japan derived from the charter
| of civilization granted to its Government was-a
currency question, thing never before dreamed OF
in the secluded oceanic spot BY article X. of Lord
Elgn's treaty, provision is made that all foreign
coin shall pass current in Japan, and for correspond
Ing weights in japanese coin Of the same descT1p-
ton, gold for gold and silver for silver. 1t is further
Stipulated that for the period of year after the
| cIening of the ports, the Japanese Government
will furnish British subjects with Japanese CON- in
exchange for theirs equal weights being given and no
discount taken for reconage; while japanese coins
Of all descriptions, except "copper" may be exported
The description of foreign money, the free circu-
atOn of which throughout the country was actually
contemplated, was the dollar.
Now, the stipuatiOns involved the complete over
throw of the old japanese monetary system, and all
| the economical relations connected with it.
While gold in Europe and America bears, on the
| average, relative value to silver of 10 to l, in
japan if was legally current at the rate of s to /.
A gold kCbang, intrinsicaly worth from lis. Cd to
]ss. ed. (there being some variation in the alloy
between new and old coins), thus only represents
four silver tzebOus, ounce and third OF sill
| yer. When the treaty was made, the silver cur
Tency consisted of tzebOus half-itzebous and quar-
ter-itzebous; three jtzebous being equal IN weight
to dollar, and the rest in proportion. Copper
caeh, however formed the base of the monetary
system. one jtzebou being worth 800 cash. Ii
appears that as gold is underyaued by 200 per cent
az against silver, silver Is undervalued by about
per cent as against copper. This system, which
gave purely fictitious value to the silver CONS IN
relation to gold converting them in tact, into mere
| silver tokens with value derived not from their
| weight but from the Government stamp liked upon
them, did by no means interfere with the japan
foreign trade, since the latter was only barter
Il ade; the coins being in circulation only among
japanese. All this was now suddenly changed.
A dollar and third would now have been ex-
changed by weight with four silver itzebous and
consequently have bought golden kcbang intrin.
l