The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-31

Among the papers presented to the House OF
Commons by the Minister Of Foreign Affairs
on the 2tst of February, 1880, is one which mas
been published, and which relates to this SUD-
Iect. Il contains y letter from the British con-
sul-general, Mr.. Aicock, in which he states
that there is a bad state Of things in that coun-
try, and that trade is insecure ana mas been
very much injured. The consul general states
that there is much TO complain Of in the ia.
panese au thorites, who have n bad system or
no stem OF administration, apd little desire
10 facilitate trade which they believe must
impoverish them--nOt the less that they see 1t
begins with a run upon their gold currency.
The consul general adds, that "theTe has, on
The other hand, been much cause for dissatis-
faction given by foreigners" The relative
value of silver and gold in Japan is very differ.
cni from the value established any where else.
While, among the commercial powers OF Eu.
rope and America, gold is between ntteen and
sixteen times the value Of silver, in Japan its
value is only four times greater than silver.
For convenience the japanese government had
established n treasury system by which small
sans OF gold could be exchanged Al the public
offices for silver to \ very limited amount for
the convenience of trade. This plan was found
To work we'll SO long as the matter rested with
the japanese people. Bat as soon as the coun-
Try was open to general trade, the exchange of
silver for gold offered to foreigners the pros
sect enormous profit, and they Instantly
adopted every measure in their power to evade
The restrictions OF the japanese Ia VS. IN order
To get possession of the gold and send 1t of.
The limitation by which each person was re-
stricted TO a given amount Of gold to be de-
lnanded in one day was evaded by the presen-
tation of fictitious names, and it is stated that
the government treasury was besieged, and
As the officials got into confusion and could
not supply the demand with sufficient rapidi-
iy, some OK the spectators hit upon the device
of sending in claims for proposterOns amounts,
the assumption, doubtless, that il each APP
picant only got per cen'age OF what he
asked, by asking enough he might get quite as
much rs he was prepared to pay for. The
plan, Of course, soon found imitatoIs, and at
las; acquisitions were sent in OF the most vul-
applied on one day for change for $780, 600,
equal to f50,uJO,oO0 sterling. Here is his re-
question:
TO the officers Of the Treasury, Kanasara:
Please chal &c for me to-day $3.50 .ood. and
obltge yours, truly, H. PELGE.
tFriday.l
Mr Eskrigge improved upon the example of
lIr Pelge. Mr.. Eskrigge drew a reQuisition
thus:
YOKUHAMA, Nov. !, 1859,
To the Chief offer, Treasury:
Sir: beg to apply for change as under
Here follow fifteen names with a large sum
assigned to each. Among these names are
Messrs. Bones, Doodledoo, Nonsense, Is-it-nof,
Saoo.ls His bro 'her, &c.
The whole amoHnt asked for is $751;. 3i7,ol9,-
G52--thus summed mp by the applicant
three hundred and ffty-five billions, three
.lred and nineteen thousand, six hundred and
Jhirty-tWo. Tho. ESKR1GGE
Mr.. latham is more moderate in his first re-
QUESTION, but quite AS ingenious in fabricating
The names of his friends. Among these are:
MIR. Eye-all, Mr.. No-nose, Mr. Smell-bad,
Mr. Guirdem. MIR. Siicketup, Mr.. Sweidel-
pipes.
But in his second requisition Mr.. latham
cutdoes himself and his predecessors. Ii is in
these words CCSTOM-HoUsE.
1 beg to apply for itzebous for Mr.. Jack
ketch and others. The sum total OF the de-
mand is thus stated One sextillion, two hun
dred quintiliions, six hunGred ant sixty-six
quadrill:ons, seven hundreds and twenty-seven
trillions, eight hundred and eighty EIGHT bill
lions nine hundred and ninty-nine millions,
two hundred and twenty-five thousand, three
hundred and twenty-one. Tho. LATHAM
Well may the British Foreign Secretary re-
mark that this is "a state Of things which is at
once discreditable to the British name and in.
compatible with the successful prosecution OF
trade in Japan