Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-05-23
THE GAZETTE.
THE BRITISH And TIE JAPANESE.


tween their Empire and England, their mis-
sion is more than form. At the moment
Of their arrival, We receive from London oul
copy Of the correspondence between Dir. AL
cock, Her Majestys Minister at ledo ano
Lord John RusScll.-Mr. Alcock's letters
covering in many instances, TRANSACTIONS I"
MS correspondence with the Jai aneSe Tor
eign minister's This curious volume nrlng>
down the EngliSh dispatches home as late
rs the 7tb of January last. And although
some Improvement has been observed since
that date, the subjects alluded 10 in the cor
respondence still remain unadiusted.
Mr.. Acock, first the ConSul-General OF
Great Britain, and afterwards Envoy Extra
ordinary and Minister Pienipotentary
seems from his own correspondence to have
been often discouraged at the difficulties ot
his position. to have found his life at ! edo
rather tedious after its first novelty was
overland as his own moods varied, or the
hoSptalities of the japanese, he appears to
have changed his mind as to the probabili-
ties Of successful trade with them. lie has
been in close accord with cur 'Mr. Consul
la 'ris," who has shown such remarkable
skill in his position. Without lntimatlng
hat he generally did what Mr. Consul llar-
ris' advised him to do, we think II fair to
say that he was ready to avail hlmSelt,-as
it was certainly desirable he should,--ot Mr..
ILarris's earlier knowledge Of the position.
At the close of the correspondence he re
ceives quite severe rebuke from Lord
John Russell for threatening war.
In general Mr.. Alcock's letters are man
Nv and inte!ligent:-the tone of occasional
J., 49, haip bn nnl m ~ r
ted in them.
Tee japanese government have behaved
with such good sense in the silver and gold
business. that it may be said to have ad-
iusteG itself as we have often shown that 1t
would do if it were well let alone. There
was preposternus effort on the part OF one
of the English Consuls to have them COM
PEELED to introduce the Spanish dollar into
their interior circulation. But this was
checked by Mr. Alcock and sharply rebuk-
"a by Lord John Russell. We believe that
much is due to the good sense OF MIR. Har-
ris, in showing what temporary arrange
5nants were desirable while the rates of sill
yer and gold were adjusting themselves to
the general ratio which those metals hold III
the world at large. Up to the opening OF
the trade, silver has been 50 scarce, as to be
worth oue-tith of the same rate Of gold
Of course, when trade was thrown open sill
yer would 90 in and gold would go out. II
n foreign merchant couid sell japanese
five Mexican dollars, and obtain gold com
rs heavy as one of them in return, he would
do it, Where profits were 81 enormous, this
transaction could not be checked: as we have
often explained to our readers, and as the
,jarane ministers seem to have understood
very early. We wish all our legislatures
who deal with finance could be made to un-
ierstand the following statement made IN
one Of tie japanese dispatches: 1t speakS
to "rraS,n,' say Manahe SmoosaH!o Nam
and Wakiska Naka;uknno Tayu, that al
articles in the world are dear or cheap, III
proportion t. the quantity there Is OF them.
Inis is also the case with the gold and silver
coins" We are somewhat surprised to find
statesmen of the school Of Lord John Rus
sell and Mr.. Alcock speaking OF the expor.
tation of gold coin as if it were an offence
again morals, or as If it were possible to ar
rest it.
Bv the free use of silver, especially since
:. recent arrangement for stamping toralgn
silver with mark indicating It's Japanese
value, the currency difficulty is well nigh
adjusted.
Other difficulties remain, however, OF
which, we doubt not, Mr.. Harris has notified
our government. Japan isan oIigarchy.-
its central administration has little power
over the retainers of the great LoTdS,-the
Dampis,-as they come and 20 to ledo.-
These rctainers get drunk. they then Insult
Ihc foreigners strike them, stone them,
perhaps as in one or two instances, Kill
them. The government, when appealed TO,
saws it is sorry, but cannot help 1t.
: gain, the japanese do not want to export
their sulphur, their lead, their erlco aud
theirawutee. Erico is Lichs Ia mey, awabee
:uother sea slug valued in China. What
shall we DO there? Shall we make them ex-
port it?
Again, Mr. Alcock complains that the ia
pane-e are slow in granting places for for
eiguers 10 live; and he has come to believe
chat there is settled desire on their part to
nut stop to ali foreign intercourse. lie
charges that three fires at NagaSakl in which
foreign property has been destroyed have
been the work of incendaries ,-winked at,
ut the least, by the japanese government
Yet he admits that when a fire took place
at the English settlement at 1oruhama near
eIC, the conduct ul the tnliJIIlicS WAS au-
mirabIc.
In his last despatch to the Japanese Min
listers, dated Dec. ii, 1859 he encloscs four
papers, one relating to each OF his causes OF
otfence:-a>king their ExcellencieS SO to dis
pose of these, that there shall be no DISPOSE
zion on either side to appeal to the sword
Il is for this threat that he is blamed by Lord
John Russell.
The four causes of offence are those to
which we have alluded. lSt. The prohibi-
lion of trade in certain articles I'd, "A delay
in adjustment of the currency; Sd, the ab'
sencc of security to life and property; 4th
the denial of fit residences 10 toregnerS.--
10 these demands, we have not lis Yet the
official replies.
We DO net doubt that the japanese Minis
tiers have authority 10 treat on these qucs-
tions -B,N1n 1dr
F0WLE x CO., Alexandria, Va
~MPORTERS AND DEALERS IN ALI
- KINDS OF
FERTILIZERS.
Have now on hand, and will continue 10 receive
direct from the Islands. their usual full supply o.
no. PERUVIAN GU AN0.