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

turers present Of 200 per cent on every
exchange between their own coin and the for
eipn .cJin The representatives Of civiliza-
ton answered this question, Of cOursc, in the
affirmative. The central Government at Yedd0 had
hardly issued proclamation respecting tho issue OF
the new silver coin. when there enmed a general
bubbub; complete stagnation Of commerce. and
the detention of shipping at Nagasaki; stand-sti
Of trade OF Kanagawa. Protests rained ON pro-
tests from the merchants, the Consuls, the Ameri-
can Envoy, and Mr.. AlcOck; although the latter, in
dispatcl addressed to the Earl OF Malmesbury, has
the GOOD sense to says The letter Of The treaty APP
pears 10 be obserred: itwoud be imP.oa-
sible to deny the right which every other nation
" would undoubtedly claim of taking measures 30
TO modify their currency, thus suddenly brought
into circulation with foreign coinage, as to keep
=" fair equivalent value between their gold and
silver, and prevent either, by an inevitable tend
"ency. being drained out of the country and Mt n
" third of its intrinsic value :" The japanese Gov
eminent, frightened by the general uproar could
not but revoke its proclamation and restore the old
system. The Yeddo Ministers for Foreign Affairs,
in letter addressed TO Mr.. Acock dated 26th
August while announcing to him the return to the
old system, remark: As we mentioned in our
"ioimer letter, it B merely stipulated in the treaty
that coins of the came weight and the came sort
"shall be exchanged and not that no new cola
"shoud be issued without previous notification.
Therefore, we should agree with your proposal
'that our subjects and citizens ought to take dol.
Glars, nevertheless they consider the inland coin,
with the Government stamp on it, as the only cur
"rent ccin Thus the use Of the dollar will meet
with great objections because our subjects have
"ncver seen foreign coins. But in consequence of
"your communication, we issued new order that
4" the dollar must be taken"
Mr.. AlcOck now fatters himself that " the eur
" rcncy question is settled" although (see bis dis
patch addressed to Lord John Russell on Sept. 20,
1851 lie is fully aware that against the will of
the Central Government the Damios in the Pro-
viDces would prevent the circulation Of foreign coins
in the interior and that even with the good will
"of the Government" the general circulation of the
dollar would split on the general dstrust Of the ma
natives Meantime the japanese Government give
IN earnest of their good VIII to Mr.. Alcock.
Under his pressure they undertake to receive from
the foreign merchants any dollars they might desire
to exchange, and recon them into itzcbous charge
free. This rcquisition was most impudent, if it be
considered that every European country save En-
gland (and there only nominally the Bank OF En-,
gland raising some slight percentage on the ex-
change of gold against notes. and the mint being,
Consequent upon it's delays in private trans
actions, only the Bank of Englands mint)
deduets n seigncrage, paying the costs oil com
age while, in this ease, the rccoinage more
over only intended facilitating fraud upon the
Japan state by les dmis dn commerce." as Fourier
calls them. The Yeddo Government cent, under
Mr.. Alcscks pressure, considerable sums OF Japan,
csc coin for exchange to Nagasaki, KaDagawa, and
Hakodadi. How, then, came it to pass that hr.
Alcock, who on the 18th of August 1859, considered
" the currency question settled, and on September
brides himself on It's " satisfactory solution, CON-
plains at the end of bis correspondence December
6) that nothing has been gained, and thnt foreign
commerce. which he found rising on his arrival lies
now utterly PROSTATE ''by the persistent denial OF
" these facilities FOR the exchange OF foreign money
".into japanese currency the free circulation OF
" the former, without which trade is obviously i'm
practicable 7" The very plain answer is con.
tanned in Mr.. Alcock's own dispatch to Lord John
Russell, dated November 10, 1859. Our own
'peope, be says, "and the foreigners generally,
" utterly reckless of the future intent only on
"profting, if possible, by the present moment to
" the utmost regardless of our treaties or future
" consequences, are phoVy engaged jssf soD ir
chipping of all the gold oeJycney Of Japan"
LONDON, April IS, 1860.
After it had been pestered with the currency
question, Japan was blessed with Foreign Loca.
ton question. Passing all the petty cyactions
of the British officials the lowest of whom seemed
to consider the finest japanese temple an abode
hardly deserving to enshrine his own mightiness,
we shall only dwell on the conflicts growing out of
the British Enjoys Ostensible attempts ut obtain
ing suitable" ground or premises for all British
commercial adventures who might condescend to
flock to the distant market just opened. The site
to be elected for foreign settlements involved on
the part of the Japanese Government considera-
tons, the importance of which will hardly be
understood in the Western world, where, on the
whole, there exists an unrestricted right of build.
ing or residing wherever it may suit the conye.
nience and caprice Of individuals. The laws Of
Japan impose collective responsibility all lnhab.
itants OF every street ward, restricting the hber
ty Of action in almost every direction and entaiing
grievous penalties and liabilities, not only for
their infringement by an individual, but
also for the violation Of such laws By his
neighbors. IT. therefore, an unrestricted power
Of location in the midst Of tho pOpu.
latons of towns were granted to foreigners, fun.
damental change in the japanese laws and customs
affecting the peace and security of their cities would
he the unavoidable consequence. Apart from this
weighty consideration, the japanese Government
in the interest Of conciiating powerful party
amorg the DaimOs or feudal princes, as well az OF
removing constant opportunities for bloody quarres
between the natives and the foreigners, had to Sc
ect for foreign settlements sites out of the lines Of
the route Of the Danios to the capital in their fire.
quenl progress Ill great stale 10 ana from tue court
Of the Tycoon. The Dailnio never stirs out with.
out norimons, led horses, grooms, and o numerous
band Of officers and armed retaners, his progress
altogether resembling that Of lord Of medieval
times. The foreign merchant, it would seem,
ought to be anxious to find his residence out Of the
reach of these military professions.
After these preliminary remarks, we shall pass
over the insolent claims Of the British subjects in
their private capacity, in regard to which Mr.. Al.
cock himself feels compelled TO remark:
Ky immersion g. that all the British merchants askng