, 1873-02-27

The finishing Of the te1egraph-lines from Naea
sah n to g 1edo, thus connecting 5apans capital
with Shanghai, London, and San Francisco, and
the complete succeEs ind excellent working oI
their other lines, are triumphs Of the year now
gone.
Another important reform has been made
N HABITS OF DEcESCr.
The old custom Of the proniscuous bathing oi
all ages and sexes in ono public bath, has beer
modified for the better. In the Streets in which
the first principles Of decency were continually
+ violated, public urinals have been erected The
ostcntatious abominations OF Japan-hare been
forbidden. The naked 1aborers have been COM
PEELED to coreF their nakedueEs, and one does
not see, Is always before, the ubiquitous human
cuticle that disgusted civilized eyes.
The removal Of that monstrosity OF ugliness,
THE DRAGON,
from the coins OF the country, On which the
monster hnd s'swinged the scaly horror of his
folded tai, and the substitution OF simple
and beautiful device, deserve to be noted.
Mr.. UYESo,
who has been appointed to succeed Mr. Mori at
Washington, is expected to leave Japan in
March, Dir. Mori was honorably recalled some
months ago. but one Of the causes of his sue
cessor's delay in starting for Washington has
been the illness, terminating in death, Of his
father. The latter, whose decease was adver-
tlRod IN tho Yokohama papers, and to whose
funeral many foreigners we're invited, was
6ur1ed according to the simple ceremonies Of
shlntolsm. ga Mr: Uyeno will ably and popularly
hll MIR. Morris place ut Washington He ia the
1atters superior in age and official experience,
and speaks English very well, having studied
abroad.
The attention Of the United States Consular
a1ss thsaatened assap &c apa. 'an with case that
D1sAGREEADLE IMPORTANCE.
to the many American citizens in the Japanese
Government service. The United States Con-
SUI, G; Q. Shepherd, ESQ.,, Lad, in accordance
with the Consular Court: regulations OF Con-
register forthwith, or pay tho costs Of notifca-
tion and fuo OF $40 Several delnquents paid
the fine, but Mr. E. Peshine Smith, who form
er1y held q position in the State Department at
to the Japanese Government, appeared in tho
Court, and in long and rambling speech, full
OF poor jokes and an apparently rich knowledge
of law, denied that he was citizen OF the Uni
ted States, asserting that he was a Japanese sub
ject,-
"a POOR, IGNORANT nrArHEs JAPANESE"
and, further, that the particular section Of tho
Consular Court regulations authorizing the
United States Consul in Japan to
require the registration OF all Ameri-
disapproved by the United States State Depart
ment at Washington. Further, Mr.. Smith SOL
enn1y declared that any American citizen enter
ing. the service Of tho Japanese Government
could not claim protection from tho United
Ststes Government! The Consul, taken aback
at this information, supposing it to be oracular
since it came from man who had grown gray
and bald in the legal service OF his country in
the State Department, reserved decision, closed
the Court, and retired to read up his law-books
and inquire OF the United States Minister.
TILE DECISION WAS FINALLY GIVEN
Jan. 20. Mr. De Long, in long and able let
ter, covering all the points involved, declared
Mr.. Smiths statements untrue, for the following
reasons:
First-That the act Of Congress by authority
Of which the Consular Court regulations are
promulgated, provides that they shall be oblga-
tory until annulled or modified by Congress- (Sec.
$, pago IS, vol, Il, United States statutes-at-
Large). .
Second-That, as Japan has rs yet no naturali-
zation laws whatever, Mr. Smith cannot possibly
be q Japanese subject.
Mr. De Longs letter closes as follows: .
In conclusion beg to state that it s not true that
5sgI '1ued e g.. Of ste Of tho
gard Americans in the employ Of this oyesaIncnt ~
not being under american protection but subject TO
ceiyed At this legation nor do presume any such
will be forwarded here before Japan by the establish
and rules Of practice conformnbie to such as prevail IN
Western States, shall have satisded our Government
and other Western Powers that any necessity longer
exists for their insisting upon the doctrine Of e1terri
toriAlity. -.
Alr. Smith was fined S10 and costs, and or
dered to register himself at once.
News from one Of the southern provinces ar
rived Jan. Is, that " -.
GREAT REBELLION
had broken ont, and that 40, 900 people had
joined tho melee, in which several officials wcro
killed, their houses leveled, and the Govern
ment Offices set on fire. The ignorant viilagera
bamboo, after killing and wounding about q
dozen officers, broke open the sake shops, where
The Japanese drink, made OF rice-as maddening
as whisky in it's efects-was sold, and hundreds
became drunk. BY JAM 4,-six days after the
stored, but the rioters had put in several de-
uands. The whole cause OF the trouble is ig-
aorance and superstition. One Or two Of their
demands clearly reveal the animus Of the affair.
The rioters dcmandeds
tFlrst-No COVE shall be killed. {IhlB ia 4
,uperstitious, anti-beef idea.)
Secotd-1fces belonging to the gods shall not
10 cut down. ,~''' ''' -
Third-No change shall be made in regard to |
he Shinto or Buddhist religions.
Fourh-The prices Of all articles in the town
hall bo lowered.
The other demands refer to local grievances,
md will easily DO settled. Although 80 large, |
be Government will experience little difficulty |
n suppressing the outbreak, and restoring |
rider, after which q few schools and more edu- |
alton will prevent further disorder. This event |
3, when understood, merely q local hitch in the |
;randly-moving scheme of the civilization OF the
7hole country
The report Of the United States Consul at
.okohama, for the year 1872, shows an increase
q the value OF
AMERICAN COMMERCE
+ over $500, 900 IS compared with that Of 1871.
II American influence and trade in Japan, I
hall write again. ....
The report lately published in the New York
7erald, that
THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT
ad dispatched an embassy, in the t2~gun
;on-c1ad Independence, to Japan, to demand
atisfaction OF the Japanese Government for re-
easing the coolies Of the Maria Luz, does not
1cite any great apprehension in. the minds OF
he Japane6e. Japan has Hon-clads also, and
len to fight in them, too. She feels perfectly
atons H most I @ in the % Word whateeep "
10y come Of the affair shall be faithfully re-
orded for the benefit OF your readers. -
ADJUSTMENTS.
y.3e