, 1878-08-22
Our CHINA TRADE.

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Senator Grover hits the Buring.
game treaty ON II sore spot when h G
declares that the privileges concede tt
hy the United States to The Chinese
are much greater than those conced.
ed by China to us. 1t reads well
enough that citizens of the United
States shall enjoy equal privileges in
China with citizens of the most fav-
ored nations, but the varnsh is all
spoiled when we reflect upon the in
significance of the privileges of the
citizens Of the most favored nations
in China, and that they are confined
to trading and settlement in
four Or five special places, while the
subjects Of the emperor Of China
may settle, hold real esnte and enjoy
every right accorded to Americans
everywhere in America. Strange
indeed, that this inequality Of the
treaty concession was overlooked
by the state department. The over
sight can on y be accounted for by
the existence at that time in this
country and in Europe of the most
extravagant notions of the import
ance ofthe China trade. Everybody
courted upon it as a thing Of immense
magnitude. China was 60 take our
wheat and pork, our lard and butter,
manufactures and agricultural i'm
plements, our machinery to work her
mines of coal and iron, and, in short
about every thing we produce at
extraordinary prices, and in unlimit.
edquantity. Nobody gave thought
to their poverty or their prejudices
against all that is foreign. We
thought only Of the hundreds Of mil
of them, and hastily measured their
capabilities as consumers by their
vast numbers. We never reflected
Uhat their chief subsistence at home
is on rice and sugar and fish, and that
these they can produce much cheaper
than we can afford to send them
hoar, beef, pork, or anything else.
The fact has gradually unrolded
itself that, in proportion to popula,
ton, the import trade of China is
the most insignificant of any in the
world. They are four hundred mill
ions, and yet it is stated officially
that their entire foreign commerce
FIVE years ago amounted to only
$2l0,000,000. We were at that
time but one-tenth as numerous and
our foreign commerce was five times
as great-imports and exports. Eight
years after the ratifction of the Bur-
lingame treaty (1S7G), the whole
foreign commerce of China was less
than $220,000,O00, while our own
very nearly 81 ,200,000,000; that is to
say, so far as the value of trade is
concerned, one American is equal to
fifty chinese, one thousand 70 fifty
thousand, one million to fifty mill
ion, and ten million - say New York,
Pennsylvania and California--to five
hundred million. In fact the trade of
California and Oregon is worth more
to the United States than that Of
China. In 1877 we exported to China
to the value Of $50, 0,350,000, while
our exports amounted to $l2, 300,0 900.
But of these exports $l5,430,00 were
in gold and silver and less than IS,
900, 900 Merchandise. The imports
were chiefly tea and silk, and more
than 60 per cent of the whole whole
was admitted free of duty.
1t is noteworthy that while for the
last seven years the commerce be-
tween England and China has aver
aged Sl20,000,000 year, that be.
tween China and the United States
has averaged but $30.000,000. 1t is
still more against us that China takes
comparatively little of our manufac-
lures and agricultural products, but
requires three-f fourths of her ex
changes in our gold and silver.
England sends her S30,000,000
worth of cotton fabrics year against
our 81, 100000. And the very gold
and silver we ship to China in ex.
change. for her teas, silks and GIN
cracks, is turned over bv the Chin
ese merchants to England in ex.
change for British manufactures.