The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-09
TREATY WITH
 CHINA SIGNED Was Initiated Under Provisions
 of Boxer Protocol WILL BRING ABOUT REFORM 
One of the Provisions Abolishes the Present Internal Tax Levying
 System and Officials Are
 Ordered to Carry 1t Out.

Washington, October s--The negotia- tions between China and the United States which culminated in the treaty signed to- day at Shanghai, was initiated under the provisions of Article XII of the final pro tocol signed by the powers at Pekin on September z, 1901 terminating the anti foreign outbreak of the preceding year. The present treaty has for it's object the extension of commercial relations be- tween the contracting powers by amend ing our existing treaty of commerce and navigation with China and other subjects concerning commercial relations with the object of facilitating them.
 Articles 1, and refer to the rights and privileges of diplomatic officers, consuls and citizens of the United States In China, ard embody a number of changes which have been sanctioned by usage in China since the treaty of 1858 Article is the most important of the treaty. By it, tho Chinese government recognizing that the present system of levying duties upon goods in transit and especially the sys- tenn of taxation, known as likin, impedes the free circulation of commodities to the general injury of trade, undertakes, after the ratification of the treaty, and at a. date to be mutually agreed upon, to aban- don the levy of lilIn and other transit dues throughout the empire and to abol- ish all the barriers and tax stations main- | tained for their collection.
 Will Pay a surtax.
 The United States. in consideration of this change, agrees, if all other powers having treaties with China do likewise. to | pay at the port of entry on all it's imports into China surtax of one and one-hale times the tariff import duty. By this payment they shall secure complete Im- munity from all other taxation, whatso- ever, within the empire Exports from China shall pay 7A per cent ii valorem (as at present., the whole amount of th5 duty. but collected at the port of exporta- l tlon.
 These are the salient points of this article, which officials believe may bring about a complete and salutary reform in 1 the fiscal administration of the empire, and enable the central government to de- rive much larger sums from the internal taxes than 1t now does, when the cost of collection is perhaps 50 per cent of the whole.
 The remaining provisions of article TeldttS 10 the method 10 De IOliOWeu Tn abolishing the present internal tax levy-R Ing system, and provides the method of investigation of complaints and declares that an imperial edict shall be issued set- ting forth the abolition of li<in taxation and charging the various high officials of the empire with carrying it out.
 By another article the Chinese govern ment agrees to the establishment of bonded warehouses sby citizens of the United States at the open ports of China.
 Will Revise Mining Laws.
 By article the Chinese government. recognizing that 1t is advantageous for the country to develop it's mineral re- sources and that it Is desirable to att tract foreign, as well as Chinese capital to embark in mining enterprises, agrees within. a year from the signing of the treaty to conclude the revision of it's mining regulations, so that citizens of the United States may be able to carry on increased territory mining operations and otEer business connected herewith. Article provides for the protection of trade marks in China.
 Article 10 provides for the protection of patents, and article II for the protection of copyrights.
 By article iS the Chinese government agrees to take the necessary steps to pro- vide for a uniform national coinage. which shall be a legal tender throughout the empire
 Article IA relates 10 Chinese christians and to missionaries. 1t nsures the former the free exercise of their religion and protects them against the injustice of the native officials, while not, however. removing them from their Jurisdiction or claiming for American missionaries the right to interfere with the exercise of the native authorities of their jurisdiction of their native provinces To the mis- sionaries 1t secures what they have sought for years recognition of their right to rent and lease in perpetuity such property as their societies may need in all parts of the empire
 Prohibits Morphia.
 At the request of the Chinese govern- ment an article has been incorporated in the treaty by which the United States consents to the prohibition of the impor- tation into China of morphia and of in- struments for It's injection.
 Another article of the treaty provides for the opening to international trade in the same conditions and manner as other places now opened to like trade in China, of the cities Fend Tien Flu (Mukden) and Au Tung, the first the capital of the Man churian province of Shen Ching and the latter a port of the Yalu river. on the road between Mukden and Wiju, in Corea
 
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