106 



CHINA. 



The value of imports and exports in tlie open 

 ports was, in 1865, as follows: 



A commercial treaty was concluded with 

 Belgium, and the ratified copies were exchanged 

 on November 10th by Baron Kint de Kooden- 

 bock, on the part of the King of the Belgians, 

 and Koo, acting Futai of Keangsoo, on the 

 part of the Emperor of China ; Dr. Winchester, 

 British consul, Mr. Morel, and Messrs. Stronach 

 of the British consular service, attending. 

 The exchange was followed by a banquet, at 

 which some eloquent speeches were made. 

 Another treaty of commerce was concluded 

 with Italy, and signed at Pekin, October 26th. 



In March a convention was entered into at 

 Pekin between the British and French minis- 

 ters and the Chinese Government, whereby it 

 will now be lawful, under certain restraints and 

 regulations, for any person residing in one of 

 the open ports of China to obtain from his con- 

 sul a license to open a coolie emigration office. 

 Previous to granting a license the consul will 

 have to assure himself of the solvency and re- 

 spectability of the applicant ; but when the 

 license has been granted, it cannot be with- 

 drawn except upon sufficient grounds, and then 

 only with the consent of the consul. The 

 Chinese employed by the emigration agent to 

 find him emigrants will be provided with a spe- 

 cial license, and will be alone responsible for 

 any actions he may commit in contravention of 

 the laws of the empire. But rules are laid down 

 to secure the Chinese coolie from ill-treatment, 

 or from the chance of not being able to return 

 to his country. No obstacles are thrown by 

 the Chinese Government in the way of its 

 subjects embarking for foreign countries of 

 their own free will ; but any attempt to induce 

 them to do so otherwise than the regulations 

 provide is strictly forbidden ; and Chinese sub- 

 jects are punishable by death for the offence 

 of kidnapping men, and sending them abroad 

 against their will. 



An event of the utmost importance for the 

 future of China and Eastern Asia in general, is 

 the opening of the new steamship line from San 

 Francisco to China and Japan, as now the trade 

 of the East, that prize which all commercial 

 nations of modern times the Portuguese, the 

 Spanish, the Genoese, the Dutch, and the Eng- 

 lish have Contended for through three centuries 

 promises now to fall to the United States. The 



first steamship of this line, the Colorado, sailed 

 from San Francisco on January 1, 1867. On 

 the day before, December 31, 1866, the event 

 was celebrated at San Francisco by a great din- 

 ner, at which a number of Chinese merchants 

 delivered speeches in English. The exports 

 from San Francisco to China have hitherto been 

 as follows : 



The exports of flour and grain have been as 

 follows : 



A rapid development of this trade is expected 

 under the improved means of communication, 

 which, at the same time, cannot fail to give a 

 powerful impulse to the emigration of Chinese 

 to the United States. 



The foreign merchants in China begin to dis- 

 cover that native traders are completely sup- 

 planting foreigners at the minor ports. Avail- 

 ing themselves of the steamers which ply from 

 Shanghai to all the treaty ports, native mer- 

 chants come to Shanghai, as to an emporium 

 from Chefoo and Tien-tsin, from Kinkiang and 

 Hankow, from Chinkeang and Ningpo, pur- 

 chase those articles of foreign import which 

 their countrymen consume, and take them back 

 with them on their return. Having thus pro- 

 vided themselves on equal terms with the for- 

 eign merchants,' their immunity from the 

 squeezes of a compradore and the heavy ex- 

 penses of a foreign mercantile establishment, 

 enable them to undersell and monopolize the 

 trade. It is thought that in regard to most 

 ports, the foreigner's only chance of recovering 

 his ground appears to be to place himself on 

 equal terms with his native competitor by ac- 

 quiring the language, and thus relieving him- 

 self from the compradore, in whom he has now 

 to implicitly confide, at the price of a " squeeze " 

 of two and a half per cent, on every trans- 

 action. But for Chefoo and Tien-tsin another 

 course has been suggested direct importation 

 from England of the cotton goods which form 

 so large a portion of their trade. 



Piracy continued to prevail in Chinese waters 

 in spite of .ill the efforts made by the Chinese 

 and English Governments' to put it down. The 



