674 Presidential Addresses 



of October, is a cause for satisfaction. This act, 

 the result of long discussion and negotiation, places 

 our commercial relations with the great Oriental 

 Empire on a more satisfactory footing than they 

 have ever heretofore enjoyed. It provides not only 

 for the ordinary rights and privileges of diplomatic 

 and consular officers, but also for an important ex- 

 tension of our commerce by increased facility of 

 access to Chinese ports, and for the relief of trade 

 by the removal of some of the obstacles which have 

 embarrassed it in the past. The Chinese Govern- 

 ment engages, on fair and equitable conditions, 

 which will probably be accepted by the principal 

 commercial nations, to abandon the levy of "liken" 

 and other transit dues throughout the Empire, and 

 to introduce other desirable administrative reforms. 

 Larger facilities are to be given to our citizens 

 who desire to carry on mining enterprises in China. 

 We have secured for our missionaries a valuable 

 privilege, the recognition of their right to rent and 

 lease in perpetuity such property as their religious 

 societies may need in all parts of the Empire. And, 

 what was an indispensable condition for the ad- 

 vance and development of our commerce in Man- 

 churia, China, by treaty with us, has opened to 

 foreign commerce the cities of Mukden, the capital 

 of the province of Manchuria, and Antung, an im- 

 portant port on the Yalu River, on the road to Korea. 

 The full measure of development which our com- 

 merce may rightfully expect can hardly be looked 

 for until the settlement of the present abnormal 



