After many hitches, Sir James Mackay's Treaty with China abolishing
internal duties and allowing to Europeans free access to the internal waters of China appears to be fairly safe. The real difficulty seems to have been the clause assigning the surtax to the Southern Viceroys, and we must say we think opinion is on this matter a little hard on the Chinese. The Empress Regent may, of course, he tricky, probably she is, but no Government in the world can like to have its internal revenue system settled by external interference. The Court of Pekin has great difficulty at any time in maintaining its hold over its great satraps, and under the Mackay Treaty the difficulty will be greater than ever, the Southern Viceroys obtaining a revenue of their own. There is really no remedy except a discontinuance of intercourse with China; but we may as well acknowledge that the Court of Pekin has a great deal to bear. The Empress will probably settle the financial question by a secret arrangement with the Viceroys as to their remittances, but that will not heal the wounded pride of her counsellors. The one blunder of average Englishmen in considering foreign questions is that with white men they make too little allowance for sentiment, and with coloured men they make none at all.
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