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    Untitled Article

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    Untitled Article

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    CHINA. , . - .

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    Untitled Article

    pensated for her offensive preparations . Those who set no limit to aggressive designs that swallow up vast sums of money , may ponder on the admirable words which M . Julks Favbe has been bold enough to utter in the French Chambers : — It should be borne in mind that the public debt had in the course of a very few years been increased by two milliards of capital ; that was to say , to the extent of one-half of its anterior amount . If they were to go on in this way but a few years longer the country would be ruined . The reporter , who had dwelt with so much complacency upon the augmentation of the receipts , had forgotten to say that

    spirits chargeable upon the whole annual consumption may be taken at a moderate estimate to amount—if . we made no allowance for diminution of consumption , or dilution , or adulteration in consequence of increase of prices—to . £ 2 , 252 , 000 a- ^ year , and that without taking into view the proceeds from the increased duties on foreign and colonial spirits . " From this estimate Mr . Gladstone makes a large deduction on account of the probable diminution of consumption that will follow the rise of price , and , taking only a portion of the financial year as applicable to the China war , he anticipates the new duties will yield £ 1 , 050 , 000 .

    It is certainly not pleasant to have to submit to any more taxation of any kind ; but if the thing must be , ardent spirits may bear the burden with less mischief than ^ any other article that could-be named ; and if the tax works well , 4 t may satisfy those who were afraid of reducing our balances , to find that the expiring paper duty—tor expire it must—is replaced by an impost of a less objectionable kind . ~ If the people want relief from their burdens , they must

    manage to do with fewer wars , and abolish needless rumours of wars , that are not likely to occur . We have now a mass of defensive material that will ensure our safety if our foreign policy is not absolu t ely insane . It is ridiculous to suppose that Russia , which is three-parts bankrupt , can engage in costly schemes of aggression at the present moment , or for some years to come ; and France alone will not come into collision with us » now that we have more than ,

    comare to be collected , they will furnish about £ 700 * , leaving a balance of £ 2 , 336 , 000 to be provided for . To meet this , our distillers and spirit importers are to pay Is . lid . extra per gallon on their ardent commodities , and the balance is to come out of the Exchequer without the need of imposing any further tax . Mr . Gladstone carefully avoided assuming that the paper question was settled , and intimated that the Exchequer could afford another £ 700 , 000 if the House of Commons should do its duty and decide that the paper duties should not contribute to the exigencies of the case . Mr Gladstone states : — "An increase of Is . lid . on British

    termination . Lord Elgin may contrive another treaty and leave his brother a fresh ground of quarrel , but unless an unexpected amount of wisdom makes its appearance among our civil and military authorities , it is not likely that eur Celestial relations will be placed upon a more amicable footing . The £ 3 , 800 , 000 which the country is to begin the quarrel with may suggest the propriety of managing such matters more wisely in future . At present we musti however , lament and pray ; and the Chancellor of the Exchequer tells us that £ 500 , 000 are already provided—that he has a surplus of about £ 264 , 000- —that if the paper duties

    taxes had increased in a precisely corresponding proportion . If the prosperity of a country were to be measured by the amount of taxes it paid , he would admit that France was never more prosperous than now . Enterprise had been unduly stimulated by a system of loans , which swallowed up the resources of the future and bequeathed serious embarrassments to posterity . Prosperity purchased by such heavy sacrifices was always at the mercy of one of those sudden changes which Providence sometimes kept in reserve . ¦ We are no prophets of an unbroken peace . There is too much wrong in Europe for collisions to be avoided ; but with Russia crippled , " and France in the financial

    condition described by M . Favre , we must not be deluded into tho belief that nothing but a bottomless expenditure will make—us—safe . -The- Tory party— desires- to live on wars nnd rumours of wars , and no credence should bo given to unsupported assertions coming from men who wish the evils they predict . Let it be known that in spite of German connexions and bur Tory party , England will not fight for petty grievances , or to guard against imaginary dangers , nnd we mayjthen see the end of our expenditure ; but if wo permit the friends of absolutism , or injudicious supporters of Switzerland or Savoy to indulge in a constant volley of threats and recriminations , we shall easily remove questions from the safe

    fields of argument , and be compelled to seek their solution by wars more foolish and more costly than that of which China is noAv the seat .

    Untitled Article

    T HE House of Commons has now voted the sum required for the expenses of the Chinese war , during the current financial year , The amount , £ 3 , 800 . , is a complete justification of those who have declared that this needless war will cost the country at least eight or nine millions . It has already absorbed more than five millions ; and under the most favourable circumstances — that is to say , assuming the speediest and most satisfactory arrangement with the Chinese Government which the most sanguine advocates of the war may venture to hope for—there will still be a

    heavy bill for the two services , on this account , next year . The sum at present asked for is , however , quite large enough to draw public attention from grave constitutional questions to this ugly business . A supp lemental estimate implies supplemental taxation , and the additional duty upon spirits will put the treaty of Tientsin and the attack on the Peiho forts in quite a new light before the eyes of very many people . There will probably be a great outcry , but nothing can well be more absurd . The public has quietly acquiesced in the warlike measures of the Government . It has taken no

    steps to protest against the conduct of Mr . Bruce , or to insist upon dealing fairly and straightforwardly with the Chinese Government , without regard to the spleen of a mortified envoy , or the truculence and insolence of " merchants , " who demand its protection in their attempts to defraud the Chinese Government . It has long been known that , in conjunction with our inseparable ally , the Emperor Napolkon , who takes care to have a finger m every pie , and who would be delighted to lend us his assistance to govern India ; or to settle our little disputes with Persiaythegovernment has despatched some thousands of trodps and many vessels of war to the Chinese seas . And everybody must have known that these troops could not be sent , even from India , except at a very great expense . The" public haisanctioned the war- —if war it is to be called , for the

    explanation of its advocates would rather make it out to be a buccaneering' expedition—and must pay the cost . It has ordered the entertainment , and must settle the bill . For our own part , we have from the first protested against this war , as unjustifiable and impolitic , without , as we readily allow , finding much support from public opinion . We now turn to the Government , and that public opinion which has encouraged it in this expedition , and ask what return they hope to get for all this outlay *

    — -We-will—not—< Hsettss---fttrther— the ^ justice-or-injustice-of—the war . Patent as that injustice seems to us , the moral sense of the country has been so dulled by its share in other disreputable wars in the same part of the world , that it quietly acquiesces in the bloody contests which our ambassadors and governors get up , to increase their own importance or cover their own mistakes . The war has been determined upon by the Government , and tacitly acquiesced in by the people . Let us accept the fait accompli , inquire what advantages are to be derived from it . In the first place , what is it proposed to do , in order to punish and frighten the Chinese ? Destroy the forts at the

    mouth of the Peiho r" That , to the large force nOw on the spot will be an easy task ; but what then ? A march upon Pekin as the Times proposes ? That would be an operation of the most dangerous character , and , if completely successful , would do much more harm than good . We don ' t apprehend a very serious resistance from the Chinese troops , but the march would prove most destructive , from sickness , if not famine . The road would be through thickly-populated districts , which , prepared for the invading forces , would be destitute of the supplies absolutely necessary to them , and the immense population , if hostilely disposed , could occasion the greatest annoyance . But assume all these difficulties overcome , Pekin reached and taken ; what

    is gained ? The Emperor will scarcely atay to be made a prisoner , Or , if captured , of what value would be the concessions extorted from him ? We can ' t p ermanently hold Pekin , and-themdment-the troops-retiredrthat-instant the terms of any such treaty would cease to be observed . If the Emperor escapes , with whom are we to treat ? what power is there to enforce obedience throughout the vast Chinese territories ? The more successful the march , and the more important the concessions extorted from the Emperor or his representatives , the less valid will they be . The degradation inflicted upon him will destroy his power throughout the empire , and we shall have to deal with each province by itself , and wage a number of petty wars every year .

    Untitled Article

    668 The Saturday Analyst and Leader . [ July 21 , 1860 .

    China. , . - .

    CHINA .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 21, 1860, page 668, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2357/page/4/