The Port of Shanghae

From the “North China Herald.”

It is fortunate that Free-trade is no longer in the category of experiments, nor a dubious problem yet to be solved, as the busy activity of our port during the last four months, at the very dullest season in its very partial application here, amply attests.

So we would fain persuade ourselves that our very humble and persevering labours will not prove wholly valueless in exposing, as a fiscal blunder, the enormous impost levied in Great Britain on our staple export. We hold it as absolutely certain, that a reduction of the Tea duty to one shilling per pound, an article which is now of such vital necessity to so large a portion of Europe and America, would be only a fit compliment to that immortal legislation which has relieved our beloved country from the great incubus of the Corn-laws. Further, we are quite satisfied, from the concurrent success of the reductions of duty on Sugar and Coffee, and in the rates of Postage, that the reduction of the Tea duty to one shilling per pound, would lead to such an extended consumption of that article as would, within five years, realise the full amount of five millions and a half pounds sterling of annual revenue, or the same sum which Great Britain now obtains from tea.

That the progress and future prosperity of this port is mainly dependent upon the reduction of the home duty upon tea ; and the incontestible ability of China to supply any required quantity, — is shewn by the fact that this port, as yet almost unknown to Geographers and gazetteers, has, in the fifth season of its existence (as an entrepot for foreign trade), already exported, of tea and raw silk, to the extent of the total consumption in Great Britain and Ireland, only some thirty .years ago.

We, in common, with the foreign community in China, feel how difficult it is to arouse public opinion in England, and to direct it in aid of our peculiar relations with the Chinese Empire. We shall patiently persevere in our prescribed duty of giving true and correct statements of occurrences that come under our cognizance, so as to adequately, represent and convey the views and feelings, on public questions, of the foreign residents in China. Not the least difficult part of our task will be to dissipate the erroneous impressions, or remove the obstacles, which have obstructed hitherto the path leading, to an accurate knowledge of China ,and the Chinese,— thanks to the wild exaggeration of a Gutzlaff—the ill digested statements and crudities of a Montgomery Martin — the amusing twaddle of a Fortune—and the malignant inventions of a Sirr—et hoc genus omne.

No better evidence can be adduced of the obvious necessity of a paper than the fact that this place is now acknowledged to have sprung up, within five years, to the rank of the fourth port in Asia, for the magnitude and importance of its trade, and yet it is only within the last four months that it has been brought into regular steam communication with Hongkong, and, although late, we are happy to say with a success (derived from the magnitude and great value of freights), unsurpassed in the annals of Commercial enterprize (with the sole exception of the Eldorado or Californian Lines), at avowedly the dullest period of the year.

It must be apparent that the enlightened spirit of commercial adventure, which, it has hitherto been believed, would circumnavigate the globe, and penetrate its inmost recesses, nor leave unexplored the most appalling and rigorous climes of the polar regions; where snows and ice perpetual reign, has been strangely neglectful of the most promising field for its profitable exertions, and this, we are sure, is only owing to a want of, knowledge and absence of information with, reference to the resources and capabilities of, this port, which it shall be our duty to collect and distribute throughout the world.

It requires no spirit of prophesy to predict that not the least important of consequences resulting from the astonishing mineral discoveries of California, will be the inevitable relations which must in future exist between the most rapidly progressive nation of the world and the most positively stagnant people on the face of the earth: the, Anglo-Americans, and the Chinese.

By the greatly increasing facilities of steam navigation (the advent of which, on this side the Pacific, will be hailed with the utmost satisfaction by all concerned in the China trade) these two nations will, soon be in presence, and we have sufficient knowledge of our trans-atlantic brethren to aver, that they will not leave it to the feeble diplomacy, and miserable redtapeism of European courts, to break down the wall of partition that has hitherto shut out one-third in numbers, and two-thirds or more in actual civilization, of the human race from free communication—social and political intercourse with the rest of the world.

Supine and neglectful as the British Government has been, in not connecting this port by steamers with Hongkong, India, and Europe, and confessedly imperfect, as the present immature arrangements are, to effect this desirable object; we yet look with confident expectation to an early direct route being established with ail these. Not—to our shame be it told—through the spirited assistance of the Home Government, or even to the well considered adventure of our own merchants, but owing to the far-seeing sagacity and indomitable enterprise of our Anglo-American Brethren, so patent to the whole world!—it is we repeat to our transatlantic neighbours that will be awarded the great merit of completing the circumnavigation of the globe, by a connecting steam line from this port via the Sandwich Islands to Panama, and also direct to San Francisco!

Daily Southern Cross, 18 March 1851

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