Page 457 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

443.

in his abstract several general articles he believed necessary

for the safetv of Americans in China. He first proposed that

Americans have the right to rent land and construct churches,

hospitals, and cemeteries as well as residences and businesses.

The Minister further proposed that Americans have the right to

employ language-instructors and to purchase books. For centuries

the Chinese had forbidden all these practices to maintain the

transient status of foreigners in China. Cushing argued that

the situation had changed. Pointing to the Portugese at Macao

and the English at Hong Kong, he claimed that other foreigners

had seized Chinese territory on which to reside. Americans

merely asked that the Chinese grant them basic securities for

residing at the new ports.

Ch'i-ying at first refused to approve Cushing's proposals,

but on second thought he agreed to them. The practices of

hiring Chinese tutors and of purchasing books were already wide­

spread, so the treaty would be only a recognition of fact.

Cushing's comparison of Americans with the Portugese and English

in reference to territory persuaded Ch'i-ying to grant the rights

to rent land and construct buildings. Nevertheless, he insisted

88
on strict regulation of leases. Cushing offered detailed pro­
posals for other Chinese guarantees to protect Americans and

their corrunerce. The Imperial Commissioner felt these to be "either

88
cushing's proposals became Arts. XVII and XVIII of the
final Treaty. Ch'i-ying explained his acceptance of the proposals
in I-wu-shih-mo: Tao-kuang, LXXII, 3-18, and Swisher, Management
of American Barbarians, pp. 162-63.