The following is an abstract of the Supplementary Treaty between the Queen of Great Britain and the Emperor of China:—

Art. I. provides for the new tariff being in force at the five ports of Canton, Foo-chow-foo, Amoy, Ningpo, and Shanghai.

Art. II. provides for the general regulations of trade being in force at the aforesaid five ports.

Art. III. provides that all penalties or confiscations made under the 3rd clause of the general regulations of trade shall belong to the government of China.

Art. IV. provides that British merchants shall be allowed only to trade at the five ports mentioned in Art. I.; that the British merchants' ships shall not repair to any other ports or places in China; that if they do so, in contravention of this article, the Chinese authorities shall be at liberty to seize and confiscate both vessel and cargo, and that all Chinese subjects discovered clandestinely trading with British merchants at any other ports or places in China shall be punished as the law in China may direct.

Art. V. provides for the 4th clause of the general regulations of trade being applicable to both parties.

Art. VI. provides that English merchants and others residing at, or resorting to, the five ports, shall not go into the surrounding country beyond certain distances, (to be fixed by the local authorities and consuls,) and "on no pretence for purposes of traffic;" and that if any person, whatever his rank, station, or calling, disobey this article and "wander away into the country, he shall be seized and handed over to the British consul for suitable punishment."

Art. VII. provides for British subjects and their families residing agreeably to the treaty of perpetual peace and friendship, at the different ports named in Article I., and for their being allowed to buy or rent ground or houses at fair and equitable rates, such as prevail "amongst the people, without exaction on either side. The ground and houses, so to be sold or rented, to be set apart by the local authorities in communication with the consuls."

Art. VIII. provides for all foreign countries whose subjects or citizens have hitherto traded at Canton, being admitted to the five ports named in Article I., on the same terms as England.

Art. IX. provides for all Chinese criminals and offenders against the law, who may flee to Hong-Kong, or to British ships of war, or to British merchantmen, for refuge, being "delivered, upon proof or admission of their guilt;" and for any sailor, soldier, or other person, whatever his caste or country, who is a subject of the crown of England, and who may, from any cause, or on any pretence, desert, fly, or escape into the Chinese territory, being seized and confined by Chinese authorities, and forthwith sent to the nearest consular, or other British government officer.

Art. X. provides for a British ship of war being stationed at each of the five ports, "to ensure good order and discipline amongst the crews of the merchant shipping, and to support the necessary authority of the consul over British subjects." The crews of such ship of war to be "carefully restrained by the officer commanding," and the rules regarding not straying into the country to be applicable to them, in the same manner as the crews of merchant ships. The ships of war to be in no degree liable to port-charges or any of the general regulations laid down for trade.

Art. XI. provides for the British forces being withdrawn from Chusan, (Tinghai,) and Coolung-soo being restored to the Chinese government, agreeably to the treaty of perpetual peace and friendship, the moment all the moneys stipulated for in that treaty shall be paid; and "the British plenipotentiary distinctly and voluntarily agrees that all dwelling-houses, storehouses, barracks, and other buildings, that the British troops or people may have occupied or intermediately built or repaired, shall be handed over, on the evacuation of the ports, exactly as they stand."

Art. XII. provides for the British plenipotentiary instructing the different consuls (in addition to the proclamation the plenipotentiary has already issued) "to strictly watch over and carefully scrutinize the conduct of all persons, being British subjects, trading under their superintendence," and, in the event of any smuggling transactions coming to their knowledge, they are to apprise the Chinese authorities, "who will proceed to seize and confiscate all goods, whatever their value or nature, that may have bean so smuggled;" and will likewise "be at liberty to prohibit the vessel from which the smuggled goods were landed from trading further, and to send her away as soon as her accounts are adjusted and paid." All Chinese subjects, whether custom-house officers or others, who may be discovered to be concerned in smuggling, are, by this article, to be punished as the Chinese authorities shall think fit.

Art. XIII. provides for all persons, whether native of China or otherwise, conveying goods to Hong-Kong for sale, on obtaining a pass or port-clearance from one of the five ports named in Art. I., and paying the duties agreeably to the tariff on such goods. It also provides for natives of China repairing to Hong-Kong to purchase goods, and for their obtaining a pass from the custom-house of one of the five ports, should they require a Chinese vessel to carry away their purchases. These passes to be restored at the expiration of each trip.

Art. XIV. provides for an officer of the British Government examining the registers and passes of all Chinese vessels visiting Hong-Kong to buy or sell goods; and for any vessel which may not have a register or pass being "considered an unauthorized or smuggling vessel," and not being allowed to trade. "By this arrangement, it is to be hoped that piracy and illegal traffic will be effectually prevented."

Art. XV. provides for debts, incurred by Chinese dealers or merchants at Hong-Kong, being recovered through the English courts of justice. Should the debtor fly from Hong-Kong to the Chinese territory, and be known or found to have property, real or personal, the fourth clause of the general regulations will be applicable to the case, on application being made by the consul. In like manner, should a British merchant incur debts at any of the five ports, and fly to Hong-Kong, the British authorities will, on receiving an application from the Chinese officers, institute an investigation into the claims, and, when established, oblige the defaulter or debtor to settle them, to the utmost of his means.

Art. XVI. provides for a monthly return of passes granted to Chinese vessels to visit Hong-Kong, being furnished to the British officer referred to in Article XIV., by the hoppo of Canton, and for a similar return being made by the said officer.

Art. XVII., also termed "Additional Article," provides for all cutters, schooners, lorchas, and such small vessels that ply between Canton and Hong-Kong, or between Canton and Macao, passing, as they have hitherto done, free of all port charges, if they only carry passengers, letters, or baggage; but if they carry any dutyable articles, however small the quantity, they are to pay tonnage dues at the rate of one mace per ton register. This article further provides for the smallest of such vessels being considered to be seventy-five tons burden, and the largest one hundred and fifty tons burden, beyond which last size they are to be classed as foreign ships, and to be charged tonnage dues according to Article V. of the general regulations.

The following three rules were further laid down in this article, which is only applicable to the port of Canton, for the guidance of these small vessels.

1st. "Every British schooner, cutter, lorcha, &c., shall have a sailing-letter or register, in Chinese and English, under the seal and signature of the chief superintendent of trade, describing her appearance, burden," &c.

2nd. "Every schooner, cutter, lorcha, and such vessels, shall report herself as large vessels are required to do at the Bocca Tigris; and when she carries cargo she shall also report herself at Whampoa, and, on reaching Canton, deliver up her sailing-letter or register to the British Consul, who will obtain permission from the hoppo for her to discharge her cargo, which she is not to do without such permission, under the forfeiture of the penalties laid down in the third clause of the general regulations."

3rd. "When the inward cargo is discharged, and an outward one (if intended) taken on board, and the duties on both arranged and paid, the consul will restore the register or sailing-letter, and allow the vessel to depart."