PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. Pv JAr.'ESMATHESON. F ,.v LONDON: SMITH, L fil! AXtJ X. CORNHIU, It %w.i.Ltu% T.* iBCin nAir«tfn> I’lUJSliNf POSITION AND l*ROSI*li<n>4 ■» lUt milTISH TRADE WITH CHINA. THE PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF TIIB BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA TOC>F.TIIEIt WITH AN OUTLINK OF SOME LEADING OCCURRENCES IN ns PAST HISTORY. Uy ,iambs MATllESON, Bsy. Ill mi: riiiM J.tai'ixr. HaTai^N am> ro, u< lAS'TfiN, LONDON; SMITH, ELDER AND CO., CORNHILL, IIOOKAEIXcnS T» TBEIU MAJKSTir-i 1836 . r/>Hiir>s: ^mMtrp br mWAHT avd c‘A«, flLP BtILIT. ADVERTISEMENT. The author of the ensuing pages has been engaged in active commercial pursuits at Canton for the last seventeen years. tie has spared no |»ains to present a faithful and popular view of that most important sub¬ ject, the British trade with China. Fur this purpose he has not only referred to every source of authentic information, but hus been enabled to avail himself of the assistance of a distinguished friend particularly conversant with the subject of international law. 11c lias. occasionally adopted the felicitous language of his admirable friend Mr. Holman, to the accuracy of whose observations he is glad to have this opportunity of bearing testi¬ mony. 9, Hanover Street, Hanover Square, Fehmimi. 1836. CONTENTS. I’u^c PaKiHT Position, .1 Historical Outline.8] %ome instances of successful negotiation with tlie Chinese.105 Emperor's edict reprehending the eitortions of the Hong Merchants.109 On the arbitrar)- duties levied on foreign trade at Canton.Ui On the criminal and admiralty jurisdiction conferred on His Majesty's Superintendents in China . 115 On homicides in China. (By the late Rev. Dr, R. Morrison).117 Memorials to His Majesty's Government from the merchants of Manchester, livc^Mol, Glasgow, and Canton .12) Statement of British Trade at Canton, 1833-34 ]3(i Statement of British Trade at Canton, 1834-35 140 PRESENT POSITION, Ji-r. It has pleased Providence to assign to the Chinese,—a people characterised by a marvel¬ lous degree of imbecility, avarice, conceit, and obstinacy,—the possession of a vast portion of the most desirable parts of the earth, and a population estimated as amounting to nearly a third of the whole human race. It has been the policy of this extraordinary j)eople, to shroud themselves, and all belonging to them, in mys¬ tery impenetrable,—to monopolize all the ad¬ vantages of their situation. They consequently exhibit a spirit of c.vc/»siwMCss on a grand scale. From what this has resulted,—whether from conceit, or selfishness, or from a con¬ sciousness that the ancient but feeble frame¬ work of their political system cannot bear the rude concussions of modern times,—the too near inspection of inquisitive and ambitious fellow- nations, it matters not here to inquire. Such Is the fact; and the result is that China remains, at this moment, *' a boundless field of indefinite curiosity and vague speculation.” " It is one of B 2 PRESENT POSITION .\N1> PROSPECTS 01' their principal maxims,” observes Mr. Auber, “ and one which they believe contributes most to good government, not to suffer foreigners to settle in the empire: for besides their contempt for other nations, whom they look upon as bar¬ barous, they are persuaded tliat a difference of people would introduce among them a diversity of manner and customs, which, by little and little, would bring on personal quarrels, and these would end in parties, and proceed to rebel¬ lions, fatal to the tranquillity of their empire."* These notions are carried to a surprising extent. They permit to Europeans no intercourse but of a commercial character, and that only of the scantiest and most ungracious description,—re¬ stricted to the verest outposts and confines of the empire. “ Foreign trade receives no sup¬ port from the government; it i.$ barely tolerated: for it is always at variance with that jealous policy which draws a line of perpetual de- markation between China and the rest of tlie world.”! On no earthly consideration will they permit a “ harharlaii' footstep to transgress the limits of Canton, almost the southernmost extre- * Auber on British amlForc^n Intercourse with China, p. 56. i Encyclop. Metropolit, part xiii.—Sec, however, tho Second Appendix to the Third Rei>ort of the Select Com¬ mittee of the House of Commons on the Afiairs of the East India Company, p. 527. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 3 mity of the empire, fiHieen hundred miles from the capital; and in the pursuit of their com¬ mercial avocations at that place, foreigners are constantly exposed to the most ignominious sui'vdllunce and restrictions. Studiously and obstinately presenting this repulsive aspect, discouraging all attempts to become acquainted with lier national character, it is not to be wondered at that distant nations, if ever their curiosity had been excited con¬ cerning China, suffered it at length to die away into a feeling of contemptuous indifference: and China, its position, customs, and inhabitants, came, at length, to be spoken of much in the same spirit as one would speculate concerning the suppositious tenants of the moon. It was reserved, however, for those “ princes of the earth”—the merchants —to overcome these feelings of indifference or repugnance. A spirit of noble and persevering enterprise led them to dare all dangers, to despise all difficulties. They soon perceived how vast a field China afforded for commerce, even under the most discouraging circumstances: and after many years of per¬ severing struggle, they succeeded in opening a communication between Europe and China, which has led to an annual interchange of hiillions of capital. The history of the British intercourse with China during a period of nearly two centuries, is indeed an unparalleled 4 PRESENT POSITION. AND PROSPKCTIS <)1' one. It is fraught with instruction, and now is the auspicious moment for turning it to account. It is melancholy, but no ways surprising, to reflect upon the extent to which ignorance and misapprehension as to the nature of our com¬ mercial intercourse with China prevail in this country. The reason above assigned will, in some measure, account for it; especially when added to a consideration of the disheartening difficulties attending the attempt to acquire a knowledge of the Chinese language; the pro¬ digious distance of China; the exclusively mer¬ cantile character of our intercourse, (naturally destitute of iuterestiug and stirring topics)—and that, too, hitherto committed to the exclusive keeping of the East India Company; who never manifested any particular readiness to admit the public to a knowledge of the mysteries of Leadenhall-street, but, on the contrary, rather acquiesced in, and encouraged the notion of the unprepossessing nature of such inquiries. It may be safely asserted Uiat four-fifths of our fellow-countrymen know, or care to know, little more about our relations with China, than that the delightful beverage which cheers but not inebriates,” and a few articles of ornamental dress and curious earthenware annually find their way hither from that mysterious and re¬ mote region. They trouble not themselves to THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. inquire or think about the intense anxieties, sufferings, and dangers of their enterprising felJow-countrymen, by whose means these arti¬ cles are transmitted; they feel little or no interest in being told that some of the most respectable of their fellow-countrymen are daily subjected to injuries and insults not merely of a harassing, but even of a horrible descrip¬ tion,* while in the prosecution of honourable and responsible undertakings; that the vast and lucrative trade between Great Britain and China, with all its extensive dependencies both at home and abroad, is liable to be, and frequently has been, suspended on the most frivolous aud ridiculous pretences that could be devised by the capricious and unprincipled local autho¬ rities of Canton ; that the British nation and its sovereign, are constantly and openly characterised by the Chinese in their official edicts in the grossest terms of contempt and dishonour; that our unoffending representative. Lord Napier, who travelled to China at the instance of the Chinese government itself, no sooner reached the Canton river, than ho encountered such indignities and injuries as speedily destroyed him—the whole trade being • * See Ihc atrocious “ prodatHatioH agaihst (he Houg mcr- i:han(s conniving at and abetting vice in Jorcigners,” issued aniiiiidlyby tlic Governor and Mojipo. PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF at the same time, abruptly and ruinously sus¬ pended for upwards of a month; that our sove¬ reign and his people, in short, were treated with such disdain, and visited with such injuries, as they have never hitherto experienced, or chosen to endure. These latter topics certainly excited, from their singularity and the suddenness of their communication, a few days’ notice; they then disappeared from the daily journals, and all seems now utterly forgotten,—as though the gravest questions of commercial interest, and even of the national honour, had not been inti¬ mately involved in, if not compromised by them! The abolition of the East India Company’s char¬ ter,—a great political measure,—pregnant as it was with prodigious consequences, made a cer¬ tain stir while under parliamentary discussion ; the national spirit seemed kindled for a moment against so unjust a rtionopoly as that enjoyed by the company in question. It disappeared,—the public was satished, and its attention and enorgie.s were forthwith directed to fresh objects. How the breaking up of the old, and the introduction of the new system of commercial intercourse, would be received in China —how it would work, —whether any and what further alterations would be rendered necessary, are questions that seem by tacit and universal consent to have been left to the few individuals who from inte¬ rest or inclination concern themselves with the THE BRITISH TRAIJE WITH CHINA. subject. This great and decisive measure, highly benehcial as its consequences are calcu¬ lated to prove to our commercial intercourse with China, has nevertheless been attended with effects, some of them, perhaps, not wholly unforeseen, and some of them unexpectedly unfortunate \ such as imperiously call upon the government for a prompt interference,—a vigo¬ rous superintendence in reconstructing the sys¬ tem of our commercial intercourse with China. With the government, indeed, it rests at this moment to say, in eftect, whether the British trade with China shall any longer continue; whether our merchants shall be enabled to carry it on any longer, either with safety and honour to themselves, or their country. It has wisely tliought fit to substitute hidivuluul for corporate enterprise in trading to China. Surely, then, it is called upon nut to desert the new system in its birth, but to protect and foster it; to compensate for the withdrawal of that " local liabitation and a name,”—that local influence and power which have hitherto (however imper¬ fectly) sheltered and protected our interests in China,—by such demonstrations as shall con¬ vince the people of that country, that our indivi¬ dual not less than our coqionite traders, enjoy ,the full countenance and support of the British government. That* this viiaUy-iiiqHirtaut subject may be ‘ l>Ri;siiNT 1‘OSITION ANU PROSPECTS OP easily and at the same time thoroughly under¬ stood, it has been thought advisable to give a short and popular sketch of the present position and prospects of Anglo-Cliinesc aftairs,—the sources of the existing evils, and the means by which they may be remedied, and the trade, so important in every point of view to this coun¬ try, .placed on a permanent and advantageous footing. However skilful and successful may have been deemed, in some res|>ccts, the East India Company’s long administration of Chinese com¬ mercial affairs, it is impossible for any one to peruse with attention the authentic records of their proccediugs, without perceiving that their policy, even if not altogether based upon funda¬ mental errors, has exhibited many features of a most short-sighted and mischievous character; that the ill effects of many of their measures ex¬ ist at this moment, and oppose most formidable barriers to the progress of their successors. It may be questionable whether the East India Company, in their anxiety to secure their com¬ mercial interests, have not, for a long series of years, made sacrifices that were inconsistent not only with the honour of the British nation, but with its permanent interests, even in a commer¬ cial point of view. It is very grievous and^ humiliating to reflect that our jiresent degra¬ dation in the eyes of China, and the ruinou.s TJIE JJHITISIJ TR.4DE tt'JTll CHINA. exactions she inflicts upon us, are, in reality, selt-iiiiposed; that— “ TIiq thonis which wc liave reaped, are of the tree Wc planted. Tliey have tom ua, and we bleed." Without tracing out iheir whole administration, it may be stated, that many of their most impor¬ tant measures are based upon an utter ignorance of the real character of the Chinese,—such as one could scarcely have supposed possible, after so many years’ intimate experience. In the year 1751, for instance, the Court of Directors, finding the trade sufl’ering from continual impo¬ sitions, authorized the supercargoes to bribe the local authorilia* in order to obtain a disconti¬ nuance of such exactions. Could they have taken a step more destructive to their own in¬ terests ? Had they not already had experience, year after year, of the mercenary and rapacious character of the Chinese ?- What, then, were the cou.sequences, and who could not, if pos¬ sessed of but ordinary forethought, have antici¬ pated them? Six years afterwards we find the bribed authorities of Canton expending their gains in bribery at the court of Pekin, and thereby securing; a monopoly of the whole foreign trade! The immediate consequence was our exclusion from trading at any of the other ports to which we had, till theq» been accustomed * .lulwr, 167. lO PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF to resort: and thus we lost the only mode wc had of holding the Canton authorities in chock— our only rod in ten'ot'cm over them, namely, the threat—always effectual, of removing our trade to such other ports! One circumstance will suffice to show the nature of the powers we have lost. In the year 1721, the officers of the Honourable Company’s Ship, Cadogun, while quietly walking in the street at Canton, were seized by one of the Canton authorities, on ac¬ count of the accidental death of the Hoppo’s officer. " A strong representation was made by the supercargoes to the Hoppo. They stated that unless immediate redress was afforded, they should recommend the Company to re¬ move their commercial dealings from Canton to some other port. The detenninatio]! evinced by the supercargoes, and the apprehension of the local authorities that they might lose the trade, produced a good effect. The mandarin who committed the affront was degraded from his office, and a promise was given that he should be bambooed, and rendered incapable of again serving the Emperor.”* From the moment of taking this false step, may be dated the com¬ mencement of a long series of intolerable op¬ pression and insult. Ignorant of the obvious coiiscqueuces of the ill-advised measure in. Auber, pp. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 11 question,—of the all but irresponsible authority of the unprincipled local authorities at Canton, and the impossibility of appealing from them, or gaining any kind of access to the Court at Pe¬ kin,—of the far-sighted cunning and indexible pertinacity of the Chinese character,—we flung ourselves, as it were, bound hand and foot into their power. In vain have we from that period to the present, reiterated our complaints, as im¬ position and insult assumed newand more galling features. We have been either trifled with by delusive promises, or repulsed with mockery and threats of an aggravation of our injuries. In answer to our feeble complaints, they shake their heads, and coolly remark,—“ If the fo¬ reigners dislike our restrictions,* as difficult to l)c endured, it is perfectly competent to them not to take the trouble to come so great a dis¬ tance!” Again, theHoppo in 183} “Lately, the English merchants have presented a petition slating that the whole scope of the regulations is at variance with the requisitions of justice— thus whining, disputing, and contradicting, and also requesting to appeal to the Emperor, not to permit their being put in practice. This is ex¬ treme insolence and opposition. If the said pri¬ vate merchants really regard their property, they ought indeed to trade on as usual: but if Aiilwr, 332. t Aulier, 300-7. 12 • I’KESENT EOSmOM AND PROSPECTS OF they dislike the restraints imposed by the orders of Government, and consider their own private affairs to be disadvantageous, they may entirely withdraw from the trade, and not trouble them¬ selves to come from a great distance, through many countries of difterent languages.”—The tone and spirit of these recent edicts, are worthy of particular notice. Another fatal and fundamental error discover¬ able in the administration of the East India Company, has been its uniform,—its an.viously pacific and submissive policy towards tiic Chinese. In their excessive eagerness to se¬ cure their trade, they have been led, from time to time, into making the most liumiliatiug and dangerous concessions, ac<|uicscing in preten¬ sions on the part of the Chinese which were alike inconsistent with individual and national honour; the natural consequence of which was to place themselves in an abject and degraded position, ill the eyes of the Chinese, which could not do otherwise than invite additional insult and exaction. When the Court of Directors have been pressed by their Canton representative.s, whose dispatches constantly detailed the intlic- tiou of the grossest insults and impositions, and contained vehement expostulations on account of their dogged adherence to an acquiescent and submissive line of policy,—cogently represent¬ ing, at the same time, the uumcrous instances in THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 13 which vigorous and decisive measures had been attended with complete success,—how did the Court receive them, and reply ? At one time hy a peremptory mandate for the dismissal and return home of the spirited Select Committee; at another hy rebuking their intolerance of in¬ sult and injury,—invariably, by the recommenda¬ tion of “ mild and pacific measures, demeanor, and conductand all this on the plea of the ca¬ pital importance of preserving our trade. They were sternly reminded that " our intercourse with'China was exclusively of a commercial cha¬ racter"—and, in effect, that we ought therefore not to resent treatment otherwise inconsistent with the national honour. In January 1882, for instance, the Directors, writing to the Select Committee, in consequence of their representa¬ tions of many very serious transactions, vitally af¬ fecting the Jionourand interests of this country, observe—• “ The commerce between Great Britain and China is too important to be put to hazard with¬ out the most urgent and imperious necessity, and on no account, upon considerations of a personal nature. It is of essential moment to the Indian as well as to the liomc revenues, both as regards the State and the East India Company, as well as in the regular supply to the British public of an article of general con¬ sumption. We sought that trade originally: the J4 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF advantages which it has yielded have induced us to exert every endeavour to secure its con¬ tinuance.* The preservation of the national honour, is in the hands of His Majesty’s Govern¬ ment; and it must be for the King’s Ministers alone to take the responsibility of deciding upon the adoption of extreme measures for vindicating that honour, if insulted. These measures, if re¬ sorted to, will most materially atfect the valuable interests at present dependent upon a peaceful prosecution of our intercourse with China.” Is it not clear from the spirit and tone of this dis¬ patch, and mauy similar ones,—enjoining “ en¬ durance” for “commerce’ sake” up to the point of ‘ ‘ some urgent md imperious neemitp "—tliat it amounted to a virtual and practical prohibition of remonstrance or resistance, on anp ground? Is it likely that in the face of such dispatches tlie Select Committee would have ventured to incur such immense responsibilities as those shadowed out by the Directors ? Surely the concluding paragraph is, in every sense, an unworthy one! How vague and cold the allusion to the province of “ His Majesty’s Government”—and even their interference in vindication of the national ho¬ nour, represented as “ most materially affecting the valuable interests of trade!” Can there be a more artful or effectual way of conveying. * Auber, 358-9. See also t4. pp. 281-2. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. *15 without seeding to do so, their real wishes,—i. e. that in uo case should resistance be attempted, let the Chinese do what they would ? Without being anxious to fasten ungenerous imputations upon the Directors of the East India Company, one cannot help entertaining a suspicion that this line of policy was dictated by a desire to fix the Company firmly in the favour of the Chinese, and render them reluctant to trade with Great Britain through any other medium than one so supple, so acquiescent, so “ peaceable!”* This truculent, vain-glorious people have been pleased to consider all other inhabitants of the earth (as already intimated) as barijaiuans,— destitute of all pretensions to civil, political, or moral excellence. They will not permit them¬ selves to be polluted by these “ barbarians” in¬ termingling with them,—except to such au ex¬ tent and in such a manner a.s atfords them op¬ portunity for extracting from them a great re¬ venue, by means of Uie most unblushing extortion. “If an European commit any breach of the laws, he is not taken before a magistrate to • Mr. Auber quotes from the “ Report on China Trade"— (Parliamentary Papers, &c.) with an air of triumph, that the East India Company have been aUe “ to temporiie with the Chinese, without loss of character!”—p. 398. in PRKSENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS Ol' answer for his conduct; but is subjected to personal violence from mere underlings, or has his Chinese servants taken away or imprisoned, and his provisions stopped, till he submit to an arbitrary mulct; which, on his refusal to pay, is exacted from the Ilong merchant with whom he may chance to have most dealings; and this Hong merchant again, is imprisoned and his trade stopped until he make good the arbitrary demand,—the European never having a trial, or an opportunity of justifying himself! " Id like manner, an Euroj)ean has no access to a magistrate or government functionary, to claim redress for any outrage to which ho may have been subjected, — overcharge of duties, stoppage of trade, or other grievance, but must appeal through the Hong merchants, who are commonly the auiliors of the grievances suffered, and who are able to tell their own story to the Mandarin, without any countervailing state¬ ment from the Euroj>ean. The Hong merchants, in short, ten or twelve in number, besides pos¬ sessing a monopoly of all European trade, are vested with authority to govern Europeans, ‘ who ’ (to use the words of a Government edict) ‘ must not be allowed of their own accord to go out and into their dwellings, lest they should trade and carry on clandestine transactions with ‘traitorous natives.’ Nor after the departure of their ships are they allowed to remain in Canton THfe BRITISH TRADE Wrrk CHINA. 17 city, to find out the prices of goods, to make pur¬ chases, and acquire profit.” The tinly terms on which they will suffer a commercial intercourse to be carried on with the frontiers, are an implicit acknowledgment of its springing from the ** snnazing ^nd unmerited condescension” of the Emperor'of China towards his reverently-submissive tributary” the King of England, and his •• barbarian and profligate subjects.” It is true, that a few attempts have been made to shake off such a badge of ignomi¬ nious servitude,—feeble, however, and few: the occasions on which such manifestations have been made, have been, too often, indiscreetly se¬ lected, and the ultimate results correspondingly unfortunate. Of what avail were a few mo¬ mentary flashes of indignation and independ¬ ence, in the midst of a long and dark interval of acquiescence and submission? The Chinese came at length to treat such exhibitions as really butthe spasmsof weaknera, however momentarily formidable—as indications of the real extent of their power over us. Listen to the language in which the Company’s supercargoes are charac¬ terized by the Viceroy of Canton: " Good prin¬ ciples and solemn truths have no effect upon them ; and I was compellefto intercept their trade—totouch their gains; and no sooner was that done, than they submitted. They are a mercenary gain-scheming set of adventurers, whom reasoft cannot ruie. The 18 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OP dread of 7iot making money is that which alone m- fiuences them."* “ It will have been apparent,”-says even Mr. Auber, speaking of the year 1791—“ from the detail already given, that the Chinese, instead of relaxing in their conduct towards the Eng¬ lish, since their first intercourse with Canton, in consequence of the increased value of their commerce, and the length of their connexion with China, only inflicted additional imposi¬ tions on the trade, and,—as the supercargoes justly stated,—acted as if they 'were awat'e that the importance we attached to its continuance in¬ duced us to submit to almost every kind of in- digtiity.”*-\ If such were the contemptuous opinion enter¬ tained and expressed concerning us by the Chi¬ nese in 1791,—the legitimate result of a series of timorous submissions on our part,—how must we reckon upon that opinion being now strengthen¬ ed I During the long period of our intercourse, how many have been the indignities we have either tamely submitted to, or—far worse— feebly and inefiectually resisted I—how many unwise compromises have taken place—how much of individual and national insult — what an extent of injury to our commercial interests * Dr. MorriBOD’s Notices coocerniDg China.—Introd. pp. 6-7. Buonaparte, also, characterised us as a nation of shop¬ keepers ! t Auber, 192. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 19 have been inflicted, on pretences equally ab¬ surd ! The vaunting tone assumed by the Chinese when speaking of the foreign trade,— repeatedly asserting it to be a matter of utter insignificance,—that “ the celestial empire viewS' them as really not of the importance of a fibre or particle of dust,”* has been fearfully and implicitly listened to, and credited by the East India Company, and been ever present as a bugbear at all their consultations at Leadenhall Street, influencing them to repel all the indig¬ nant expostulations of their representatives at Canton, and sternly enjoin upon them the necessity of submission for the trade’s sake,” —lest the interests of the Company’s trade should suffer!” Vain, short-sighted, and ruin^^ ous policy! Not perceiving that the dreaded cause of future mischief, was really only the ef¬ fect of their own former, and continuing miscon¬ duct and erroneous policy! Had they but paid a just deference to the judgment of those whose local opportunities and ex^^rience had qualified them to form a sound judgment upon the matter, they would, long—long s^o, have learnt that— “ submission to insaU has shewn the Chinese how valuable is the trade, and they have acted aocord- ingly* in too many instances, in interrupting and annoying it,—and hence, perhaps, has originated * Viceroy's Edict, 25tli January, 1830,—Auber, 326. c 2 20 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECI’S OF the erroneous supposition that to them the trade is a matter of indifference.”* Hear again, the re¬ proachful and contemptuous language of the Hoppo Chung in reply to the Committee’s letter of October 28th, 1830, as affording melancholy evidence of the results of long-continued sub¬ mission to Chinese outrage. The CcHnmittce had complained bitterly of a proclamation— (already hinted at)—of a most revolting nature, annually stuck against their factory, and re¬ quested its removal:— “ In the petition they say that the insulting proclamation, suspended against the Company’s Hong, has been reluctantly borne with for many years, by foreign merchants... It has been stuck Bp against the Conway's Hong for more than thirty years. It did not commence to-day. • As they say the language of the proclamation was rather ignominious,— why did not the former bar¬ barian merchants early indulge their anger, and with hearts dead to the subject, cease to come again to knock-head at the service for an open market? Why did they cross an immense ocean, through numerous dangers, and every year come ?”t " The intercourse of foreign nations with the Chinese,” says Holman, " is carried on under • Extract, Cliina Coasuh. 7th Oct. 1830, — 2d Appen¬ dix to the 3d Report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons, p. 457. t 2d Appendix to tite 3*1 Report, &c. p. 427. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. '21 every disadvantage which their ignorant pride and vain confidence in their own resources, can suggest. But the readiness with which they yield to every strenuous opposition to their ex¬ clusive measures, while it points out the weak¬ ness of their character, aifords a convincing proof qf the prejudicial consequence of too pliant a submission to their jealous regulations. Foreigners, whom they entitle Barbarians, are invariably treated as inferiors; and the lowest of the people are incited, by the language and representations of their governors, to conduct themselves with insolence, and even violence.”* —One cannot help here pausing to notice how noble a* contrast to this conduct has been and is still exhibited by the English nation! Montes¬ quieu,” says Dlackstone, “ remarks with a de¬ gree of admiration, that the English have made the protqption of foreign merchants one of the articles of their national liberUes ; it being pro¬ vided by Magna Charta, that all foreign mer¬ chants, unless publicly prohibited beforehand, shall have safe conduct to depart from, to come into, to tarry in, and to go through England for the exercise of merchandize,—without any un¬ reasonable imposts, except in time of war.”t— But to return— • Holman’s Voy. and Trav. 245. t The merchaiils of the Hanso towns, established in Lon¬ don, enjoyed various privileges and immunities; they were 22' PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OP The two co-operating causes above generally alluded to, have produced results of a most un¬ fortunate description: and now,—at the very moment when the firitish trade is placed upon a new footing,—our merchants find themselves in the most precarious and defenceless position with reference not only to their commercia!’ in¬ terests, but even their personal safety,—that was ever yet witnessed in China. The Chinese have indeed profited by their long experience,— their successful practices upon our credulity and imbecility; and the advantages accruing to them are of far too solid a description to be now permitted to govern themseiTee by their own lawi and regula¬ tions; the custody of one of thegatesof the city (Dishoptgaie) was committed to their care; and the duties on various sorts of imported commodities were considerably reduced in their favour. Ill 1474, the King assigned to them in absolute pro- petty, a la^e space of ground, with tbe buildings upon it, in Tbames-strect, now denominated the Bteel'yard. It was fur¬ ther stipulated, that they should not be subject to the judges of the English Admiralty Court; also that the privileges awarded to them should be published, as often as they judged proper, in all the sea-port towns of England. These privileges were not wholly abolished till the year 1597.— McCulloch's CommeTCial Dictionary, p. 623. In Turkey and some other countries characterised by an imperfect state of civilization, such as then prevailed in Eng¬ land, and still does in China, immunities nearly similar are enjoyed by foreign traders even at tbe present day. The ' Chinese alone seem to enjoy, as a monopoly, the undisputed power of persecuting am? maltreatbg foreign merchants. THt: UltlTISH TKADE WITH CHINA. 23 Sightly parted with. They will calculate, and reasonably enough, upon a continuance of our forbearance. They will make us feel, at every point,—in every transaction, social and commer¬ cial—our abject dependence upon their sove¬ reign will and pleasure. Our position was fearful enough in 1780,—^when the Company’s Supercargoes thus wrote to the Directors:*— " Foreigners are not here allowed the benefit of the Chinese law, nor have they privileges in common with the nation. They are governed merely by such rules as the mandarins for the time being declare to be their will; and the reason why so few inconveniences happen, from irregularities, is, that the officers of the Govern- ment, on such occasions, rather choose to exact money from the security merchants, compra¬ dors, Ikc. than use rigorous measures from which they gain nothing. Their corruption, therefore, is the foreigner’s security.” Again, on the 23d February, 1815, the President of the Select Committee at Canton thus writes to the Chair¬ man of the Court of Directors:—** There is in fact no charge, of whatever nature it may be, whether of treason against the state, or a viola¬ tion of the laws and regulations of the Empire, that Chunqua may not procure to be alleged against any member of the Committee; and with the same facility, by means of the bamboo or torture, any number of witnesses may be 24 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF brought forward to attest the truth of the accu* sation.”* In another communication, in the same year, the Select Committee " offer further melancholy proof of the total and entire absence of truth, justice, or mercy from Chinese tri¬ bunals: and where the undue influence of money is applied, all chance of a fair trial ceases to the unfortunate person accused.*’t If such were the state of matters in 1780 and 1815, when the potent influence of the East India Company existed in its plenitude at Canton, what may we not prepare to expect at the present time, when the local influence of Great Britain is withdrawn ? Let those who are disposed to answer such a question lightly, reflect upon the disastrous issue of the mission of Lord Napier 1 That our intercourse with China has con¬ tinued in a comparatively prosperous condition, under the management of the East India Com¬ pany, is attributable solely to the judgment and firmness occasionally displayed by the resident representatives of the Company: but it is truly painful to observe the reception which the intel¬ ligence of their conduct invariably met with at Leadenhall Street.;^ They, whose local know- * 2d Appendix to the 3d Report, See, p. 508. t Extract Letter in the Secret Department, &c. 16th Jan. 1315.—2d Append, dec. 538. I See particularly the bitter complaint of the Select Com¬ mittee at Canton to the Directors, 18th November, 16ld. Second Appendix, &c. pp. 531—5. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 25 ledge and long experience surely best qualified them for dealing successfully with the Chinese, and effectually serving our interests, are found to be most strenuous and iucessant in their re¬ commendations of a firm and resolute tone and bearing being assumed by this country, in resist¬ ing similar demonstrations on the part of the Chinese. Whatever may have been their in¬ clinations and preposse^ions previous to ac¬ quiring a thorough knowledge of the subject, they no sooner had an opportunity of acquiring a practical insight into the character and con¬ duct of the Chinese, thmi we find them earnestly expostulating with the home authorities on their constant inculcation of submission and acquiescence. It may be instructive to detail a few instances, out of a very great nuniber, that are on record. On the 22d February, 1614, the Select Com¬ mittee remark— “ Carrying on an extensive commerce, suffi¬ cient to excite the rapacity of the officers of Government, protected by no laws, but on the contrary subject to such r^;ulations as are made so vague and undefined, as to admit of any in¬ terference or interpretation that a corrupt or despotic government may be disposed to give them,—our only hope preventing the recur¬ rence of these attacks is by a firm and decided resistance.” • Second Appendix, &c. p. 487. ’26 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OV On the 4th December, in the same year:— From the experience and knowledge we possess of the government, We are satisfied that their conviction that their jnjustice will not be submitted to, is the only security we can possess for these attempts being discontinued.” * On the 6th February, 1815:— "Your honourable Committee will no doubt appreciate the difficulties and anxieties that must attend our dififerences and discussions with this Government. We feel, however, that they are unavoidable; for on our firmly resisting their unjust attempts can we alone depend on these attempts ceasing to be made.”t In 1823:— The frequent recurrence of our present diffi¬ culties must be expected until some change takes place in the footing upon which our inter¬ course with the Chinese is carried on. The contempt of foreigners, engendered and fostered by the abusive terms in which they are spoken of by the officers of Government, the want of police regulations, aud the defenceless state in which we are placed, by the diffisulty of access to the magistrates, leaves us exposed to assaults of all descriptions: and if self-defence is not received as a plea in cases of homicide, no in- * Second Appendix, p. 524. f Second Appendix. THIS BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 2^ dividual can, for one instant, be considered safe."* On the 18th November, 1828:— " After a mature deliberation upon the griev¬ ances, which we have detailed in the preceding paragraph, we came to a determination, that it was incumbent upon us to meet them by a strong remonstrance, calculated to put a stop to further aggression ; experience having proved, that no¬ thing can be expected to be obtained from the Chinese by concession; which only becomes an inducement to attempt further invasion of privilegcs."t On the 23d October, 1830:— “ The Chinese autliorities have doubtless been encouraged in tbeir demands by the two instances of successful intimidation above re¬ lated : and were the slightest disposition of concession evinced by us at the present moment, it cannot be doubted that they would be em¬ boldened to proceed to fresh acts of aggression." —“We therefore came to the determination that firm and deliberate resistance to the line of conduct followed by the government, afforded the only hope of avoiding a sqpes of indignities and insults, as well as of establishing the security of person so essential to the conduct of the trade.”t • Auber, p. ’297. f Secoud Appendix, &c. p. 57(i. : Second Appendix, Ac. |>. -442. S!8 present position and PROSPECT'S or On the Idth December, in the same year “ We cannot avoid remarking, that the pro¬ ceedings of last year appear to have made a considerable impression; ^nd it must be ad¬ mitted, as repeatedly demonstrated in the his¬ tory of our intercourse with this country, that a firm opposition to the encroachments pf the government generally, produces a favourable inclination towards us, after the subjects in dis¬ pute are terminated.”* In 1831 “ The existence of a powerful and influential body in your representatives in this country, has opposed the only check to the evils and embar¬ rassments to which foreign commerce is con¬ tinually exposed. Wt -believe that no effectual remedy will be found for them, until it suit the purposes or policy of Great Britain to assume, in its turn, the attitude of dictation, which would readily demonstrate the weakness of this Govern- ment.”f Truly, indeed, did the Select Committee ob¬ serve, in their despatch of the 26th January, 1830:—“That the more important, the more valuable are the inte^psts at stake, the more do they require the protection of firmness, .on which our hopes of their security for the future • Second Appendix, p. 444—5. t Auber, p. 336. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. caD alone be placed with confidence !”* Alas! however, to what little purpose were all these representations and remonstrances addressed to the Committee at JLeadenhall Street! Such, then, are the two principal sources from which have long Sowed the serious incon- veniencies and wrongs which the British traders to China have now to encounter; and at this peculiar conjuncture, at so great a disadvantage, unless their just expectations from the Govern¬ ment of their country, be realized. They seek nothing unreasonable, nothing inconsistent with the welfare and honour of their country, nothing unjust towards China, or calculated to disturb the peaceful relations between that country and Great Britain. Who, indeed, can have a deeper sthke in the contrary line of policy, th*an those whose interests, ** whose fortunes, and liveli¬ hoods,” as they themselves express it, are en¬ tirely dependent upon the preservation of our commercial intercourse with China? There can, or at least ought to be, but one wish in this country, and that is, to cultivate the China trade, on fair and honourable terms. The only difference of opinion ^lat can arise, is as to the mode of doing so. One class of persons is found asserting that the. proper, the ouly mode of doing so, is to buy tea of the Chinese on any terms they choose to dictate, however degrading. * Second Appendix, &c. p. 580. .^0 PRESENT P(MlTION AND PROSPECTS Ol' however absurd, however unreasonable, however oppressive,—and be thankful! on the following grounds: That the Chinese are a great, power¬ ful, and peculiar people, with whom it is purely optional to continue or refuse permission I'ur us to continue our intercourse, since they arc not, nor ever were, or will be, bound by any treaty; that, in the absence of any treaty, the law of nations prohibits any attempt to enforce our supposed claims upon the Chinese \ and that, even were it otherwise, the Chinese having never, as it were, eo'tered into the society of nations, rightly refuse to recognize the law of nations; that their peculiar character is such as to render any attempt at coercive measures both inhuman and abortive; and that, in short, rather than abate an iota of their pretensiohs and usages, in consequence of a threatening demonstration of foreign force, the Emperor of China, to adopt the wild and chimerical sug¬ gestion of Mr. Auber^, "following the alleged example of one of his predecessors, when the cultivation of cotton became the occasion of dis¬ turbances in ordering the plant to be destroyed, might deal injhe same mannerwith tea !" * Auber, p. 402.—‘'The growth of tea is chiefly confined to hilly tracts not suited to tbegrowUi of corn,”— M'CuUoch. And yet a writer pretending to acquaintance with the sub¬ ject, has gravely stated bis apprehension lest the Chinese should be induced, by our refractoriness, (o convert their tea plantations into rice jfieldi! THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. Sli It is believed that the foregoing paragraph contains a faithful statement of the general principles upon which the policy of the East India Company was based,—of the views now entertained by those whose interests are iden- ,tical with those of the late Company, and who are actuated by feelings of hostility towards those now prosecuting the trade upon the new system. It is the object of the ensuing pages to demonstrate shortly the fallacy of all such reasonings,—to appeal, in doing so, from the ignorant and prejudiced, to the liberal and intel¬ ligent portion of the community; and guard them against the artful mhrepresentations pro¬ pagated by bigotry and self-interest. ** As regards China,” observes Mr. Auber, " we resort to a country in which we have not a foot of ground, and where we are confined to one port, at which our permanent residence is doubtful. The habits, manners, and cus¬ toms are quite foreign to our own. Their laws are also frequently violated by those who are [appointed to be] their administrators and guar¬ dians ; where their treatment of foreigners is proverbially contemptuous; and in their com¬ mercial dealings they have no scruple at impo¬ sition, if circumstances favour the practice. Such is the people with whom we seek to main¬ tain an intercourse. China has rejected every effort made by us, as well as by almost 52 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF • every other European state, to form a commer¬ cial intercourse with her, upon those principles which govern commercial relations with other countries.”* So speaks the late Secretary of the East India Company; and his observations are in- contestibly correct, except the last, which is cmly partially so. It may be readily admitted, as an abstract proposition, that however unrea¬ sonable and faithless they may be, no attempt could be justifiable to gain by force a settle¬ ment in their territory. It has become, how¬ ever, a matter very important to ascertain, how far the Chinese are bound, by their conduct during a long series of years, while in the course of reaping the benefits of a commercial inter¬ course, which they themselves have uniformly sanctioned by acquiescence, and even invited, as will be presently shewn, by professions of good will, and readiness to carry on trade with us, on the faith of which we have been induced to enter into vast speculations, to construct a system of commercial dealings on a very expen¬ sive and permanent scale, for the supply to this country of an article of indispensable use to our population, and an almost indispensable source of revenue to our Government; involving the for¬ tunes, and even livelihoods, of hundreds of thou- * Auber, pp. 38-9. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. SS sands of persons, tlie subjects of a great and in¬ dependent nation ; whether from all this is not to be implied a tacit agreement on the part of the Chinese, to carry on trade with us on equitable principles; such an one, in short, as, if broken, • will warrant us in compelling an observance of good faith; of that “ customary law which, from motives of convenience, has by tacit but implied agreement, prevailed, not generally in¬ deed, among all nations, nor with so paramount utility as to become a portion of universal volun¬ tary law; but enough to have acquired a prescrip¬ tive obligation amongst certain states, so situated as to be mutually benefited by It.”* But, it ,18 said, the Emperor of China has an unquestionable right to permit or refuse us in¬ tercourse with his dominions; to impose such conditions as he may think fit; and that where no treaty exists, nothing prevents him from, at any time he pleases, withdrawing, restraining, or modifying such permission.! Such observations as these are, it is conceived, quite beside the real question now in dispute: which is, not what were the original rights of China, as an independent nation,—what she might have done, or refused to do, in the first instance ; but, what are the rights of China, now; whether her own acts have not restricted and limited those rights, and imposed upon her certain obli- * Vattel, Prelim, note 7, f Auber, pp. 39. 394-5. D 34 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS Of gations, and subjected her to certain liabilitiesi from which the principles of justice,—of the law of nations,—forbid her to retreat. Were it necessary to resort to abstract rea¬ soning upon the subject, the following short paragraph, from a distinguished writer, (Vattel) might be referred to, as containing a striking statement of the principles regulating mutual commerce between nations. “All men ought to find on earth the things they stand in need of. In the primitive state of communion, they took them wherever they happened to meet with them, if another had not before appropriated them to his own use. The introduction of dominion and property could not deprive men of so essential a right; and consequently, it cannot take place without leaving them, in general, some mean of procuring what is useful or necessary to them. This mean is commerce; by it every man may still supply his wants.— Things being now become property, there is no obtaining them without the owner’s consent; fior are they usually to be bad for nothing; but they may be bought or exchanged for other things of equal value. Men are, therefore, wider an obiigation to carry on that commerce with each other, if they wish not to depart from the views of nature. And this obUgalion extends also to whole nalionSr or states. It is seldom that nature is- seen to produce in one place, all that is ncces- THK BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 35 sary for the use of man. One country abounds in corn, another in pastures and cattle, a third in timber and metals, 8cc. If all these countries trade togetlier, as is agreeable to human nature, no one of them could be without such things as are useful and necessary; and the views of nature, our common mother, will be fulfilled. Further,—one country is fitter for some kinds of product than another; as, for instance, fitter for the vine than for tillage. If trade and barter take place, every nation, on the certainty of procuring what it wants, will employ its land and Us industry m the most ads^antageous manner, and mankind in general prove gainers by it. Such are the foundations of the general obligation incumbent bn nations, reciprocally td cultivate commerce.”* Without discussing thb question, whether the Chinese are absolutely warranted, in justice to their fellow-nations, in shutting out all the rest of the world from any participation in the benefits of so prodigious a portion of the most desirable parts of the earth,—even when that participation would be attended with corre¬ sponding advantages to themselves,—it may be contended that China has long since surrendered such rights, and is no longer in a position to enforce them, as against the British nation; * Vattcl, Book II. Chap.ii. Sect. 21. D 2 f 3(5 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OP that her conduct, during the last century or two, has amounted, not merely to a simple per¬ mission to us to carry on our trade with her, but has conferred upon us perfect rights, such as are accompanied by the right- of compelling the fulfilment of the corresponding obligations. “ But,” it may be objected, in the language of Vattel, “ a simple permission to carry on com¬ merce with a nation, gives no perfect riglit to that commerce; for, if I merely and simply permit you to do any thing, I do not give you any right to do it afterwards in spite of me.—■ You may make use of my condescension as long as it lasts; but nothing prevents me from changing my will.’** This proposition of Vattel’s, guarded even as it is in its terms, must be taken, subject to considerable limita¬ tions. If nation A, by a long course of conduct in commercial intercourse, from which she has derived great advantages, leads nation B to form the reasonable presumption that she will continue such intercourse on equitable terms, on the strength of which, nation B goes to great expense, and incurs a heavy risk in constructing a permanent commercial establishment,—surely nation A can never be at liberty, in such a case as this, which can never be called a case of “ mere simple permission," arbitrarily to “ change her will!" * Yaitel, Book 1. Chap. 8. Sect. 94. THK BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 37 It is a reasonable and salutary rule of our municipal law, that a party shall always be bound by his admissions, when they have been such as have induced a third party to alter his conduct ;* and that as strong an admission may be implied from mere silence and acquiescence, whilst certain acta relating to the observing party’s rights are being done, as could be founded on the most explicit declarations and acknowledgmeuts.f These are maxims founded on common sense, on justice, on the fitness of things; and, as the observance of them, there¬ fore, between man and man, is inculcated by our municipal law, so there is no reason what¬ ever why they should not be equally beneficially • Hearne v. Rogers, 9 B. & C. 577. t See tlic cases of Jarrau v. Leonard, 2 Maule A: Selwyn’s Rep. 2d5. Mon isv. Burdelt, I Campbell's Kep. 218: and Starkic’s Evidence, vol. ti. 97.—Thus, the member of a trade, tlie constant course of which » to give credit, cannot turn round upon his customer, and say, ** I insist upon be¬ ing paid in ready money.” Our courts, in such a case, would answer, that the customer lias n right to assume that liC was dealing upon the usual terms. Again, according to the ordinary rule of English law, the member of a hrm may, if he please, dissolve the partnership immediately, by his secession: but if long leases have been taken, and heavy expenses incurred for the acconimodation of the firm, this rule is ch.^nged,—and the law then presumes that there was a liinding though tacit agreement tliat the partnership shouhl continue as long as the |>criod specified for the coiuiiuiaiu'e of the lease.—Sec Smilk’s Mercamile Law, p. 0. 38 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF applicable to nation and nation,- which, as all jurists admit, are *'moral persons, possessing an understanding and a will peculiar to themselves, and being susceptible of obligations.”* Let us, now, apply these principles to the case of Great Britain and China. From whatever motive, the Viceroy of Canton, so early as the year 1678, “ invited the English to settle a factory there ;”t 1” 1806, we find the Emperor of China thus writing to his "reverently submissive tributary” the King of Great Britain:—" Your Majesty's Kingdom is at a remote distance beyond the seas, but is observant of it$ duties, and obedient to its laws; beholding from afar the glory of pur Empire, and respectfully admiring the per* fection of our Government.With regard to ^hose of your Majesty’s subjects who, for a long course of years, have been in the habit of trading to our Empire, we must observe to you, that our celestial Government regards all persons and nations with eyes of charity and benevo¬ lence, and always treats and considers your subjects with the utmost indulgence and affec¬ tion. On their account, therefore, there can be no place or occasion for the exertions of your Majesty’s Government.’’^—There are many • Vatlcl, Prelim, Sect. 1. i Milburo, vol. ii. |>.-108, Istvd. t Aubcr, 217-8. TH£ BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA.- *39 indications of a simiJar disposition on the part of the Emperor of China towards the British traders, to be found in the history of our inter¬ course; but it is not necessary to cite them. It is sufficient for the argument, that from motives of convenience and advantage to bis people, the Emperor has permitted us to trade with them for nearly a couple of centuries; and, jointly with ourselves, has organized a very extensive, costly, and effective machinery for carrying it on. .Millions on millions have been thereby interchanged between the two nations; British capital, to an immense extent, has been embarked in the traffic; we are content to carry it on at a very great disadvantage,—com¬ pelled, for instance, as we are, to travel ten thousand miles thither and back again, and to incur all the risks of so many and such perilous voyages. Having done all this, with the knowledge and consent of the Chinese Government, we now deny their right abruptly and arbitrarily,—either directly and with vio¬ lence, to expel us from China; or, equally effectually to attain that object, by imposing ruinous exactions, and inflicting such insults and degradations as would render it impossible for us, with a due regard either to individual or national honour, to continue our intercourse. It is a sound and settled principle of law,, applicable equally to nations and individuals,. 40 PRESENT POSITION AnI!^ PROSPECTS OF that no one shall be permitted to do that indirectly, which it would be unlawful to do directly. Should, therefore, China attempt to pursue this latter course, she would sin against justice.* Is it excusable, on any principles of common equity, that the Chinese should be at liberty to continue our trade upon the pre¬ carious footing upon which it has long stood, and still stands;—that our ships, laden with most valuable cargoes, alter a six months’ voyage, should be suddenly prohibited from entering the Canton river; and, when on the point of return, freighted with tea, after having paid all the enormous and dishonest duties exacted from them, should be forbidden to leave it, at the mere caprice of the local authorities, on grounds the most ridiculous and wicked?—A trumpery affray between a drunken Chinese and a foreign sailor; a thoughtless violation of some petty and oflen vexatious Chinese custom; a dispute between the Viceroy and some Hong Merchant, as to the amount of duties claimed ;—and the whole trade is stopped: —“whole fleets detained when on the point of sailing T’t “ In the situation in which trade is placed, it is liable to be interrupted at the ca- * See a striking suggestion contained in ttie Narrative of •Mr. Chapman. Appendix to Lords’ Rep. p. 264. + Auber, p. 296. THE BRITISH {TRADE WITH CHINA. 4*1 price of one individual; and, should the Viceroy for the time being chance to be rather more ignorant, and, at the same time, more violent in disposition, than his predecessor, a complete in¬ terruption to the trade must inevitably ensue.”* Surely, conduct such as this amounts to a gross violation of the implied contract between the two nations;—one based, as we have seen, “ on a tacit consent or convention of the nations that observe it towards each other.”t The authorities on national law agree that, in ana¬ logy to the regulations of municipal law, there must bo a reasonable notification in point of time, of the intention not to be bound by this customary law.J ** Any state, on giving notice that she chooses no longer to abide by a particular custom, may set it aside, provided the time that she selects for this notification be not where a case may have arisen, or be contemplated, upon which the custom would operate.”!! Unless, therefore, we are to discard all prin¬ ciples of right reasoning and sound construction of the rights and liabilities existing between * Second App., &c. p. 50S. t See authorities cited in the case of Beuest v. Pipon; Knapp’s Rep., 67, and Martin’s Law of Nations, 356. Fennings v, Lord Grenville, I Taunt. 2-18. X Id. Ibid. li See 1 Chit. Commcrc. Lav, p. 29. 4^ PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF nations, we have abundant evidence to show that China has contracted—has imposed upon herself—the obligation of continuing to us a per¬ mission to trade with her, on fair and reasonable terms. “ But,” it is said, '* there is no treaty — and in the absence of a treaty, there cannot ex¬ ist any such obligation as that spoken of.” It is true that there is no formal treaty solemnly and in so many words agreed U|>on between the two nations; that the Emperor chooses now to reject all attempts to procure one. Surely, however, we are warranted in contending, that in analogy to another regulation of our municipal law,— one of obvious reasonableness and utility,— a right of way over the ground of another, which after a certain number of years’ use, con¬ fers by prescription, an indefeasible right to th6 enjoyment of that right of way, and is supported by the supposition of an original deed of grant of that easement;—the tradewhich the Emperors of China have suffered to be carried on for nearly a couple of centuries, may be reasonably presumed to have had its origin in a treaty— even of the most explicit and formal description. Let it be borne in mind s^ain and again, that the advantages of this trade are not all on one side, but reciprocal—and have been acknowledged to be so, by China. It is mere trilling to talk other being now at liberty to disregard the law of nations, on the ground of her having never THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 43 deigned to recognize it. She has been long too far committed by her conduct towards this country. We have already seen that in 1678 she invited us to settle a factory at Canton; the Emperor has himself personally—and repeatedly through his Viceroy—sanctioned our inter¬ course, and even laid down the terms on which it might be carried on. In 1715 the super¬ cargoes stipulated for eight articles or condi¬ tions, according to which the trade might be carried on with China, and which were deliber¬ ately and solemnly conceded.* Passing over many other instances, we find, at length, a com¬ plete recognition of our trade, in the Chinese Government’s requisition to this country, in consequence of the meditated abolition of the East India Company’s charter,—calling upon us to send out forthwith to China ** a chief,” [i. e. a Superintendent,] whom the Canton au¬ thorities might recognize and deal with as such —and who, as we shall shortly see, was accord¬ ingly sent. And in the face of all this we are told that we are without any remedy, however injured or insulted by the Chinese—“ for that they are in no wise bound to continue their in¬ tercourse one moment beyond what pleases them! ” Is it not an outrage on common sense ■* Nearly all of whirl), bowerer,—as far as they were be- ncAcial to us,—have been since abrogated. 44 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF and common honesty to hold that they ought to be at liberty thus to play fast and loose with us ? They have an adequate ** consideration,” to adopt an English law>tcrm, for entering into the contract, in the revenue they derive, and will derive at all times hereafter, from our trade— and their obligation is therefore complete. Let them occasionally indulge in what rhodomon- tade they will, in affected disdain of the benefits of trade, experience abundantly proves that they are as sensible of them as we are,—and, if need be, even prepared to make considerable sacrifices to secute its continuance. The corn- pulsory removal of our trade would be followed almost immediately by infinite disorder in China; for is it likely that the people would quietly submit to the loss of so fruitful a source of employment and subsistence? “ We beg to draw the attention of your Honourable Commit¬ tee,” say the Select Committee (24th Sept. 1814), “to the anxiety shewn to recal Sir George Staunton, as affording a proof that how¬ ever the Chinese Government may declare in their edicts that do benefit arises to the Chinese Empire from the foreign trade, and that it is per¬ mitted only from pure benevolence; yet when endangered from their unjust proceedings, pro¬ perly and firmly resisted, it will be found that they are most fully aware of the reciprocal ad¬ vantages of commerce, and most anxious for its THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. ^5 preservation.*’* To say noticing, however, of prudential considerations on the part of the Em¬ peror of China,—it must be conceded that he lies under a moral and political obligation to con¬ tinue to us a commercial intercourse with his people, on equitable principles. Whoever grants to another a particular privilege, is con¬ sidered also as conferring, by implication, all the means necessary for the complete enjoy¬ ment of it: and if it is clear that the Emperor of China is under an obligation to suffer our trade to continue, he is also bound to secure to us the means necessary for carrying it on with safety —subject, of course, to those laws and customs of the Empire which are not glaringly inconsist¬ ent with honour and good faith. But how stands the fact? We have already seen the President of the Select Committee complaining to the Court of Directors, in 1816, of the fearful extent to which the properties, liberties, and even lives of foreigners were in the power of the local authorities at Canton,—the arbitrary and reckless manner in which they exercise their ir¬ responsible authorities; and similar language might be adopted in characterizing the conduct of the Chinese from that period up to the pre¬ sent. The trade is bowed down with the most grievous and increasing exactions; personal Second Appendix, dec. p. 527. 4'6 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OK liberty is constantly restricted within narrower limits.* Accusations—as we have seen—of the most disgusting and dreadful description are publicly preferred against our innocent country¬ men, in formal proclamations and edicts, with the view of making them hateful to the lower orders of the Chinese. '* It is almost impossible,” says Mr. Holman, ‘‘ to convey to the reader an accurate idea of the insulting nature of these edicts, by any means ^hort of printing them in full; but the inde¬ cencies to which they bear reference, and the gross language in which they are clothed, would render such a course reprehensible. In one of these proclamations they charge the Britisli merchants with the worst description of levity and vice—and found upon this pretence, an ex* tuse for depriving them of the use of native ser¬ vants, whom they strictly forbid the local au¬ thorities to permit them to bire.”t * Occasionally the gentlemen land on the opposite side 6f the river for the pleasure of a walk; but in such cases they run the risk of being insulted and even assaulted by the natives, who follow there with coarse invectives, and hften carry their hostility so far as to throw stones at them. tVhenever they leave their boats, they seldom escape injury, and even on the river, in passing, the rude and audacious natives will sometimes fling stones and missiles at the fo¬ reigners.—Holman, vol. hr. p. 74. f Voyages and Travels, vol. it. pp. 107-8. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHiJfA. 4’?' “ The Chinese assauU either the ships, or their boats”—say the Select Committee, in 1823—"and when they meet with a return, de¬ mand large suras of money for wounds!~hy working on our timidity to offend the recent im¬ perial edict on the subject of the liability of foreigners to suffer death, even though the hazard of their own lives requires their defence. The success which their extortions have occa¬ sionally met with, invites the return of new as¬ saults. That all ranks of Chinese are sensible of our situation in this r^pect, is too clearly evinced by the perpetrating of such dangerous impositions by many in a very low class of life; and the reward that success in their demands sometimes affords, is a sufficient inducement to attempt it, without any consideration as to the result—occasioning consequences the most pre¬ judicial to the commerce, and even the lives of foreigners.”* Again, in the same year, we find the Select Committee continuing their complaints:— " Thus we see our situation, clearly made re¬ sponsible for the acts of between two and three thousand individuals who are daily coming in contact with the lowest of the Chinese, and ex¬ posed to assaults so wanton, and oiten so bar¬ barous, as well as to robberies so extensive, that * Second Appendix, &c. p. 567. 48 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF self-defence imposes upon them Uie necessity of attacking their- assailants in a manner from which death must often ensue. A great and im¬ portant commerce is instantly suspended— whole fleets, at times detained—ourselves liable to seizure—and to be the medium of surrender¬ ing a man to death whose crime is only self- defence, or obedience to orders, or else to lend ourselves to the most detestable falsehoods, in order to support a fabricated statement which may save the credit of the officers of the China Government. Can the Honourable Company wish their servants and their trade to remain in this degraded—this dangerous situation ?”* It would be an easy matter, alas! to swell the cata¬ logue of such grievances. They meet the eye of the inquirer at every page of the documents relating to Anglo-Cbinese affairs; and are calcu¬ lated to make one’s heart swell at once with astonishment at the supineoess of the British Government, and with indignation at the auda¬ cious and unprincipled conduct of the Chinese. At the moment that generous and flattering speeches concerning foreigners are flowing from the royal lips, at Pekin, those unoffending and too-conflding foreigners are subjected to the most systematic oppression at Canton! Their persons and properties are placed in perpetual * Anber, 293-4. THE BRITISH THADE WITH CHINA. 41) jeopardy; their characters are defamed, in terms insufferable even to be thought of; a series of petty personal provocations and annoyances is kept up unceasingly; the laws of nature are out¬ raged—for their wives are separated from their husbands,* and compelled to reside eighty miles off—at Macao—an insult perfectly gratuitous; the laws of China are forbidden to be appealed to; the regulations of trade are so contrived as to secure the most grievous atid increasing impo¬ sitions ; the whole trade is stopped in the most capricious and injurious manner; and, under all these circumstances, how can a British mer¬ chant continue to carry on lus commercial pur¬ suits at Canton, but at the sacrifice of his per¬ sonal safety and self-respect? Where is tliere to be found any law, either of nature or nations, justifying such a state of things as this ? There is, as Lord Maiisheld used to say, no magic in words —and we must recollect that Uic " law of nations” is but " the just and rational applica¬ tion of the law of nature to the affairs and conduct of nations”'!'—and that it is a funda¬ mental maxim of. that ** natural law, that it is the duty of nations to fulfil their engagements, * In this respect British nMrchauts in China are worse off than yien even our West Indian slaves, who were protected by act o^nliamcnt from such a refinement in persecution as the compulsory separation of wives from their liusbands. f Vattet, Preface- prope istfwm. e 50 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OP whether express or tacit."* China is a large and fortunate branch of the great family of man¬ kind,—but she is not therefore exempt from the obligations of that law which God himself has prescribed for the conduct of his creatures. Is the avalanche less subject to the law of gravita¬ tion, than the minute particles that may happen to be detached in its descent ? In vain shall China attempt, much longer, to insist upon such selBsh and unnatural pretensions and im¬ munities ; there are those upon the earth who will not tolerate her arrogance, or wickedness; who will rise and resent those injuries which WE have meanly submitted to for centuries.f Is, then, the trade of China to be continued, and on terms consistent with the honour of the British nation? If the voice of Great Britain answer this question in the affirmative, a very different tone and style of policy must be forth¬ with assumed, from that which has hitherto so unfortunately been adopted. Great as are the • Vattel, Preface, p.swi. t The Chinese have, on various occasions, fully recog¬ nised the obligations of the law of nations. The ambas¬ sadors of Shah Rokh Mirza had brought as a present to the Emperor, a noble horse, which, unfortunately, threw the Em¬ peror in hunting. That great and just personage ordered the ambassadors to be loaded with chains. Their death even was apprehended, but the Emperor pardoned them, yielding to the entreaties of his ministers, who represented to him the disgrace of violating the law of nations, in the person of an ambassador.—See Auber, p. 72. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH (;HINA. 51 sacrifices we have made to secure this valuable trade, long as we have carried it on, important as are the relations and responsibilities it has entailed upon us, we should forfeit for ever our character in the society of nations, whose eyes are upon our movements in this matter,—were we, on light grounds, now to succumb to the Chinese,—to be bullied and terrified by their absurd swagger and mrs of intimidation, into a surrender of our just and hard-earned rights and privileges. At the present moment these con¬ siderations press upon us with uncommon force. Having seen dt recently to alter altogether our system of commercial intercourse with China,— a measure which must be presumed to have been thoroughly and wisely considered before it was adopted,—we shall become the laughing¬ stock of the world, if the direct effect of our elaborate legislation be, either to shut us out altogether from China, or place our intercourse upon an infinitely more precarious, oppressive, and ignominious footing Uian ever,—as will in¬ fallibly be the result, if we be not now fully alive to the nature of our claims upon China, and pre¬ pared to assert them with resolution and vigour. Is there any one who doubts the justice of these observations ? Let him meditate upon a recent illustration of their truth,—the melancholy and most humiliating reception and fate of Lord Napier! The death of that nobleman,—the E 2 52 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF insult offered, through his person, to the King of Great Britain,—is yet unavevoed! Not a syllable of remonstrance or of threat has it yet called forth from the British Government! Surely this outrageous transaction cannot be duly known or appreciated in this country. Lord Napier was sent out to China at the express instance of the Chinese Government.* In 1831, the Viceroy of Canton stated, in an edict, issued with reference to the change which he understood as likely to take place in the mode of carrying on the British trade:— " I hereby issue an order to the Hong Mer¬ chants, that they forthwith enjoin my command on the said nation’s Chief, early to send a letter home, that if, indeed, after the thirteenth year of Taou Kwang, the Company be dissolved, it will, as heretofore, be incumbent to deliberate and appoint a chief who understands the busi¬ ness, to come to Ciutlon, for the general manage¬ ment of the commercial dealings; by which means affairs may be prevented from going to confusion, and benefits remain to commerce.” j' His Lordship was ordered by our Government _ ■ _ __ * • The Order in Council (9tli December, 1833,) referring to this circumstance, staled, *'Umt it was expedient that effect should be giren to such reasonabU demands of the Chinese Government.” This is as it should be. Would that it might be considered as an intimation that henceforth this country would acquiesce only in the •* reasonable" demands of the Chinese! * Auber, p. 335. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. •53 to reside within the limits of the port of Canton and not elsewhere. On his arrival at Canton, the Viceroy refused to receive his letter, an¬ nouncing his mission, unless it were sent through the Hong Merchants,—a step which Lord Napier, for sufficient reasons, declined to adopt. His right to proceed to Canton, without an ex¬ press permit, was disputed, though European boats had for years past been permitted to do so, without any necessity for such a document. After three or four weeks’ negotiation on this point, all British trade was stopped from the IGth August till the 27th of September, to the grievous injury of the British merchants having valuable cargoes then in port, and waiting at the mouth of the Canton river, till permitted to enter the port. During this period, the Chinese went the length of interdicting ail supply of provisions to Lord Napier, and cut off his communication with the ships of war. His health, under these harassing circumstaDce.s, began to suffer to such a degree, that it became accessary to re¬ move him from Canton,—the only means of effecting which, was in a Chinese boat, provided by the Government, who wantonly detained the dying Nobleman live days on the passage from Canton to Macao, ordinarily accomplished in two days, subjecting him, at the same time, to other indignities and cruelties; under the com¬ bined effects of which he sunk, and expired 54 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF shortly afterwards at Macao. Such was the audacious treatment experienced at the hands of the Chinese, of the representative of the King of Great Britain,—despatched at the express instance of the Chinese! Such the insults offered to the British nation, and submitted to in meekness and silence!* Such is an indica¬ tion of the spirit which animates the Chinese towards the British traders, at the present im¬ portant conjuncture,—such the degraded and insecure position occupied by the latter! What insult or injury is there which the Chinese may not, after this, consider themselves capable of inflicting upon the British trader, with impu¬ nity ? What must be their opinion of the spirit of Great Britain, indeed so “ reverently submis¬ sive,” to conduct so audacious as this? Drop¬ ping, however, for a moment, all considerations as to the decency—the policy of such subrais- * “ It mny afford an useful illustration of the insolence of the Chinese authorities, and their impudent bravado,” says Mr. Holman, “ to add, that an edict was issued by the Eni' peror, when he received the Report of the Governor, (in which all the circumstances relating to the uffuir of Lord Napier were detailed in a most distorted manner, and in a style at once false and esa^erated), ordering that part of the honours which the Governor and his ofEcers had been deprived of for their previous neglect, should now be restored to them, for the course they bad taken; but particularly for ' ‘ having driven the barbarian eye (Txird Napier) and others out of the port— Jhlman’s V&g. vol. iv. p. 176. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. ^5 sioR and acquiescence with reference to the national honour, let us inquire what will be its direct effect upon the position and interests of the trade. It is itnpc^ble to foresee to what lengths of outrage and oppression the Canton authorities may be emboldened to proceed, should their unwarrantable treatment of His Majesty's representative be permitted to pass without even a show of remonstrance: the con¬ sequence of which, it is but too probable, would soon be developed in such a systematic aggra¬ vation of existing evils, as would lead to con¬ stant collisions and stoppage of trade. WJicn these interruptions occurred during the East India Company’s monopoly, their united influ¬ ence and capital enabled them sometimes to make a stand against the Chinese, and to sus¬ tain the heavy commercial losses attendant on the struggle. Widely ditferent, however, would be the case under present circumstances; when the free traders, pursuing each his separate and disunited view, and having no common head recognized by the Chinese, must fall a sacrifice, in detail, to their well-combined machinations. There is, indeed, a painful probability of these apprehensions being realized, unless the British Government bestir itself betimes in the matter. If the Chinese .seize upon the present moment,— the present critical {xjsition of our commercial relations,—to inflict any injury upon our traders 56 I'BESfiNT POSITION AND PROSPECTS Oi that avarice and insolence combined can dic¬ tate, surely it is, corr^pondingly, the duty of our Government, at the same trying moment, to make a drm and dedsive demonstration in favour of our oppressed fellow-subjects at Canton. Surely it should be the pride, as it is certainly the interest and duty, of a wise Govern¬ ment to preserve, as well as to extend the com¬ mercial advantages which may have been ac¬ quired by the energy and enterprise of its people. “ The prince," says the illustrious commentator upon the laws of England, is always under a constant tic (o protect bis natural-born subjects at all times and in all places;”* more especially when they are engaged in so vast a national enterprise as that of the China trade, and that in the manner and on the system specially appointed by tlieir Government. A heedless, timorous, or temporizing policy now adopted towards such a people as the Chinese, who have recently evinced such symptoms of contempt and injustice towards us, would not only be attended with the most destructive consequences to the trade, but reSect intense dishonour upon the national character, — inviting additional aggression. Even the peaceful, pliant and con¬ ciliatory Directors of the East India Company ventured more than once to hint their right to * 1 Blackst. Comm. Book I. c. 10, p. 570. THK BRITISH TBADR WITH CHINA. 57 resent the injurious conduct of the Chinese. “ If the Chinese Govemraent,” said the Court Directors in 1816, **were, in an unfriendly inhospitable spirit, by intquitabk conduct to force to a close a pacific intercourse which has subsisted so long, and in which this country has embarked so great a ceqfital, it could hardly to resent such a harsh and injurious proceed¬ ing.”* Two years afterwards, we find them roused for-a moment from their lethargy by some fresh recital of grievances, and intimating, “ that they were not in any degree inclined to sur¬ render or abandon the imtnunities and privileges hitherto enjoyed by our factory, and to which THE IMPERIAL EDICTS HAVE RECOGNIZED OUH JUST CLAIMSP’f Why then should not the British Govern¬ ment appear promptly and decisively in sup¬ port of such interests as arc at stake, even, if necessary, to a degree of sternness, in the asser¬ tion of our rights against such lawless invasion ? “ Because,”— say tlie East India Company, and those who adopt their mode of thinking,— “ it may throw the Emperor into a sublime sulk, and that would lead to our sudden and final exclusion from their commerce.” This answer, before alluded to, first of all admits most unwarrantably that we have not hitherto • Auber, p. 'ISl. + Ibid. 280. 58 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF acquired any rights against the Chinese, which is directly at variance with the above-cited declarations of the Directors themselves in their despatches in 1816 and 1818 ;—secondly, that so do we value the tea-trade that we are willing to carry it on under all possible dis¬ advantageous and dishonourable terms; or, lastly, that having a valid right, on the princi¬ ples of moral and international law, we have not the power or spirit to assert that right. The first and second of these fallacies have already, it is hoped, been disposed of. If we are, as a nation, afraid to look boldly and steadily at the real position we occupy, or have a right to occupy—in truth, the less worthy arc we of retaining possession of its advantages. If we will absurdly and pusillanimously go out of our way to hunt after subtle and far-fetched pleas for abandoning or restricting our rights, disregarding the great and universal pinciples of national law, which really support those rights, —we had better at once act up to our princi¬ ples, and commence our descent from the posi¬ tion we at present occupy in the scale of nations! Granting that we have just and substantial rights to vindicate against the Chinese,—that these rights are so important as that the asser¬ tion of them becomes a matter of capital im¬ portance to us in a national point of view,—that THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 59 we have the means to assert those rights, and the inclination to adopt those means,—what is the obstacle? Are the Chinese so formidable in a warlike point of view, so determined of purpose, united in action, and skilful in council, ^as to render it inexpedient to adopt the neces* sary measures, however desirable ? Every one whose opinion is worth consulting, who has had due opportunity for observation, and gives his evidence in an unbiassed manner, assures us that the Chinese, however disposed to adopt a magnificent style of language, are much more apt to waste the idle artillery of words in official interdiction, than to resort to serious and really threatening measures in as¬ sertion of their rights. It is indeed, with them, invariably—a flourish of trumpets, and enter Tom Thumb 1 Listen to the marvellous lan¬ guage adopted by the Viceroy (27th October, 1830), in addressing our Committee. “ The celestial Empire benevolently nou¬ rishes, righteously rectifies, and gloriously mag¬ nifies a vast forbearance. How is it possible that for driblets of men in a petty—petty bar¬ barian factory,;|: troops should be moved to exterminate!!! [«c.] ” But the said Chief, and others, could not explain this intention (in the • " It is impossible,” says the Tr.tnslalor, “ by the word foreign (le) to give (he spirit of this senteocc." 60 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OE Hong Merchants’ threat) ; they stupidly listen to the teaching of traitorous persons, and forth¬ with presumed, in opposition to iuhibitions, to order guns and arms to be brought up, and arrayed them at the door of their factory. This is still more wild and erroneous. Only try to think—if indeed tlie said foreigners had among them an ill^^Iity of a very important nature — I, the Governor, would instantly fly to report to the Emperor, and the Government troops would gather together like clouds, eu termi- nate them, and leave a perfect vacuum!!I How could their guns and arms they have brought, presume to oppose such a force?”* Is this the sort of fulmination at which Britain must turn pale ? The Chinese will at one moment adopt lan¬ guage pregnant with direful import, and, at the next, if encountered by even a show of serious resistance, sink into the m<»t ignominious sub¬ mission, and resort to ridiculous subterfuges, in order to escape from the consequences of their own folly and audacity.f ** I have always entertained but one opinion,” says that shrewd and candid observer, Mr, Holman, “ in reference to our connexion with, and policy towards China. We have treated them with too much forbearance; they have all the braggart, as well as all the recreant qualities of cowardice in • Second Appendix, ficc. p- 422. f Ibid. p. 467. THP, URITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. Cl tlieir nature. If we were to make a decided demonstration of hostility, we should speedily obtain all that we require at their hands. A few British men-of-war would shatter tlie flimsy armaments of China with as much facility as our presence, even in slight numbers, and with¬ out power, keeps their vagabond multitudes in check, in the suburbs of Canton.”* And again —“ They are uniformly overbearing and insult¬ ing to all those who happen to be in their power, but cringing and abject to those who exhibit a determination to resist them.”t The Emperor of China has, in truth, neither the inclination nor the power to resort to hostile measures, in ortler to destroy our trade, or banish us from his territories, if lit mo us dis¬ posed to offer a serious resistance. He is far too sensible of our importance—of his weakness, and our strength,—even in spite of the artful and iniquitous means adopted by the local authori¬ ties to keep him in the dark as to the real state of his relations with this country, by forbidding, intercepting, and falsifying all our attempted communications. It is to further such mis¬ chievous purposes as these that they forbid our acquisition of their language, and deny us access to the higher and supreme authorities. The • Holman, Voy. & Tr. toI. i*. p. 109. t 1(1. ib. 08. (H PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF wide-spread corruption* and utter imbecility ex¬ isting in his empire,!—the general poverty of his people,—are too painfully apparent to the Court at Pekin to admit of its sanctioning a breach, and resort to extreme measures, with so powerful a nation as the British. It is as much as they can do to conceal “ the rottenness in the state of Denmark” behind a glaring grandiloquence. A glimpse of one or two of our mcn-of-war stationed off the north-eastern coast of China, * “ Tlio Chincso, imiionclrable to every thing else, are never impenetrable to bribery. Tliey arc the most corrupt people on the face of the earth. I really believe that China niiglit be purchased out and ont. if a largess sufficiently great could bo pcocuted.*'— Holman, voi. Iv. p. 63. t The following circumslanco rdated by Mr. Holman, will illustrate the truth of this observation. Every one knows the great exertions of the Chinese Government to prevent the im¬ portation of opium: see tlie power they have to carry their decisions into effect I “ Friday, October 13th, 1830.—Some friends of mine, who were returning frotn Whampoa to-day, saw a very amusing fight upon the river between two man¬ darins' boats and a smuggler. One of ttic former fired a gun at the latter, which was immediately returned, although he was making off; and as he pulled fifty oare, assisted by his sails, he soon distanced bis pursuers. Meeting, however, three boats of his own calling, he joined them, and they all drew up tn line to give regular battle to the mandarins! The plan of the smugglers was a little cunous. It being flood tide, they formed their line across the river, above the man¬ darins' boats; they tlieu brought their carriage guns to their THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. (IS would Bend a thrill of consternation through the whole empire, and do more to incline the Chinese to listen to the dictetes of reason and justice than centuries of “temporizing” and submission to insult and oppression. Experi¬ ence ought by this time to have shewn us that it is a foolish and useless policy to attempt to gain the confidence of the Chinese by exhibiting, as was constantly enjoined by the East India Com¬ pany, a .servile deference to their innumerable and absurd peculiarities and customs. An ob- sterns, wetted their boarding nettings, to prevent them from catching iiro, (wliich were all reedy to trace tip), and, present¬ ing their sterns, they pulled in that position towards the man¬ darins’ boats, which, however, were glad enough to make a precipitate retreat. Thus, in open day, only a few milet below Canton, four amugyUrt retisted toith impunity the Government of the country !”— And oil this, too, after “ an edict of the Emperor bad been publislied, ordering the local authorities to exercise all their power to prevent the growth and importation of the pc^y.”—Tremble,” said the poor Emperor, “ and obey!"— Holm.in, vol. iv. p. 89—92. It would be easy to muhipiy such instances of the wretched imbecility of the Chinese Govenunent. One more must suf¬ fice. “ Notwithstanding there is a rigid prohibition against Chinese books being sold to forugners, Professor Newmann found no difficulty in procuring tdl that he desired to obtain; and to prevent their bang seiz«! on thar way to the ship, he paid a stipulated sum, for each case, to the mattdarin, who betrayed the trust to his government so openly, that he actually seat some of kit men to pack them at the Professor's lodgings !"— Id. lb. p. 46, (n). 04 PRESENT POSITION ANI> PHOSPEr TS OE scrvance of very many, if not most of them, is inconsistent with the free spirit—the sens; of what is due to self-rcsjject—of the enlightened nations of Europe. Hateful, indeed, is- -or ought to be—the idea of smothering or corn|iro- mising such feelings, from considerations of mere traffic and gain.* “ The free and high- * Tlie following is a very remarkable instance at once of Chinese folly and wickedness: and affords a lively specimen of the character of the people whose manners and ruijiiisiii(;iis (he East India Company required their rcprcscnuiivcs in ali things to respect and observe:—“ Some timo ago tin affray occurred at Kum-sing Moon, in nhiob a foreigner was deliliC' rately murdered by three or four natives, who overpowered Iiim in the affray; and to concc.')! the murder, instead of burying the body, they cut it to pieces, carried it in a lishing boat out to the roads, and cast it into the sea. This suicmunt was oln tained from their own confession; uo remnant of tliu inun was ever found. On the other side, a nati\'c wus wounded in the posteriors with small shot, the parts uiortiffcd, and lu: died within twenty or thirty days. The local government caught the natives who wounded the foreigner, and they de¬ manded that the foreigner who fired the diot, which wounded and caused the death of the native, should be found and delivered up to ihem. With this demand it was not prac¬ ticable to comply. Week after week they reiterated the order to have the "foreign murderer," they called him, delivered up. At last, despairing of compliance, Goverimicnt has connived at a Hong Merchant, a leader among that responsible body, having, for 400 or 500 dollars, bribed some ignorant half-foreigner, about Macao, to personate the foreign murderer, and have put this confession into his mouth, in order that his life may be safe, and be be banished from Cliina, after THK BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. H6 minded nations of Europe,” says the calm and philosophic Malte Brun, " will never admit the arrangements of a tyrannical police, the annoy¬ ance of a childish etiquette, and the 'great walls,' which have been erected for interrupting the communications of the human mind.”* The the farce of tridl and report lo the Emperor ahall be gone through. This is the purport of the confession whicli the Chinese admire for its ingenuity.—'The foreigner who was killed at Kum-sing Moon, was my cider brother. When I saw the natives murdering him, I ran up, and stood forward to rescue him, at which moment a fowling-piece, I had fastened to my back, went otT, and shot the native, who has since died. Wc two brothers were tiie only children of an old mother, who has now no one to take care of her. 1 beg for mercy, that I may return home, and wait on my mother in her old age.' “ Those circuintlaiices were iutended to be kept secret from foreigners, but common fame andsome tell-tale divulged tbem. The foreigners protested to the Governor of Canton against an innocent man being thus implicated, although by his own ignorance and folly. The Governor has over and over again denied the man's innocence, but says the man has delivered himself up, in which there is some merit, and has confessed the facts, which will save his life, inasmuch as the deed was purely accidental, quite unintentional,—therefore he will not be required to forfeit his life. All (bis the governor, the judge, the Kvvang-chow'foo, and other mandarins concerned, as well as the foreign and native public, know is perfectly untrue; but with this fiction of law they are proceeding, and have reported to Peking in substance as above, and are now waiting, with the man in confinement, for the Emperor's answer. The man was subsequentlyliberated unhurt.”— Holman, vol. iv. p. 164—6. * Malte Brim, vol. ii. p. 607. F OG PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OK time for attending to such trifles has passed away, as have occupied so much of the anxious attention of the East India Company and its local representatives. Is it not revolting to common sense and common humanity, to think that the mere appearance of an English lady at Canton—that lady the wife of Mr. Baynes, our first resident merchant,—that an English in¬ valid’s venturing to use a sedan, the common conveyance among the respectable Chinese,— has each of them led to the most alarming and protracted misunderstandings — to insulting “Orders” and “Edicts”—to threats of sus¬ pending the whole British trade—to negotia* tioDS and correspondence of a long and most harassing description ? Yet such have been the facts! * It is repeated that graver consi¬ derations must henceforth occupy the attention of those who carry on tlic trade with China, and a sterner spirit be exhibited in enforcing the claims of reason and justice. If we should un¬ fortunately find the Chinese turn a deaf ear to all our remonstrances, and bent upon continuing in full force the galling system of imposition and insult from which they have so long reaped so rich a harvest; if, above all, they should pre¬ sume to inflict upon us so vast an injury as the * See Auber, passim, aod %coad Appendix, Paper A, pp. 407—8, 446. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 07 interdiotion of our trade (which is of all things the most improbable): then will have arrived the time when our Sovereign would be bound — bound by the duty he owes his subjects, and authorized by the law of nations—to interfere on their behalf, and prot^t them from such grievous injuries. This he might do, in the first instance, by issuing letters of marque and re¬ prisal, which are grantable by the law of na¬ tions whenever the subject of one state are oppressed and injured by those of another, and justice is denied by that state to which the oppressor belongs.”* The Emperor of China, by ratifying the acts of the local authorities in their outrageous treat¬ ment of Lord Napier, has rendered himself re¬ sponsible for such treatment; it has become a public concern, and tlie injured party is to con¬ sider the nation as the real author of the injury, of which the citizen was only the instrument.”'!' Surely we should be able to show, before pro¬ ceeding to such extremities, that we have in¬ effectually demanded justice, or that we have every reason to believe that it would be in vain for us to demand it.”t ** Justice is refused,” * i Bla. Com. bk. i. c. 7. p. 258. t Vattel, Book ii. c. 6. § 74. 1 Vatte], Book ii. c. 18. ^943; Grotius, De J. Belli ac Pace, Book ii. c.2, ^ 4-5. (is PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF says Vattel, “ in several ways: first, by a de¬ nial of justice, properly so called—or by a re¬ fusal to hear your complahits or those of your sub¬ jects, or to admit them to establish their rights before the ordinary tribunals."* If this latter be, in the opinion of an enlightened writer on inter¬ national law, of itself a sufficient cause for the granting of letters of marque and reprisals,— what abundant cause extste for resorting to the same measures, in the accumulated wrongs which the Chinese have already heaped, and still threaten to heap, upon the subjects of Great Britain 1 If China chooses to follow up the insult she has offered to us in the person of Lord Napier, by abruptly excluding us from her trade—by breaking the agreement which her own conduct, as well as ours, shows to have been in existence for more than a century, surely we may adopt the language of the Court of Directors, in 1816, and say, that " we could hardly fail to resent so harsh and injurious a proceeding/’f A ship of the line, together with a couple of frigates and three or four sloops, would suffice—we are told,J to put a stop to the greater part of the external and internal commerce of the Chinese Empire—to intercept • Vattel, Book ii.e. 18. § 350. t Ante, p. 19. r See “ Petition of the Briu'^ subjects at Canton to the King in Council.” THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. Ci) its revenues in their progfress to the capital, and take possession of all the armed vessels of the country.” There is another >vay, says Mr. Holman, of bringing the Chinese to their senses. " If Great Britain were to take possession of Macao, garrison it with native troops from Bengal, and declare it a free port, it would be one of the most flourishing places in the East.” In this opinion, however, this intelligent tra¬ veller has been misinformed, for Macao would be worse than useless to Great Britain, owing to the humiliating tenure on which it is held from the Chinese, and its want of a suitable an¬ chorage for any but vessels of the smaller class. If any island is taken possession of, it should be in a central part of China,— Cjiusan for in¬ stance, as suggested by Sir James Urmston, formerly chief of the Company’s factory. Then indeed might we hope to see it become one of the most flourishing places in the East; " for,” continues Mr. Holman, " the Chinese are so fond of smuggling, that they would not hesi¬ tate to trade with foreigners if they could be assured of receiving protection; and there is no doubt that they would use all those arts of bribery with their own countrymen, which would be necessary to promote their own ends, and which are so irresistible to the equivocal integrity of the Chinese. By these 70 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF means, therefore, there is not a doubt that a very extensive and productive trade might be established with China, and very important ad¬ vantages secured to the British nation. When these facts are so self-evident,” well may the writer add, " it is wonderful that some mea¬ sures have not been taken to secure the com¬ merce and to protect the merchants from the insults and obstacles which are now so much complained of, as well as to lower the bullying and imperative tone which the Chinese at pre¬ sent think fit to adopt in all their mercantile transactions.”* The British merchants trading at Canton de¬ sire, however, neither to contemplate nor to suggest a resort to such extreme measures, un¬ less forced upon us by the foilure of more peace¬ ful means. Their inclinations, as well as their interests, incline them to be men of peace. They are satisfied that their interests—that is, the interests of the naUon—may be effectually secured without it, and that our commercial in¬ tercourse with China may be easily, speedily, and peaceably placed upon an honourable and secure footing. Great Britain need show her¬ self to the Chinese, not in a threatening, but simply a resolute attitude, in order to secure that grand desideratum ,—a direct access to the * Holman, vol. iv. p> .50. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 71 court at Pekin; where such cogent representa¬ tions might be made to the Emperor,—such a demonstration of the weak and embarrassed state of his kingdom, of the solid and permanent advantages he may reap by conceding our few and reasonable demands, and the serious conse¬ quences of persisting in an obstinate and inso¬ lent disregard of them, as would, in all human probability, lead to the happiest results. Could the Emperor but be made to see that his brother monarch of Great Britain—the King of a great and independent nation —was perfectly in earnest about the matter,—that at length he was tired of the tyranny and injustice to which his subjects at Canton have been so long sub¬ ject, and resolved upon obtaining satisfaction for the deep insult offered to.him through his representative Lortl Napier;—the whole history of China shows that the Emperor would not be long in deciding which of the alternatives to adopt, or finding a suitable and stately pretext fur making the requisite concessions. We desire him to drop for ever the arrogant and offensive lan¬ guage so long adopted by himself and his mi¬ nisters, in speaking of the King of Great Britain and his subjects; to give reparation fur the fatal insults offered to Lord Napier, and to the na¬ tional honour, in firing at her flag,—as well as remuneration for the losses we sustained by the detention of our ships during the stoppage of our 72 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF trade on that occasion j to extend to our fellow- subjects at Canton the full protection of the Chinese laws; to forbid the longer infliction by the local authorities of the intolerable indig¬ nities and impositions under which our traders have so long suffered, and to accede to com¬ mercial arrangements that may be reasonable and mutually benehcial. This is the short sum of all that it is desired our Government should demand from that of China. The honour and interests of the country equally require it. It is ignorant trifling to talk of treating the ro¬ domontade and verbiage of the Chinese with the contempt it deserves.” It cannot be denied that, as stated by the Canton merchants, in their “ Petition” to the King in Council, ” the disabilities and restrictions under which our commerce now labours, may be traced to a long acquiescence in the arrogant assumption of su¬ premacy over the people and monarchs of other countries, claimed by the Emperor of China for himself and his subjects—and that “ they are forced to conclude, that no essentially beneficial result can be expected to arise out of negotia¬ tions in which such pretensions are not de¬ cidedly repelled.” ..." That they most seri¬ ously apprehend that the least concession or waiving of this point, under present circum- , stances, could not fail to leave us as much as THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 7l3 ever subject to a repetition of the injuries of which we have now to complain.” It might have been deemed politic, in our early inter¬ course with the Chinese, to acquiesce in their as¬ sumptions—to pass over their vain-glorious and bombastic phraseology, or treat it as an amusing absurdity. We had then to gain a footing where we had not a tittle of claim even to be tolerated on or near their shores; where we were strictly “ tenants by sufferance,”—and be¬ sides, could not have contemplated the effects such acquiescence would have produced prac¬ tically upon their treatment of us. Now, how¬ ever, circumstances are indeed changed. We have learned by the severe experience of two centuries, the truth of the representations above made: and may depend upon it, that so long as the Chinese find us tolerate their styling our King “ a reverently submissive tributary” and his subjects “ profligate barbarians,”—they will treat us accordingly. Hence the absolute ne¬ cessity of demanding the discontinuance of such language—even supposing it to be consistent with the dignity and honour of Great Britain to submit to the degradation of carrying on ti-ade upon such terms. So far back as the year 1815, we find the President of the Select Committee at Canton— Mr. Elphinstone,—thus indicating, to the Court 74 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF of Directors, the most advisable course then to pursue, in order to remedy evils of which we have now even far greater cause to complain:— " There appears to me no mode so likely to prevent these injurious consequences (i.e. “an entire stoppage of the trade with China,”) as that of establishing a direct and frequent com¬ munication between the two governments. Mis¬ sions on a far more moderate scale than the former embassy may prove fully as efficacious. No particular act or appearance of favour or con¬ cession need be expected from the Chinese Go¬ vernment. . The beneficial efiects will be. in placing the British nation on a more respect¬ able footing with respect to China; and their frequent communications, independent of the superior advantage an embassy will now pos¬ sess—of English interpreters—will prove to the provincial authorities, that remonstrances can be conveyed to Pekin.”* Following up this suggestion, and profiUng by subsequent experi- ence-^arefiilly considering, moreover, the very peculiar position of afiairs at the present con¬ juncture, it is submitted that bis Majesty’s Go¬ vernment would act wisely in adopting the sug¬ gestions of the present Canton merchants: who, after “ lamenting that such authority to nego¬ tiate, and force to protect from insult, as the * Second Appendix, drc. pp. 603-4. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 75 occasion demanded, were not entrusted to his Majesty’s Commissioners,” — and expressing their " conddence, without a shadow of doubt, that had the requisite power, properly sus¬ tained by an armed force, been possessed by Lord Napier” they would not now have “ to deplore the degraded and insecure position in which they are placed, in consequence of the representative of our Sovereign having been compelled to retire from Canton, without hav¬ ing authority to offer any remonstrance to the Supreme Government, or to make a demon¬ stration of a resolution to obtain reparation at once for the insults heaped upon him by the local authorities,”—humbly pray— “ That his Majesty would be pleased to grant powers plenipotentiary to such person of suitable rank, discretion, and diplomatic expe¬ rience, as his Majesty in his wisdom might think fit and proper to be entrusted with such authority; and that be should be directed to proceed to a convenient station on the Eastern coast of China, as near to the capital of the country as might be found most expedient, in one of bis Majesty's ships of the line, attended by a sufficient maritime force, which—they are of opinion—need not consist of more than two frigates, and three or four armed vessels of light draft, together with a steam vessel, all fully manned and that he m^hl be thus placed in "iQ VBESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OP a position to demand the reparations and con¬ cessions above suggested. Scarcely any addi¬ tional expense—if that could be an object in such an affair as this—need be incurred by this country, in adopting this course of policy; since the costly establishment which, in consequence of their exclusion from Canton, we are now maintaining (with hardly any functions to ex¬ ercise) at Macao,—may be greatly reduced; and our Indian squadron, already in commis¬ sion, might be directed to cruize as a fleet of observation along the coasts of China, instead of lying at some of the Indian ports, which are usually found very unhealthy to their crows. If the occasion should not be deemed to require in the first instance, the services of a special plenipotentiary, the Admiral might be charged with a letter from our Government, to the Em¬ peror, referring to the manner in which Lord Napier was received and treated, as a reason for desiring a communication with his Imperial Majesty, with a view to come to an under¬ standing on this pmnful subject, as well as on the grievances from which the trade is suffer¬ ing.* Any attempt to renew negotiations at Canton * The harbour of Amoy, in Fokien, from its depth of water, facility of access, and sheltered position, is admirably adapted to uR'ord a secure aneborage for his Majesty's ships* even of the largest size. THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 77 should be avoided j since, besides involving the probable consequence of a suspension of the trade—as happened in the case of Lord Napier —it would be sure to prove useless, from the circumstance of the local officers of that province not being authorised by their own government to treat with foreign powers; while they are, at the same time, the parties against whose wrong¬ doing it is especially wished to appeal. The esta¬ blishment of the Hong Merchants is one of the most artful and successful engines of oppression and extortion that was ever devised. They are the only medium through which foreigners can carry on trade with the Chinese empire; and have a very obvious motive for making mischief when they have the opportunity, between their superiors and the foreign traders; i. e., their jealousy of foreign merchants, and fears least they should become too powerful and wealthy, and at length supersede themselves. “ The Hong Merchants,” say the Select Committee, (1st January, 1831,) “have, unhappily, ever been jealous of the concession of any privileges which add to the respectability of foreign re¬ sidents. They proceed also upon the principle, that the greater the depressed state of foreigners, the less likely is their own responsibility to be in¬ volved.” * The tremendous liabilities of the Hong * Second Appendix, dro. p. 446. 78 PRESENT POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF Merchants, also render it, in a manner, absolutely necessary for them to inflict incessant imposi¬ tions upon the foreign traders. As an instance of this it may be stated, Uiat the whole expense of the immense preparations recently made by the local government to oppose the expected advance towards Canton of his Majesty's frigates, after they had passed the Bogne, has been ex¬ torted from the Hong Merchants; and as but a few of them are really solvent, the only means of meeting such a demand is —combining to tax both the import and the export trade! If, finally, his Majesty should sec 6t to adopt the above suggestions, there remains one ob¬ servation—already alluded to—to be most re¬ spectfully pressed upon the attention of minis¬ ters ;—that our plenipotentiary should be clothed with sufficient powers to enforce, if necessary, the assertion of our rights. It is an acknow¬ ledged maxim in all n^otiations, that the sui'cst preventive of war is an unequivocal manifestation of our being neither unable nor unprepared, on its becoming necessary, to resort to it. The moment our negotiator lets it be perceived that he is precluded by his instructions from adopt¬ ing such a course, whether to protect the rights of our merchants, or vindicate the respect due to his official character, be may be assured that all his arguments will prove unavailing and can tend only to betray his weakness; while, it is THE BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA. 7f) equally certain that the acute policy of the Chinese will, at the very outset, be invariably exerted to make him develope under what in¬ structions be is acting; what are the limits to his sufferance, and what the extent of his powers to retaliate in case of insult or injury. This they will soon bring to light, by such a studied system of privation and disrespect, as shall compel him to show his strength, if he have any, or wanting this, to flounder through a course of alternate opposition and unavoidable submis¬ sion, which cannot do otherwise than end in his defeat. Such, then, is the present state of our com¬ mercial relations with China. Such are the principal sources of our present grievances; such our prospects and opportunities; such, in short, the claims of the British Merchants at Canton; such the duties of the British Government. Tlie time has arrived when a decisive step must be taken. We must, at once, make up our minds either to abandon for ever our dear-bought commercial intercourse with China, or take effectual measures for securing its continuance, and that upon a sate, advantageous, honourable, and permanent footing. We must resolve upon vindicating our insulted honour as a nation, and protecting the injured interests of our commerce —or, in the face of Europe,—with “ all appli¬ ances and means to boot”—fully sensible of the 80 PRESENT POSITION, ETC. magnitude of the interests at stake, as well as the ease with which they may be protected and perpetuated—humble ourselves, nevertheless, in ignominious submission, at the feet of the most insolent, the most ungrateful, the most pusillanimous people upon earth. OUTLINE OF SOMR LEADING OCCURRENCES IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHINA TRADE. [The few following dclacis will serve, it is hoped, at once to illustrate and fortify the more important statements and conclusions contained in the foregwng pages,} The records of our early intercourse with the Hast clearly establish one must importaut fact, that the difficulties experienced in opening a trade witli China were the result rather of the jealousy of rival Europeans, tlian of any decided aversion to foreigners on the part of the natives.* * The following “ Abstract from Chinese statistical papers, TeapecliDg European intercourse with China," is illustrative of Chinese ideas respecting foreign trade. “ When foreigners of the Western Ocean, who were called Franks, came, and, like others, talked of conveying tribute to court, they abruptly entered the district of Ting-qiian, and with tremendous roar of their guns, struck terror into all, both far and near. A iju-$he wrote to court, and procured a pro¬ hibition of all foreign ships." SubsequenUy to this {wobibilion of foreign trade, the Foo> ynen Sen-foo addressed his Majesty as follows r. HISrORICAL OUTLINE, In support of this assertion, it may be instruc¬ tive to take a brief glance at some of the leading occurrences. " A g^reat part of tltc necessary expense, botli in the oiBcers of government and pco|>k, is, at Canton, supplied by t!ie customs levied on merchants. If forc^ ships do not come, both public and private concerns are thrown into much em¬ barrassment and distress. It is requested that the Franks may be permitted to trade. “Three or four advantages result from permitting the Franks to trade: first, in the beginning of the dynasty, besides the rogtilur tribute of t!>e several foreign states, a small per<centage was taken from t])c remainder, winch was adequate to the supply of the government expenditure. This is the first advantage. Second, the treasury appropriated for the annual supply of the anny of Canton and Kwang'sy, is entirely drained; and our dependence is on the trade to supply the army, and to provide ^inst unforesem exigencies. This is the second advantage. Third, heretofore Kwang-sy has looked to Canton for supplies. If any small demand is made on that province, it is unable to comply with it. When foreign ships have free intercourse, then high and low are all mutually supplied. This is the third advantage. Fourth, the people live by commerce. A man holding a small quantity of goods sells them, and procures what he himself requires. Thus things pass from hand to liand, and in their course sup¬ ply men with food and raimrat. This Is the fourth advantage, 'fhe government is therefore assisted—the people enriched— and both have means afforded them on which they may depend. “ At a former period (1520) the foreign mart was removed to Tien-pih, about one hundred miles from Canton. In another year (].'334) Kwang-king, an officer of that district, HISTORICAL OUTLINli, S3 The Portuguese enjoyed nearly a century’s priority of intercourse with the celestial empire, (from A. u. 1517); and, free from the competi¬ tion of any other European nation, traded at various ports, subject only to occasional conten¬ tions, the result of acts of violence and injustice characteristic of those times,—perpetrated, per¬ haps, on both sides. In 1555, they appear to have concentrated themselves at Macao, where they built a town. We hear of their ships fre¬ quenting the port of Canton in 1578, and trad¬ ing along the coast of China; but in 1631, in consequence of some disputes which had arisen with the natives, they were restricted to their own settlement at Macao. Such was the slate of affairs when, in 1634, the Portuguese, in consequence of the capture of their own vessels by the Dutch, were in¬ duced to charter an English ship, the London, from the Company’s factory at Surat, for a voyage from Goa to Macao; and a convention having received a bribe, wrote to tbe superior officers of government, requesting to remove the mart to Macao, on condition of an annual dnty of 20,000 pieces of money. Titus the Franks, in an undcr-baiid way obtained admission into the country. They then began and built lofty iiouses. The mer¬ chants of Foo-kien and Canton flocked to them. They, in time, received addition to their numbers, and all the small surrounding nations, who formerly came thither, were afraid, and shunned them. Hence tliey assumed a sole right to the place.” »4 HISTORICAL OUTLINE. was made, that the English should have liberty of trade at all tlic Portuguese settlements in Asia. On the faith of this agreement. Captain Wed¬ dell, witli three vessels under his orders, was despatched from Loudon about the year IG3.5, by a company having the title of “ Courteen’s Association,” (in which Charles the First was a shareholder), for the purpose of making the first attempt, on the part of the English, to establish a trade with China. lie carried with him, by way of crcdcutial, a letter from King Charles I. to the Portuguese Governor of Macao, who, however, in direct violation of the convention, peremptorily refused admittance to the British vessels. Nor did the opposition of the Governor stop here, for, as Captain Weddell found, on applying to the Chinese for permission to "traffic freely with them, on the same foot¬ ing as our European precursors,” the trea¬ cherous Portuguese had sent emissaries to Can¬ ton for the purjMjsc of exciting a prejudice against the English.* In this object, by the * It is remarkable that some twenty years before this period a strong prejudice against the English prevailed in China, by reason of the piracies committed by the Dutch, under the Bjjtisb flag, on the Chinese coasting junks. " But the Com¬ pany’s agent at Japan exposed this d«;eption, by making the real facts known in China, and the good report of Englishmen (the Company’s records state) was in coiiseijuciicc higher HISTORICAL OUTLINE. •»5 double operation of bribes and aspersions on our national character, he so completely succeeded, that the courteous disposition manifested by the natives towards Captain Weddell in the first instance, gave place to feelings of so hostile a nature, that the Chinese commenced making warlike preparations, and actually fired several shots at lii.s barge, when going on shore for water. Incensed at this unprovoked outrage, “ the English fleet (consisting of three small mer¬ chant vessels and u pinnace) displayed their red ensigns, and took a jwsition before the castle, whence the Chinese discharged many balls at them before they could bring a piece of ord¬ nance to bear, to return the fire. After fighting two hours, perceiving the courage of the Chi* ne.se to fail. Captain We<ldell landed about a hundred men, at sight of whom the Chinese, in great confusion, abandoned the fort, the English entering, jfianting on the walls the British flag, and carrying on board all the ordnance found in it.” The result of Captain Weddell’s exploit was his obtaining a patent for free trade, with liberty to fortify on any place out of the river. This invaluable privilege was, however, rendered there than cvei.” See Lord*' Report o« Forei'/n Trm.'e, 18-21. p. ‘284. HISTOBICAL Ol'TLINE. nugatory by the East India Company’s hostility to “ Courteen’s Association,”* which was in consequence suppressed. In 1644, the Chinese empire was conquered by the reigning Tartar dynasty. The southern provinces, however, were not reduced to sub¬ mission for many years, during which the greatest anarchy prevailed; the coasts being scoured by native junks, which, acknowledging no law, plundered all who were not strong enough to protect themselves. In order to cut off the resources of these marauders, the Tartar government resorted to the extmordinary expe¬ dient of conipelliug the inhabitants of tlie southern shores to retire thirty Chinese miles towards the interior, and renounce all inter¬ course with the sea. The Portuguese, by especial indulgence, were excused from remov¬ ing into the interior, but were prohibited from navigating their ships, or engaging in foreign trade. Entire stagnation of commerce was the * “ Courteen's Association" was established by King Cliarlcs I., to participate, with the East India Company, in the India trade, because (as the preamble to their license states) “ the East India Company had neglected to establish Ibrtihed factories or seats of trade to which the king's subjects could resort with safety; bad consulted their own interest oJy, without any regard to the king’s revenue, and, in general, had broken the couditiou on which their charter and exclusive privileges had been granted to them.” HISTORICAL OHTLINK. 07 result, aud Macao was reduced to the greatest distress. On the return of a more settled state of af¬ fairs, the Tartar government became desirous of a revival of foreign trade, and, accordingly, in 1G78, th© Viceroy of Canton itivUed the English to establish a factory at that place. Unfortu¬ nately, however, the English company, influ¬ enced by an apprehension of offending the Chinese chieftain, KoxiN’oA,orrathcr his successor, with whom they had dealings at Amoy and Formosa, (then held by him in defiance of tlie Tartar Go¬ vernment) did not avail themselves of this desir¬ able overture, which is the more to be regretted, as Koxinga’s power was shortly afterwards ex¬ tinguished. On this occuning, tlic English turned their attention to Canton, but found themselves forestalled by their ancient rivals the Portuguese, who, in 1682, by a bribe of 24,000 taels (about 8000/. sterling) per annum—ob¬ tained from the Governor of Canton an edict prohibiting the merchants of that place from “ trading with strangers.”* Accordingly, some English vessels which visited the coast about that period, were “ warned off” by “ a message from the General of the Tartar fleet, announcing that the Portuguese bad peUtioned him to turn * See East India Coiniiaiiy’s Records, laid 1>el'orc the House ol' Lords ill IH’il. 88 HISTORICAL OUTLINIi. out all strangers,*’ and “ that there was a mu¬ tual obligation between the Emperor and the Portuguese not to permit a trade with any other European nation.” In 1685, the Emperor Kang He issued his famous edict by which the ports of the empire were declared to be open to all nations. It does not, however, appear that any change of policy at Canton was produced by this edict, which, therefore, it is probable that the governor of that province, influenced by the annual bribe of 8000/. from the Portuguese, contrived to evade.* * That the impediments to forciipi trade in China arose rather from the rivalry of Europeans than from any disiiiclina- lion to commerce on the part of the natives, is further exem* plified in the fact, that there arc no records of the lin^lish trading with Tormosa during tlic tliirty>eight years of its oc¬ cupation by the Dutch (from l'>24 to while the Chinese chieftain Koxinga, who dispossessed the Dutch, in¬ vited foreigners to trade ; and accordingly, iltiring his rule, in 1670, an English factory was established. Koxinga's succes¬ sor was conquered by tlte Tartars in 1681. In like manner, when the Dutch attempted to open a trade with China, they were opposed not only by the Portuguese at Canton, but by the Jesuit missionarimi at Pekin, who pre¬ judiced the Emperor’s mind by informing him “ that they were only possessed of a small part of a country, which they f^ce<l by rebellion, from their lawful sovereign; and there¬ upon became pirates at sea, robUog ail they met with in order to support their power on tend.” UISTUHtCAL OUTUN£. 89 The first notice, in the E^t India Company's published records, of an English vessel visiting Canton, is found in a communication to the Directors from the Factors at Surat, who state that a ship of 500 tons had traded at the former place in 1G94; subject, however, to many vexations and extortions. There appear to be no details of our intercourse for the twenty years immediately subsequent to Uiat period; but it is stated by Mr. Auber, the Secretary to the East India Company, that in 1715, “ the inter¬ course with Canton had assumed somewhat of [the character of] a regular trade." The IIoppo, or superintendent of foreign trade, invariably admitted our supercargoes to an au¬ dience, at which they stipulated, through their liingiiisf, for the observance of a scries of articles, generally to the following import:— 1. I'nc trade with ailChowsc without distiaction. 2. Liberty to hire Chinese servants, and to dismiss them at pleasure. English servants committing any offence to be punished by the supercargoes, and not by the Chinese. 3. Liberty to purchase provisions, &c. for their factory and ships. 4. No duties to be chargeable on the reship¬ ment of unsold goods, nor on stores, such as wine, beer, &c. exjrendcd in the factory. 5. Liberty to erect a tent on shore for lepair- ing casks, sails, &'C. HISTORICAL OOTLINH. C. English boats, with colours flying, to pass and repass the Custom houses without ex¬ amination, and the sailors’ pockets not to be searched. 7. Escrutoires and chests to be landed and re¬ shipped without examination. 8. The Hoppo to protect the English from all insults and impositions of the common people, and the mandarins. Not only, however, (as before stated,) have these reasonable privileges, with the exception of one or two of the least imjKjrtant, been abro¬ gated by the Chinese, but disabilities and re¬ straints the most humiliating have been inflicted on the European traders. The wily Chinese were not slow in perceiv¬ ing the value of a trade which allured so many Europeans to their shores, excited so eager a rivalry among them, and furnished the re¬ sources of those costly bribes which they had been accustomed to receive from the Portu¬ guese. It therefore became their study to se¬ cure a continuance of the rich harvest, and see¬ ing Europeans so lavish of their money, as the price of restraints upon commercial rivals, they naturally enough viewed a system of restrictions and disabilities as the readiest engine for extract¬ ing those gains which had gradually ceased to flow in, from the voluntary impulse of the mutual rivalry cherished by their foreign visitors. lUSTOKICAL UVTI.INn. (K Thus it became, to use the words of Sir George Staunton, '* a part of the system of Chinese policy with respect to all foreigners, to restrict and restrain them to the utmost to which they will submit; but not to drive them to de¬ spair, and thus destroy a trade of considerable importance to the Chinese empire, and abso¬ lutely essential to the prosperity of one of its provinces.”* All offices, from the highest to the lowest, under the Chinese Government, being objects of sale, the holders consider themselves justihed in resorting to every possible extortion in order to obtain the largest return for the capital ex¬ pended on the purchase; and the distance of Canton from the capital, enables tlie authorities * The importance attached by die Chinese to foreign trade is cxliibited in n Meiuorial to the Emperor from the Governor Eooyucii, and Hoppo of Canton, dated March 1832 :— “ But this prosperODs dynasty has diowii tenderness and great benevolence to foreigners, and admitted them to a ge¬ neral market for a hundred and some scores of years, during which time they have traded quietly and peaceably together, without any trouble. How then would it suddcnlt/ put a barrier before them, and suddenly ent off the trade ? Be¬ sides, in Canton, there are several hundred thousands of poor unemployed people who have heretofore obtained their livelihood by trading in foreign merchandise. If in one day they should lose the means of gaining a livelihood, the evil coHseqiKiices to Ike place would be great” HISTORICAL OUTLlNli. y2 at the former place to indulge their rapacity to an extent never contemplated or sanctioned by the court of Pekin. In furtherance of their corrupt views, these provincial functionaries prohibit the Chinese from teaching Europeans the language, “ on the ground that it- might lead to their complaints reaching and troubling the Court.” They thus removed all chock on their malpractices; and being free to make any misrepresentations they pleased respecting Eu¬ ropeans to the Emperor, without the smallest chance of being coiUradictwl, they have been able by degrees to obtain his sanction to many parts of a system of oppression and abuse, the most ingeniously calculated for its object of ex¬ tortion which it is possible to imagine.* • “ The Chinese officers of gorernmenl are continually changing their duties from one province to another. The amount that may have satisfied the officer of one year will be found insufficient for liis successor. Pleas and pretences for requiring donations under so despotic a government are easily found, nor are they readily evaded.” [From a paper by Mr. Elpliinstone laid before the House of Lords, 1821.] “ It is from a corrupt influence that the selection for the principal officers in the various local governments proceeds; tire ManduriiBS in the enjoyment of tlie imperial favour at Pekin, disposing, in most cases, of the situations of profit and authority to those in the several classes of Chinese distinction who arc enabled to give the best price. Hence it follows, as a matter nf course, that in the appointment of a new Viceroy, HISTORICAL Oltl'LIKK. The Company’s supercargoes appear, at first, to have resisted the im|>usition$ of the Chinese or a new Hoppo, some irr^lar, illegal, at unauthorized prac¬ tice is said to be discovered, for which penalties arc threatened. These penalties' are compromiBcd by a bribe from those wlio are principally involved in the charge; and as it is the foreign trade which is best able to bear these exactions, it is to that source the Viceroys and Hoppos of Canton generally direct their first attention for the means of repaying the purchase money of their respective appointmeats, and also to enable them to accumulate as large a sum as possible during the few years (gciiorully not more than four or five) they are per¬ mitted to hold those appointments. From the continued sue* cession of ruuclionarics, all owing their offices to the same infiiicnce, the venality of every branch of the service is jKrpe- tuated. So fat as regards the foreign trade, this principle is tho nioro detrimental, because from the shorluess of the period to which the authority of each Viceroy and Hoppo extends, those olficors have not suflicient opportunity to Iwcomc com¬ pletely acquainted with the whole detail of the foreign trade, whence they arc of necessity obliged to place the more reliance upon the opinions and statements of the Hong merchants, and these, to serve their own purposes, generally impose upon their superiors such statements only as they think best calcu¬ lated to answer the present cmeigency, whatever that may be; and, as some of the members of the Hong possess great wealth, the united accumulation of dteir predecessors and themselves in the same Hong, tliey have a corresponding in¬ fluence with the local government, which is thereby induced to lend, at all times, a favourable car to every representation they may make on points connected with tlic furetgn trade of the empire.” [From a paper which the Directors laid before the House of Lords lu 94 HISTORM^AL OUTLINK. with becoming spirit. It was not unusual for them to detain their vessels at the month of the river until they had exacted an assurance of proper treatment from the Canton authorities. Failing to obtain such assurance, they had the alternative of trading at Amoy; the threat of doing which had, on more than one occasion, the etfect of bringing the Mandarins to reason. It appears, also, that the supercargoes had sen¬ tries to guard their factory; a wholesome pre¬ caution which, like many others, has long since been discontinued. The Company’s records, at a very early period, furnish a striking illustration of the Chinese cha¬ racter. “ A private British ship (the Ann), be¬ longing to Madras had (in 171C) seized a junk be¬ longing to Amoy, in satisfaction of some injuries received at that port. The emperor, being in¬ formed of this, sent a special messenger to inquire into the affair; and, on his report, ordered the Mandarins, whoseduty it was to sec justice done the Madras merchants, to be severely punished.” “1718-19, January 16.—The seizure of the Amoy junk made the Chinese treat the English better than formerly. The Emperor obliged the Mandarins to make the owners satisfaction, and confiscated the remainder of their estates. .“1719, July 29.—The trade in China last year so good that Madras this year sent two ships. The seizure of the Amoy junk had HISTORICAL OUTLINE. 95 caused the English to be better treated than ever."—Lords' Report, 1821, p. 279. Yet, with this striking example before them of the Emperor’s desire to do justice, and their long experience of the provincial authorities’ proneness to do wrong, the East India Directors, in 1751, adopted the preposterous policy of “ authorizing their supercargoes to expend such a sum as they might see fit in endeavouring to obtain for the trade relief from exactions !”* Attempts to restrict the dealing of foreigners to a few licensed Chinese, in violation of the privileges granted in 1715, are frequently noticed in the early history of our intercourse, but they were generally counteracted by the decisive measure of detaining the ships outside the port until the restriction was removed. In 1754-5, however, three years after the Directors authorised recourse to bribery, the following remarkable notice appears on the Company's records:— “An attempt made [by the Factory] to get rid of the practice of the English finding security merchants; in consequence of which, merchants of credit would not trade with them, and they were therefore on a worse footing than other nations who traded at the port * Auber's Cliinn, p. 167. See this esUaordmttry fact coiif- mented upon, ante, p. 9. f Sec Lords’ Report, 1821, p. 29.1. HlSTOKfO^l. Ol'TUSB. yo In 1759, two years after Canton had obtained a monopoly of the trade, when the authorities were no longer restrained by the apprehension that foreigners would resort elsewhere, the limi¬ tation of our dealings to a few /icemed Chinese was made part of the established system of trade, and those individuals, designated Security or Hong Merchants, were regularly incorporated under the name of the “ Couong,” with whom alone Europeans were permitted to deal; all transactions with other Chinese, excepting, in¬ deed, petty shopkeepers, being declared illegal. In 1771, the supercargoes congratulate them¬ selves on having procured the dissolution of this obnoxious Cohong at the cost of 100,000 taels (from £30,000 to £35,000), winch they actually expended on the occasion.* In 1779- 80, however, the sanjc Cohong appear.? again in full operation, and was made the instrument, as it has continued to be ever since, of levying an additional tax on foreign trade, under the designation of Consoo Fund, the origin of whicli is thus related. Debts amounting to 3,808,075 Spanish dollars, were owing by Chinese to British subjects, which the latter were unable to recover; and on their rcpresciilatiun of the fact to the Madras Government, Captain Panton, oX^his Majesty’s ship Sea-horse, was requested • See Auber, p. 178. HISTORICAL OUTLINE. 91 to proceed to China in order to urge payment, and having instructions from Admiral Sir Edward Vernon, and as well as from Sir Ed¬ ward Hughes, to insist on an audience with the Viceroy. This audience, after some delay, and not without the use of threats on the part of the British commander, wasobtained, when Captain Panton received a fair and satisfactory answer to his application.* Not so, however, was the “ “This meusiiro had occaaionct) very serious alarms at Can¬ ton. The Chinese merchants who had incurred the debt con¬ trary to the commerciat laws of ibeirown country, and denied, in part, the jiistire of the demand, were afraid that intelligence of this would he carried to Peking: and that the Empcror> who has the character of a just and rigid prince, might punish them with the loss of their fortunes, if not of their lives. On the other hand, the Select Committee, to whom the cause of the claimants was strongly recommended by the presidency of Madras, were extremely apprehensive, lest they should embroil themselves with the Chinese Government at Canton; and, by that means, bring, perhaps, irreparable mischief on the Com¬ pany's affairsi in China. For I was further informed that the Mandarins were always ready to lake occasion, even on the slightest grounds, to put a stop to their trading; and that it was often with great difficulty, and never without certain ex¬ pense, that they could get sneh restraints taken off. These impositions were daily increaung; and, indeed, I found it a prevailing opinion, in all the Eun^an factories, that they shonld soon be reduced either to quit tlie commerce of that country, or to bear the' same indignities to which the Dutc^ are subjected in Japan .”—Captain King* Voyage in H.M.S. Discovery, A. n. 17S0. H ife HISTORICAL OUTLINE. result; the “satisfaction” ultimately granted being the payment of one-half only of the debts without interest, by equal instalments, extend¬ ing over a period of ten years; this tardy pay¬ ment being made, not from the pockets of the Chinese, but from the new impost on European trade, already alluded to, as the Consoo fund. This took place, however, after Captain Panton’s departure. In their evidence before the House of Lords,* tlie East India Directors avow it as their system, “ to temporize with the in.solcncies and caprice of the Chinese Government;” as “ the servants of a commercial body, can bear many things which a King’s officer could not, with due re¬ gard to the honour of his Sovereign, submit to.” For this reason they opposed the appointment of a King's Consul at Canton, “ as it might nut become his office to submit to indignities which the servants of a body of merchants could endure without much disgrace.” Maxims such as these could not but be re¬ pugnant alike to the judgment and feelings of many of the Company’s successive servants at Canton,f who, between a sense of duty, which , • See Evidence, Lords’ Report, 1821, pp, IIG and 178. t This is forcibly illustrated in a private letter (which Vias \)ucn ip\xbVi»lie<l ) fracn Sir Hicopliilus Metcalfe, chief of tlie HISTORICAL OUTLIN'C. urged compliance with the instructions of their employers, on the one hand, and the dictates of Factory, to the Chairman of the Coart of Directors, respectiiig the proceedings of Sir Murray Maxwell, in battering the Bogue fort, and entering the rifer in 1816:— “ Believe me, sir,” he observes, “ the acts of a Viceroy will ever continue arbitruy and unjust if not properly resisted. The trade only requires a check on his conduct and the ex¬ tortions of other Mandarins at Canton, and I trust the cautious, judicious, and firm conduct of Captain Maxwell on this occasion will lay (he foundation of fracing the Company's trade on a steady footing, and receive (hat support from the mi¬ nisters and court of Directors as will convince the Chinese that the blood of Lord Anson still flows in the veins of Englishmen. 1 might be told, as Presidcut of the Faeiorij, iheie are not the ieutimants I should promvltfalc. In reply, I assert, they are the tentiiiiente held in private by every Man who has visited China in the last twenty years i and it is only to be regretted iliac the coiiliimai victories gained by a few supercar¬ goes should nut have carried such convictrou as to make these sentiments more agreeable. 1 am aware that they are not to be stated in a public letter; but as throughout life 1 have never disguised my opinious, I feel it my duty to convey Uiem in some manner.” Again, Sir Theophitus adds, “ If he (Captain Jlaxwell) conceived the ambassador wished, and his own judgment de¬ termined him to insist on entering the Bogue, I pointed out the fallacy of negotiation, and that in China the act mr/sf he performed and then discussed. Had any formal application been made it would have been refused, not wpon the laws of China, but the arbitrary pleasttm of an hostile Viceroy; and any proceedings contrary to his expressed will and pleasure would have proved very serioas. If these ideas should be II 2 Too HISTORICAL OUTLIKR. their own better judgment and experience on the other, were betrayed into a vacillating and inconsistent line of policy. The utmost opposi¬ tion, which, under such circumstances, they could offer to Chinese injustice, was generally feeble in its effect, and, when unsuccessful, as it often was, did more harm than good, inas¬ much as it shewed the Chinese how easily their own passive perseverance could defeat it. So sensible was Sir George Staunton of the impolicy of the Directors’ views, that he attempts to qualify the nature of them by observing, “ It will hardly be supposed it was intended here to recommend any disgraceful or humiliating compliances; these, however flattering they may be for the moment to the vanity of the people with whom we have intercourse, can never permanently conciliate their good will; they will generally be found to invite oppres¬ sion, and they invariably insure contempt. The practical consequences of such compliances in aggravating the evils they were designed to held as too strong, [ have only to request f may be judged by my public acts. Throughout my cooduct in this present dis¬ cussion, I cmdemn my$elf for forhearmet, at the same time / act from instructions, and have only the alternative of cn- beavouring to convince the Coort that absolute submission ia not necessary !” &c. Sec. Sec. (Signed) “ TnEOPiiiLUs .1, MrTCAi.vr..” HIMTURICAL OUTUNL. 101 remedy, the early history of the European inter¬ course with China has amply illustrated.” In 1784 occurred a tragical event, which completed the degradation of the English cha¬ racter in the eyes of the Chinese, the super¬ cargoes having, in order to obtain a renewal of the trade, surrendered the innocent gunner of the ship Lady Hughes, to be strangled by the Chinese, in retaliation for the death of a native, who was accidentally killed while the ship was firing a salute. This occurrence the supercargoes of 1823 remark, “ inflicted indeli¬ ble disgrace on all parties concerned.”* An anecdote from Cook’s voyages, I- however • Auber, p. 295. t Cupt. King, during bis conliniiancc .'\t Canton (1780) “ accompanied one of (be English gentlemen on a visit to a person of tlie first distinction in llieplace; the enptnin having been previously instTuclcd tliul llic point uf politeness con¬ sisted in rtmaiiiin^ unsealed as long as i>oss»b(e, reuiUly sub* milled to this piece of etiquette; after which he and his friend were treated with tea, and some fiesh and prcserveil fruits. Their entertainer was very coqMilcnt, bad a dull heavy coun¬ tenance, and displayed great gravity in his depoituient. He had learned to speak a little broken £nglisk and Porlugitcse. After liis two guests had Uikcn their refreshment, he con¬ ducted them about liis house and garden, and when lie had shown them all the iinprovements he was making they took their leave.”— Cook's Voyages, toI, i». p. 243. Ed. 1793. [Any one acquainted with Qiina must, at once, perceive that the person of distinction alluded to could not have been a tnaiidariu, but was a mere inetehant.] 102 HISTORICAL OUTLINE. unimportant in itself, is gpven in a note, as strongly evincing the submissive spirit which then prevailed among the English in China. Equally characteristic is the following extract from the Company’s records:— In 1781 Captain M'Lary of the Dadaloy, a private ship, learning, on his arrival at Wham¬ poa, that war had broken out between the English and the Dutch, ventured on the un¬ justifiable proceeding of seizing on a ship with Dutch colours, as a lawful prize, and refused to resign her, when ordered to do so by the Chinese. " This led to a long and vexa¬ tious correspondence with the supercargoes, who were ordered to compel obedience, and threatened with fine and imprisonment. The matter was afterwards compromised by Captain IVTLary dmiting the hootj/ toilh the Chi/iCAC, who then treated him wUh viarkcd attention and favour, blit contimied to offer insuUs and injurkf: to the supercargoes, so great as to render it doubtful ichether they wouUl not be compelled to take to their ships”* In early times the Chinese appear to have taken no cognizance of offences, committed by one foreigner against another, leaving them to the more equitable jurisdiction of the respective Rations, whose subjects were implicated. An ' Company’* Rcconis, Lords’ Report, ]82), p. 294. HISTORICAL OUTLINE. 103 affray, however, having taken place in 1754, between some English and French sailors, in which one of the former was killed, tlie Chinese, for the first time, exercised- their jurisdiction in cases of this description, at the instigation (as the French allege) of the English; which, if true, is a very serious accusation, more particu¬ larly as the Chinese seized and executed an innocent Frenchman for the crime. The cor¬ respondence on the subject has been published. “ It only now remains for us to know,” say the French to the English, “the motive which could have induced you to demand justice from the Chhicxc Oovcrnmait, with so much importunity, for tlie man who has been killed. We can only think that you had no other intention than that of injuring our commerce; but, gentlemen, in doing us a wrong, you do H to posterily and io all the foreign nations that arc hen. ‘‘ It is morally certain that the Chinese will no sooner have taken cognizance of affairs between Europeans, than it will he no longer possible to preserve that liberty which all nations have hitherto enjoyed, and by their acting on this occasion, they would use it adoanlagcously to search by force into onr very privacies for persons charged with the slightest offence." —Since tliis occurrence, the Chinese have occasionally exercised their juris¬ diction in such matters, and at other times have waived it, according to the caprice or conveni¬ ence of the moment. KM HISTORICAL OUTLINi:. The East India Company’s monopoly being now at an end, the foregoing details would not have been entered on, were it not of im¬ portance, and, indeed, quite indispensable, in the consideration of our future relations with China, to be fully aware of the circumstances which have preceded and originated our present unfortunate position in that empire. And the writer is much mistaken if it have not appeared that the disabilities under which we labour, are little more than must have been expected from the faulty system hitherto pursued.* It has been usual to attribute Chinese restric¬ tions on Europeans to the twofold impulses of arrogance and fear; but the writer thinks he has proved that avarice has operated with them as a more powerful motive than either; on the sound conclusion that their extortions could be best perpetuated by founding them on disabili¬ ties and degradation. • It is with much regret the writer has come to this con¬ clusion, which is at variance with the opinion he formerly entertained, before having instituted minute inquiries into tiie leading facts detailed in tlie foregoing pages. 105 SOME INSTANCES OF SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIA¬ TION WITH THE CHINESE. Allusion was made at page 13 to the spirited exertions of the East India Company’s super¬ cargoes, on,several occasions, by way both of remonstrance and resistance, when encounter¬ ing Chinese oppression. It was also stated generally, that, notwithstanding all the embar¬ rassments which fettered and restricted such operations, they were attended with a degree of success which affords conclusive evidence that only a moderate degree of firmness will suffice to procure the most important concessions from the Chinese. In justice to these supercargoes, and also for the information of those desirous of obtaining a clearer insight into the practical details of this question, the following instances have been selected. The most remarkable was that which occurred in the year 18213, when the embarrassed state of trade, from increasing exactions, and the bank¬ rupt condition of a majority of the ten or twelve Hong merchants, to whom foreign dealings are restricted, induced the supercargoes to suspend the Company’s trade for several months. The result was a reduction, by Imperial sanction, of about 170/. in the port charges of every ship trading at Canton; while the exactions on the ibti SOME INSTANCES OF SUCCESSFUL appointment of new Hong merchants, which had previously deterred applicants for the otfice, were ordered to be discontinued, and several accessions to their number accordingly took place,—thus relieving the trade from the para¬ lyzing effects of a monopoly by two or three individuals. The compulsory sepamtion of the sexes was discontinued, foreigners being per¬ mitted to enjoy the society of their wives and families at Canton, and other minor advantages were in course of aerjuisition. Towards the end of 1830 some opposition was again attempted to the residence of foreign ladies at Canton. The Viceroy tried the effect of intimidation, and instructed the llong mer¬ chants to threaten that Mrs. Baynes, the wife of the senior supercargo, would be seized and carried off, if she did not quietly quit Canton. The supercargoes on this, with great prompti¬ tude and resolution, ordered up 150 armed seamen, witli two great guns, to protect their factory,—a guard which remained in Canton for about ten days, till the Houg merchants gave a written assurance that the ladies should not be molested,—the trade all this time going on with as much quiet and regularity as if there were nothing in dispute. Most unfortunately, orders arrived, a few days afterwards, from the Court of Directors, suspending from their situa¬ tions, the spirited supercargoes, Messrs. Baynes, NEGOTIATION WITH'THE CHINESE. 107 Millett, and Bannerman, who had carried these reforms. The Chinese took their cue accord¬ ingly ; in the course of the season the ladies were obliged to quit Canton! Affairs indeed generally took a retrc^rade turn; but fortu¬ nately the important abatement of about 170/. in the port charges still continues. Previously to 1825 foreigners had no legiti¬ mate mode of passing between Canton and Macao without paying irregular fees, to the amount of about 50/. on each trip, which was found so serious a grievance, that it was deter¬ mined to make a vigorous effort to obtain its discontinuance. Accordingly, after various pe¬ titions were presented, without effect, through the usual channel of the llong merchants, thirty- seven foreigners (of whom the author was one), of different nations, resolved to rush into the city, to obtain an audience of the Viceroy. Not knowing his Excellency’s residence, how¬ ever, they entered the first official dwelling which came in their way, and which chanced to be that of the Kwang-Hee, an officer in charge of the police. Here, after a time, they were met by the Hong merchants, who used every persuasion and artifice to induce them to retire, while the Mandarins were collecting troops to surround and intimidate them, jill, however, in vain! At last, as the dusk of the* evening approached, the Chinese, seeing no 108 SOMK lIi^TANeeS, ETC. otlier mode of dislodging the intruders, gave a pledge (which has ever since been rigidly kept), that the objectionable fees should be discon¬ tinued; and the invaders of Canton walked quietly home! Next day an edict was pub¬ lished, alleging that each of these foreigners had been tied to a soldier’s back, and so carried out of the city, to be placed in custody of the Hong merchants, there to await the punishment due to so heinous an offence. On this occasion the presid¬ ing Mandarin passed his hand round the author's neck, to intimate that he would lose his bead if be should ever venture on a repetition of so audacious a proceeding. In 1807 and 1821 serious discussions and interruptions of trade occurred, in consequence of the Chinese demanding tlm surrender of Englishmen, to suffer death in retaliation for the loss of the lives of natives in affrays with Eng¬ lish sailors. On both occasions the firmness of the supercargoes induced the Chinese to desist from their demands, contrary to the fatal prece¬ dent afforded by the sacrifice of the gunner of the Lady Hughes, who was unceremoniously strangled in 1784. Sir James Urmston, chief of the factory in I82J, received the honour of knighthood for the judiciousness of liis negotia¬ tions. But, a more remarkable instance than either RRMARKAnLK IMRCRIAL RDfCT. 109 (already recorded in these pages*) occurred in 1833, when the Chinese, being unable to obtain the surrender of a British victim, actually hired a foreigner to permtate the alleged guilty indivi¬ dual, and undergo the farce of a trial, under a pledge of hie life being spared! REMARKABLE IMPERIAL EDICT, Reprehending the extortions of the Hong Mer¬ chants, issued at the close of the discussions with Lord Napier. “ At Canton there are merchants who have of late been in the habit of levying private duties, and incurring debts to barbarians; and it is requested that r^ilations be established to eradicate utterly such misdemeanors. The com¬ mercial intercourse of outside barbarians with the inner land is owing indeed, to the compas¬ sion of the celestial empire. If all the duties which are required to be paid can, indeed, be levied according to the fixed tariff, the said barbarian merchants roust certainly pay them gladly, and must continually remain tranquil. But if, as is now reported, the Hong merchants * See note, p. G4. no REMARKABLE IMPERIAL EDICT. have of late been in a feeble and deficient state, and have, in addition to the government duties, added also private duties; while fraudulent individuals have further taken advantage of this to make gain out of the Custom-house duties, peeling off (from the barbarians) layer after layer, and having gone also to the extreme degree of the government merchants, incurring debts to the barbarians, heaping thousands upon ten thou¬ sands ; whereby arc stirred up sanguinary quar¬ rels ; if the merchants thus falsely, and under the name of tariff duties, extort each according to his own wishes, going even to the extreme degree of incurring debts, amount upon amount, it is not matter of surprise if the said barbarian merchunts, unable to bear their grasping, stir up disturbance. Thus, with regard to the affair this year of the English Lord Napier, and others, disobeying the national laws and bringing forces into the inner river, the barbarians being naturally crafty and artful, and gain being their only object, we have no assurance that it was not owing to the numerous extortions of the Canton native mer¬ chants, that they, their minds being discon¬ tented, thereupon craftily thought to carry themselves with a high hand. If regulations be not plainly established, strictly prohibiting these things, how can the barbarou.s multitude be kept in subjection, and misdemeanors be eradicated ? ON THE ABBITBARY DOTIES, ETC. 11*1 “ Let Loo (the Goveraor) and his colleagues examine with sincerity and earnestness; and if offences of the above description exist, let them immediately inflict severe punishment; there¬ fore let there not be the least connivance or screening. Let them also, with their whole hearts, consult and deliberate; and report fully and with fldelity as to the measures they, on investigation, propose for the secure establish¬ ment of regulations; so as to create conftdent ho])cs that the barbarians will be disposed to submit gladly, and that fraudulent merchants will not dare to indulge in peeling and scraping them. Then will they (Loo and his colleagues) not fail of fulfllling the duties of their offices. Make known this edict, llespect this.” ON THE ARBITRARY DOTIES LEVIED ON FOREIGN TRADE AT CANTON. Partli/ abstracted from a paper of the East I/idia Company's Factory. ** The impossibility of obtaining from the Go¬ vernment any fixed tariff of duties, has been for many years one of the prominent evils in the commercial system of Canton ; and it being the policy of all parties. Government, Hong mer¬ chants, and Linguists, to keep foreigners in a 112 ON THE ARBITRARY DOTIES LEVIED perfect state of ignorance of the mode and rate of duties levied on foreign trade, this may in a great measure account for the circumstance, that scarcely any two persons wjio have en¬ deavoured to gain information on these points, could arrive at the same result.” An official Custom House book for the province of Canton, has been printed by Imperial authority in five volumes, which, however, is but rarely prooiir- able by foreigners, and only with considerable difficulty and expense. This contains the tariff which ought to regulate the payment of duties. In addition to the prescribed rates, it directs a further charge of ll j |>er cent, on the amount of duty; in lieu of which, liowever, the Canton Custom-house levies 30 per cent., being an un¬ authorised increase of nearly a fifth ; while - I.5 decimals of a tael, per pecul, arc charged for weighing expenses in lieu of only *038 deci¬ mals, the prescribed rate. But these are rela¬ tively unimportant in comparison with the heavy exaction of 3 ]ier cent., which the Hong merchants unautborisedly levy on all goods, ex¬ cepting woollens, long cloths, cotton yarn, and iron, as a contribution to what is called tlte CoNsoo FUND, originally instituted for the purpose of liquidating the foreign debts of bankrupt Hong merchants;* but never honestly * See anle, page 96. ON FOREIGN TRADE AT CANTON. 113 appropriated to that object. And the Cohong having lately passed a new regulation disclaim¬ ing their corporate liability for such debts, no legitimate plea remains for the continuance of this iiregular imposition; which ought not to be longer submitted to. Thus diverted from its o’l'iginal purpose, the Consoo fund is now ap¬ propriated, by the llong merchants, solely to bribery and to the payment of the irregular exactions of the Mandarins (locally termed miuecses). The annual amount thus wrung from foreign traders, by the mere fat of the Hong merchants, and entirely subject to their irresponsible control, is immense. The fol¬ lowing are said to be some of the purposes to which it is appropriated:— Annual tribute to the Emperor . . £18,000 Fur repairing the Yellow River embankments . 10,000 Expenses of an agent at Pekin ■ . 7,000 Dirth-day presents to the Emperor . , . 43,000 Do. do. to llie lloppo or Commissioner of Customs. 7,000 Presents to do.’s mother or wife .... 7,000 Du. to various ofTicers .... 13,000 Expenditure for Tartariau ginseng, which the Em¬ peror compels them to porchase . . 47,000 Total .... £152,000 There is, however, yet another class *of fl4 ON THK ARBITRARY DUTIES LEVIED charges to which foreign trade is liable, called sz€ ic, business or trade regulations, which it is impossible to fix. “ This consists entirely of an arrangement between tbe Hong merchant who acts as bi-oker, and the native merchants who purchase the various articles; and varies according to the prices of the goods, and the expectations of those who profit by the charge. On some articles, particularly cotton and cotton twist, the amount is very considerable, com¬ prising a great variety of charges, as allowance for loss of interest, different inodes of payment, warehouse rent, expenses of weighing at Whampoa, kc .,—all these are expressed by distinct, and (to use a vulgar expression) slang terms, which are only intelligible to those Chinese who arc intimately conversant with the particular trade to which they allude. In cotton, for instance, if sold at ten taels, only nine taels and seven decimals are paid, and the dollar is estimated at *707, instead of *718 deci¬ mals of a tael. What the obj^t in this species of self-deception as to the nominal price is, it is difficult to say •, but it really in some degree bears the appearance of being intended to mys¬ tify the transactions, so as to render them unin¬ telligible to foreigners.” ,The bearing of the foregoing various charges ON rOREIUN 'fRAUK AT CANTON. llS on the article of cotton example:— is subjoined, by way of Authorned by ChiacM Tarifl*. Ifvng iUcxchanu' EiMtioni. COTTOK, BECU. Impenal duty, tael 0*1500 Authorized addition, 11^ per cent.... 0*0174 Do. weighing chatgic 0*0380 DECLS. Hong Merchanti’ charge 30 per cent.0*045 Ditto,ditto.......... 0*150 Autharized duty,tael 0-2054 Charged by the Uoiig MeiobanU, tael .... 0*345 AddConsoofund, 3 p. ct. 0*240 Sze le, or trade charts 0*915 Totiil deduction, which a foreigiier pays, from | the price of his Cotton, per pecal.J Tad 1*500 ON THE CRIMINAL AND ADMIRALTY JURISDIC¬ TION FOR THE TRIAL OF BRITISH SUBJECTS IN CHINA, CONFERRED, BY ACT OF PAR- UAMENT, ON HIS MAJESTY’S SUPERINTEND¬ ENTS. This anomalous jurisdiction has been de* nounced by many as an unjustifiable imperium in imperic, which could not possibly be tolerated by the Chinese with any regard to their inde* pendence as a nation. This, however, is veVy far from being the case; and the jurisdiction jii question formed no part of the grounds on which the Chinese objected to receive the late I 2 1*10 ( RIMINAL JURISDICTION, KT( . Lord Napier. *' Of late years,” says Dr. Mor¬ rison, the plan adopted by the Chinese, in cases of homicide, has been to demand of the fellow-countrymen of the alleged manslayer, that the guilty person should be found out, and handed over to the Chinese for punishment. This is in effect to constitute them a criminal court. Were a man to be delivered up by the individuals thus called upon, he would be rc- gaided by the government as already con¬ demned. His punishment, painful exp^ience tells us, would be certain. Since, then, the Chinese are thus ready to regard foreigners as the judges of, their fellow»countrymen, why should foreign governments hesitate to establish criminal courts ?”* Repeated government edicts might be quoted in support of these views. Let one suffice— issued on the occasion of the American homi¬ cide, in 1821 ;— “ As the officers of government do not under¬ stand the language of the foreigners, it has always heretofore been the practice to order the chiefs of the respective countries to find out the murderer, and question him fully, and ascertain distinctly the facts, and then deliver him up to government; after which a Linguist is sum- * From a paper by tlie late Dr. Morrison, in liis son’s Commercial Guide, p. fil. ON HOMICIDES IN CHINA. 117 moned, the interri^tories translated, and the evidence written down, and the prosecution conducted to a close.” The representatives of Christian powers in Turkey have long exercised a nearly similar ju¬ risdiction. “ For very manyyears,” it is stated in M'Farlane’.s Constantinople, “ no such thing as an execution of Franks, by Turkish law, had been seen in the Levant, where otFenders are given over to their respective consuls, who take into their own hands their punishment, if the otfence be light, or send them home to be tried by the laws of their country, if serious.” REMARKS ON HOMICIDES IN CHINA. By tub late Rby. Dk. R. Mobrisok. From what foreigners have witnessed in cases of manslaughter, they have inferred that the Chinese government acted rather from a spirit of revenge than according to law. That this is true appears to be indeed the caso from a state paper quoted in the 34th section of the Chinese penal code. During the 11 th moon of the 13th year of Keiinlung, a. d. 1749, jhe then governor of Canton, named Y^seuii, re¬ ported to the Emperor, that lie had tried Aoolon 118 UN HOMICIDES IN CHINA. and other Macao furdgnere, who had caused the death of two Chinese;* and having sen¬ tenced them to be bastinaded and transported, had to request that, according to foreign laws, they might be sent to Demaun. To this the Emperor replied, that the governor had ma¬ naged very erroneously; that he should have required ‘ life for life.’—* If,’ it was added, ‘ you quotd> only our native laws, and accord¬ ing to them sentence to the bastinado and transportation, then the fierce and unruly dis¬ positions of the foreigners will cease to be afraid.’ The Emperor thus declared (and his imperial decision is reprinted with every new edition of the laws), that the native law alone is not to be the guide of the local government when the foreigners cause the death of natives. — Tsze ying yih ming yih te —‘it is incumbent to have life for life,’—in order to frighten and re¬ press the barbarians. “ The Emperor was wroth with the governor for transporting the criminals to Demaun; and directed that, if not yet sent away, the sen¬ tence should be reversed and death inflicted. If already gone, a proclamation was to be issued to the foreigners, telling them that the mode of treatment would be different hereafter, * Tlic European account is, that two soldiers murdered two Chinese, and were falsely represented insane. UN HOMICIDES IN CHINA. Hi) tliat SO foreigners might all fear and obey. By sending the men to Demaun, said his Majesty, it became uncertain to the Chinese wbetiier they received any punishment or not. The lost lives of the two natives were therefore con¬ sidered not worth a straw. “ From this account it isevident that foreigners do not enjoy the protection of the Chinese laws. For them there is but one rule in all cases—life for life. For the Chinese, on the contrary, there are these three distinctions; “ 1. Killing with intention,—punishable by death. “ 2. Killing by pure accident,—a mulctuary oifence. ‘'3. Killing in lawful self-defence,—not punish¬ able at all. “The first, indeed—killing with intention,—is more comprehensive than in the west, includ¬ ing all deaths occasioned, however remotely, by affrays, or dangerous sports;—thus if a by¬ stander is killed by a blow aimed at another, in anger or in sport, it is reckoned intentional murder, and usually punished by death; though ill a modified form. Purely accidental man¬ slaughter is that caused by something beyond the control of the mauslaycr, as the dropping of a stone, hatchet, &c. which by chance falls,oii and kills a passer-by. Killing in self-defence is mucli more resliicled than with us.” MEMORIALS TO HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT, SOLICITINC PROTECTION TO THE BRITISH TRAHi; IK CHINA. HiOil THE MERCHANTS OF AIANCIIKSTF.R, I.IVFJIPOOI, CUSCWW, AM) CANTON, "o lh( Right HooouraUe The Lord Viscount Melbourne, ■'irst Cowiiissioaet of His Majesty’s Treasury, &c. and • I Ik. iioiiouniUc The Loid Viscount Palmerston, M.P. ’•'.i Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign Alfairs, Vc The Memorial «rfOi:; PiC'idjiu, VircPrcsiilcnt, and Directors of tlw Chamber oi' Coiu.nefce anil Manufactures at Manchester, Shbwktb, That your memorialists beg to draw your Lordships attention to the great importance tlie trade to Chin^ to tlie mercantile, manofacUiiiug, aud sliipping interests of. Great Uritain, and to dte unprotected situation of out com- MEMORIALS. 122 mcrce in that country, and of our fellow-subjects resident in China, through whose medium the trade is conducted. . That the trade appears to your memorialists, to be capable of great extension and of increased advantages to this country. Its present importance may be briefly brought to your Lord- ships notice. It affords employment for nearly one hundred thousand tons of British shipping. It adbrds a market for the manufoctnres of this country to a large and rapidly increasing amount, and for the produc¬ tions of our Indian possessirms, to the extent, it is believed, of upwards of three millioBS sterling per annum, which enables our Indian subjects to consume our manufactures on a lai^ely increased scale. That no couotry presents to us the basis of a more legiti¬ mate and mutually advantageous trade than China; for the productions of that country, are as admirably suited to our wants and necessities, as ours are to theirs. The returns which China present to us, for these large imports from Great Britain and India, are principally teas and raw silk. That the value of raw silk imported from China, exceeds one million of pounds sterling per aiimim^ the want of which would greatly paralyze a most important and rapidly growing manu¬ facture. That your memorialists cannot contemplate without the most serious alarm, the uncertain and Unprotected state, in whici) this most important trade is [daced, more particularly since the failure of the late Lord Napt^'s mission. That this large and valuable trade, is at the present mo¬ ment without any adequate protection, and subjected to the arbitrary exactions of the Houg merchants, (a body of men through whom alone our transactions are permitted to be conducted, nearly all of them in embarrassed circumstances, , and many of them insolvent,) ^nd of the corrupt local ofli- cers at Cairton, who.se cxaclious, it is believed, are contrary MEMOR1AL8. 1-23 to the law of the Empire, and to the wishes of the govern¬ ment. That the trade is liable at any moment to be stopped by the caprice of the Hong merchants and local government, whose exactions, beyond what the law authorises, are frequent. That British property is daily in jeopardy; our country¬ men daily subjected to iosult; our Sovereign, in the person of Ills Representative, the late Lord Napier, has been subjected to indignity; our industry is liable to be paralyzed; our revenue exposed to the loss of from four to five millions sterling a-year. This accumulation of evils your memorialists beg most respectfully, but most earnestly to submit, calls for the protecting influence of the British Government, which, it is believed, will prove more efiective, if directed to the supreme Government, than through the corrupt and distant medium of the iuferior officers at Canton. Your memorialists, therefore, humbly pray that your Lord¬ ships will take into your early and serious consideration, the nature of our political relations with China, and that your Lordships will adopt such measures, as, in your wisdom may be considered most effectual, for the protection of British subjects resident in China, and the property entrusted to their care. And aa in duty hound they will ever pray. Manchester, Febrmry, 1836. 124 MEMOREALit'. TO THE RIOUT IIOMOURADLE THE LORD VISCOtNT MELBOURNE. FIRST LORD OP HIS MAJESTY’S TREASURY : THE MEMORIAL OP THE LIVERPOOL EAST INDIA ASSOCIATION, RbSPECTJULLY SlIBWETH, That your memorialials view, with aerloua uneasinew, the unprotected state in which the eitensive trade between ihia country and China is placed, eqtecially since the failure of the mission of the late Lord Napier. This trade labours under two great evils, from which arise most of the other grievances by which it is oppressed :->-FirBt, the imposition, by the Canton local officers, of unauthorised and arbitrary duties, greatly exceeding the established tariff. And secondly, the restriction of the trade to ten or twelve Chinese, under the name of Hong merchants, roost of whom are in embarrassed circumstances. To these Hong merchants all imports must be passed for sale, wholly out of the owner’s custody and control, and while they thus mono* polize the trade of British sut^ccU, they are invested with the inconsistent power of governing them, under the plea that Europeans are a barbarous and degraded race, un6t to be placed within the pale of Chinese law, and therefore not to be allowed to approach the tribunals and established authorities MEM08IAI.S. 12*5 of the country. Hence results a systematic denial of justice, accompanied by an endless train of wrongs and disabilities, which greatly hinder the natural progress of the trade, which they assume the right to suspend entirely at any moment, whenever they may be desirous of enforcing the submission of foreigners to their irregular proceedings. This power they recently exercised, as your Lordship is aware, by putting a stop to commercial dealings, on their own authority, without even the form of a government order, in the course of their discussions with the late Lord' Napier, on the mere ground of his Lordsliip’s residing in Canton; a proceeding which it is important to distinguish from the more serious events which followed on Ilis Majesty’s slups retuniing the fire of the Chinese forts when on their progress to Join the merchant shipping, at Whampoa. Should the indignities oSbred to Ills Majesty’s representa¬ tive, terminating in his Lordship's dea^, and the severe losses occasioned to British merebanu and ship owners, from tho stoppage of trade which then occurred, be allowed to pass without etTectual remonstrance on the part of His Majesty’s government, your memorialists apprehend not only a ma¬ terial aggravation of existing evils, but the strongest probability of constant collisions and interruptions of trade, equally pre¬ judicial to British merchants, as to the immense revenue derivable from that source to His Majesty's Exchequer. From the professions of good will towards foreigners, uni¬ formly expressed in Imperial edicts, and the redress afforded in the rare instances in which an appeal to the supreme government was formerly praclicaUe, your memorialists are impressed with the conviction that the grievances under which the trade is suffering, are attributable, rather to the corrupt administration of the Canton local officers, than to any adverse feeling on the part of the Imperial cabinet. Your memorialists will only add, that the trade for whtch they thus solicit protection, employs about six millions sterling of British capital, and ninety thousand tons of ship- MEMORIALS. 1‘2G ping, besides yielding an annnal revenue of four to five millions slerling, on the single commodity of tea ( while it supplies to a great extent the article of raw silk, now become indispensable to a rising and important branch of British manufactures. Your memorialists, therefore, earnestly pray, that your Lordship will adopt such measures as may secure for British commerce and British subjects in China, the same degree of protection, which His Majesty’s government extends to tliem in otiier foreign countries. Liverpool, Felirvary, ISSfi. (COPY.) VKTO THK RIGHT HON. LORD VISCOUNT MELBOURNE, FIRST LORD OF HIS MAJESTY’S TREASURY, Ac. &c. Ac. THE MEMORIAL OF THE GLASGOW EAST INDIA ASSOCIATION, Rbspectfullt Sheweth, That while your memoriaiisU feel deeply sensible of the vaUe of that great measure of pariiament, by which the China seas were opened to the enterprise of the British nation, they feel themselves tilled upon to represent to your Lordship the MENOKIAUS. 1^7 importance of having the trade with China placed on a more secure footing than it at present enjoys. Your memorialists lament the unfortunate result of the late Lord Napier's mission to China, by which the position of .Great Britain with that country has not been improved. Now, as formerly, personal liberty is quite insecure, and the British merchant possesses no kind of control over the sale or realiza* lion of his own property. The goods British traders must he passed for sale wholly out of Uie hands of the owner into those of the Hong merchants, upon whom the owner possesses no chock whatever. The trade is subjected to numerous duties and heavy exactions, the rate and the mode of charging which are arbitrary, and for the payment of a large proportion of which the Hong merchants arc held responsible by the Cliinesc government, Uius placing in jeopardy the whole pro¬ perty of British subjects and others, for debts due to govern¬ ment by these Hong metebanU, the majority of whom it is notorious are in arrears for years past, and are in an insolvent state. These and other grievances will prevent the free trade of Great Britain and China from expanding itself with the rapidity and to the extent which the immense scope afforded by the latter country, and the liberty lately granted by the British legislature, would otherwise not fail to induce. Your memorialists therefore submit to your Lordship, that it would be of incalculable benefit to this country and our Indian possessions, were it practicable to devise means for establishing such a treaty of amity and commerce as would remove the disadvantages under which the trade at present labours; including also, if possible, a restoration of the privi¬ lege formerly possessed of trading to Amoy and other ports on the east coast of China. While your memorialists forbear recommending any parti¬ cular method of attaining this end, surrounded as the question is with much difficulty, they cannot omit stating to your Ix>rd8hip, that in their opinion the object iiftended is much MEMORIALS. more likely to be accomplished by a direct application to the court at Pekin, than by negotiation through inferior officers of the Chinese government Your memorialists presume further to suggest to your Lord- ship, that failing a satisfactory arrangement with the Chinese government, it would be of the greatest advantage to British trade in that part of the world, were hb Majesty's government to obtain one or more of the islands near to China, as an em¬ porium for carrying on commerce free from the exactions, control, or annoyance of the Chinese government. In the conviction that this important subject will receive due consi¬ deration from your Lordship, the memorialists, as in duty bound, will ever pray. Signed OQ behalf of the Vast India Association of the City of Glasgow, (Signed) KIPKMAN FINLAY, CiiAiaMAV. iiifl June, 183^. l‘iU TO rni KI.NfiS KXCKI.I.ENT MAJESTY IN l Ol NCIl.: I'Hi; I'l',) [ily.v OK TJIL l NDWlMtVflONKO MHTISII Hjtcrs AT CAN ION, HlIUIII.Y SlIlitYSTII, Tliiit wc nrc uiUitccd, by tbc extraordinary iXDsiliun in ri^oxniiniiii.ii which we feel ouricivos pUccu m reUUoii lo U19 Chinese Uuvetnmeiil, tu petition your Majesty in council to take siipli IJ,',",',"'"'*'"' measures as may be atiapird alike to maintain llic iionniir of our country, and the udvaiilagcs whicli a safs^ and imiiiter- rii[itc<l eommcrcu witli China is calculatud to yield to tba ivveiiues of Great Uriiain, and to the iraportaot classes in¬ terested iu its arts and manufactures. We heg humbly to rqtrcscnt, tliat at the present moment, vmir the cominiasioiievs appointed by your Majesty to superintend the affairs of British subjects tradinr at Canton, are not ■•'“fciiini! ui.ir aclcnnwletlgctl by the constitnted autboritics of tliis couiilry, ,o„ uiid that they arc not iicruittcd to rcidde wiihia the limits to i:i,. which tlicir jurisdictiou is, hy their commission, strictly con¬ fined : while they arc forbidden by tbeir instructimis to appeal to the ini|)erial goveriiment at Peking, and arc pcrfci'tl^ powerless 10 jcscnt die iiid^itks otferud to the bte chief sii|ieriiitoii(leiit, or lo compel reparatioii for ihfe injuries done VIKMORIVI.^. u]M>k )ihlury nliii'iiui M* I i}i\m Vl'K lllill <1 IklllDli' III <:ui;rkiv In Ihi); hIiIi I|« ITllUll'lkl jii i tit »iilirnJ>>kliMi 'niilrMiH i^T [/ITlI N^lplfl i litei) fur* u lllk force I noilkurity id ■III illMlIl, vtv ' ronfMti'Ul, Hioul :i »|ia4ow thnt ]ii« !i<iun ntwilil *'• lOCfcfiU'il. i;i(i n youi :;iib]w't« liyllii- ljl«'imiivoi uki'il ^loppn;','' Ilf their trade. Your iK’liliuncts are well persiiwlcil that tin' i>orven veiled in your Majesty’s nwimissoners were lluis rcslrieicd with llu' (■x))rcss olijeel of avoiding, as far as [wasible, all orrasioii ul rolh'sion with the Chinese aiilhorilies: while it wa^ liojtod ilinl, by nniinUiining a direct iiitercoarsc with the prmeip:^ nflicers of gorernn^cnl, instead of indirectly conintniiiealin^ tliroii;;h the VIong mctclianis, a sure way would lu' opeiu'd for the improvement of llie present very objcctionnhlc fooling on winch foreign raetchaiiU stand in Utis cointlry, and I'ur security against the many wrongs and inconveniences wluVh they have liad to snffer in the present stale of their commerriid avocations. Your petitioners, however, hog leave roost carncslly lu sitlmiit to your Majesty incoiiiK-il, their thorough eoiivirtiun, fuimdcd on the invariahic tenor of the whole history of Ibreigii intercourse with China, as well as of its |>olicy on orensions ol internal eoromotion, down to the present moment, tliut (lie most unsafe of all conrses that caw l)C followed in troaliiig with the Cliincsc govcmincnt, or any of its fnnclionavies, is lliatof quiet submission to insult, or such unresisting endu¬ rance of eentemptnous or wrongful ircatincnt, us may com¬ promise the honour, or bring into question tlic power of our country. We cannot, ibcrefure, but deeply dvplorc lluil su'-h authority to mgotialc, and such force to protect from insult, as the occasion demands, were not entrusted to yoin Majesty’s cojuinissioncrs, confident as vrn are, willioul i shadow of doubt, that, had the reiuisitc powers, properly sustained by an armed fonx, been ivosscsscd by your Mnic’s- ty'slatc first commis^ci, the lamented Lord Napier, we should not now have to deplore tlic degraded ami inrjreim- )iosition in which we arc placed, in consequence of the repir - Antativc of our Sovereign having Irecn comjXillcd to r('lli<- i'coni Canlon, witlioul having authority lo uli'cr any romoii- <tram'i- tn ,q •nijimw govemmeni, ni lo niiikc u demon, MKtIURIll.S. slr.iliuii (jl n r.'!>t>liiti»ii to obtiitii n‘|anluiii nl oiirc, for llic insiilis nniitonly lio;i|iC(l upon bim by the local authorities. Your jiotiiioiiers, ikrcfoa-, humbly pray that your '[vi;',;', jMlywill be plciiseii to grant powers |ileiii|wlcnliary to sudi persDii of suitable I'aiik.ditcrciion, and dipldmatic exjx:rietirr,'I',';’;, as your Mijosly, in your wodom inayUiiuk lit and l'ro)>cr ^ bt! entrusted tvitli such authority; and your petitioners ll',','"]'^"7.'. woiilil siigi'csl Hint lie lie dirccleil to proceed to a eoiivenicnt iir.ili ,". station on ilic cast eoust of China, as near to the capital of tlie coiiiiiry as iii.iy be found mo.st expedient, in one of youi Majesty's ships'll' the line, altcndisl by a suflicieiit muriliiiu' roreo, which uv air; of i^nion ncetl not consist of more liiati two I'u^aUs, and tliro*' nr four armed rcsscls of lig^it draft. tnjcllior with ;i steam vessel, all fully manned; that he mav, 'i' previously in laiulitif, requiit', in the first iiislaucc, in ' 1>2 ntmie of yniir Mujcsly. ample rcpai-.ilion for the insults ofteictl 7',j", by the goveniw of Kwauglini; and Kwaiigw in hi* edicts jiuhlislied cm tlic occasion of Urd Napier’s arrival at Cauloii, ’ii,'.,. and ilia anliscqnonl hnniilialing conduct pursued lowawU his Lordslup, in wliieli llic nggravatiou of Ins illness and deiiLh may Im ntti'ilmler.]; ns well as fur the airogant and degrading laiigtiiigc used towards your Alajvsly ami onr country lit rdlola cmaiiaiing from the local aulhorilu.-s, wlicicin your iii.iiluii|ii>.i''<" Majesty was rcpri'sciiletl as the “ rcvx'rcntly snbmissiee" triliiilary of the 1iiiii|)cror of Cliina, and your Alajesty's suli jecisas priilligaic barbarians, and that they be retracted, ami never :i|;aiii einployed by Chinese funetionarirs: that he mav also (Ivmaml iviiaralwii for the insult offered to your Majvs- ly'slliig iiy lifiiig on yonr Majesty 8 ships of war from liiv furls at (lie Uogiie, and that mnnncration shall 1 h- made i<i your Majesty’s sulijccts for the losses Utey bare sustained by the detoutinii of their ships during the stoppage of tlieir Ir.vh . Afier these pvelimiiiarics sltnli bare been conccdcsl, (a.s vnm''"" 'n'l'. mt.. putilioDors have no doubt they will be,) ami not till then, yui/l-1"]'“,^" pdiiioncrs liiiinbly suggest that it willlv expnlK'iit for yoiii Majisly’s pli'iiipoteniiary to |nopose the apiniin^viil of k -> • 1.12 MI^MOR[AI.S. missioiicrs ou the (lartof the Chinesegovcrnnifiit, to adjust with liitii, on shore, such measures as may lie deemed most cffectiiiil 10 the prcventkm of rutiircoccasioii of compKiiiit and iiiisuncirrslaiidiiig, and for the promolioii and cxlciisioii of the trade gtticrally, to the mutual advantage of holli i-oiuitrics. y.jur [wlitioners believe, llial if these iiiattci's shall be fairly reprcsenieil, so as to do away with alt reasonable ubjertioR and the favourable inclination of tlic Chinese commissioners he gained, there will be found little disimsition on the )«rt ot the supreme government U> witliliold its assent, and every ilesitable object will thus have been attained, nw iWcfiiiur. Vuur jrclitioncrs wouW hiimlily entreat your Majesty's eJliN.llh.iIlli, favourable view of the.se sn^'estions. in the coulideufe th.il llicy may be acte<i upon, not only witli every prospect of success, but wiihoni the slightest dan;^ to the cxhsliiig coui' a. ibruHc'iMf morcial iiilcrcunrso, itiasmncli, us even with a force nut cx> VZh .I'l:till.'ii>p ceediiig that wliivli we have projiosed sliouhl be [ilaccd at the L'.'mirriii ''^*' disposal of your Majesty's plFiii|>oteutiary, there wmiltl be no nicKv.iij i.|iii. diflieulty, sitould pros'cediugs of a compulsory nature be rc> hulled, in pulting a slop to the greater pait of llic eNtornnl l»viiNP.'<rf,'»V internal commerce of the Chinese empire;—in iiiturccpl- "'S fC'M'uw in their |imgres* to llw capital, und in taking i.-i.iir; possession of all the aiiuoil vcvsci* of the coimlry, Jiiith measures would not only bo sutficiont to ovinco bnili lliu power and Sjiirit of Croat Britain to resent insiill, hut would enable your Majesty’s plcni[)Olcuiiary to secure iiiduimiily for any injury that might, in tlie first instance, bo olTorcd to the persons or pmiKtly of your Majesty's jiibjecls; anil would spovilily induce the Chinese goveniniciit to submit in just and reasoiiahle terms. Wo are, at die same time, conlidonl, tliut resort even to such nicasuics as thca', so far fiuin being likely •iii.iiu. m,- to lead to more serious warfare, au iasjc whidi both oiir I.HI.l, «l.|l lo I - . jvgiii. interests and inclinations al.ke promiit us to doiirocaie, would ^ le the surest course for avokliug tlie dmigor of sncli a collision, iiic iiort, r.if- " Your |ielitioiiers brg to submit that tliu moie icsliirniion of 'i'jsrty on|e ims-stssed of trailing to ,\iTioy, N)iig[)o, and MKMORIAIJi. ('■husan, would lie foltowtH by the most bcncltdat coiise-"'■■’i ' (luences, not iiicndy in ilie oiore citciiclc<l field tliereliv (i[ieiicil '""'i' l(ir commercial etilpr|>risc, btil in the ri?aliy which would lie excited as loinicrlv, in the officers of ;xoreriimciil a* lliese Several jioit'i, to allracl the rt-sorl of foreigii inercluiuts, and , thus uxteiiil tlieir u'vn <>)iiii>Tliiiiitk-s of auqtiiriu^ ciiioluinctils IVom tlic fr.ide. 'Villi rcsixx t, however, to this poiiil, or any other of corn- O'l lU l"•||•' * * ^ l.ll mereial interest tliat it would l>e expedient to make the sub- n ni icet of ncKotiatinn, voni petitioners would huiiiblv smieist that your Majesty's ininister in China should be inslrueled to put himself in communicalion with tl»e merchants of Caiiton, *' ... ([ualificd IIS llicymusttx in a certain dc^ee by tlicircxpe- I'icnru and observation to point out, in wliat respect the bene- Ills that inl;'ht l)c rca|icl under a well n'-^iilated system of cuniiuei'cial intcMoiirsu, are curLiiled or lost in conse<{iicnce of llic rusli'ictioiis to which ilie trade is at present subjected, and the arbitrary and irre^nliir exactions lowlm-h it is ex¬ posed either directly, ur not loss severely liooause iiidireetly, ihrougb the uiediuiii of the very limited number of nicrcliimts licensed to lieal with fyrei;'iici$. As an instance of the laller, yuiir petitioners may sialc the fact, llat the whole ex|Knisv' of tlic imiii^iisc |iri’[iaraiioiis lately made by the loral govern- nielli <11 uppnse the e\[H-rted advance towards Caiiloii of venr .llajesty's frigates after tlicy had )as«cd the llugue, has been I'xluvicd I'loiii the Hung nwreliautsand a* but a lew ot iliciii are in a really solmtl slate, they have no other ntvaiis (if ineotinir this deiuand, but by combining to tax iioth the iiii{i<ii't and export trade. c 'Ve would further hiiinhiy, but ui^illy, submit, thal as we iv - i i..n...- aiiiiol blit trace the disalnlilies and rcstricltoiis under wiiicli ch>iMi>i'h'.'iL"' , , , . . , 4'liiiU'>i'«>\i I nlhi r o(ir cuimiicrco now Uixnirs^ to a Iod^ ac(|U]C!ioi:(icc in ihu ar- r.hhims, tsi n.tci , . , , r\tsliin: ili-.i- ro^iint as^sii nipt ion ot siipmnacy mrr the moiiavchs njiu hjitiis; iioruiiii.- II.I> roiily|.u> ilo miaiiiinn.ikr Sll.iiii.iliJi. Iin himseir and liis subjects, wc are forred to conclude thal III) essentially lienclieial result can be expected lo aibc out of peojilc of Ollier countries, claimed by the limj UEMOKiALS. i;W iicgotiaiions, in wbicli sudi prcten^is arc not dcclJcOly ic- pellcd. Wc most seriously upprebeni), indeed, that ilic least concession or wavuig of this point under present circiim- stance?, could Dot fail to leave us as much as ever subject to a rc[)etilion of the iiijiitics of wbicli we have now to complain. w»i'riyiini>iiiit \Vc would, therefore, humbly beseech yonr Majesly not to will ugC •' ^ vui'* biduccd by a paternal rc|ard for your subjects traiiing to empire, to leave it to the discretion ol' any future Lu rcptcsciuativc of your Majesty, as was permiitetl in tlie case fiinbassy of Lord Ainberst, to swerve in the smallest degree from a dnect course of calm and dispassuinatc, but dutcniiiiicd maintenance of the true rank of your Majesty's empire in (be scale of uatiuns, well ussuind ns we feel, that any descent from sndi just position, would be atlciuled v'n’- worse conscijucnccs than if past events were to remain un¬ noticed, and we were to lie left for the future to conduct uu. eoncerns with the Cliinese functionaiics, each as he kst We |«m) itiAi no piTxilt.s wild hitt'C hit'ji rtii'.ijfil IhTg in itAiU’, ur u),o Jiavt viibiniltnl to fT«tin Tlic Ibini'yei lir lo >\c- giiri.iii'; ijihi only rurtniiiiiurii • riikin Vrituuil iiiA lliiiig nt lUul'UI, llidt no Ihl' n*h ^l»lU \mim siiKit Ilf 0 bl'com* ms rbCvptUiiu may. it would ill becMDc your Majesty's petitioners to point to any individual as more comiKteut than nnotlicr to uudenakc the office of placing on a secure and advantugcous footing our commercial relations with this country. We may, how¬ ever, pciliups be permitted to suggest the inexpediency of assigning such a task to any person previously known in Chinn ns connected witli commerce conducted under tlie trammels and degradations to which it bus liillicrtu been subjected, or to any one, in short, who has bad the misfor¬ tune either in » public or jitivate capacity, lo endure insult or injury from Chinese authorirics. Tajuslly inexpedient would it be, as appears to your puti- iloncrs, to treat whb any funcUonary not specially nominalud by the Imper»] calrioel, awl not on any account with those of (?aiitoii, whose roDSlant course of I'orriipt and oppressive conduct forms a ^wniiienl (ftound of complniiit; or lo per¬ mit any fiiluic c(||niiiumonei to set his lout mi liiu shores of (.'Iiiiia, iitiUl umplu assuruiicc is aflonlcft ul' a rccciHioii and Irculmoiil siiilaljlc to the dignity of a minister of your Ma¬ jesty, and the honour of an empire tbat acknowledges no su¬ perior on earth. And your petitioners sliall ever pray, Ucc. Cuuliiii, OM /hfcmber, 1834. {Signed by tlurly-iive of about forly-fiyc individuals, com¬ posing the resident British trading community, by ull the cummaiidm of the Bust India Company's ships who ruvisile<i Cunloii after the opening of the trade, and by sevend other cominmiders and traders,—mak¬ ing in all eighly-eigbl Mgiialurcs.] iMi’ours. STATBMCNT OF TUB BRITISH TRAUK A’l THE I’OIVl ON ACCOUNT OF THE IIONOl'KABLB CUMrAKY. .Bilet G.I32 Yds.GH7^l4 7.S2S I’cs. iso.ise 4«l 4fiO0 1.330 ».ano UMV I’ccnb IBOO Bio&ii cloUi... TuDgclIs. CnmIcU . Biititfii C'oUun pictv gooiii UiUo (Vtton luial . Ditto SlufTj, (TiinKK (eipeiiiKBtal) Daiij tnm .Tout I joi {*001113U.3U2 Uu.l . •• 1,110 18.654 I, Tads. Ci.l'.'n, Hf ngal.Bales 33,834 " M.TI9.. <J3«,50l lianiljay .. “ 31,078 63,538.. «t7;972| Eliottv .!/>.■$ H3;) 141 ON ITUVATE .ACCOUNT. T.si. TmIs, C'otiuii, ficngsi ..Feruls43.75l A 11 7 n.{Keul 511,88' ■' Mnifriis . •• 4,33!) ‘ 13 7 •• .W,7iw' ■' Honibay . 37«.4tJ*l«6 " 3,951.1'H (ijuuin, I’alna anJ IltiisKS. “ Milwa. Hols. Ihlftirt' .(Tiestj 7.5ll-«>:M|>.eb. 4.7«3,W9| .. H),1021-67.5 •' 6,819,18? 17,61:4 IMi. Sanbalwoob.Peeiils 3,6KO« IUft.pMul IVpper. “ 33.I32* •• .. •• 13,OW* 3 •’ Uciclmil. '* 57,035* 3} I'otcliufk. " 3.1(6' ln| “ Olibatium. " 4.414* 4 “ EIh,iij . " 3.634* 3 " BroiUt'lulli . I’ieccs 9<574' SBp.picce JxinjelU. •• 9,610' 10{ " IVorlevs . " 639' 13 " Canik'ts . " .571' 33} " CoUun|iiocegv«ls. “ 45,433 ' 4} " Pririiccl diilo .. ..Valw..,... Cniiim tnisi.i'ecBbl,344‘ 4il p.|iceol CiK’liinoal . " 43*340 " l.eail. " 3JW3* 4 " Slwl. " 1,486' 4| " CinirG /rnivrrl Taels. 704,743 76.7,799 111,176 137,3*. ■ Ii6,0(iy 4.90!? 3:i.3?:il 5?,8:lil[ l,B10,!l'7j l,33fi,4:il 54 3,137,510 3,516,77:1 J)ii6er>, 1I,6’13,71E>| 41.4001 l!i(l.7.77 39,1.761 142,.Tid 2H,417 17,776 7,!»')3 268.073 100,899 7,669 13,410 21.7,754 63.143 53,7!>t) l.(,31in, 15,572, t.ijsbI 12,865,511 Dell! 4,3.-.7 4,P>*i 9,242,0 CAM&.N, Foil TiiK YKAB FiCUlNU THE aid UAKl^ll. 1834. r.XI’OKh. ON ACCOIN'T OF HIE lIONOliBAUI.E COUl’.A.NV. Boliea .....IViili€3.4aa ....TMb 989^111 Congo . “ 1U3.177 .... “ Soqciiong. “ 3.370 .... " I77.4(ii I’eko. ■■ S37 .... '■ ■rwaiilcay^. " »,7ai .... ■' Bli.474 Uyina^. 6.739 .... 343.904 HyiimMi . •• *18 .... " UiOl N'ortli Amencan lnv(iloenl(CoiBiiuiiiMiiDd*dbl)..T«l> 3b'6.:)IF Cupo anil 8t. Ikleoa Sloroi .. " 70.34; StorestuIkngal, Alnlrji, anOUonUy............ “ l7,:F7i Ilollloii (Clnrgcs of Sfiipment lOcliiiiBl). Pb. 1SS,030 I'otl Cliorgn^uii 74 Slii|« .. “ Wl.W I'liViailing Cbiijcs, Canton Faclonr KxMaM».Ne. ...... 101,Olv Chaigci.Ta^ 11.709 Faelor) liipcton....... " 63.<l03 Caiitnn Fninimiii KklaUislineiil " 5.776 H.C,ft|oi>ii. 7,996 I’riiiliog FatnUihboent . “ 989 L'lratgesoH Mi-o'liBnto. “ )7.7l-i , CliargettilraiiitlirKtry. " 3.377 | Twis 101.1)13 T«e'.. UylUrs. 5,117,I'KI 399.1139 111,977 tlN PRlV.ATt ACCOUNF. Congo mil CaM Coago ■ Soucliiinganilroui.’luMig . i’ekuand Uiangc .. Ilywo . Liuopowder am! liniwiiil Tt. .I‘tc«b9.089« aipepKiil . •• 1.469 . •• 174'47 TmIs. 190,969 37.79^ 93.311 &.«1> 13.916 Taels. lllmiTra. 91.18) 3S4,<)I«' . •• IITHB .. 416,873 I’enls 79,031 753,107 ‘4)11 Y'snVin iy$. IWloir. J.676.'av JiilJK. 3!'.Si; " Caiituii. " Du. 3(li sorl.. /AllwfJ. 3,t!i.7,lo; 77,(i.|.l 337,844 118,1174 NaiiUco Clolli . Kitk Piece Cuutjs .. Siiiiur (’andv. . ... . 1V|>I>1<I.734* llKtical Soli Sii^ac .. f'Koia 1 . 17,607 • B| ■' •• H6.0tiS 14,'.,7:)1- H'uJ aiiil Sci ajTS . Molljcr u’j)carl Shells .. . VmIu . '. .... •• 7*77 34,:iH Ctrriidfvtioi'A ;!,!l|)4,l!i(i 9,13:),7-:!) sfATKMEKT OF THK TKAUK IM l*oU r>. Piom tbe I &1 oT Aritit., 1A4, QiUDli^, Avence: Price. ''' ifi.. nri \i. v.\i.. •V/i, llronil ( .. *ce. 31-54 69482!) Cotron .. piK 3B&0 40 44 I’kii^ 14-560!) S>-iirlui Ciittiii". ......... 341 77-43 • 41890 (’oluui. Hk 13S4I6 16-70 * •J1789SI-2 Ditio, lluiiilijv.. .. 291770 16-40 ’/•••;-53.55 Dull', M'ulijs .......... 16889 16-33 S.in(!:ihvOud.. .,,4 302S 14-85 . . 1972 7-34 4« 14i?6 18508 '1I'-l'i4 r.iw . 388380 3-19 li-.!:lI3-5 Bu'el Nu!.. 11601 ■J 02 33963 PuuIincV ... 322-1 B-27 •» <lUbanam«« 3593 3-11 79115 Ivory ;iiiil Kle|.luiit'i< TcuU 192 52-65 Kl.iO S'liiiotn;. 3095 7-74 1 * •231)71 Dil. 90 600 180 Ilidi" ilu Mm ........... 156 1-2-60 1081 I 4 . 11 I... »» 371.7 4-68 17379 1 .-on.... 4473 1-95 28346 Tin.. 2715 il-79 «> 3-2031 Idlest. 390 3-84 • f - 1500 728 4-09 ** -2900 .. 296 53-00 nil'H (Inppvr . 171 32 11 • 0 5-172 (juiftkvilvi'r. . 1107 67-27 •0 74470 fliiiU. 5431 t-18 (11311 Tiirluiiu-itliull.... >» 74 60-00 •( 4440 Cocliinual. 18 277-77 .5000 KIkiii; .. 42 3-00 1-28 Gamrilur .. 97 3-00 2 !>l Coral Fragiiiuiitm. ,0 1.50 40-110 M flfHO h'inli Maua ............. 2483 49-88 123833 iilmrita' Fiiii ... 9280 20-74 68037 MotherSlict'k.*.. 695 U'16 7024 Ouliin Pii/u« Guud».. Pcc. IIOCHI 80S rkco 011469 l/'i;: rill . tKim 9-19 608-2.50 Cmr.luii .... 109 30-8-2 3175 26.71 5-60 14748 Xi7 23-011 C»ily 7321 Aiilircr .. WuoIlcxi»j vanoua kinds* • • PenH» and CtxxncbanA* Wafclitf»anJ CI<M'k« . (jlu^s W jre Saiidritpc VbIo • » M M >» 6 11-00 6b 12-238 297707 II660 515 fiOOiX) 157917 Opium I’atnu. .. 6345 576-7-5 Cllril 360-20),> Do. )Unarus 1832 543-20 8-25)1100 Du. iMalwa.. ■ 8749 S9>r9» ,5-223l25» Q0.187n2‘> I'lir Kavl India »;<iaipaii*’i upon minilUnooa n\ Xhe ^ 223lB3i lajc of if. 7il. JJullar*.»•«*. .1 •Spvkbh •2-2.lil9.l>53 IK uidcr uf ila- SiipetintejikuboT the Tiadv of Uiitibli rinl’juclt v.xrouTs. AI TtIK I'Ulli OF (JAXTON, j lu JUt Ilf Maucii, 1835. (juaBlalj Aversf*!' Piirc. V»J, ». IhUuu. HlaokTe. | .1*U. 2B7-2b7 29-15 I'r.l'ls. B374436 Urcen lejAf.. .. 70841 3917 •27752;i‘l 4766 34Ih94 lli6432r> JJo. .. -2S7H •241-70 623335 SuoiU^HulV. 17569 10-7-I l«864.i .Sui^Bar.. .. 31870 «-o<> 191-2-20 > «vri,i^nua.. „ 12H64 9-17 117986 a5 .57-14 2000 lather I „ 715 lG-00 11440 Camphor.. ,p 194 2H-88 3603-2 Aium.. ,, 15995 2-2-) 35:112 lllniliorl.. 449 44i-32 •20799 I^LuhJ a •••«»•••«•« M 819 ti7-00 277.53 Aiiisvcil Star ... >. «> 11 •70 765 Coluuicil X'a)>«r, v.niutat sona ,, Mft 10-7I 5667 I'ucliiiival.... 9I>9 -224-79 4(i96.3 QuicUilvfei.. J« 03-40 6410 Anaoiiic..... .. 159 17-00 2-550 3753 18-29 66566 300 1-93 97,5 112 16-00 1792 21-2 -2-2-00 4664 <i0 40-no >• 24(10 Ciln«»Il€t<1i. 672 •25-30 17140 NHitkiii lUolh ul all «urts.. ..Pro. 4II0(K< 1-36 l-CC. U5J3I Vvrniillinn...Itt» 1300 60-00 Hex 65lM)0 Jlinss Leaf. ‘290 48-M U09A 30(i 17-66 Ctwc 3300 Stiinn... led 4-94 1)35 Silkl’lflco Good!. VaI. 197684 tiolilJewsI*.. 3858 I’tiarlt.... „ 11700 <!lniia tool, Cialg. and Matk~ „ 10784 (‘liina IVai'i!.. „ 13163 I'aipvr Khuxr ft flit LftL*. Ware ,, li<i7l)4 1036923 Sjiree Silver... -23(i8'>ll 158150 Marble Slabs .. 433.5 317-18 lUOO 1375 ])ainboni» and Whaiis«cs • • • • .• 136038V 9-40 1 ** 14573 Gold ill I'aels Wciglit.... ( 354019 I li>B0tl577 Uisbuistineula oii 7Ci ..fiwbalWhaiiipna, at lM..BO'H)cu('b,. 6I)U'.'.0U Ditto.26 nice do.... 1500 .. li'.OllO Ditto.46 vessels a( liDlii. 1500 ,, C'HWll l!>jl(ii.7T Ualnocc.... 31 (i:iUTi> JH.g04,»33JI». oc ns. 2«7,-2B7-<K> of I'l.ick Tv.- SM-IO.^e? .. .. 7O.841-0I tVi.^11 ilii. 'I'.iUl J7.750,4nonK. 358,138-01 I'u'uls. • - 8 .V- IM". a.. ill Ciiiii.i,