Chief Superintendent of the Trade of British This was received by loud and hearty cheers, and every one seemed glad of Captain Elliot's arrival, and to think that affairs were likely now to take a better turn, particularly as that officer's presence served as a rallying point, which had hitherto been wanting. do forthwith make a surrender to me, for the service of Her said majesty's Government, to be delivered over to the Government of China. of all the opium under their respective control and to hold the British ships and vessels engaged in the trade of opium subject to my immediate direction: And to forward to me without delay a sealed list of all the British owned opium in their respective possessions. And I, the said Chief Superintendent, do now, in the most full and unreserved manner, hold myself responsible for, and on the behalf of Her Britannic Majesty's Government to all and each of Her Majesty's subjects surrendering the said British owned opium into my hands, to be delivered over to the Chinese govern ment. And I, the said Chief Superintendent, do further specially caution all Her Majesty's subjects here present in Canton, owners of or charged with the management of opium, the property of British subjects that failing the surrender of the said opium into my hands at or before 6 o'clock this day, I the said Chief Superintendent, hereby declare Her Majesty's Government wholly free of all manner of responsi bility or liability in respect of the said British owned opium. And it is specially to be understood that the proof of British property and value of all British opium surrendered to me agreeably to this notice shall be determined upon principles and in a manner hereafter to be defined by Her Majesty's Government. Howqua took Captain Elliot's letter from the Viceroy, and up to a late hour this night no answer has been received. Immediately after Captain Elliot's arrival, notice was given to all native servants to quit, and they accordingly left the Hongs without loss of time. The mob which had collected in front, attracted by the news of Captain Elliot's presence, was dispersed by a strong police force which had been partly on the spot all day, but was now reinforced, and every thing was soon reduced to perfect order and quiet. The river near the factories was cleared of all the boats usually there, and in lieu of them three rows of boats filled with police and soldiers stationed there completely hemmed us in, and rendered escape altogether impossible. The streets leading into the square from the town were blocked up, and no natives allowed to remain or to go into any of the foreign factories. The strongest guard was, of course, before the company's hall to prevent Mr. Dent's escape, and the men on duty there, coolies (True copy.) belonging to the Hong merchants, were armed with pikes and shields, which they held ready for use whenever the door of the English hong was opened to admit people or allow them to go out. Monday. This day has passed over very quietly; the Chinese have completed their police regulations, and not a Chinese is to be seen in front of our houses down to the river, except such as are on duty. Howqua and other Hong merchants are repeatedly going to see the Superintendent, but nothing has transpired. Tuesday.-Every thing quiet in the morning, the guard near the houses has been reinforced and the coolies are busy building sheds to live under. The Hong merchants came several times, and at about 1 o'clock brought two chops, said to be from the Viceroy. Their nature not known, but it was said that things were going on favourably. This evening the pleasure boats were removed from in front of the British hong, and carried to the middle of the square. The Hong merchants, in setting the watch of their coolies for the night. gave strict directions that they should be watchful, and not sleep at their posts, as they had been seen to do by the mandarins on a previous night, for which they had been reproved. The night passed over very quietly, and it is said that Lin had incognito himself inspected the preparations. The following proclamation was this day issued, a translation of which was kindly handed us by Mr. Fearon : ! ' Given under my hand and seal of office at Canton, in Chief Superintendent of the trade of L. S. British subjects in China. EDWARD ELMSLIE Secretary and Treasurer to the Superintendent. We believe that every British subject has complied with the requisition, and merchants of other nations have also made over to the British Superintendent whatever opium they held on account of British subjects. The quantity of opium thus offered to him amounts to 20,283 chests. Nothing worth noticing passed during the day-the servants are still away, but any one that likes may go and buy provisions; the Chinese, therefore, have no wish now to starve us into compliance, though on Monday last Chinese were not allowed to sell any thing to foreigners. The guard of coolies mustered as strong this night as before and having since yesterday built up their sheds, they proceed with more regularity. In the square there are five partitions in the shed, each containing about 50 men from their respective hongs, the names of which are written on their lanterns and caps. They relieve each other in parolling, two hong parties being continually moving. At night the square presents a very picturesque appearance, all the men carrying lanterns, and the different sheds being profusely illuminated, as well as the watch boats on the river. Thursday, March 28, 8 A. M.-Nothng has yet transpired as to his Excellency's intentions with regard to the opium. This morning a chop was received from the Kwang-chou-foo, which is as follows: PROCLAMATION TO THE FOREIGNERS OF Chow, Kwang-Chow Foo, &c., proclaims to the Hong merchants for their full information. The following official communication has been received from Lin, the Imperial Commissioner, &c., dated the 13th day of the 2d month. PUBLIC NOTICE TO BRITISH SUBJECTS. I, Charles Elliot, chief superintendent of the trade of British subjects in China, presently forcibly detained by the provincial government, together with all the merchants of my own and other foreign nations settled here, without supplies of food, deprived of our society, and cut off from all intercourse with our respective countries (notwithstanding my official demand to be set at liberty, so that I might act without received, with profound respect, the edict of his Excellency, straint), have now received the commands of the high commissioner issued directly to me under the seals of the honourable officers, to deliver over into his hands all the opium held by the people of my country. Now I, the said chief superintendent, thus constrained by paramount motive affecting the safety of the lives and liberties of all the foreigners here present in Canton, and by other very weighty causes, do hereby, in the name and on behalf of Her Britannic Majesty's government, enjoin and require that all Her Britannic Majesty's subjects now present in Canton The foreigners of all nations have presented the petition. 66 The foreign merchants of all nations in Canton have re the Imperial Commissioner, and now beg leave respectfully to address his Excellency, having already communicated through the Hong merchants, their intention of doing so with the least possible delay. They beg to present that being now made fully aware of the imperial commands for the entire abolition of the traffic in opium, the undersigned foreign merchants hereby pledge themselves not to deal in opium, nor to attempt to introduce it into the Chinese empire. 1 "Having now recorded their solemn pledge, they have only 1839.] THE TROUBLES IN CHINA. 213 further respectfully to state to his Excellency that as indi- Saturday, March 30.-This morning we hear that no one vidual foreign merchants they do not possess the power of is allowed to go down China street to market; this new controlling such extensive and important matters as those vexatious prohibition is caused, they say, by some foreigners treated of in his Excellency's edict; and they trust his Ex-going to the Consoo-house last night, when the Kwang-choucellency will approve of leaving a final settlement to be ar- foo and other officers were assembled there, and the Kwangranged through the representatives of their respective na-chou-foo is reported to have said, that when they wanted any This coming before me, the commissioner, it appears, by the petition, that in obedience to my commands, they dared no longer to traffic in opium. Their reverential obedience is thus manifested. They also earnestly entreat, that as my will involved such important and heavy results, I will direct the superintendents and consuls of their several nations to manage the business. Now as respects the delivering up of the opium, the superintendent Elliot has this day handed up a duly prepared petition to deliver up the opium; and I, the commissioner, in due course commanded that the most minute particulars be examined into and handed up in the form of a clear and distinct report, when we must wait till I fix a day for receiving the opium. This is on record. As respects Elliot, therefore, there is no occasion for my again issuing my instruction; but the consuls must forthwith clearly petition as to who they are, and their names and surnames, so as to enable me to act accordingly, and issue an edict immediately, for their instruction. foreigners to come to them, they did not go, but came when not required; that therefore they should no longer be permit ted to go in the back streets. Another reason for this prohibition may be the desire to force us to accept of the Yum chuy's present of poultry, pigs, &c., which we stated were brought to the Consoo-house on Thursday night; these were offered to foreigners in the morning of yesterday, but refused, we believe, without exception. During the day, some Parsee servants were allowed, with a passport, to go to market. Another cause of this great strictness may have been the Nam-ho-yune's intended visit to the front of the factories, which took place at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. He came, accompanied by several other Mandarins, and walked over the square up the British Hong, looked down the passage which divides the Company's garden from the house, and walked away again. The impression seems to be general this day that things are far from being settled; this is, however, merely guessed at, nothing having trans pired as to the nature of Captain Elliot's negotiations with the authorities. We omitted to mention that two buckets of spring water were carried to each house yesterday by order of the Hong merchants. This edict is now issued to the Kwang-Chow-Foo for his information and obedience. Let him forthwith send a reply Sunday, March 31.-Provisions, such as fowls, eggs, with instructions to the hong merchants to transmit of it to mutton, and vegetables, were offered this morning by the the foreigners of all nations for their information and obedi-linguists in all the houses, but by many refused, unless payence, and report the same a special edict. On receipt of this, I, uniting the circumstances, issue this edict. On receipt of it let the said foreign merchants, in obedience thereto, forthwith state in a clear petition the names and surnames of the consuls. Do not oppose. A special edict. March 27, 1839. The back doors were blocked up on Saturday last, and admission into the back streets is permitted only through old China street; all the other streets are blocked up, and a watch set to guard over them. Dr. Parker has hitherto been permitted to go to his hospital, but this day he was refused admittance into Hog lane. The Chinese outside seem to be very anxious for the result, they having been dependent for their living on the foreign trade. In the evening of this day Captain Elliot issued the following notice to Her Britannic Majesty's subjects : 66 NOTICE. "I, Charles Elliot, chief superintendent of the trade of British subjects in China, do require any British subject or subjects, in the name of Her Britannic Majesty's Government, who may have opium within his or their factory, to acknowledge the same to him in person within the space of two hours from this date. "CHARLES ELLIOT, Chief Superintendent. "Canton 6 P. M. March 28, 1839." It appears as if the Chinese relax in their very great vigilance, and coolies have been ordered by the Hong merchants to bring water; a great quantity of pigs, sheep, and poultry were brought to the Consoo house this morning, and it is said they will be made a present of by the Yum-chuy to the foreign resident, probably as a set-off for the opium given up. The patroles of coolies went their round as regularly as before. A letter from the Yum-chuy was received this morning, addressed to the French, American, and Dutch Consuls, in which he requires them to give between them a quantity of opium similar to that offered by the British superintendent. Strict orders were given this evening to bring the pleasure boats on shore; they were accordingly, amidst tremendous noise, brought from the river, and all deposited in the middle of the square, where they now are, many of them broken to pieces through the careless manner of landing them. One wherry was taken out of the Old Company's long room, and added to those in the square. Howqua and Mowqua frequently called on Captain Elliot during the day, and at all times remained several hours with him. ment were taken for them, while the Chinese insisted upon giving them as a present. A long document containing the Yum-chuy's correspondence, was posted this afternoon on the walls of the Company's garden, which, for want of space and time, we must defer giving until our next. Foreigners were informed this day that since they were averse to receiv ing provisions gratis, the linguists would in future supply them with them for payment. Monday, the 1st of April.-This morning another part of the correspondence between the Commissioner and Captain Elliot, and the American and Dutch Consuls, was published in the square. Its purport is briefly to the following effect: The Commissioner says that Captain Elliot proposes that Mr. Johnston should go down to Hong Kong to be present at the delivery of the opium-this, His Excellency says, is not necessary-why not make each British subject give an order for opium, such as they were in the habit of giving to the opium dealers,_This Captain Elliot should endorse, and then give to His Excellency, who would then send down for it, without Mr. Johnston's presence being necessary. If, says His Excellency, Captain Elliot has power sufficient to obtain the making over to him all the opium belonging to British subjects, he surely may also have that of ordering such documents to be made out. To Mr. Snow, the American Consul, His Excellency says, that he cannot understand the reason why, as he, the Consul, has informed him, his countrymen should have delivered into Captain Elliot's keeping some 1,500 chests of opium, rather than to him; he says there must be some double dealing there. (The opium here spoken of is declared to be British property, and as such was, by the consignees, given over to Captain Elliot.) The Dutch Consul, Mr. Van Basel, His Excellency says, in answer to a letter from him, that though he nor his countrymen have any opium, yet that he cannot, for the sake of allowing one vessel to depart, permit the whole of his plans to be deranged. He recommends to the Dutch Consul to influence his neighbours to give over all traffic in opium. We ought to have mentioned before, that in consequence of a letter from Mr. King, the Commissioner sent him a gra cious answer, which was ordered to be stuck upon Mr. King's door, in which it is said that though His Excellency is aware of Mr. King's having abstained from the opium trade, yet he cannot allow his servants yet to return, as such concession would interfere with his plans. He, however, recommends Mr. King to disseminate his maxims among his neighbours. PUBLIC NOTICE TO BRITISH SUBJECTS. The undersigned has now to announce, that arrangements have been made for the delivery of the opium lately surrendered to him for Her Majesty's service, by which his Excellency, the High Commissioner, has stipulated that the servants shall be restored after one fourth of the whole be delivered, the passage boats be permitted to run after onehalf be delivered, the trade opened after three-fourths be delivered, and every thing to proceed as usual after the whole be delivered, (the signification of which last expression the undersigned does not understand.) Breach of faith (and his Excellency, not unnaturally, is pleased to suppose that breach of faith may be possible,) is to be visited after three days of loose performance of engage ments, with the cutting off of supplies of fresh water; after three days more, with the stoppage of food; and after three days more, with the last degree of severity on the undersign ed himself. He passes by these grave forms of speech without com ment. But with the papers actually before him, and all the circumstances in hand, he is satisfied that the effectual liberation of the Queen's subjects, and all the other foreigners in Canton, depends upon the promptitude with which this arrangement is completed. The maintenance of the national character, and the validity of the claim for indemnity, depend upon that scrupulousness of fidelity with which he is well assured his countrymen will enable him to fulfil his public obligations to this Government. As soon as the whole opium surrendered to him be delivered over to the Chinese officers, it will be the duty of the undersigned to communicate with his countrymen again. But it is a present relief to him to express to the whole foreign community his admiration for the patience and kindly feeling which have uniformly distinguished this community throughout these trying circumstances. And he offers his own countrymen his grateful thanks for their confidence in his sincerest efforts to lead them safely out of their actual strait. The ultimate satisfactory solution of the remaining difficulties need give no man an anxious thought. APALACHICOLA. ings for the coal to be carried out. In one of these coal fields 984,375 1.9,000 258,000 150,000 3,500,000 2,500,000 $10,360,555 This is only the capital employed in one district out of five, in one of the three great coal beds. I have no data as to the rest, but probably they at the present time require no less capital. In 1837, Pennsylvania sent 854,751 tons of Anthracite coal to market, not including what went from the north division, which must have been a very great amount, since 50,0.0 tons went from Wyoming valley. It is thought that at least one million of tons will be brought to market this year. But this is nothing compared with what we shall do. Look at England. Her coal is eighteen hundred feet below the surface of the earth. As late as the thirteenth century, coal was prohibited by royal proclamation, from being burned in London, because it was a public nuisance! Now, the quantity used in that city annually, is not less than 2,500,000 tons for fuel, and 230,000 tons for gas. Great Britain yearly consumes and exports 30,000,000 tons; of this 615,255 tons goes to foreign countries, and 40,000 tons to the United States. Look at the influence which coal is to have on our manu Arrivals at the port of Apalachicola, during the years end- facturing interests. ing 1st July, 1837. 1838. 1839. 28 25 67 73 29 38 126 93 114 6 8 227 199 197 1837. 1838. 1839. 4 IRON.-Coal was first used in England for smelting 180x in 1740. At that time England smelted only 17,000 tons of pig iron in 59 furnaces. In 183', she made one million of tons; she employed 260,000 men in making pig iron, and 360,000 in manufacturing it into hardware and cutlery at a cost of $109,332,: 23. In the United States we made in 1831, 191,536 tons of pig iron in 239 furnaces, and this year we shall probably make 250,000 tons, of which 100,600 tons will be made in Pennsylvania. But there are two furnaces in Wales which make as much as all this State, and there are a thousand tons made there every day in the year, by means of coal. In a former letter I stated what is the result of the experiment at Farrandsville in using bituminous coal. It succeeds to admiration. But it is found by George Crane, in England, that he can use anthracite coal to still greater advantage in smelting iron. They are now trying it at Pottsville, and it is said it will succeed. I trust and believe it will. It is almost universally used by the smiths of Pennsylvania. I am told it is a fact, and an astounding one it is, that at this hour, we have orders in England, which they cannot answer this season, for rail road iron to the amount of $20,000,000! This ought not to be so. There is no reason why we should not make this twenty millions of dollars circulate among our own people. We have every facility, but we have not yet begun to use our coal in making iron, and till we do, we cannot pretend to compete with England. RESOURCES OF PENNSYLVANIA. There are four great sources of wealth which this State has within herself, three of which will be permanent. I refer to her coal, her iron, her agriculture and her lumber. The last cannot, from the very nature of things be permanent. But her minerals are inexhaustible, and promise to do for her and for this country what nothing else could do. There are three great fields of coal in Pennsylvania east of the Alleghanies. WOOL AND COTTON.-England early excelled in the the northern, middle, and southern. Each of these is about manufacture of woollen goods. But in 1700 she manufac65 miles long and about 5 miles wide. They are hedged in tured only to the amount of £8,000,000. In 1831 it amountand covered up with mountains; and yet these mountains ed to £21,000,000, and employed 350,000 persons in the are broken up and divided by rivers which form natural open-manufactory. She did nothing in the way of manufacturing 1839] ANNUAL STATEMENT OF THE CITY BANK, N. O. cotton previous to using coal for such purposes. Even twenty years after coal was applied to machinery, the whole amount of her cotton manufacturing amounted only to £200,000. In 1832 it employed 7,000,000 lbs. raw cotton; 800,000 spinners and weavers at a cost of £18,000,000; 100,000 machine makers at a cost of £3,000,000; profits, coal and wear £6,000,00), making an aggregate of £34,000,000 or $152,222,222 employed in the cotton manufactures in England, and coal is the moving power. Take that away and all this would sink away and be gone! What is it not yet to accomplish in this department ? I may here state that the English, by the use of coal, annually manufacture carthenware so as to use 500,000 tons; of this $1,134,374 worth are exported into the United States. This estimate is for 1831. It is now too small. AGRICULTURE. It is hardly possible to estimate the influence of coal upon agriculture. A peep into the sea-girt Isle will show this. What commons have they enclosed,what marshes drained, what improvement in cattle and dairies, in sowing and planting! There are in England about 34,000,000 of acres. Deduct 3,000,000 for cities and roads. They then occupy 3,000,000 for wheat; 3,000,0 0 for oats and beans, and 3,000,000 in barley, making 9, 00,000 of acres under the highest possible cultivation. Now see what a population has sprung up. In 1700 England had but 5,500,000 inhabitants. Now, though she has planted colonies and filled the earth and the ocean with her people, she has at least 20,000,000. The increase is almost wholly confined to the coal regions. SHIPPING. In 1751 the shipping of England amounted only to 607,000 tons. In 1834 it amounted to 25,055 ves. No less sels, 2,716,000 tons, and employed 168,061 men. than 1600 ships are employed in the New Castle coal business! in 1835 England had 527 vessels propelled by steam, in which coal was the fuel. A fact in regard to Philadelphia. By examining the list of arrivals at Philadelphia, it is found that no more vessels arrive from foreign trade than did in 1778. There has been no increase for the last 50 years. But in 1787 the number of cousting vessels was only 39: in 1838, it was ten thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight! Just recollect that anthracite coal is pronounced by the agent of the Great Western to be the best fuel of steam ships on the Atlantic, that the oceans are to be travelled, and all our manufacturing done hereafter by coal; that our iron is to be made; our whole country warmed in winter by coal; that we are to cut down our forests and fill our lands with inhabitants, and you will see something of the amount of coal needed. Where shall we get it? Here is the giant Pennsylvania, all her bowels west of the Alleghanies, equal to one-third of her whole territory, filled with bituminous coal; with three great inexhaustible regions of anthracite east of these moun tains, with openings to every vein of coal, here she is saying to the whole country, "I lie in your very centre-I can reach any and every part of the Union-I have within me that which will manufacture all your cotton, which will fill the ocean with ships, which will send you through a continent in a few hours, which will turn your mountains into iron, which will fill the land with industrious inhabitants; come to me, and I will supply you all; God has made me the repository of untold wealth and blessings, and I will bestow it with a liberal hand, and a grateful heart." CIVIS. Commerce of Boston.-There arrived at the port of Boston during the month of August 606 vessels, coastwise and from foreign ports. There cleared from the same port, in the same time, 448 vessels. A guide book through Mount Auburn has been publish ed in Boston with wood cuts and statistics. The first cost of the land was $9,766 89-with improvements $34,107 57. The number of lots sold up to the close of the year was six hundred and thirty-four. There is a fund of $11,910 79 invested, the proceeds of which are applied to the decoration of the grounds. Moses Dillon, an early pioneer of the west, died at his residence in Muskingum county, Ohio, an the 17th inst., aged 92. Mr. Dillon erected the first iron furnace west of the mountains. He belonged to the religious Society of Friends. ! 215 $400,000 00 2,393,193 01 35,200 00 141,137 76 19,585 88 160,723 64 27,307 91 96,168 39 Amount due by distant Banks, Edward Carew and securities, CR. Capital Stock, Post Notes payable in New- Amount due to distant Banks, 656 11s ld 123,476 30 66,948 61 106 70 13,149 21 8,143 18 50,811 18 5,073 05 2,224 87 4,269,75 |