paper, but every plaintiff will be required to execution. I am fully convinced, from pay an institution fee of one rupee to defray personal enquiries in several districts, of the the expences of his establishment. This officer feasibility of this plan, though at the onset, is to be selected annually by a majority of like every other charge, it will meet with votes of the inhabitants. Every ryut paying some obstacle and inconvenience. It is at a jumma of 100 Rs. or upwards, will have the least worthy a trial in one or two adjacent privilege of voting. A faithful discharge of districts of Calcutta. this Magisterial duty will entitle a person I entirely concur with the community, in to claim the first vacant public situation in recommending the appointment of a number of the district by rotation, provided he is other- uncovenanted assistant magistrates, according wise qualified for it. Honorary titles may to the size of every district; but that does not be bestowed on those who distinguish them supersede the necessity of having local officers selves. For gross misconduct they will be for adjusting trifling cases on the sport. The liable to fine and imprisonment by the head unpaid justices of the peace will be great magistrate, and the people ordered to elect auxiliaries to the assistant magistrates, and another in there place. This will be bringing they in their turn check the proceedings of justice to the very doors of the poor instead of the other. Darogahs will be no longer necescompelling them to seek it on most trifling sary under this plan, and thus one large item occasions, at a distance of fifty or sixty miles, of expence will be reduced. I will reserve at an enormous expence of time and money.my say about the much-discussed question If this proposition meet with any attention of chowkeedars for another letter. from the proper quarter, I shall be happy to submit a detailed plan for carrying it into Hurkaru, March 27.] (To be Continued.) J. M. CHINESE QUESTION. After writing the above, we received news direct from China, to the 3d of April, which we republish. and directed all the British vessels to proAt first Mr. Elliott thought of resistance, ceed to the rescue; but was told by the Chinese authorities, that they would hold the En ropeans as hostages and hang them all, if a gun were fired. We have received a Singapore Free Press of the 25th ultimo, at which date no later in telligence from Canton, had reached the Island than that brought by the Malabar, and which extended only to the 14th of March. Ex"The trade was stopped in toto. The facto tracts will be found in another column. Ary had been surrounded by the Chinese troops, fact is stated, which evinces the determina- and no food nor water permitted to enter. tion of the Court of Pekin to destroy the Opi. um trade, root and branch. A certain number of chests sent annually on account of the King of Siam, on the junk conveying the tribute of the latter potentate to the Celestial Empire, and which have hitherto been permitted by the manderins to be landed and sold, were this year refused admission; and a letter of advice returned with them, suggesting that the Siamese Court should follow the example of the Emperor, and in future interdiet the use of the drug among its subjects. The consequence had been, the relanding of all the Opium on board the junks in the Singapore Roads, the sale thereof at reduced prices, and the investment of the proceeds in British and Indian manufactures. The Editor of the Free Press, however, throws out a crumb of comfort to the Chancellor of our Exchequer and to speculators, by intimating the probability of a wholesale emmigration of professed Opium-smokers into the Eastern Archipelago, and drawing an interesting picture of swarming Colonies of Chinese, taking their pipe and their quid in peace, “too happy to exchange the narrow-minded persecu- A Singapore Extra of the 26th ultimo, givtions of their mother country, for the more ing China news to the 10th ultimo, has reachenlarged and liberal principles acted on un-ed us, and we republish it in another column. der civilized Governments!" -Hurkaru May 14. The Principal Hong Merchants were taken in chains to the Factory and said, that unless the whole of the Opium at Linton and elsewhere was delivered up, the Government had ordered their immediate execution. Pressed by these circumstances, the Superintendent knocked under, and in the name of the British Government ordered the delivery of all the Opium, 20,000 chests, to the Chinese, guaranting to the British Merchants its value, the price to be fixed by her Majesty's Ministers. This is to be done in three instalments. On the first being made, provisions are to be permitted entre into the Factory. On the second, the general trade is to be re-opened; and on the third, things are to revert to the former footing." The arrival of the Good Success yesterday (of all manner of responsibility or liability in morning from China, having left Macao the respect of the said British owned Opium. 10th instant, brings the momentous intelli- AND it is specially to be understood that the gence regarding the present posture of affairs proof of British property and value of all there, of which the particulars will be found British Opium surrendered to me agreeably to below. The private letters we have seen, fur- this notice, shall be determined upon princinish no additional particulars; but, notwith-ples, and in a manner hereafter to be defined stading the assurances contained in the Impe- by Her Majesty's Government. rial Commissioner's proclamation, some of them express doubts as to the future security Canton in China, this twenty-seventh day of GIVEN under my hand and seal of Office at of the lives and property of Foreign residents in Canton, even after the surrender of all the Opium, without the prompt assistance of the British government. We hope, however, and are inclined to believe, that all such apprehensions are groundless. Singapore Free Press Extra, April 26.] PUBLIC NOTICE TO BRITISH SUBJECTS. March, one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine, at six o'clock in the morning. (Signed) CHarles Elliott. Chief Superintendent of British trade in China. Macao, April 8, 1839.] PUBLIC NOTICE TO BRITISH SUBJECTS. I, CHARLES ELLIOT, Chief Superintendent of The undersigned has now to announce that the trade of British subjects in China, pre-arrangements have been made for the delivery sently forcibly detained by the Provincial of the Opium lately surrendered to him for Government, together with all the merchants Her Majesty's service, by which His Excelof my own and the other foreign nations set- lency the high commissioner, has stipulated, tled here, without supplies of food, deprived that the servants shall be restored after oneof our servants, and cut off from all intercourse fourth of the whole be delivered, the passage with our respective countries (notwithstanding boats be permitted to run after one-half be demy official demand to be set at liberty so that livered, the trade opened after three-fourths I might act without restraint,) have now rebe delivered, and every thing to proceed as ceived the commands of the high commissi- usual after the whole be delivered, (the signioner, issued directly to me, under the seal of fication of which last expression, the underthe honorable officer, to deliver over into his signed does not understand.) hands all the Opium held by the people of my country. Now I, the said Chief Superintendent, thus constrained by paramount motives affecting the safety of the lives and liberty of all the Foreigners here present in Canton, and by other very weighty causes, do hereby in the name and on the behalf of Her Britannic Majesty's Government enjoin and require all Her Majesty's subjects now present in Canton, forthwith to make a surrender to me, for the service of Her 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 a trade of Opium, subject to my im mediate direction: AND to forward to me without delay a sealed list of all the British owned Opium in their respective possession. 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 surren dering the said British owned Opium into my hands, to be delivered over to the Chinese go vernment. AND I, the said Chief Superinten. dent, do further especially 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 six o'clock this day, I the said Chief Superintendent, hereby declare Her Majesty's government wholly free 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 engagements 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 undersigned himself. He passes by these grave forms of speech without comment. 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 fulfill his public obfigations to this government. As soon as the whole of the 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 of 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 con fidence in his sincerest efforts to lead them out of their actual strait. CHINESE QUESTION. sought to profit yourselves, ye would abstain These two Notices afford the chief particulars of the recent occurrences, and the circumstances which have compelled the surrender of 20,283 chests of Opium, estimated at Formerly the prohibition to our empire two millions of pounds sterling to the Chinese. might still be considered indulgent, and Mr. Johnston, who has been entrusted with therefore it was that from all our ports the the delivery of the Opium, arrived in the In-sycee leaked out as the Opium rushed in: ner Harbour last night, but under restraint now, however, the great emperor, on hearing from the Chinese, and was not permitted to before he will stay his hand, the evil must be of it, actually quivers with indignation, and land; he was accompanied by a large fleet of war junks, and two hong merchants. They completely and entirely done away with. are now off to deliver up the first portion of the Opium stipulated for, at a place called an Opium shop, or who sells Opium, is imRespecting our own subjects, he who opens Ke-ow-Point, opposite Lintin. It is not clear-mediately put to death; and it is also in ly understood whether the commissioner agitation whether or not to the mere smoker means to burn it, or hold it subject to impe- may not be accorded to extreme penalty of the law; and ye foreigners who come to our PROCLAMATION TO FOREIGNERS FROM THE IMPERIAL mit to our statutes, as do the natives of China central land to reside, ought in reason to subthemselves. rial orders. Ibid. COMMISSIONER, H. E. LIN. Now I the said imperial envoy reside in Fokien on the borders of the sea, and thoroughly understand all the arts and ingenious devices of you foreigners, in all their bear LIN, a high officer of the Chinese empire, now specially appointed an imperial envoy, a president of the board of war, and viceroy of Hoo Kwang, hereby proclaims to the foreigners of every nation, that they may thorough-ings; so it is that I have to thank the great ly know and understand. emperor for thus specially appointing me as an officer who has frequently distinguished bimself by meritorious actions, to be a special commissioner for reducing to order these distant districts, and for taking measures with irresponsible authority to prevent the further influx of Opium. Where I to go back and sit in judgment on your re-iterated crimes as relates to the selling of Opium,-then indeed to spare you would be impossible; but remembering that ye are foreigners from afar, and that hitherto ye may not have known that our laws are so severe, I now clearly expound the statute to you, not bearing to slay you without prévious instructive warning. Whereas ye, the said foreigners, coming to Canton to trade, have usually reaped immense profits therefore it is that your ships which in former years amounted annually to no more than several tens, now exceed a hundred and several tens, which arrive here every year. Your import goods, no matter what they be, with us find a consumption; and respecting the cargo which you may wish to purchase in return, there is nothing in which you may not adventure. I would like to ask you if in the wide earth under heaven you can find such another profit-yielding market as this is? Our great Chinese emperor views all mankind with equal benevolence, and therefore it is that he has thus graciously permitted you to and other places many store ships, in which I find that ye have now anchored at Lintin trade, and become, as it were, steeped to the are several tens of thousands of chests of lips in gain. If this port of Canton, how- Opium. Your intention is to dispose of them ever, were to be shut against yon, how could clandestinely, but ye remember not how you scheme to reap profit more? Moreover, strict we are in making captures at this port; our tea and rhubarb are articles which ye how, then, will ye find people who will conforeigners from afar cannot preserve your vey it for you any more?-And seizures being lives without; yet year by year we allow you to export both beyond seas, without the slightest feeling of grudge on our part: never was imperial goodness greater than this! made with equal severity throughout every pro. vince of the empire, what other place have ye where ye dare to sell it off? This time Opium is indeed prohibited and cannot cirNow if ye foreigners had a proper sense of culate; every man knows that it is a deadly gratitude for this extraordinary goodness, ye poison: why then should ye heap it up in your would hold the laws in dread; and while yel foreign store ships, and keep them there long anchored on the great sea; not only thereby one or two chests out of ten, then all such wasting much money by their heavy expenses, procedures show, that you have in your hearts but exposing them to the chance of storms, of a desire to oppose the laws, and to remain fire, and other accidents which no man can foresee? firmly wedded to your wickedness, without prospect of change; then I say, that although it is the maxim of our Chinese empire to treat with great kindness and tenderness the men from afar, yet can we not suffer them to treat us with scorn and contempt; but shall immediately in conformity with the new statute, punish them with the utmost severity, as we do our own people. I therefore uniting all these circumstances now issue this my edict, and when it reaches the said foreigners let them immediately and with due respect in conformity thereto, take all the Opium in these said store-ships, and deliver it up to the officers of government; and allow the hong merchants to examine elearly, which man by name gives up so many chests; the total weight, so many catties and taels; and let the hong merchants make out a distinct list to that effect, and hand it up to the officers to be checked; that these officers may openly take possession of the whole, and have it burned and destroyed so as to cut off its power of doing mischief; a single atom must not be hidden or concealed and at one with that careless examination and mode of and the same time let a duly prepared bond be drawn up, written in the Chinese and Foreign character, stating clearly that the ships afterwards to arrive here shall never to all eternity dare to bring any Opium, should any ship after this bring it, then her whole cargo on board is to be confiscated and her people put to death; and that they will will ingly undergo it as the penalty of their crime; all this to be stated clearly in the said bond. Upon this occasion I, the imperial commissioner, being at Peking, in my own person received the emperor's commands; the law when once uttered must be put in force; moreover having brought with me these orders and this great irresponsible authority for prevention, they must be executed to the benefit of public business, and may not be compared acting that belong to ordinary matters. If the stream of Opium cannot be cut off, I cannot return from this. I am sworn to have the same beginning and end (anglice to stand or fall) by the Opium question. There is no such thing as suspending my labors in the middle. Moreover, I find that the indignation of the people of the inner land is almost to a man roused against you; and if ye foreigners will not reform and repent, if profit continues to be your sole object; then it is not only with I have heard it said, that in the ordinary the majesty of our troops and the abundance transactions of life, ye the said foreigners, of our forces by land and water that we may attach a great deal of importance to the word sweep you off, but we have merely to call "good faith." If, then, you will readily do as upon the common people of the land to rise, I am commanding you: i. e. take that Opium and these would be more than sufficient utwhich has already come and deliver every terly to annihilate you. Further, we should, atom of it up to the officers of government, as a temporary expedient, close the ship's and in relation to that Opium not yet arrived, holds and as a final one shut up the port; prevent it from ever coming here, and this and what difficulty would there be in cutting will show that you really can feel contrition off your commerce for ever? Our Chinese for your crime, and fear the laws of the land: empire covers many tens of thousands of this, then, may spare your previous iniquities miles in extent, every sort of produce is there being raked up and brought against you. I, heaped up and running over, we have no oc. the imperial commissioner, will then forth casion to borrow any thing from you foreigwith consult with the governor and fooyuen ners; but I fear that were we to stop the that we may conjointly memorialize the great intercourse, the plans for doing business (and emperor, that he may grant you extraordinary obtaining profit) of every one of your counindulgence, and that he may not only forgive tries would at that moment come to an end! you your previous sins, but that he may also Ye foreign traders, who have come from disbestow upon you some proof of his favour tant countries, how is it that you have not so as to testify his approbation of your con- yet found out the difference between the pains trition and repentance? and after this, your of toil and the sweets of ease? the great distrade may go on the same as ever. Thus not tance betwixt the power of the few and the losing by being good foreigners, and by means power of the many? of an honorable traffic attaining to riches and honors: can any thing be more respec- In reference to those vagabond, foreigners table than this? But if, on the other hand, who reside in the foreign hongs and are in you obstinately adhere to your folly and will the habit of selling Opium, I already know not awake, if you think to borrow excuses to their names full well, and those good foreigcarry on your smuggling, or if you use the ners who do not deal in Opium, I am no less name of some sailor or other to bring it, and acquainted with them also. Those who can say that it does not concern you, or if you point out the vagabond foreigners and comcraftily say that you are going to take it to pel them to deliver up their Opium, those another country, or throw it into the sea, or if who first step forward and give the bond beyou wish to seize an opportunity for going to fore spoken of, these are the good foreigners, another province to sell it; or if you hope to and I, the imperial envoy, will speedily besstifle enquiry by giving up to the mandarins tow upon thein some distinguishing mark of my approbation, Woe or happiness, disgrace or honor, are in your hands? It is ye yourselves who select for yourselves. I have now ordered the hong merchants to go to your factories, and explain the matter to you; and I have limited 3 days within which they must let me have a reply, and at the same time produce the duly prepared We yesterday published in an extra the very important news received from China, the most remarkable points of which are the entire stoppage of the foreign trade, the forcible detention of the British merchants at Canton and their property, and the extortion from them in consequence, of the Opium which was under their controul. We republish the entire intelligence, in case any of our readers should not have received the extra. their actions. The consequence is, that he issues a public notice enjoining and requiring all her Majesty's subjects to deliver to the controul, and he engages to hold himself resChinese Government all the Opium under their ment for all the Opium that may be so deliverponsible on behalf of her Majesty's Governed up. It is to be remarked, in the first place, that Captain Charles Elliott issues this pro bond aforementioned. clamation whilst under duress; beginning it Wait till I have consulted the viceroy and by stating that he is forcibly detained by the fooyuen, when we shall clearly proclaim the Chinese Government without supplies of food, and time within which the Opium must be deli-acting under the command of the High Com. vered up. missioner. Whatever power he might have originally received from his Government, is Do not indulge in idle delay and expecta-therefore absolutely and totally gone by the tion, which will only lead to a vain repen- very words of his proclamation; and no Bri. tance. A special edict.-Taoukwang 19th tish subject is bound to obey his commands year, 2nd moon, 4th day.-18th March 1839. any more than the Governor of a fort would -Ibide be to deliver it into the hands of the enemy, by the order of his superior, when a prisoner, in the enemy's camp. But even had Captain Elliott been perfectly free, and acting without restraint, his order to deliver up Opium would have been mere waste paper, as he has no authority to interfere with the trade of British subjects out of the place of his appointed residence, and even then only according to certain fixed rules. We fear, therefore, that those who rely upon compensation from the British Government will be disappointed. We fear that a considerable part of the mis. The sum is rather too large to be given away chief now taking place may be attributed to letters state the quantity in possession of the except by act of Parliament, for our private the manner in which the British superinten- different houses to be 20,283 chests. Now, dent has forwarded the measures of the Chi- if this is to be paid for at cost price, it can nese Government by his proclamations. We have always maintained the right of the Chi-hardly be reckoned less than £100 per chest, nese to regulate their own trade, and argued to be paid by the British Government, at the or, in round numbers, two millions sterling, that private individuals ought to submit to the very time that their own revenue is likely to laws of the empire, as being the only princi- sustain a considerable defalcation from the ple upon which the intercourse of foreigners short supply of tea, which the stoppage of the can be permitted by any civilized nation. But trade must occasion. The British Government we have never thought that the British Go is much more likely to say, 'Gentlemen smogg. vernment should lend itself, by its official re presentative, to the hard and arbitrary demands Bengal Government has been fostering this lers, go to the E. I. Company for relief. The of the Chinese. He is the person who ought wicked and immoral trade for years, for the to do what individuals cannot be permitted to sake of revenue, and to it you must look for do; to remonstrate, to protest, and if neces sary, to take effectual measures for the protec- General in Council to such an application compensation.' The answer of the Governor tion of his countrymen. We believe that he has acted to the best of his judgment in assist- may be conjectured, though, as they have offiing the Chinese to put down the smuggling trade, it may not now be so easy to get out of cially recognized the existence of the China trade, but the consequences have been such the scrape as it would have been when the as might fairly have been expected by any Company were in happy ignorance of the mode person who knew the Chinese character. They in which their Opium was disposed of. This have been emboldened by the countenance is certainly the case of all others in which it and support thus received to take more vio may be said. lent means of coercion. They have naturally enough reasoned;-the Fouqui are not pro tected by their own Government. The barba rian eye says they must obey the orders we give them. We will therefore squeeze them after the fashion in which we are accustomed to squeeze our own folks, and they can get no redress. The Chinese, however, have gone a step further than Captain Elliott imagined. They have caught him in the same trap with The question now is, what is to be done? his countrymen, justly (as it turns out) calcu- The lives of our countrymen are in the power lating on his still possessing some power over of the sanguinary Government of China. Will 'Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.' We therefore cannot see any cause for satisfaction in the turn things have taken, though we are informed that the speculators are quite elated with the prospect of being paid out of the British Treasury. |