The British merchants in Bombay have sent a memorial to
the Lords of the Privy Council, calling upon them to fulfil Mr. Elliott's pledge to secure them from loss by the surrender of their opium. It has been ascer- tained that the opium was worth upwards of two millions sterling—not two millions of dollars, or 700,0001., as sonic had supposed.
Before stopping the trade, the Chinese Imperial Commissioner is- sued three edicts ; one to the foreign merchants, another to the Hong merchants, ordering them to abandon the opium trade, and a third pro- hibiting foreigners from leaving Canton. From the first edict we take some characteristic passages-
" It is known that the foreign vessels, which come for a reciprocal trade to Kwang,tung, have derived from that trade very large profits. This is evidenced
by the diets—that whereas the vessels annually resorting hither were formerly reckoned hardly by tens, their number has of late years amounted to a hundred and several times ten ; and that whatever commodities they may have brought, none have failed to find a full consumption ; whatever they may have sought to purchase, never have they been unable readily to do so. Let them ask themselves, whether between heaven and earth any place affording so advanta- geous a commercial mart is elsewhere to be found. It is because our great
emperors, in their universal benevolence, have granted you commercial privi- leges, that you have been flavoured with these ad-vantages. Let our ports once be closed against you, and for what profits can your several nations any longer look ? Yet more—our tea and our rhubarb—seeing that, should you foreigners be deprived of them, you therein lose the means of preserving life—are with- out stint or grudge granted to you for exportation, year by year beyond the seas. Favours never have been greater!
" Are you grateful for these flavours ? You must then fear the laws, and, in seeking profit for yourselves, must not do hurt to others. Why do you bring to our land the opium, which in your own lands is not made use of, by it defrauding men of their property, and causing injury to their lives ? I find that with this thingyon have seduced and deluded the people of China for tens
of years past ; and countless are the unjust hoards that you have thus acquired. Stich conduct rouses indignation in every human heart, and is utterly inexcus-
able in the eye of Celestial Reason. * * * • " I proceed to issue my commands. When these commands reach the said foreign merchants, let them with all haste pay obedience thereto. Let them deliver up to Government every particle of the opium on board their storeships.
Let it be ascertained by the Hong merchants, who are the parties so delivering it up, what number of chests, as also what total quantity in cattics and taels is delivered up under each name. Let these particulars be brought to- gether in a clear tabular form, and be presented to Government, in order that the opium may all be received in plain conformity thereto, that it may he burnt and destroyed, and that thus the evil may be entirely extirpated. There must slot be the smallest atom concealed or withheld.
" At the same time, let these foreigners give a bond, written jointly in the foreign and Chinese languages, making a declaration to this effect—' That
their vessels, which shall hereafter resort hither, will never again dare to bring opium with them ; and that should any be brought, as soon as discovery shall be made of it, the goods shall be forfeited to Government, and the parties shall suffer the extreme penalties of the law ; and that such punishinent will be willingly submitted to."
And the Commissioner declares that he will not be trifled with-
" On this occasion, I, the High Commissioner, having come from the capital, bare personally received the sacred commands, that wherever a law exists it is to be fully enforced. And as I have brought these full powers and privileges, en- abling me to perform whatever seems to me rig4d—powers with which those or- dinarily given, for inquiring and acting in regard. to other matters, are by no means comparable—so long as the opium traffic remains unexterminated, so long will I delay my return. I swear that I will progress with this matter from its be- ginning to its ending, and that not a thought of stopping half-way shall for a moment be indulged."
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