l'AKI.1,1:.:EN PAR"; I APEEs CEINL.

• [Front the Colonial Gazette, 25th Mardi.)

NARRATIVE 01"rIlE EVENTS WHICH LEO TO THE srers TAKEN BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT FOR T1111 SUPPRESSION OF THE 011UM-TRADE.

By dint of a good deal of assiduity, we have contrived, amid our other avo- cations, to give the " Correspondence relative to China," lately laid before Par- lietnent, that attentive perusal which the importance of the subject deserves. We cannot say that this line been by any means a disagreeable task. The narrative of the events which led to the late crisis is one ofgreat interest ; and it is the more interesting because so large a portion of it is communicated in official documents of the Chinese, which give us, besides their version of the dispute, a view of the singular state of civilization and peculiar political ii St 1.)y wbirl.■. filet remorkable poOple 6 goecencd. Anml the,11gli thcf• little in these papers which throws any new light on the more impomant points of the question, the collection of this large body of inGwmation, from the period of the abolition of the East India Company's exclusive privileges down to the late deplorable crisis, places the whole matter before us in a complete and suc- cinct form, which enables us to make up our minds on the question with much grcater confidence than betOre. Thn decision that we have thus arrived at, is not in any respect materially different from that which we hail rortned on pre- vious consideration of our relations with China, and the in:limitation that had from time to time reached the public. We still think that the whole of these disputes have originated in our mismanagement. —in our neglect of any proper provisions thr the regulation of' our countrymen trading with China, and in our Mulish desire to establish our intercourse with the Chinese on terms Incon- sistent with the principles of their government, and calculated to give it umbrage and alarm. Our object not being to serve the purpose of either of the political parties at home, we care little for thstening the blame of what has occurred on the Ministry or its subordinate officers, or on the other hand for relieving tliFin from censure. Our purpose is to lay before our readers a connected narrative of the facts, and to point out, with as much anproach as we can make to the impartiality it' history, the real origin of the present state of affitirs. The tea:Ms:tin of threigners from the interior of the Chinese empire, and the restr:etions which have been placed oh foreign commeree, have been dearly the result of the timid jealousy of the later and weaker tainces of the present Tartar dynasty. The trade itself has grown into one of considerable importance both to the people supported by it and the Imperial revenue, which nits largely aug- mented by it. The maintenance of the trade has therefore been an object, which, in spite of all its boasting professions ()I' indiffirence, the Chinese Go- vernment has had at heart : but this object has been always subordinate to that exclusion of ffiretners from the interior of the country, in which the tim mtid. statesmen of China see their only safeguard against Europeau :Igor( ssious similar to those that Itavo been already exhibited in the re,1 Of A The system cm whieh the Btiti,11 trade was carried on during the latter years of tho East India Company's monopoly, exactly met the views of the Chinese Go- vernment. The traders were suffiected to a desoutic aulhorito. and to verv precise regulation:, which, while it laroe develoyment was given to commercial log the impert'ect civilization of the t'elcstial Empire pre,,eribes, At tile same time, the complete power which they possessed ,wer the whole British lead:, enabled them to maintaiti the real interests of their country, in the oevai;iotic I collisions into which British subjects or this trade were tuna, odahly Immedit Ilv the peculiar criminal code or time Ii ,u:81 rapacitj. of time Chinese. The Chinese authorities had learned to respect tbis power : and on the other hand, the ser- vants of the Company had been to use it whit the til most totuler dion mill the most deferential regard to the prejudiees and enstoins of the Chine,,e. Long, experience, and sage principles of management, the fruit of that expe- rience, had taugId them pretty exoctly when to bend and when to resist ; and given them that nice taet of alternate firmness in essentials, and compliance in matters of form, by which they contrived on the whole to keep on gm, terms with that strange people, wliont the). had got to understand better than any others hail, bat Itliont even they lout got to enderstand very imperfectly. When our view of the commercial pulley best suited to our own interests induced us to abolish the Company's monopoly, the Chinese themselvt•s were struck with the necessity of our appointing some one to exercise that authorits. enter Id I • . " I se, tit t utally ine%ented tlisor er, and irreirm.tr intrusion. 1 he per- cargoes a the cmnimuy, while they exorcised atrauthoritN. p.mfectiv sufficient histead of complvino the to protect as Is ell au to restmin their countrymen, appeare:t in Ito mi.pretetaling poated ivith shoot di .j character of increlootte ; were content, w.lien ecrasion requiretu. to transio:i and soothing the jealousy ‘1,1 th•• public business through the medium of their brethren of the IlOne and elress(41 tbe Chinese tutthorities in the suppliem st)lo hieit the 'eery Or \Nall any one of tiie over British traders, which the Supercargoes had previously possessed. In Jut- Go‘eratmot (f »I •L, miii it'AV.. to int ViltilltY :I Ilt• 1 'rho tli t 1... .

%%nil Sir Fs f nuary 1831, the Viceroy of Canton stated in an edict, that it would be in- cumbent on the British Government, in case of the dissolution of the East India Company, " to appoint a chief to come to Canton for the general ma- nagement of commercial dealings, and to prevent affairs from going to con- fusion." Partly in compliance with what was understood to be the wish of the Chinese authorities, and partly from regard to the interests of our own countrymen in China, it was determined on throwing open the trade in 1833, that the Supercargoes should be replaced by three Superintendents, to whom -the Act enabled the King in Council to give very large powers. These Super- intendents were to hold commissions from the Crown ; to be entirely discon- nected with trade ; and thus to be placed on a perfectly different footing from their merely mercantile predecessors. That they would be received on any different footing, was, however, denied by many of the persons best acquainted with the Chinese: and the author of the Opium Crisis (p. 46) quotes a remark from Mr. Marjoribanks's Letter to Mr. Charles Grant in 1833, to the effect that the Chinese would treat the new Superintendents no otherwise than they had treated the East India Company's Supercargoes. The circumstances which generally influence the appointment of Public functionaries in this country, induced the Govermnent of the day to select for this important and difficult post of Chief tinperintendent a person about as ill-qualified as they could possibly have found. Lord Napier appears to have been as hot-headed, ignorant, presumptuous, and prejudiced a Captain of the Navy, as was ever by virtue of noble Iiirth thrust into an office, for which he was wholly unfit. His despatches exhibit the utmost irrational contempt of the ffielings, customs, and laws of the people with whom he ha,l to deal: with no experience of civil affairs, and no kiemledge of mem his ffiist and only impulse in any diplomatic difficulty seems to have always been to have recourse to guns

and bayonets. Looking solely to his instructions, and otieying them even in their most palpable blunders of detaii, on arriving in Chitta lie immediately, without any inquiry into the lam: s or customs of the country,* went up to

Canton without a permit, and landed at midnight at the Factory, where he took up his abode. Thinking it tom 1w coming in the represcittative of the Bri-

tislt Crown to communicate except on 0 fimcing of absolute equality with the superior officers of the Chinese Government, he insisted on writing to the Viceroy direct ; that his letter to that !ffigh officer should lint bear the custom-

ary superscription of pin "—which "petition " or " respectful re- presentation ; " and that the Viceroy. instead of commenicating with him through the accustomed form of a Imblie ',diet addressed to the Hong mer- chants, should correspond directly with himself'. In order to understand the objections which the authorities at Canton made to the claims advanced by Lord Napier, it is necessary to bear in mind one peculiarity of Chinese principle, of government. The Chinese know of no such thing as permanent diplomacy. on various occasions they have sent and received diplomatic missions ; but it I not in their manners to admit an officer of a foreign government to reside amem: them in an official capacity recognized by their Govermnent. When, therefore, Lord Napier claimed to be treated by the Chinese authorities with the reTeet due to an officer, of equal rank with themselves, beariog a commission from a foreign gover»mcnt, the Governor of Canton informs him that thi, is a charato or which he cannot, in

;mom:lance with the laws of his emintry. recognize. The Celestial Empire,"

he says, (Correspondence, p. •' offiec.:s—eivil ones to rule the

people, military ones to intimidale to the object of the said Barbarian Eye's in:: 1mm 1.m (1,:noffi. it is fir:- commercial business."

" The petty affairs of commere,, ar.m to di 'cited by the mm merchants them- selves.- Nothing could be plaim r conshitcnt than the ground taken by I lie Chinese. In answer to Li int to be treated as an official person, they said "You cannet ytmimim Itiem civil or militaryt authority within the dominions of the thop.,•rm• .•:. : and of no other ofilcial rapacity do we know any thing. I • ,1 own peeple your Sovereign iii ay hay, DODe. Ton are therefore it: our cy•-• not alter OOP established in-de mi Isit,u,-,s stffijeet the conduct of the Clinese anti: HI.

pert, ctly consistent throug feat. .,t,

vernment, (Correspondenec. p. 1 •• t!!.. mt ministers of' the Celestial

Empire are not permitted to %sit!' outside harbarians."

'rho Id dvernor could not thm-mc 1, it -m.1 .1 id Ice::: Lord Napier; be could

receive through the Bong . .; the. :: ic in the usual form of pe- tition ; and he could adda • - 1. .• It : . limit was obliimd to con-

1r; to the !long merchants. The untryitien sec ms to have given the -u 'it mciii to give an individual such ; its territorial jurisdiction, is quite

• po:x er : :Ind the Chinese authori- dis;eiti, of the Europeans,

7 C:p1.01:11n10::: Of :t competent I liari-arilit Lve.- says Govorno: v.v.; whets i:t ■vhich lie refuses to

;It re- t m his own government, ;1., when they Cm imi, d by him."

s Ki•ig hue tioiv posi• tIer overt:- ml:,, re want- ILlit awakened a pe- ;1: e .itiiisifitees of his

' • .1 ot war.

; witho:it Chines. in a

'1'' his anstvers in the limo: ri: mere exercise if' itirisdiel Chinese authorities no ui ml alt.. horny over its awn VL itt ;e:e.irdattee with the prActi.Le had lleVer I t;; rather 1.11.':1-1 k1 for tile Loo. ( Co./T.-ponder/cc, p. ;.

iii ocet::Ctes oflicial situation. ••..1

not keep t!te ht‘vs, rvi:mtire i,itt the Chinese really obj,•.•ti

lion and authority a eroum, ,d nwiir ilian previtmsly ing circumstances in I.ord etliiar degree of jealotts2.: ;1.:: being a " N%ar which remained in the • ,• the accustiened permit.

manner that shott-s hotv imtelt tot.y timrit ies.

()II all commtuticatimi :th , his reinrii to 3Licao. Th, forgetful alike (it' the Ili:nese

position itt Ini all1ected to . most inflammatory tiot:eo in the

ill tilt. :10t1Ilii, ill N1114'11110 Ztt ■'.

ranee.- and " Ma as' timis liv,• In 1. I comfort through Ow perversity of I:. • I oi was, that the e hole trade NI as * It is no obi 1110 ,•01 ot 1.01,1 Napt..r • I jog the prohibitions: when

:, el: ar.1 re- . , • - list, ad ot , .1 krais, by e. tat points

ill 1::y ohs: ly re; 1,...,1 ;,■ comply

!'y the am: it: tempt;:d. at

het v, Iii the mists. liroke mm -. • ed to ohm:. di.. orders thr 1„,rd Wier,

, wit:es of !II: ,liploniatiC

,• s ill, a

tu ;i:,

' • •• igne- tsie s.1 " ;Iso,:,:111IS of

.... ..1:1,1 this- ; ernor ;

t Bone nter-

r so os.idire Ill,' its

si2s, or eonitirdttiente directly ' hat ever authority over your Bet with us you have

. t: merchant. We can-

., , On this view of the - perd.•tiy intelligible, and t rule of the Chinese (lo-

• of tile all-

aud as a means of compelling Lord Napier's departure from Canton, the native workmen and servants of the Factory teem ordered to relinquish their employ- ments. Lord Napier, affecting to regard this order as menacing the lives and properties of 13ritieli subjects, requested Captain Blackwood to pass the Bogue with two frigates under his command. The request was complied with : the consequence was, that the Chinese forts fired ou the frigates, and that the fri- gates silenced the forte, %vitt, great loss of life on the side of their defenders. In spite of all this violence, Lord Napier was compelled to ivithdraw from Cauton, and retire to Macao ; whcre he shortly alter died of an illness pro- duced by tie., heat of the Nreather acting on the irritation and anxiety conse- quent ott the late proceedings. The tiaL, which had hem reopen:Al on his with- drawal from Canton, it ow went on as nsmil. Ilis unwise proceedings were properly discountenanced by the Duke or NVellington (who had succeeded to the .Foreign Office when his first despatches arrived in Englatinl,) in the otespatch of February 2d, 1835, (awresponricot(e, p. 26 ) and. the memorandum of 'March 2d (Mem, p. 51.) 'Ale. Davis, who suet:colt:A Lord Napier, pursued the ti ise course of re- siding at 'Macao, and conaitunleatittg as little as possible with the Chinese. Sir G. Robinson, who succeeilid 'Mr. Davis on the 19111 of January 1835, though he did not write with eiib,. r brevity or 0 isihno, Levirtheless acted pru- dently. On the 14th If December 1836, the ollice of Chief Superintelident was abolished, in that spirit of kretionty which iethices our Government occa- sionally to dispcils,: mitt, to cr.-miry public tit:1'111:es, UItAder that useless places

may bC kept up with a 1....tter tce ;" and Captaln El:lot succeeded to the authority of the office is i tit a dionioished sal try. Ilis first 111eit6LIMS were well

directed, skilfully tiNt.etilt-I, and ea..e...ser„1. Itt 3late1t I he obtained per-

mission to tix his reeidence at C'ant on. Soon eller, iti t he course of his contmunicatiens with t !: a 1I.Eit he obtailica piinlission to send his letters to tic Governor t! . ;•,. , ugh th... hands of the Ilttitg merchants, but at the same time see!, d. At this t i. he consented to use the superscription "pin ;" hou•eyer, he was s.,,•., nftcr impelled iliscontinue la consequence of express instructions from Palmerston, who s...,•nis to have thought this the most important point io our relations rid: China. Soon after, during the discussions on the opitimstelde, an teller, wes intended by the Chinese to be transmitted to England. atitiresstd. directly to Elliot by the Prefect of Canton ; awl in 1)ecvinhee %vlicti mane o; the meet interesting nego-

tiations on that subject eVe p:&.-. iii, it was .•••,,J,.cd th.it ii Ellioes mang the superscription t. pia," the Governor should e011tilittnicate with him through two subordieate, but still hie!! officers of (:.rveronient, instead of the former medium of the Doug'. '1.1.‘ts. IN a little temper, patience, and address, Cap- tain Elliot sueeectled iii !:,titling' ell those io.::cessinns on 'whits or form, with the exception or the wholly unimportant ". pin," is hich had betm the occasion of the abrupt ltilore of Lent Napier's mission.

We cannot, Lawcver, attach that importance to these co:west-10ns which Cap- taM Elliot k anNious to impress on them : nor con We see in them that recogni-

tion of his character, which is dwelt on very stroug,ly by those who wish to aggro :lee hi• sul,seetiellt illtplit•tiltlitelit at Ca Ilt011 into a violation of the law of nations in the persen n: one received by the Chinese authorit its as an accre- dited representative (.1! the Eritisli Crown. Captain 1-..P.iot.s, ,,ertions in his depatches or the Isil, 21,t of March and 1st April 18:1;', respecting the

new footing on were not mercly %% holly unwarranted, but are actually contradictc,l the very papers whiell he encloses. The Governor

of Cantu!' s.1%s, nt t. p. •• Thoit;.:11 his rank and title are not

the sante witL ti, .t et' C.. does not differ. lie is therefore pc ol, ••.:. •••• , (e.,..lia.merty the 7'ae- pan,) to go t Ceilt * `.!; lien he in future lives either at Canton or at Mac m, 1., I h.: to c nrorm 1•■ ../4 !wet." In the next page is (Met,: 0_•li • Lit -,• It is therefore our Im-

perial tt I . t, . . .0 Canton. 21,tilci. the e.risting re- . ".. :,.1 A further rclaxat ion of former

customs .„ • .. le.• allowing him to pass up and down '.... • e•ao ;I:ttelt ft permit on every

occasion. it thc I ;over:tor, ( I..,. 'fispourfoo-, p. 208,) which

makes Ceti ant :a. • ou higher official rank in the .0:1 .....ii simply on the ground of convenience, and the y ;le; ..It, • • 'eel's lsr1;,...:!1,.!..e,1 tuove about with the utmost I t.. t.,, Y.e cannot help observing . .

that the t,. no vet to these matters of

form, slieCt.. I. i'.•^:,, I, i• Ii; IR,' eNeite the suspi-

cions %illicit t:.• ly 1,, , I0t,•!,4h11•12.,pecting the encroach- ing sp!rit ., , e Inc niode of correspondence which 1., , hs: th..• •: oi,p,,rtanity of changing : the humbic ‘.., !::- ic,,, oltcinately discon-

tinuol ..id no , • tit (1%1110e r tlw opportunity

of e. !unto], is tile vtew which the yea- blut,y of tlo: •:. •t Lave it:duce:1 to' m to take of a wavering, and to them an

I!.• • rm. oi,J,tely noticed, occasioned no rupti, ,t tI••• tr0t0'.•• ei00.t.ere •i &we the period of

Lord Nee:, trent dosvn to I1..,1 or the dispute on the

opium50,1 .t. , is clear tiro the new prt•tt•tt-;,,,, adelimt.,•1 by the new

officer , tl. • 1.b•i", b. I ,evernri ie,... and the come,mcnt :Use:Is-dons, were cal- culated to, 11, • Ci.'..cso: f.,0,,crnment applelicosnot of aggressive

de„b..J,... • „,•, lot i.1 to be the

. b. • . , tliteit Omit!, oil sUltitOrt from

sole, it !• ; ls•cdc,l," -I: • an Imperial edict , 1,. " ..1 .),•t iille"• ,,hip• staying at a

I., • :•, ni,1 to I,' •o.• The 1.:11•.:Ii-11 itarb...rimk," says the

Paine t, tiojo' i 000e1 •it 0° ft,/ they cherish plc/es er ,1 • 1,, 1,• -, 1/, The increase of the trade, lift fie • iti opium, tea, it.Weil as part or

• i•

a genet •Ii •Ie • •1.,!:. so. 1! (*.mei nor of Canton,

the co•ioncr•hd i tI have a••••oined a great

'• lie 13ftrliitrlitit the Olittir sot-, are tiftil I.tel, ti, it tjtlitaiti (ltiet the statement

of our owl, I, I. Isitilt,g 1,1111•11 lao 1-1..•11Ito/III it ttiiittiah tin portation of 4.104) clwstn in 17116, to one of 21,500 io ittereatied front

that period to I on amount of :17,0.10 in I:17. lint thoti■■11 the opium trade

11.e gretti.01 it the r.uee.t .j.1-.: c,d, the pet usal 1,:' the Mb:F.:If:lion recently

laid l-fore ParliameNt ii-, thitik tilis s.a- hilt one of the causes of' a

Teets that must le,i, 1.1.,,,,eht ell Ity the .'n' 'iii'' .it•ttIttil,y with which the 4 hteese reettra,..1 co., 'ii.. o[ ...I tIlt aggrvssive dis- ..:1 lit I ION 5-, • .1 Hp eetb• position. The opium-trade alarmed the Chinese Government, because it brought a number of vessels, under no control, to all parts of the coast. The alarm arising from this cause was increased by other attempts to open irregular communications with the North-eastern coasts of China. The ships Am. berst and Huron visited these coasts, touched at various ports, and attempted to open a communication with the people. Missionary tracts in 'the Chinese language were distributed by these Alpo ; and Captain EttmoT (Correspond. ence, pp. 138 and 154) ascribes the alarm of the Chinese authorities very much to these circumstances. The apprehensions of the Government were confessed in an edict issued in April 1836 against the resort of foreign ships to the North-east coast. (See ('irresendenee, p. 134.) Indeed, this dread of the aggressive designs of the English runs through all the official papers of the Chinese: and it is not difficult, beneath the reasons assigned for the suppression of the opium-trade, to see that the real ground of the niacin caused by it was the apprehension of this trade being made sub. servient to schemes of foreign conquest. The pernicious effects of that peculiar species of intoxication, could not, of' course, but have weight among the reasons for prohibiting the trade. The exportation of the tweets silver no doubt had its influence on the backward political economists of the Celestial Empire. But more operative than these causes, seems to have been the terror with which the jealous foreign dynasty of' China beheld the increase of a trade that threatened to prostrate all the barriers of ancient precaution, and lay open the Celestial Empire to the rapacity of the " fled-haired Barbarians." " The outrageous disobedience " repeatedly exhibited by "the Barbarians in question within a few years," and " the stealthy entrance of their ships into the provinces of Fuh-ken, Chekeang, Keatignan, and Shantung, and even to Teentsin," are adverted to by Choo-tsun in his memorial for the prohibition of the opium-trade. (Correspondence, p. 171.) Ott this lie quotes the saying of the great Emperor Kanghy who remarked as long ago as 1717, the cause for apprehension lest at some future period, "China may he endangered by collisioa with the various nations of the West, who came hither from beyond the seas." " And now," he adds, " within a period of two centuries, we actually see the commencement of that danger, which he apprehended." The memorial of (Corretmendence, p. 176,) supports the same conclusion of a prohi- bition, by remarking, that Of late the threign vessels have presumed to make their way into every place, and to cruise about in the inner seas. Is is likely that in this they have no evil design of spying out our real sirength or weak- ness?" In a supplementary statement. (in the next page,) he merely collects together a number of petty instances of encroachment, to show the aggressive designs of the English. At page 238 of the Correspondence, we find the Pre- fect of Canton complaining that the receiving-ships "wish to cruise about un- checked, and to linger in the neighbourhood to watch the progress of eircums stances," mud that they merely " assume the pretence of traffic." We have entered thus minutely into the various causes which had induced feelings of hostility, or rather of alarm, on the part of the Chinese Goverument, because, in our opinion, it is impossible to arrive at a satisfactory settlement of our differences if we look on the late measures of the Chinese Government as arising solely from a desire to suppress the opium-trade, instead of viewing theta as indicating a jealousy growing out of all the new circumstances attendant on the great change which we made in 1833 in the mode of carrying on our trade with China Having laid WM° our readers our view of the motives that induced the Chinese Govermnent to conic to a rupture with us, for which the °piton-trade afforded a very convenient ground, we shall next week consider the actual course of the steps taken for the suppression of that trade, and the difficultiet; which grew out of them.