AN
TTE.
NOTIFICATION.
RY
HONGKONG HURSDAY, MARCH 2ND, 1843.
His Excellency Sir Henry Pottin ger, Bart., is pleased to direct the publica- tion of the following Letters for general information.
By Order.
RICHARD WOOSNAM.
Acting Secretary.
Government House, Hongkong 1st March, 1843.
SIR
A.
MACAO, February 26th, 1843-
I have received your four Letters of the 21st, 22nd (two), and 23d Instant, with their accompaniments; and adverting to that part of them which relates par. ticularly to the Hong Merchants' Debts, I think it proper to record my official opinion and intentions, not only for your guidance, but, with a view to their being published for general information
my
You are aware that I was at one time, since I came to China, disposed to allow the arrangement, that had been made, some years back. for the discharge of those Debts, between the Co-hong and our Merchants, to remain in force; and that I actually submitted opinion so that effect to Her Majesty's Government, but, when I came to draft the Treaty at Nanking, and to give its provisions the full and final consideration, which they demanded, I saw that it was impracticable to carry- through that plan, since the abolition of the Co-hong, (which I deemed to be a "sine qua non” in my measures necessarily involved the abolition of the Consoo Fund Charges, on which the ability of the Co-hong to dis- charge the Debts is understood to have depended; and I therefore stipulated in the Treaty for the sum of
ed
tention, On the contrary, it rather apparently, asset. my proposed object of getting at the truth, as it is know best who were seal Creditors, and would pay fair to presume that the present Co.Hong would money to no others, especially when they felt, that they would be held responsible for the correctness of such payments. It is also to be observed; that at that time there was every prospect of ample leisure being afforded for investigating all Claims, as the Treaty only provides for the second Instalment of the monies receivable from China being forthcoming at Midsummer.
!
1 presume, however, that it is not possible to recal what has been done; and I now therefore proceed to make you acquainted with my wishes and resolution as to future payments. The first step I wish you to take, is to obtain and transmit to me Receipts for the entire sum of $ 500.000 which has been lately paid; and, should any Firm or lidifidust, on any plea whatever, decline to give you Receipts for their, or his Dividend, such Firm or Individual, will of course be excluded from all future dividends. As soon as you have obtained the Receipts in question, 1 next wish you to procure from the Merchants of the Co. Hong a complete statement of the acknowledged Debts of the should be, inserted in the Conson Fund Books. Bankrupt Hougs, and which I understand are, or
showing the original debts, and the sums paid towards not at first require any details. Simply a Stateinent their liquidation, with the Balances still said-to be
due.
I do
ments from all Claimants, and, where the parties agree I intend to adopt steps for obtaining similar state- as to the amount, &c., I conclude that Her Majesty's Government will consider the Claims to be finally established. On the other hand, where there a
are
discrepancies, inquiry will be instituted (and on this $3.000,000, in round numbers, on this account,
point I may mention that I expect Instructions from England by Major Malcolm), into the cause of those You are also further aware, that it was brought to my knowledge, shortly after I came last from the discrepancies; but it is at once necessary for me to Northward, that an Instalment of the Debts, agreeable remark, that it is the business of the Claimants and not to the arrangement referred to in the preceding Para-af Government to establish Claims that may be graph, would become payable in January 1848, and brought forward, and that, acting on this principle, that the Funds for its payment were in readiness; in doubtful cases, unsupported by proper Vouchers, such I shall feel it to be my duty to suspend and refer all consequence of which, a Letter, of which I enclose a
as Receipts or Balances struck between the parties, Copy, was addressed under my authority, on the 7th
to Her Majesty's Government, before I take on myself of January, to the British Merchants in China.
to record them as admitted Claims, or to authorize a single penny of their amount being paid.
37
As this letter will be published, as soon as possible, you are at liberty to make its contents. known to all interested in the matter
I have &c. [Signed.] HENRY POTTINGER
H. M's. Plenipotentiary. RICHARD WOOSNAM
[True Copy.] J. R. MORRISON ESQ. Canton,
I have since, neither heard any thing further on the subject from our Merchants, nor, have I been furnish ed with a single Receipt; but on the 31st of last month you enclosed to me a translation of a Commu- nication from the Imperial Commissioner and his Col. leagues, dated the 27th of January, in which they in- timated, that the Hong Merchants in a body have delivered over the sum of Five hundred thousand Dollars, which we have deputed a special officer to hand up, and which we will trouble Your Excel. lency to receive, and to let us have a reply in course.” In enclosing the Communication from which.the above sentence is cited, you requested me not to Copy No. 12. acknowledge it until I should hear further; and I nc- cordingly deferred my reply till the 19th of this month, when you apprized me, that ELEPOO, &c., were anxi- ous for an answer, and thereupon I wrote to the High Officers explaining to them, that I had been expecting their Officer at Macao, but that I should now
Steamer to Whampoa to receive on board the money and the officer in charge, and to convey them either to Macao or Hongkong, where the money having been counted and examined, the necessary Receipts for it shall be transmitted to Your Excellencies."."
ל,
send a
GENTLEMEN,
Acting Secretary.
Government House Hongkong, 7th January, 1843.
"
There had been, in 1840, 42,435 vessels, and 7,497,883 tons. This increase is inconsiderable, but, it must be stated that in the preceeding year tonnage of the Vessels leaving or entering the porta the augmentation amounted to 882,000 tons. The of France, in 1840 was 2.896,000 tons. In 1839, the amount was 2,930,000 tons, showing it is true, only a small falling off, but still it was a falling off. Up to this point, putting aside the enormous numer- joal inferiority of our tonnage, the comparison is but of little importance: but it becomes eminently. discouraging, when the parts which the Shipping of both countries have taken respectively in the general movement are considered. In England, out of 7,525,585 tons, English vessela transported 5,525,429, giving a proportion of 74 to 26 or about three-fourths. In France, out of 2,896,000 tons, our vessels took only 1,211,000 tons, or a proportion of 42 to 58, or a little more sults of the preceding year give the same returns, than two-fifths. Thus, whilst for England the re. showing that if the movement of the national navi- gation has not progressed, it has not at least retro- graded; in France, the same examination shows that in the space of a year only, foreign shipping ing trade. In 1841 the coasting trade of England has taken from us a twenty-fifth part of the carry- gave the large total of 22,184,047 tons. France, in 1840, the qnantity was only 2,314,735 average burden of vessels employed in the English- tons, not much more than the tenth part. The coasting trade, is about 80 tons, whilst in France. it only amounts to 27 tons. The whole of the mer- chant vessels of England, amounted in 1840 to 28,692, measuring 3,311,528 tons. France, at the of which did not exceed 662,600 tons. A remark same period. possessed 15,600 vessels, the tonnage which these figures suggest, and which is not with. out interest, is, that whilst the number of our vessels is equal to nearly the half of those possessed by Great Britain, the amount of their tonnage scarcely reaches a fifth part."
In
SHIPPING-The following results are derived from official documents:
Number and tonnage of sailng and steam vessels registered on 31st Dec., 1841. at the ports of Great Britain and Ireland, distinguishing those under, from- those above fifty tons register, was as under-Sailing bove fifty tons, 13,638, tonnage, 2,540,952. Total of Vessels, under fifty tons, 8,319; tonnage, 249.996; a.
sailing vessels, 21,957; of tonnage, 2,790,948.-Steam vessels, under 50 tons, 325; tonnage, 8,166; above 50 tons, 465; tonnage, 87.512. Totil of steam vessels, 790: of tonnage, 95,078, Gross total of vessels 22,747 of Tonnage 2,886,626.
Number and tonnage of vessels that entered and cleared coastwise at the ports of Great Britain and Ireland (including their repeated voyages), between It having come to Sir Henry Pottinger's know.
the 31st Dec. 1840, and 31st Dec., 1841, was-sailing. ledge, that an Instalment of the Hong Debt is due vessels (inwards). 133.016; tonnage, 9, 637,380 (out- Merchants are willing to pay it, provided such during the present month, and that the Hong-wards) 128,819; tonnage. 9,961,352. Total vessels, 261,835; tonnage, 19,598,732-steam vessels (inwards), 15,136, tonnage, 2,903,724; (outwards),15,004; ton- Instalment be considered as part payment of the nago, 2 648,146. Total steam vessels, 30,140; ton- Three Millions of Dollars, stipulated for in the
hage, 5,541,930.-Gross total of vessels, 221,975; of Treaty, as the sum for the liquidation of those
25.140,662, appears, from your letters, to which I am debts: I am directed by His Excellency to inform Number 140 age of vessels that entered and replying, and the Statements accompanying one of you, that he sees no objection to such an arrange cleared from and to foreign ports, distinguishing Bri them, that the Instalment for January, to which the ment, but begs you will furnish him with a Metish from foreign, at the ports of Great Britain and annexed letter to the address of the Merchants relates, morandum of the sums you receive, that he may and the 500,000 alluded to by the High Commis make the corresponding deduction, sioner, &c., are one and the same sum; and further, that it has been divided (or nearly so) amongst a number of alleged Creditors many of whose names and claims are perfectly new to me, and which names and claims I cannot find recorded in any shape, or document, in the Archives of the Offices, either of IIer Majesty's Plenipotentiary, or Chief Superintendent of Trade, &c.
Under these circumstances I am obliged to express my wish, that you had not in any way interfered with, or taken a part in the division of the above described $500,000, bath because that division seems to me to be calculated to add to the utter confusion and total absence of regularity which evidently pervade the whole of the transactions connected with the Debta: and because, as at present informed, I have consider- able doubts, whether Dividends may not have been assigned to Firms and Individuals, whose Claims, as Creditors of the bankrupt Hong Merchants neither have been recognized as calid, nor are likely to be so, by the British Government
My intentio of a single las
Debto
Brof
I have the honour &c. (Signed) RICHARD Woosnam,
Acting Secretary. (True Copy) RICHARD WOOSNAM,
Acting Secretary,
The British Merchants in China Creditors of the Insolvent Hong Merchants.
Ireland (including their repeated voyages), from 3 [st Dec., 1840, to 31st Dec., 1841-British sailing vessels (inwards), 9.803; tonnage, I 536,283; (outwards), 9,863; tonnage, 1,595,266, Total vessels, 19,666; ton- nage, 3,112,649, Foreign sailing vessels (inwards), 7.045; tonnage, 1,231.996; (outwards), 9,202, tonnage, 1,970,435. Total vessels, 19,277; tonnage, 2.502 42.
British sailing vessels (inwards), 1,328, tonnage, 328,442; (outwards), 1,987; tonnage, 324.234. Gross total of British vessels, 23,591; of tonnage, 3,760.315 Number and tonnage of vessels that entered and oleared from and to the colonies, at the ports of Great Britain and Ireland (including their repeated voyages) between 81st Dec. 1840, and 31st Dec., 1841-sailing vessels (inwards), G350 tonnage, 1,484,353; (outrards)
tonnage, 2,955,311.—steam_tessels (inwards), 244, 6.392; tonnage: 1.471,118. Total vessels, 12,732;
tonnage. 37,233; (outwards) 232, tonnage, 38,571 In our No 85, we expressed our opinions of those Claims, opinions, based entirely on Parliamentary do. Total steam vessels. 470; tonnage, 75.804 Gross to cuments. Further inquiry, has confirmed their cortal or vessel 13,209; of tonnage, 3,031,176 Times. rectness, and the present publication, albeit tardy, (doubless for good reason renders it quite superek
Our time only affords us the opportunity of claiming the attention of our readers, to the important Official Communication, with respect to the HoNG DEBTS which we now publish in an EXTRAORDINARY.
ar before, I authorized the mentatory to make any further remark.
have definitively
amount of theo T-Bo.
the followin theo
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