38
THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND ONG
TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS, The large amount of our out-standing Arrears, admonishes us to request our Friends, and Subscribers to oblige us by forthwith liquidating our Claims, which, trifling as, they are, ndividually, yet, aggregately, amount to a considèr- able saw.
07 Any irregularity or delay in the Delivery or Receipt of the PATER, if brought to our Kotice we will endeavour to rectify. We shul be much obliggest in our Subscribers, if day will inform un when any change of resilonen takes place.
THE FRIEND OF CHINA, AND HONG-KONG GAZETTE.
upon during the last Campaign? On the departure of the expedition to the North; whilst we dis claimed any official illumination, we yet designated the course to be pursued, which we now find was exactly that alleged to have been marked out by Lord Stanley.So far from thinking this any great merit, or proof of political sagacity, we have before shown that our opinions were based wholly on circumstantial evidence, albeit, corroborated by many respectable authorities on Chinese affairs.
The Critic, nort details the military and naval operations, and among the horrors of the assault of Chin-Keang-Foo, records that a Surgeon of the r of the small feet of Chinese ladies, who
had the good sense and prudence to take no notice of it, as it do now under the now wasu Chimes after and not theirs. So now system, we do not think that the Consul or agents can or ought to take any part in this question, being one of municipal regulation. The Chinese may be told, that every nation takes ile own measures to prevent the introduction of contraband Articlos; that Holland attempts to pour into England Illicit Gin ! France, Brandios; America, Tobacco; and that neither Ameri- ea, France, nor Holland, consider themselves bound to take any mgastros for proventing their subjects from introdusing it into the country of a friendly power; and that England is obliged to "maintain a coast guard of some five hundred naval officers, with half as many thousand mon, at a great expense, stationed along- the const, for the purpose of proventing 1 he haduation of 1 prohibited articles. In this,, or komu tu manner, ought Ching to take her own msamures, to crush the practice which sho
affects to consider as an evil.”.
These
HONG-KONG, THURSDAY, May 25тu, 1843. || expedition cut off such a nu committed suicide | Sandwich group. On April the 6th, we drew the
THE Mandarins left the Island, for Wham- poa, on Thursday last, on board H. C. Str. Akbar. We understand they proceeded into the interior, to meet and escort the Imperial Commissioner KE-YING, now en
route for Canton.
as filled a cask, in which he salted them; and, we believe some indefatigable craniologists decapi tated not a few of the defunct.
A brief geographical view of Hong-Kong and the four new ports next follows, and whatever there is of new information happens to be false, and the old quite stale. That this allegation may not rest on our unsupported assertion, we make the following extract ;-
The British Flag now flies on the Islands of the
attention of our readers to the probability there existed of the cession to, or occupation by, Gfeat Britain, of the Sandwich Islands. We then, and be- fore, pointed out, that with the possession of Hong. Kong, these Islands assumed a new value, and a higher importance. We were not wrong, for, our trans-atlantic brethren, with that instinctive sagacity for which they world-renowned, on the receipt of the news of the Peace with China, and the ces- sion of Hong Kong, at once perceived it.
A message was immediately sent from the Pre- sident of the United States, to the House of Re- presentatives, touching the "Hawaian, or Sand- wich Islands," and incidentally, the hopes and prospects of American Commerce, from late events in China were discussed (vide No. 60). -
Before taking their departure, they went on board H. M. S. Cornwallis, to witness the investiture, by His Excellency, Sir Hong-Kong, of which we believe there can be "There is a subject, however, connected with Honry Pottinger, of Admiral Sir William but one opinion. Sir Henry Pottinger, on his Parker, with the Grand Cross of the Bath. first arrival, was greatly astonished, as well he A Correspondent is very indignant "at might be, to find large portions of the Island had the excessive bad taste thus exhibited, of been assigned to certain individuals, and that making the Mandarins spectators of hon-setts even hah, the pood of whole villages, the rents of which, the poor Chinese occupiers had ours accorded for the humiliation a
been ordered to pay the grantees. This can benized the Independence of the Sandwich Islands, asters of their country."
no secret, for some of them have boasted of their estates in Hong-Kong." Every local reader cannot but laugh at such a monstrous mis-repre- sentation, for which we have been at a loss to
dis-
It appears the American Government has recog-
and accredited Consuls, and moreover declared, that any infringement or interference with the native Government would provoke the resentment of the American people. Although the cession yet, the news, when communicated in France and America, will, we are sure, engender very bitter feelings of national animosity towards us.
We may observe, that the Mandarins were unaccompanied by a Native Linguist, and hence, were entirely at the mercy of our attendant Interpreters, who doubtless discover the slightest colourable pretext or took place before this could be known at Honolulu,
gave a very correct and proper version of the whole ceremony,-and, for aught we know, might have persuaded them it was got up for their especial honour and delec- tation.
An article on the PEACE AND TREATY WITH CHINA, has been published in the Foreign and Colonial Quarterly Review, of January last. We have carefully perused it, and should not have deemed it worthy of serious criticism, had we not observed that it had been largely quoted and commended in several of the English Papers. More, the same publication contains a paper attributed to one of the most accomplished of her Majesty's ministers, but as that article has not Beta sent via overland, we have not yet an opportunity of pronouncing an opinion thereon, from internal evidence. But it is on these grounds that we review the reviewer.
hy
The Article opens with a sketch of the events which preceded the war; abundantly abuses the Whigs, and extravagantly eulogises the Tories. Indeed, the introduction is written in a rabid spirit of partizanship, for which we have an utter disgust, feeling sure as we do, that by no combi- nation of circumstances, can any set of men be placed at the Helm of power at home, who will not uphold the honour of the British Flag, and strenuously endeavour to bring to a successful issue, any war in which we may be engaged. We have an abiding faith in the predominance of essentially British feeling, it boots not what party may be in the ascendant. During the usurpation of Cromwell was England less respected or feared?
The late war is attributed by this Reviewer to "the clamour which was raised, in 1834, against the East India Company's exclusive privilege of trading with China"-Lord Palmerston is ridiculed for selecting a Bed Chamber Lord to be chief Superintendent, whose memory is reproached for not having taken up his lodgings at the Company's Factory," but the Opium merchants (we suppose we must not call them smugglers) had got hold of him."*
Of Captain Elliot it is said, " he went out some other Scotchmen, with Lord A be provided for, and he contrived to brin whole of the authorities of Canton again setting their regulations at defiance - by taking up the Opium question and Opium dealers, brought on Superintendent (Lord Napier) the arms of the great Smugglers ing Superintendent left his
the
do the same." Besides Captain incautious as forcibly to take
of Cu
of the Opium dealers, so placed by the r
of Canton, and to save his life, surrendered i
whole of the Opium, pledging the name of the
Queen for payment of its value to the owners,
explanation. The only village near any location or allotment is that at the POINT. It is true the proprietor (wishing perhaps to be Laurd of that I did, for protection, inclose it with- in the ring fence of his own allotment, but at the request of the villagers themselves. The Government, however, immediately interfered, and had the fence removed, to the detriment, we think, of the villagers, who had they hereafter been ousted from their homesteads, would have been right glad, as the amount of compensation uniformly adjudged to the aborigines, has very far exceeded their expectations. If any cause of com- plaint exists, it rests mayhap with the new settlers, who have sunk large sums of money in buildings and improvements; without as yet being informed upon what terms or tenure they are to hold the land. Up to his time, Government has reserved all its rights: not an Inch of ground has it alicnated, It remains to be seen whether this extreme scrupu lousness will be beneficial to the colony, at one time its success was jeopardized by it
We most decidedly protest against the opinion. of the Reviewer, on the cession of Hong Kong in perpetuity. He says, Should it turn out however, that the Chinese only meant to confer occupation simply, retaining the sovereignty, as in the case of Macao, even this will be sufficient for our purposes."
19
We need not add we also hold as heretical the following recommendation. There is a portion of Four species, however, which it will be advisable the consular agents should not be allowed to take with them, and that 19, their wives, daughters, or ladies of any description.”
We feel we have already bestowed more space. -
on this article forbear cuting the follow really curious, from its a Free trade indeed, destr revenue, is it not notorie never been seriously perilled, Tea into Great Britain since the
who were of course delighted with so unlookd for wholly a clearance."
often been
We pass over a fertile topic of party controversy not held in England, viz., whose instructions were acted
With equal justice might the same be said of the present Plenipotentiary.Eo,
abolition of the Company
will exceed its largest Imp
one can up
not
We hope, however, the British Government will be firm, and retain these Islands, for it can- not be tolerated that they should continue to be under the thraldom of a band of Missionaries, who had contrived to erect a sort of theocracy, alike repugnant to sound policy and liberal princi- ples. It is too much to suppose that these beauti ful islands are to be surrendered to the dominance of well-meaning, but ignorant fanatics.
In another part of our paper, we give a short sketch of the Sandwich Islands. We have now lying before us in English, and the Native lan guage, the "Official Correspondence relating to the late provisional cession of the Sandwich Islands,” by which it appears, H. M. S Carysfort, Captain Lord George, Paulet, arrived early in February, at Woahoo, and intimated, that his visit was" for the purpose of affording protection to British sub- jects, as likewise to support the position of H. M.'s Representative here, who has received repeated insults from the Government authorities of these Islands, respecting which it is my intention to communicate, only with the King in person."
The demands made, were "The immediate removat an attachment from the property of Mr Charlton, the British Consul, then absent) and preparation for his heavy losses; also the acknow- ledgment of the right of Mr Simpson to perform the functions delegated to him by Mr Charlton,
ly, those of H. B. M.'s Acting Consul, also a tee that no British subject should be im- ed in fetters, unless accused of a crime, the laws of England would be consider- my Some minor requisitions were also which no fair objection could be urged,
state the principal demands. these documents were sent to Captain Long, the U. 3. 8. Boston, then at Honolulu, and it was at the same time notified, that an attack, day be made on the town, if the complied with. His Majesty, III, declares our impossibility of the demands in the manner in ade by H. B. Mes Representa
the claims of British subjects. of Islands known as ndwich) Islands, unto the George Paulet, represent- Victoria, Queen of Great Britain
onopoly de
pinions we
express, and toms in China
ma in Europe. it is remarked
ገቢ
nopoly
more
n_ne subsequently issued by Lord aring the Provisional Cession of the hat the British Flag shall be hoisted on the natives to enjoy the protec- es of British subjects, a Commis- rnment of the Islands to be insti-
ON
French lay h which, fr conse it would not
he had received-
lic Notices of the BRI- he 3rd. We are (M. Jules Dudbit) before the Com- was compelled to him in that capd-
Fronch
Overument.