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ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.
THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE,
THE FRIEND OF CHINA,
To the Editor of the Friend of China.
Ningpo, July 10th, 1845. Sir-A copy of the Friend of China of April 18th, 1845, has just been placed in my hands, containing a denial of my statement in relation to the peril of the American ship "Oscar," in a gale near Chin-Chew in February, 1844. g
I respectfully beg permission to state with all de ate with all de- ference to your Chin-Chew correspondents that my account of the affair was substantially correct, and that they were entirely mistaken. The account which, I have given is the same as that drawn up for the Un- derwriters, who I believe paid the damages which, the
ing vessel sustained on that unfortunate occasion The
AND HONGKONG GAZETTE. VICTORIA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 9TH, 1815.
For Advertisements, see the back page.
We have received the two first numbers of
Commerce." The new Journal is a well got
the Straits Timies and Singapure Journal of
up weekly paper of eight columns; a consider able portion if it, devoted to commercial affairs, and containing a good deal of agreeable read in the shape of extracts. We are not sut. officers, crew, and passengers of the "Oscar," consi- ficienty acquainted with Singapore, to judge dered her to be in extreme danges, and it is believed whether the settlement can support two pa that if her commander had not sacrificed his small pers; but in every community there is a bower and chain, the ship would have gone to plecession of interests and opinions, and the new Journal will receive at first a share of public favor which it will no doubt be the endeavour of the Editor to increase by assiduous attention to the public interest. Our old established contemporary of the Free Press" is tolerably firmly seated, and in wishing prosperity to
almost immediately.
4
divi-
"Free Press" will not suffer through the medium of a rival, which the increase of the colony may reader necessary.
Meetings of the Board of Conservancy, in order to carry out the provisions of the Act. The Meeting then separated. "Gentleman's Gazette, June 17.
We are this morning in receipt of a letter from Dr. MacGowan; which we presume is intended for publication.
testifies to the high character of the Comman Dr. MacGowan has shifted his attack from the traders in opium, to the opium trade, and now ders of vessels engaged in that traffic. So far he has done well: but he appears to have for gotten that, in his letter published in the Ame rican papers, he distinctly charged the Captains of several opium vessels with-not decoying bat permitting the ship Omar, to run into an anchorage of extreme danger, without firing a gun, or showing a signal to warn her crew of the danger. We refresh Mr. MacGowan's me- mory with the passage, upon which his present letter is a rather curious commentary.
The smugglers did not like the Cornish wreckers,decoy us into danger by false signals.
** Had I employed the obnoxious words which fell from my wen mint the trade, rather than against the tra ders. I would have expressed my meaning better, I am perfectly aware that there are gentlemen engaged in smuggling this dreadful poison into my adopted coup try, who are everyway worthy the high character given them in the columns of your valuable journal, The Times,' we may express a hope that the but they saw us hastening on to destruction with some of them I am personally acquainted But I cannot refrain from testifying that the traffic in which they are engaged le truly desperate, and hardly less cruel or disastrous in its consequences than the Slave trade. It is matter of deep regret that gentle. men of honor, who in all other respects are hutnane and generous, should be found co-operating with the viest portion of the Chinese populace in spending mi- sery, disease and death, through the length and breadth of the land, I feel confident, that there are not a few engaged in smuggling this dire poison, who if they could see the dreadful misery it occasions among the peaceful families of this empire, would not be slow in denouncing it, in as strong terms as have yet been em
ployed. If I have expressed myself, warmly it is be- cause in my professional intercourse with the people. I daily witness the depth of the curse, which opium Sinuggling is inflicting upon this large portion of my
fellow men.
In common with foreigners generally, am often stigmatized as being concerned, in what the respect able natives consider as a most infamous calling, the smuggling of the drug where the error is corrected I am beset with it wretched victims, their patents and children imploring for meilicines to aid in over coming a habit, which they known too well will prove their destruction.
The system I deprecate, is no less inimical to the extension of honorable commerce in Ching, than it is fatal to the health and happiness of her people,
I respectfully submit that my views in relation to the smuggling of opium, are neither peculiar nor ultra One of H. B. M. Consuls in China says of it, that it is a blot upon the fair character of commerce, whose end from the beginning was to make men 80- cial, wise and happy. The Chief Superintendent of Trade in China not many years since referring in his Despatch to the rash conduct" of the smugglers states that they had contributed to impress on the (Chineses) government the necessity of repressing the growing audacity of the foreign smugglers and pre venting them associating themselves with the desperate and lawless of their own cities. A popular work on China (by u gentleman distinguished alike for his high official station and for his profound knowledge of all that relates to this country) describing a "bar barous outrage ou humane feeling" perpetrated by the Chinese, states that this crucity was exercised with a view probably to intimidate the European smugglers in their desperate courses within the (Canton) river In the same work the smuggling on the Fast censt, is spoken of as "desperate," and again alluded to as
Nefarious," a term defined by Webster, as "wicked in the extreme; abominable; atrociously sinful, or vil Ianous; detestably vile." The Chief Superintendent refering to the barbarous outrage mentioned above, All these desperate hazards were incurred for saya, the scrambling and comparatively insignificant gains of a few reckless individuals unquestionably founding their conduct upon the belief that they were exempt from the operation of all law British, or China," and again the same high functionary speaking of the results of smuggling mentions" the seizure and punishment of innocent men; the distressing degradation of the foreign character, and the cntainty that the illegal and violent traffic would fall into the hands of the desperate,
the refuse and probably the convicted of all countries connected with Chinese! And anticipated that on the
East coast it would pass from the worst character of a forced trade to plain buccantering"
Happily these anticipations have not been realized, nor is it likely they will be the venality of the Chinese officers on the coast, is too great ever to provoke vice lent measures on the part of those from whom it was expected, moreover, the men are not in China I trust, who are capable of the crime referred to by the Su- perintendent, albeit the smuggling vessels ate armed to the teeth.
Though I have already trespassed too long on your patience. I beg to aid a word mare, carnestly disclaim ing the motives which I believe have been impated to me in your influential journal →→viz, of desiring in this affair, to excite an unfriendly feeling between Britains and Americans. Nothing could be more fo- reign to my heart. I have ever labored in my humble and limited sphere to promote good will among them, and have every incentive to do Believe me Sir, Very respectfully Tour's D. J. MAUGOWAN,
(though a perfect stranger) received every attention and kindness that could possibly be exibited by one
* without firing a gun or giving us any warning of the dreadful fate which they supposed “ awaited us. The coast is but imperfectly known, except to these desperate man; they make a gain of their knowledge, and are not willing that the dangers they have discovered should be known to others. The smugglers saw us coming to anchor and no doubt re "garded us as already lost.”
5.
This is the account he gives, of the Gentle men engaged in smuggling opium into his adopt
A correspondent propounds the following question. If two Gentlemen on an affair of honour go across the water to Cowloon and « decide their grievance by a duel, should one of them fall is the other on his arrival at Hongkong amenable to the British law?" He is undoubtedly amenable to British law, and would run a great chance of being banged.ed country, of whom he now says, they are in every way worthy the high character given We hope this answer, which is good law, (let them in our columns; with some of them he sceptics consult Mr. Attorney General Stirling) is personally acquainted. will quell the belligerent propensities of Firé-
Dr. MacGowan was probably ignorant of the fact, that for ten enter, or, what is the same thing, give him a years there have been published charts of the good excuse for declining the honour of “a coast of China; in addition to which H. M. Ships have recently made extensive surveys, all of which have been published in the local pa- pers, the Chinese Repository, and in the Com- mercial Guide. These charts, and that infor. mation, were alike available to the Cymmander of the Oscar as to other vessels on the coast, and the Commanders of vessels anchored at Chin-Chew (most of them were ashore riding on the beach at the time) could not suppose that charts were not on board; nor did they for a moment consider the Oscar to be in danger; as the well known signal for a pilot was not shown, nor were guns of distress fired.
We publish a very good letter of advice from a non-commission officer in the 19th Royal Irish to a young soldier, the circulation of which among recruits, or those that have newly joined may do much good. It mentious a circumstance for which we were not prepar ed. It appears that in the 18th Regt, no fewer than five Serjeants have received commissions in as many years. To the young Soldier this must be a strong inducement to attend to his duties, and avoid those vices which are so apt to prove fatal to the inexperienced.
We observe from a late Bombay paper that the Indian government has passed an act of Council for the raising of monies for Municipal purposes. India, we need not inform our readers, is on a very different footing from a Co- lony. A conquered country, it is held by the sword, and governed by a political body in a great degree independent of Great Britain. Local acts, which in India are perfectly legal, would not be legal in Ceylon, or any chartered colony. The Governor General of India, with the advice of an experienced Coungil can impose an assessment on property in Bon bay, for this or any other purpose but from this it must not be inferred that the Governor of an insignificant colony, without a Legislative Council, has similar power. India is not a colony, and those who reside there must be contented with existing Municipal regulations; this is a colony, and, we claim such Municipal privileges as are permitted to British subjects in whatever part of the British dominions they
are resident.
Bombay this Act has caused some excitement; We would draw attention to the fact that in
and at a public meeting it has been deemed necessary to elect a board of seven Magistrates, to see that the provisions of the act were pro- perly carried out. We have not a copy of the act; but the people of Bombay object to the funds raised for municipal purposes, being put under the control of a person appointed by Govern. ment. If a committee of public safety is called for in Bombay, how much more is it called for in Hongkong. We have no Magistrates fex- cepting those who are stipendaries) but let the community select a committee to protect their interests.
.
We copy the following brief notice of the meeting at Bonbay
We will not attempt to discuse the merits of the opium question; or to convince our cor- respondent, that the people of China do nốt suffer more from the drug, than western na- tions do from ardent spirits. Upon this point we have not the slightest doubts, and our opinion is fortified by that of Sir Henry Pottinger-and others equally worthy of credit with those to whom Dr. MacGowan has referred. So long as men indulge their passions to an inordinate ex tent.so long they will be the victims of intemper ance. It matters not whether it be with wine, food, spirits, opium, or any other of the desires that are implanted in our nature. When man can command himself, intemperance will diminish. Teach him to do that, and we put the only possible check upon dissipation. Prohibitions, Customs, or Excise dues, have never yet reformed a single individual; if they cannot procure one stunulant, they will acquire a pas. sign for another. The drunkard who is de prived of spirits will readily reconcile himself to beer; the opium smoker, could be not pro cure opium, would satisfy his cravings with Samshoo, which in its effects is a hundred de- grees more pernicious.
We regret that this is not the only instance on record of Dr. MacGowan's incorrect asser- tions(touse a mild term) which have been widely circulated among his countrymen in the United States. In the Baptist Advocate" of the 23rd of January, there is another of his letters, from which we select one paragraph.
The
Baptist Advocate" of the 30th of January again refers to China and the opium trade, putting forth statements quite as incor- rect as those to which we have referred ; as witness.
...
carry
"The opium trade is especially mentioned " in ours, (reference is here made to the Ame- "rican and English treaties) and all Americans dealing in it or other contraband traffic, are "placed out of the protection of our guvern- "menf. This is as it should be. The American flag is thus cleansed of a stain which still “discolours that of Great Britain."____
We have here another perversion of the truth. The British flag is not discoloured by the opium trade. According to the laws of Great Britain, her slips are as free to opium, as they are to carry cotton or any other article of commerce; nor in the treaty, or the supplementary treaty with China, is there any stipulation that they shall not carry opium. But right or wrong, the opium trade is not con- fined to British vessels. Ships owned and navigated by Americans, built in the United States, and sailed under the national flag, are also openly engaged in the opium trade; they are advertised in the Indian papers to carry opium, and are competitors with British ships for opium freights.
We make no unnecessary comments upon the mendacious statements that have been laid before the American public by those who guide opinions, and are supposed strictly to adhere to truth. In vindicating the aspersed, we fur- bear retaliating upon the aspersors by accusa- tions. Without the slightest reference to nation- ality, we consider it at all times a duty,to ad- vocate the truth, whatever may be the country, or the subjects of whatever country slandered. In matters connected with China, or the trade of China, this duty is more binding, and though it may be imperfectly, our pen is over ready protect the wronged or the oppressed. In Ame rica our paper has little circulation, but we are satisfied that our American readers here, will so far as they can, apply an antidote to the venom which the Baptist Advocate" has so freely ejected.
to
To A YOUNG SOLDIER ON HIS UNTERING THE ARMY.
perience observed that many promising young My dear young friend-Having from long ex-
men possessing good natural abilities, but who, from their own choice in pursuing a career of vice and misconduct, neglected to take advantage of the various means which lay open for their improve- ment and advancement, allowed the seed time of life to pass unattended to and unimproved, suffered their energies to become paralyzed, and instead of becoming ornaments to their profession, not unfre quently ended in being dead weights on the Regi mont to which they belonged: My object there fore in nad essing you, is to point out a few of the many privileges now enjoyed by every young sul. dier, on his entering the service, with the view of stimulating you to make a proper use of the op- portunities afforded for your improvement and at the same time to throw out a few admonitory binis as to that line of conduct which is most sure to bu followed with success, for un no situation of life are there more incentives to good conduct nad induce- ments to the proper caltivation and exercise of use- fal talents, than in Her Majesty's service. have entered the army at a very propitious period," and under the most favorable circumstances. From the moment you joined your Regt. every officer belonging to it took an interest in your wel- fure, especially the Commanding officer, Adjutant, and the officers of your Company, who are still watching with anxious eyes every favorable deve lopement of character in order to conter upon you soine merited token of their approbation they are also employing their united efforis to make you comfortable and to prevent you contracting habits, of vice and dissipation.
You
Are you uninstructed ? has your education boen. neglected? here is every facility afforded to qualify you for future usefulness and advancement. In every Garrison there is a Library supplied with the choicest works to which you may have access In for the trifling enm of one penny per month, our own Regt. also there is a Library to which you may have recourse at a similar cost, and a regimental school to which you are invited to at tend, and in which, besides instruction given, you are furnished with books stationery &e. Gratis.
OPIUM TRAFFIC. The traffic is the bane of China, it is carried on at Hongkong as briskly as it ever was at Linten. At the former place it was protected only by the arms of the
These are valuable privileges worthy of being smuggler. Here it is carried on against the appreciated and sought after, and if comfalantly lurcs, but with the counicance of the British pursued, will no doubt contribute their share to authorities. On some other occasion I will qualify you for future promotion: You have con- “give you some facts which have come under sequently much to cheer and encourage you in « my notice, showing the dreadful consequen-your progressive course, and depend upon it (take the word of an old Soldier) if you do not attain to at least a respectable position in the service, the fault will be your own.
***** MEETING OF THE MAGISTRATES –Yesterday a numerous Meeting of the Magistrates of this Is land was held at their rooms in the Town Hell, to ↔ ces of this trade. More infamous, because take into consideration the provisions of the Act « more disastrous to the victims than the traffic passed by the Governor-General in Council on the ju in slaves.”
Now in order that the benefits derivable from these institutions together with the great interest
To the Editor of the Friend of China, S18,-1 arrived in this Colony in the Brig Spy, Captain J. B. Pain on the 4th lustant being one of the Passengers proceeding to a tutte le normale 24th of May for the better collection, management Every word of this paragraph is untrue, Ship Bydrabad, wrecked on the outer Barrier, 1 for and disbursemrat, of certain Public Funds and and di-plays gross ignorance-we will not say tunately fell in with Captein Pain and from him Monies for Police and Municipal purposes through deceptiva on the part of the person who taken in you by your officers be not lost, let me
out the Islands of Bombay and Colabah." P. IV.
recommend to you certain dispositions and tempars, man towards another under such distressing cucums.LeGeyt, Esq., in the chair. After the transaction / penneil it. The opium trade is not against the cultivation of which will in no samall degrea, tances, I therefore think it my duty this publicly to of some preliminary business, the meeting proceed the laws of Hongkong. It is a perfectly legal infuence your future well being. thank Captain Pain and his officers for their kind and ed, in pursuance of the tenth clause of the Act, to trade, and does not require to be conmved at
Be always ready and willing cheerfuly to obey humane treatment of me, and not only of my self but elect a Board of Conservancy of seven Magistrates, by the Government. Unfortunately for the
every order you may receive from the highest to many others who have been saved by the Spy, in her the two first being Members, of the Board ez officio, prosperity of the colony it is not carried on as the lowest authorities. Should you at any time bo late perilous and trying passage from Sydney
The Board of Conservancy consists of the two fol. briskly as it ever was at Linten. On the ordered for duty or fatigue out of your turn (for By inserting the above in your valuable paper you loving Gentlemen er oficio:----
contrary, it is extremely limited, being estimat sudden emergencies sometimes occur,) never mur- will oblige
Sir,
The Senior Magistrate of Police (P. W. LeGeyt, ed at under three chests a day. When Dr. mur nor stop to dispute the point with your Your obedient Servant,
ALFRED FORD.
Esq.)
McGowan wrote to his friends the chief mart | orderly noncommissioned officer. A grumbler The Collector of Bombay (Gregor Grant, Esq) for aptum was at Whampoa, in the Canton never does well in the service, nor in a subordinate and the following fire elected -
river above the Bogue forta, and there with the situation anywhere clay to be called by your com sanction, or connivance, of the Chinese auto-rades a willing Soldier is n high compliment and rities, it was openly sold from English, Ameri- by no means the smallest ingredient in that com- can and other foreign ships It has since been pound of qualities which constitutes a good Soldier. removed to Cum-tier-oven, through the ins- trumentality of the British Consul at Canton. The reference to the slave trade is too absurd to require notice. It was at the taste of an evengelical paper titat advocates slavery, but it will only raise a smile of contempt on the lips
If humane and generous, why accuse them of conŃ. doct the most disinclical ? The Dr. is not a little paradoxi. eal in his correspondence,
NOTICE.
Editor
New advertisements, will be received, until 4 ✪ Clock on the evenings precious to publi- ration, vis: Tuesdays and Fridags.
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Robert Wigram Crawford, Esq. Captain Tumer,
Cursetjes Jamsetjce, Esq. Juggwata Scokersett, Esq- Alahomed Ibrahim Muckba. Esq. The meeting afterwards passed a Resciation ex. pressive of their regret that the Legislative Council had not, prior to the passing of the Act, taken isto
9consideration and erased the obnoxious words con-
14 stood in the 10th clause of the Act, viz. Her by
1 such other persons as the Goverment of Bombay of those who have seen slavery as it now may appoint to supervise and control the Fund." (exists, and have heard of the horrors of the in- Arrangements were entered ima for the future horse traffic in blood,
Always maintain a respectful demeanour towards Your superiors of every grade. Never put on i sulky countenance it would cancel a thousand good
plassent look costs as little as an unpleasant one. qualities. Lock cheerful whers spoken to. A
• Avond insolent Iubits, these would mar the pros pects of a young man in any austion and sit especially ill on the shoulders of a young Soldier.
Practice strict honesty and uprightness in your dealings both with your superioms and your com.