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781
Or of G.Hope Dec.
THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG, GAZETTE,
have established a line of boats, one of which leaves Canton and another Hongkong every alternoon. This line is supported by private subscriptions, and to publi does not cost less than £200 a month. For the conveyance of the monthir everland uile they have secured the services of the steamer Corsair, for which they pay the owner £150 a month-the vas sel waiting the arrival of the mail, and sailing 80 soon as the Agents for the various firme can get the letters from the post office. In addition to this, express boats are despatched at a great expos each boat having a crew of from twelve to twenty
Jany. 20. March 1 March 15 March 13 Fob,
THE FRIEND OF CHINA
AND BONGKONG GAZETTE.
VICTORIA, BATURDAY, MARCH 1719, 1817.
NOTICE The hour of Divine Service In the Co- RUE CRIME ADs, on Sundayrat just 10 A. AI, and 4 P. M * an Tianways at 6 PM. S
WWW VINCENT STANTON,
Colonial Chaplain. Fusteria lipib Nov. 1848.
NOTICE: Uyan Chart will be open for Publie Wor. * 111 Odsek A. M., and at half-past. 6 O'clocks P. M., daring the winter months, beginning with the Ist Novem
Viena, 19th Octber 1846,
men.
We apprehend that the great object of postal es inblishments, is to foilitats communications, and thus to benefit commerce and the interest of the pub- lie generally. If this government chooses to carry out the views of modern political economists, anil by a legislative act, establishes a locul post-offico able to convey the Canton correspondence expedi tiously, it would be hailed as a public benefit;
but so long as this is deferred, any interference with private arrangements is vexatious and ill advised in the extreme; nor, as we have already sald, do wo believe that the Supreme Court will countenance the Post-fastor in the attempt he is making to sacrifice the interests of the community.
A meeting whe recently held on purpose to ar range a memorial to the Post-Master-General, praying that he would be pleased to cancel certain instructions to Mr Hyland regarding the pre-pay- It is gratifying to learn that the Master Ge- neral of the Ordinance has ruled that Mr Pettment of letters, o, It is impossible for the Post. be reinstated in his office of Ordnance Store Master to carry out these instructions, if he had the desire to do so, and his own representation would beeper, drawing full pay and allowances, from have been sufficient to get tlion sat aside. It strikes the date of his suspension from duly by Major us, that the attempt to interfere with the commu- General D'aguilar, until his successor arrives.
nication between this colony and Canton, is a matter Mr Pett will CERTAINLY receive an appointment of much greater importance, and would be more in another colony similar to that he bas held in worthy of a memorial from such an influential Hongkong, a due regard for the public service body as the Merchants of China. rendering it prudent That he should not continue under this Command.
The exoneration of Mr Pett, as a matter of course, includes that of Brigadier Chesnoy; and that distinguished Officer and faithful servam of the Crown will return to Englund immedia tely.
Major General D'Aguilar has not been fa vored with any communication from the Mas- ter General in reply to his elaborate despatches; but as they have been sent to the Horse Guards, Ire will probably hear from " the Duke' by the February mail
Lieutenant Colonel Philpots arrived by the Breganza o relieve Major Aldrich the latter officer is ordered to join his regiment in Eng-
land.
We Jeera with some surprise that the Pust Aas- ter is about to prosecute the owner of the steamer Corsair fer carrying letters to and from Contem without passing them through his office. Were the Post Easter in a position to conduct this high By important branch of the public service, we would he loathe in object to bis vigilance in protecting the revenue of bis department; but it is notorious so every body, and to himself, thas until a local post- office is established, having a daily communication with Canton, and an Agent in that city for the re- eipt and despatch of letters, he cannot with a due regard for the public interest enforce the Act of parliament which impours heavy penalties upon individuals carrying klices to the manifest injury of the departmeal.
Without assuming any knowledge of law, we would qucation whether the Act can be brought to bear upon the correspondence between this colony and Canton,
The post office in Hung kong is simply a branch of the London establish- Tent, and as such all mails from foreign ports are bound to be delivered to the Post-master, and mails rent seaward have to be made up at the office, with the exception of the Consignees bag. In British colonies where there is a local or inland post. it i established by an ordinance of the legislature. The expense of carrying the muits is borne by the colo. ny, and the profit, if any, goes to the credit of the colonial revenue, When to such local post-office exists, parties are permitted to transmit their letters by such conveyances as are obtainable-stage coaches, boats, or by the hands of travellers. Taking this view of the question, it appears doubt. ful whether any action raised by Mr Hyland, in so far as it refers to the transmission of letters to or from Canton, or to br from the different towns on this island, will be sustained by the court. If it is illegal to forward letters to Canton by private con- veyance, it equally illegal to forward them to Stanley or Aberdeen, but this is done daily without any objection being offered
It is impossible that the Hongkong Post-Master can carry out the measure he proposes, even suppos. jog that the Court rules that he can lawfully attempt it, without sacrificing the interests of the foreign Merchants in China. The overland majl arrived this month on the 23rd, and the outward will close on the 29th. The great bulk of the mail was for Merchants resident at Canton Assuming then, in addition to the postage from Europe, India or else where that the Post Master imposed a second pos- tage for The trans to Canson (but this he cannot de, most of the letters being pre-paid to Capton hen wailes) He could not possibly have rated the sage and vespriched them before the
He has to express boats Old therefore have to be sent Josts, one of which leaves a passage of two the British Con
lunt the Con.
|
A contemporary assert that the Post-Master of fered the owner of the Corsair two pence for each jetter he would carry to Canton, and that the offer was refused. This is not quite correct. The owner of the Corsair was willing to carrý a mail bag, and to hand it over to any duly accredit- ed Agent for the post-office; but he very properly refused to distribute the letters, a duty which is never imposed upon the carrier of Mails.
Some weeks ago the H. C. Steamer Pluto took a post office mail to Canton. A friend informs us, that upwards of twelve hours after the Pluto bad anchored, he received a packet of letters, the post- age upon which was eight shillings. We wish to be informed under what authority the Post-Master levies such exhorbitant rates.
NDALANGTY to Resure them of this by circular (dated lot
the bares would famediately rise to us immense prossidel in the English market,
tention at requires, we hesitate about giving June) They were father paid, that as the fruit un wit an opinion until we have carefully perused what has been written pro and con.
In the meantime we copy a letter from the columas of the Bumbay Times, with the editorial comments thereon: prefixing it with paragraph from the Monthly Mail of the 7th of January. The letter probably em- braces all the real or imaginary wrongs of the Shareholders, and must in a great degree be taken as an ex parte statement
ORIENTAL BANK.
Wo ya! be clarituite enough to ballove that the Exery... tiva mad the Secret Committee (the lage member of it beg absent) were sa ignorant of the rehl wundancy of the Doed & the rest of the Director seem to have bean, together with the Body of the Proprietors. That they overlooked the point that a Deed which may be adapted to an Institution used in England, with English Bapital, for operations abroad, cannot be so to an Institution raised in India, where als the entire capital is held,
Now what is the result ?
Als vary improbable that the Ace, if extended in India and the Colonies, will contain self curve condition as that the government shall be in London; but if it should, i will be limo sapugi then to make such now arrangements the circumstances may call for. If that tino does arrive let the first pare of the proprietary in India. be that they are sail. comfy fopresented at all meating, and that their Tanin Directors fave a voto di the procøddings of the Loudon Directors...
The boasted Royal Charter of limitation dwindles down We hear that Mr James Marshall is an ok.
to Iepera Palant of restriction 1. perienced Biker, and it is to be hoped that he' These Letters Patent are as far from being obtained as will be able to arrange matters to the satisfac-over-The fact is, that the Ast in question, if extended to Foreign possessions and colonica, will most certainly fres tion of those concerned, as the Bank cannot
wiin is operation all Banks in anch Foreign possessions or fad to suffer by the disunion of the proprietors antonion, as it does all Banke in England; it resuictive pro- vinious will more than couterbalance any benefit derivable and directors."
from and the penaltity of being brought within its sanga (to say nothing of a prospect of the Income Tax) in suidecent The General Annual Meeting of the Oriental against austaining the Bank English. tion, even wore the provisions of the cod mulliciently pro- Bank was hold at lis head office in the City, No. 7, sective. Indian interos. Walbrook, on the 13th Dec, The attendance comi prised a large majority of the Proprietors in Eng- Inndi The Report excited the greatest interest, as detailing what may be called the first year's pro- ceedings of this novel and foreshadowing institution the only bank which connects the entire bircle of Eastern exchanges with their proper focus, and seat of tonnagement, in London. The result was highly satisfactory. A vote of thanks and confidence in the London Board was unanimously passed, Re- ference was made to certain shareholdere in Bom- bay, who had not understood the full scope and ob jects of the bank, and whose proxies had the fullest. consideration of the meeting," It is understood that a deputation, consisting of the chief Manager And two members of the London Board, proceed, by this Mail, to Bombay, to confer with, and give every information to these parties, Mr James Marshall, Jate of the Provincial Bank of Ireland, is to be one of the deputation. His appearance in India will uo doubt create a sensation in the banking interces, being a well-known authority in that department, of the very highest order in the city of London....... London Mail, January 7.
THE ORIENTAL BANK-Bubjoined is an able and excellent letter on the subject of the differences
Though we
presently existing betwixt the London and Bom- bay Directors of the Oriental Bank. are well aware that newspaper discussions ure go- nerally believed injurious to the interests of banking establishments into which misunderstandings have crept, we consider the prosperity of the Oriental Bank to be such as that it can take no bar from We have received an extract from a letter dated
anything but the maintenace of silence on such an Canton 24th which is quite apropos. The writer
occasion as the present, where the Londen direc. says, "Just fancy my getting this evening, from
an official, a letter from your place dated the 4th publicity they are obviously so anxious to eschew. tion must be shamed into good behaviour by that **February. Why? Because he sent it through
The statement below makes many very painful dis. the Hongkong post-office The letter was preclosures, not the least painful being the sad example cisely on month and twenty days in Gading its way to a Gentlemen well known in Canton!!
The London Times continues to bestow a share of its attention, upon the state of this co bony. We observe our overland summary in the columns of this most influential paper; and from the editorial comments upon the disgusting abuse of the whipping post (which has been taken down by the way) now annexed, we are uncouraged, to believe that when the measures af this government are laid before parliament, the Times will neither be silent nor indifferent,
given of the apathy which makes long law papers be so often slurred over half read by those most ja. terested in their study or pecuml. The mode in which the proceedings in May and June 1845 ap pear to have been conducted, read a and lesson se leaning on cach other, every one trusting that his to how fortunes may be perilled by gentlemen
neighbour has performed the duty of enquiry, when in reality no such duty has been performed it all. All depended on the law officer, and he was absent. While the shareholders were being blindfolded, Roose was being slipped over their necks, which they could, had they chosen to stir, have avoided, but from which they now find much difficulty in extricating themselves. No wonder that joint stock corapanies should be viewed in India with suspicion, where so much apathy is displayed by the share.
holders.
But I digress. After the falso stimulua given to the shares by shis delusivo step, their prise fall, and has continued to recede until the present moment, when the undignified tena city of the Court has reduced them below the premis 12 91 which many were actually issue.
Toerdwyn all, it was soon found that practically the top- erice of the Shareholders in India unless by some extrifor- dinary and expensive exertion, was nulf; chat the Bombay Board wore powerless; and that the control of the Cou weat not only beyond what the propery had intended, bat we despotically if not legally exercised.
The promlipent aes of the Court have been-- Firu.--To establish the Madras anti-Bingapore, and morn lately the Canton, Branchos, without the consent of the Bon- by Board; the two faller having been repeatedly res against the reports of competont officers of the Bank, traiad against after full and sufficient enquiry, and whag
Second.-Making Lous and tranetcting other businers in London, considered by the India Ilwrectors to be ugasio, and in some dases alsa opposed to the Decl.
The Pernicious interference wille the duties of the India Board in the management of the Branches, teading to diaorganize the Establishment.
Four Withholding from the parent Office in Bombay all iaturmating of the general state of the Bank, further the a the published monthly statement of Liabilities and Asses, which la insufliciout, and false in so far as that on the Isi August italiewe an apparent defalcation of the Nett Stock
from £83,191.17.1 to 2612,051-19-7, and on the 1st July a deeree of the Reserved Fund from 106,950-L-1
10,453-1-1; giving room for distrust, while the funds ap plicable to Reserved Fund must in reality muoli exceed
ither of those Herd
Fifth-The appointment of a military man (at a greatly increased salary) to the management of the Bank at the eminent commercial locality of China; an appointment so inappropriate us to have called forth the earnest remoustran- ess not only of the Bombay, but also of the Chino, Directors, and failing those, the strongest opposition under the Dead by the Bombay Board,
Sixth —— Chie Löndun Ollice has failed to felievo the Hank from the employment of London Bankera, the reduction of the Commission payable to the same being the natural result of the increase of the business of the Oriental Bank passing through their Books. But the truth is, that any advantage that ought to have been gained in this respect, or in procur ing intelligence, would have been better arrived at by scene of a competent subordinats corresponding Board and Branch, as already established by other Indian Banks,
Town up. It has been found that the London Courts has falled in all the objects for which it was founded.
That the main object-chat of a Royal Charter, as cri. ginally understood--is annualnable. T
That such act of Incorporation as mar be granted, will not be confined to any one Bank, and may not even require an office in London. That the power the Court possesses proves in practice to be, as regards the proprietors in Indin, that of
amirresponsible oligarchy,
That the Directors forming the present Court havs, by their obraizous acis, proved the danger of any body of men beirty entrusted with such unchecked powers.
To the Editor of the Bombay Times & Journal of Commerce.
The Bombay Board, it is understood, at first attempted to Sia,-A good deal has been written, and still more said, restrain ibe Shareholders, desiring to try the effect of their backed by their Board of Directors, and the pseudo "Court" opinion at the Meeting held in July seems to have convinced phout the present question between the Indian Proprietary own official remonstrances, but the general expression of the Oriental Bank; but as the Court, in their Circular of them, subsequently, that their duty to the proprietary in ge the 18th September, appeal with confidence to an enlighten.neral required them to become, themelves, the medium of ed press" you will not perhaps, as the Journal of Com merce, be sorry to have some connected details on the subject,
* The proceedings, consequent upon the discovery by the
publis Aj Shareholders that they had been decolsed, are before the
I give you my name in confidence, and am ready to do gouequl battle at entrance with any one who may queation one tide of what I now tell you.
The back of Westom India, as the world well knows, was prior to its metamorphosis lato tho Oriental Bank, a prosperous concern-paying steadily a kancing dividende, and boosting a handsome Peserved Fund. The shares were at bigh premium, its credit well established, and Branches had been opened with judgment, giving full promise of re- pidly increasing prosperity..
A statement which appears in the Chisa Mail the official organ of the Hongkong Government), intended as a justification of a case brought before Parliament last session by Dr. Bowring, in which flogged, so far from answering its objects, tends upwards of 50 Chinese offenders were severely. greatly to strengthen the allegations of a recent correspondent of the Tines regarding the misgo the admissions of this semi-official article, that a vernment of that stand. et appears, according to police constable and two other persons having pur- sued a Chinaman, who they had detected in an at- tempt to steal a phink of timber, came up with him in the midst of a native village, where, instead of rendering assistance in the capture of their country. men, the Chinese threw stones at the officer and his companions. They succeded, however, in making the arrest, and the conduct of the populace seems to have been nothing more than is seen every day in a London mob. A force was nevertheless afterwards
seized indiscriminately and carried to prison. Not sent to the villaga, and upwards of 50 men were
Nagociations however had been on foot for a Royal Char- Ler expected to limit the responsibility of Shareholders, in tiot, but is being determined to punish them, they one of these could be identified as parties to the
the case of many other Banks previously chartered, to the amount of their subscribed shares in the Company, together Ordinance," and sentenced to pay a fine of $5. were tried under what is called the "Registration
with other advantages of minor value. These negociatione bad been carried on by Mr Cargill, the Managing Director, Being unable to do this, 20 stripes were inflicted mittee of the Directors, viz. Messrs Ayrton, Robean, and the particulars of which were known only to a secret.com. upon each, their tails were out off, and they were then handed over to a Mandarin, with a request 113, was passed to regulase Joint Stock Babke, in which Sirason. In September 1844, the Act of 7 and 8 Vic. Cap. that they might be transported to their native digis provided that after a certain das nd Joint Stock Beak speaks of the punishraent, and the ridicale throwning, be able for the engagements of the company as fully as
The levity with which the China Mail
should carry on business as Bankera in England without let ters Patent, but that every Shareholder should, notwithstand-
anch vagabonde sa to find any difficulty in paying a upon the idea of sympathizing with men who are if the said Company was not Incorporated. The great object
of a Charter was the put beyond hope... fine of 85, indicate very strongly that the general
This condition of the Act, howeger, was kept but of view policy of the Hongkong Government towards the
of the leading parties in Bombay. A meeting was caludth Chinese is of the harsh and deterring character and the Oriental Bank formed under a Deed of Settlement May 1846, and the Bank of Western India was dissolved, which has been imputed to it and such as is likely said to be adapted to the said Act, to the boasted benefits of to have operated very considerably in
the which it was represented by the executive that the new I will fearlessly amsert that this change wis not affected gistration Ordinance, whic
which was made the pre-openly. The special meeting was called at twenty days uxt for the above inficton, requires that each notice, without atering the purpose, and accordingly the Chinaman on the island should provide himself Dead by which the rast proprety of the Bank was consigned with a ticket authorizing his residence. The law
over to a few small holders of shares in London, as slurred has always been offensive to the natives, and is op cluding the Directors).
over and passed in the presence of aleven Proprioton (in posed to all their habits and an attempt to imitate ial Macao appears to have been one motive for the recent outbreak at that place. Coupling theme no copy of the Deed was ma
nical policy of Sir condence of the Shareholde
4 material differences1 101 The capses of formidable looking ally ticipated that they would not have
read without RTA officer of the Ber
triets.
commercial prospects of the settle to the "Re. Company would meroay Require a daɛm. A 1 K
confirmatory museling, was held in June, and if the meantime a mesgre report of the prope
stated of the of the
Deed and its pro
toped
ead; arif
carrying the wishes of the Shareholders, as the preliminary minans towards placing the London Office on a more equis. ble footing. This determination they communicated to the Court, begging them to bring forward the Resolutions of the Meeting of the 27th July, at the next annual meeting, beho most graceful manner in which they could yield. This the Court bave refused to do, and the consequence is, that thủ special agent in this matter, for the purpose of uiding the Proxy Votes sent to WB Grey Esq, the Bombay Beard's
Court in carrying through the wishes of the Shareholders, have now been directed to be employed in ourrying them against the Court.
"I shall not comment upon the want of self respect avinced by the Members of the Court, in bolding with such tenocy te their extravagant salaries, and to the other advantage portant and worlthy an institution. attached in London to their position as Directors of su in.
Having for the most part no share in the concern farther than bare qualification for the Dlectorship, which two or three years of their, selfallotel salaries would pay for, traight be expected that their individual interests would be perferred to the general good. But it is impossible otherwise than to feel disgust at the onderhand means now being taken to raise distrust in the log-proved India Di rselors, and to frighten the Shareholders, amongst other means, by a circular pretty widely received in Bombay, When I inform you that this Solicitor in the Fides Achates signed by a Mr Julius Partrige, ho English Shareholder,
of a prominent member of the Court, there is no necessity for taking further pains to expose the origin and biolyes of his petifogging latter. To those who are interested, his threats laughed at by good legal authority, but that the however, it will be antisfactory to know that not only and principal grounde of this individual's protest have been removed by anticipation by the proposed extension of the notice of general meelings from one to four months; and by the Bombay Board, on behalf, and under sanction, of the Shareholders, having arranged to be purchase the Stock of any dissentient English Shareholders at the price paid for it by thera
of the Bombay shareholders have been precipitate, bu
It has been advanced by the Court, that the proceedings will be noted that the result of the mening in December cannot be confirmed and after an interval of six month's that so long as the inauter is kept la susponse, the price of the Shares with be disadvantageously afected; to which must be added, that it was considered dangerous to leave ths Court, longer that could be avoided, to possession of the afbitrary por
The real sur
meeting the Court - pres
COM
1975 26 pernicionely exercising
ice at the confirmatory In the mean time, a December. Ii ta's selves for the pre- the Banks, but charg get off but in site Pl, has the proprietery by statements pro quarter when opposed zachoz of the Bombay Direc
to the decidence of the m
atutions services His
of the Bank of Western Indla