48
REPORT ON
Mr. Thom, the Consul at Ningpo, who framed the new Chinese tariff; who was the chief enlogist on the advantageous extension of British trade with China; whose knowledge of the Chinese language is complete, and who has married a Chinawoman, now states that all his hopes have been disappointed. He said (10th August, 1844), "Free trade has proved a failure in China; everything here runs into monopoly. Government have appointed three hongs, who alone are permitted to sell tea at Ningpo. Government have granted a monopoly of all iron made in the district to one hong, consisting of two or three individuals. An English ship brought some iron here the other day; the Chinaman who bought the English iron at a dollar a picul below the price at which the monopolist hong was selling the native iron, was cited before the mandarins, who, after urgent remonstrances and reference to the treaty, at length said the monopoly was granted for internal or home-made iron, and that the Chinaman was at liberty to complete his purchase of the English iron. But in a short time the iron monopolist hong trumped up some other charge against the pur- chaser of the English iron; false witnesses were easily procured, and the unfortunate purchaser of cheap English iron was committed to pri- No interference of the Consul could be made, as the alleged offence had no reference to trade. The accused would probably be squeezed of all his property, and feel thankful he had escaped with life. Such conduct deters other Chinese traders from purchasing English Mr. Thom goods, particularly where a monopoly has been granted."
Son.
CHUSAN.
49
proceeds further to observe," you may lay down large and liberal prin- ciples, but they are sure to be defeated in detail by the mandarins. Although the duties are low on imported English goods, yet a man prefers going over in his junk to Chusan, where he fills her with English goods, and takes them to Chapoo, Shantung, &c., where they are readily bought. The same goods, if sold at Ningpo, would be marked at the custom-house; and fifty or sixty miles in the interior, the mandarins levy a heavy internal transit duty, which effectually checks the consumption of British manufactures. I see no prospect of a large increase of trade with China, which has nothing but tea and silk to ex- port and no money. Silver is becoming scarcer every day; 2000 cash are now required for a tael of silver. Opium has drained the country. Formerly the Chinese bought our watches, mirrors, and other articles of luxury; now they are unable to do so, and there is evidently an in- creasing national impoverishment and deterioration.* In the Chinese you behold a nation without truth and without morals."+
Ningpo, one of the largest and wealthiest cities in China, may be viewed as a complete failure for a British Consular port.
With regard to Foochoofoot, although the Consul has been there two months, not a vessel has even called to inquire if there be a market; so hopeless is it deemed to contend with interested opposition.
It is for these, among other reasons, that Chusan would be so valuable as a British commercial entrepôt. Already goods have been frequently purchased there for the coast of Shantung, but probably destined for the gulf of Petchely and other places to the northward of the Yang-tze-kiang river. Chusan would also most probably become an entrepôt for the valuable trade of Formosa, from which island it is only distant 300 miles, and from whence there is an immense importation of sugar into Ningpo and Shanghai, for the supply of the rich northern and central provinces of China, where the consumption is very great. The sugar would be a valuable article for shipment to England, and would be much more advantageously transshipped at a free port like Chusan, than under the trammels of the custom-house arrangements at Ningpo or Shanghai, irrespective of the export duty levied at these ports, which on low sugars become a heavy per centage. The Formosa junks take back raw cotton, cotton cloths, Straits' pro- duce, &c., all of which British merchants could supply from Chusan.
* This is also the opinion of the Rev. Mr. Medhurst at Shanghai.
+ Mr. Tradescant Lay, Her Majesty's Consul at Amoy, says, in his work on China, published in 1841, page 3, the Tartar Government, from the highest to the lowest, are liars and extortioners; possessed of wily cunning and ingenious malice; proud and insolent." On 5th June last, Mr. Lay said, on board Her Majesty's ship "Iris," in the presence of General d'Aguilar and myself, that he adhered to every word he had expressed in his book on the Chinese officials; that further experience and extensive intercourse with them, as Her Majesty's Consul at Canton, at Foochoofoo, and at Amoy, had corrobated his previous opinions; and he declared with great emphasis, that "the rulers of China are the greatest villains on the face of the earth; there was not one to be trusted; and Sir H. Pottinger little knew what a knave and villain he was taking to his bosom in the person of the much-lauded Keying." These opinions I heard generally expressed by per- sons, like Mr. Thom and Mr. Lay, acquainted with the Chinese language, and brought into close contact with the mandarins.
The Consul at Foochoo, an amiable man, has done all in his power to pro- mote trade; but deludes himself and others on the subject.
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language too severe for him, and he was sentenced to a slow death, to be cut in small pieces as food for the vultures, his property to be confiscated, and all his relations and connections to be punished and degraded,
"The property of Keshen seized and delivered over into the hands of the Impe- rial Treasury, for His Majesty's special use, was, 682 catties of gold, 17,940,000 taels of silver, 11 boxes of jewels, worth unknown. This was, however, only the first instalment, for Muhchangah, then Prime Minister, on a second searcli con- fiscated the following effects: 1438 large pieces of silver valued at 60 dollars each, 46,920 taels of broken silver, 6100 taels annual rental of property, 2,561,217 Chinese acres in land, besides houses, shares in pawnshops, saltworks, &c., &c.
"His property as first rated was equivalent to 8,000,0007. sterling; but on a subsequent minute calculation, was found of far greater value.
"Keshen's wives and concubines were sold by auction. Without trial, without any other charge than that of not having destroyed the barbarians, his property was instantly seized; he was sent with a chain round his neck as a felon from Canton to Pekin-where with great difficulty he obtained 100 cash (1-12th of a dollar) to buy some food-and he was subsequently seen starving in prison, where he was condemned to die a lingering death. The approach of our fleet to Nankin saved his life; he was subsequently released from prison, made pipe-bearer to the Emperor, at length made Viceroy of Tibet, where he is again accumulating a large fortune, to be perhaps again "squeezed" from him on the first favourable oppor- tunity. Such is a Tartar Government !"
A similar instance to the confiscation of Keshen's property is recorded by Sir George Staunton. "Hochuntong, or Hoquen, or Hokwan, the celebrated Minister of China under the Emperor Kien Lung, amassed before his impeachment by the Emperor Kiaking (in the fourth year of his reign), 80 millions of Chinese ounces of silver, or about 23,300,0001. sterling value in bullion or gems, which was found in his treasury, besides lands, houses, and other immoveable property to an amazing amount. As a mark of royal favour he was permitted to become his own execu- tioner!" [Sir G. Staunton's "Penal Code," Appendix, p. 492.]