again took the ground on the Blonde Shoal, where she remained an hour.
I have, &c.
(Signed) FRED . CAMPBELL .
164
Inclosure 7 in No. 56.
Commander Campbell to Commander Pitman.
Sir, Shanghae, April 7, 1848.
I HAVE the honour to acquaint you , for the information of his Excellency,
the Commander -in -chief, that on my way up the Yang -tze -keang river to
Nanking, in Her Majesty's sloop under my command, I discovered the following
batteries, which have been crected since 1812 .
At Yin -shan, on the point directly opposite Kiang-yin -heen, is a solitary
battery mounting thirty-five guns, built in a west-south -west and east-north-east
direction, the face of it being in a small degree convex . Opposite, immedi
ately below the hills, in the openings between them , are three batteries. The
first or westernmost mounts nineteen guns, which chiefly point in a north -north
west direction : the face of this battery is slightly convex . The second mounts
seventeen guns, which point north -north -east.
The third and easternmost mounts fifteen guns, which point north -west.
The second and third almost join each other.
On passing Starling Island, preparations appeared to be making for the
erection of batteries on the north -west and south -east ends.
Passing Keun -shan, or Choo -shan, on the north bank of the river, and com
manding the entrance to the Sha -yaou or IIall's Cut, is a battery mounting fifty
guns, which point in an east-by -south direction .
On the opposite side, after passing Hall's Cut, at the foot of the Choo-shan
Hills, is a chain of batteries,mountingthirty -eight guns, which chiefly point in a
north - north -west direction .
On the north bank of the river, aa little to the westward of Silver Island, is
a battery mounting fifty guns, pointing in a south -east direction across the river;
and further to the westward, and nearly opposite Joss House Hill, Chin-keang-foo,
is a battery of twenty - five guns, all levelled in a south -south -east direction.
On the south bank, just above the hill to the southward of Silver Island,
are three batteries close together.
The 1st mounts 14 guns.
2nd > 34
3rd 12 ور
The whole of these guns, as placed in the embrasures, point north - by -east
across the river.
On the north bank of the river, on the point opposite the Yue-tsze -ke Hill , is
a battery mounting thirty guns, built in a straight east -by -south and west-by
north direction, the embrasures opening at right angles, nearly directly across
the river. The embrasures were observed to open on a north-west-by-west, and
close on a north -east -by -north bearing.
I observed that the whole of these batteries had a line of embrasures close
in the rear, parallel to and corresponding with the front ones, evidently intended
for reversing the guns in the event of being attacked in the rear.
The batteries are built of mud, and open at each end ; and the one on the
north bank, opposite the Yeu -tsze -ke Hills, could be raked by any vessel coming
up the river, without being able to return a shot.
The guns were all housed over, therefore I am unable to give their calibre ;
but the Mandarin who commanded the batteries of Choo-shan told me that their
calibre was from twenty to fifty - eight pounds.
I have, & c.
(Signed) FRED. CAMPBELL , Commander.
Espiègle ” at Woosung, April 7, 1848 .
RESPECTING the tides in the Yang-tze -kiang, our passage up and down
was so hurried, that nothing can be said further than that after passing the
western entrance to the Sha -yaou -ho, or Hall's Cut, we never experienced any
upward stream of tide, although there was what I supposed to be the usual rise
and fall of a few feet. We generally had from thence a constant stream against
us, varying from one and a half to two knots. I am of opinion there is full
fifteen feet less water in the river at this season than at the time the survey was
taken .
(Signed) E. H. GARWOOD , Master.
165
Inclosure 8 in No. 56 .
Consul Alcock to Mr. Bonham .
Sir, Shanghae, April 12, 1848.
SIMULTA NEOUSLY with the arrival of Her Majesty's ship “ Espiègle ”
from Nanking, on the 7th instant, Her Majesty's steam -sloop “ Fury ” entered
the river from Hong Kong, bringing me your Excellency's despatches
of the 23rd and 27th ultimo, in reply to my first report of the Tsing - foo
outrage of the 8th ultimo, an unusually quick return, six to eight weeks
generally intervening as the shortest period for answers to be received from
Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary.
I refer to it more especially because this circumstance necessarily exercised
some influence in deciding upon the course to be pursued, when the authorities
clearly manifested a disposition to allow the offenders to escape with impunity,
and to refuse all redress.
In reply to the two despatches I have had the honour to receive, conveying
your Excellency's regret, that with the limited power and duties of a Consul, I
had taken the steps reported, without previous reference to Her Majesty's
Plenipotentiary, and stating that under the circumstances, your Excellency
would not have considered yourself warranted in sanctioning the measures
adopted, I can only trust, that the measures taken to provide for an unforeseen
emergency may be regarded without disapproval, now that the whole progress
of events with the result are known.
My previous despatches must, I conceive, have afforded satisfactory
evidence that the danger to our interests was great, and that any measures
short of those taken , must have failed in attaining the end in view , without
which we could no longer count upon freedom from molestation . How far
undersuch circumstances, Her Majesty's Consul may be warranted, in an isolated
and distant port, like Shanghae, in taking vigorous steps upon his own
responsibility, to avert a great evil , is a question of the utmost importance to
British interests. In the conviction that he would be held justified, if his
measures, dictated by the exclusive desire to discharge a public duty, were
found neither to be wanting in temper or discretion, nor ill-adapted to effect
their object, I did not hesitate to overstep the ordinary limits of a Consul's
power and duties, trusting to the assurancealready conveyed to Her Majesty's
servants in China, that the best construction will always be put upon their
efforts to uphold and defend the interests confided to them .
I felt the more confident in this course, from aa reference to the general tenor
and spirit of the instructions accompanying my commission for this port, to
which your Excellency refers ; for although I am expressly directed, in any
discussions of a disagreeable character, to avail myself of the advantage of
suspending controversy for a time, by referring the matter to the Chief
Superintendent, I am also directed steadily to maintain the rights and privileges
of British subjects,
The instruction to suspend a controversy, by referring to the Chief Super
intendent, is, moreover, grounded upon the inference, that in most cases an
intimation to that effectwould probably have a salutary influenceon the persons
or authorities with whom I might come in collision. But, in the present
instance, as I have explained in former despatches, so far from such a course
exercising a salutary influence, it was calculated to defeat the ends of justice,
and to ensure the success of the injurious policy adopted by the Chinese
authorities. It was counting upon my hesitation to act without instructions,
and the delay and ultimate inutility of a reference, that emboldened them to
turn a deaf ear to all remonstrance.
In departing, therefore, from the letter of my instructions in this instance,
I conceived and hoped I should best act up to their spirit, and I shall deeply
regret, if, in the opinion of Her Majesty's Government, I have erred in my
judgment.
I do not plead the success which has followed, in extenuation of an officer
exceeding his powers, because an advantage may be dearly purchased by the
sacrifice of a principle, or a due subordination of powers. I am equally far from 1
urging, that success is any proof of the abstractexpediency and fitness of the
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166
measures taken, since no one can more fully than myself admit, that the event
forms no just criterion of the merit of measures, which,when ill-devised,
may be followed by success, as certainly as failure may attend the best directed
efforts.
The blame or approval of your Excellency in the first instance, and of Her
Majesty's Government subsequently, must rest upon the justifiability under the
circumstances of the case, or in any unforeseen emergency , of the Consul at
Shanghae upon his responsibility, anticipating instructions which cannot be
received in time to avert a menaced danger ; and secondly, upon the fitness
and expediency in relation to the object in view, of the course actually adopted,
without reference to its ultimate result.
In reference to the first, it is not for me to argue the question. I am
prepared to receive with all submission, the decision that may be conveyed to
me by the Representative of Her Majesty's Government. II may, however, be
permitted to observe, that circumstances may arise where an officer is at a
detached port, in which a close adherence to instructions, would be destructive
to the interests which they were framed to protect, and when these can only be
successfully defended by overstepping the limits assigned for their better security
and guardianship. In such circumstances I conceive I was placed, when all
redress for an outrage of aggravated and atrocious character was refused,
under a false plea of inability to seize the perpetrators .
I need not, I trust, occupy your Excellency's time, in connection with this
part of the subject, by offering any justification of my motives for the respon
sible course taken . Within the limits and letter of my instructions I was safe,
whatever evil befel British interests. The moment I endeavoured, disregarding
the express tenor of those instructions, to seize their spirit, I put myself on
trial before Her Majesty's Government for an unauthorized assumption of
powers. There are circumstances in which the danger or injury attending
failure may be equally balanced in the minds of those engaged, by the hope of
reward in the event of success ; but it required little penetration from the
beginningto see that I was not in this position ; on the contrary, any advantage
which might accrue must be a benefit to the public interests exclusively, since
it would, in all probability, be held too dangerous a precedent for unqualified
approbation to mark a result even as complete as that which has now been
attained . I dismiss, therefore, all care upon this head, and am chiefly anxious
to show that the measures themselves, considered apart from the result, though
aggressive and coercive, were not in effect, as they may well have appeared at
a distance, offensive in a sense calculated to embroil the two nations in hos
tilities, or to endanger the peaceable relations at present existing between Her
Majesty's and the Chinese Government; whereas I had, in common with the
whole foreign community and foreign Consuls here, an intimate persuasion that
if prompt redress were not obtained, outrages and insecurity would follow, so
certainly and rapidly, that danger to our friendly and peaceable relations must
inevitably accrue, whatever subsequent measures might be taken to remedy the
evil.
As this, in reference to our future relations, is by far the most important
feature of the case , I trust your Excellency will pardon my entering into details,
some of which are not unknown to you , yet all bearing so distinctly upon my
position, and so necessary to a clear appreciation of the circumstances, that I
feel bound, in justice to myself and the interests which were at stake, to state
them consecutively .
The measures adopted were devised with especial reference to local circum
stances, and my experience of the people and the authorities with whom I had
to deal. Separated from their connection with these, and their consequent
adaptation to the end, their eligibility and expediency, and, still more, the
safety of their adoption, may seem even now , to any one at a distance, very
doubtful.
I had a well-grounded confidence in my own coercive powers, and the
weakness and false position of those I had to contend with . The Taoutae, as
your Excellency with some alarm anticipated, either could not, or would not,
apprehend the principal offenders, even to the last moment, when his own
interests and his position as a public officer were alike menaced by the steps
announced to him . Yet, in despite of his impracticability, I believed Her
Majesty's Consul had the means at his command of obtaining the most full and
167
ample redress in the power of a Government to afford, and this without any act
of violence, without collision with the people or injury to their interests, and
consequentlywithout giving riseto the slightest manifestation of popular feeling
or ill-will . On the 12th of March, that is, I believed he had the means ; but on
the 20th they would have been no longer his, nor within the reach of Her
Majesty's Government ; and the earliest possible communication with Her
Majesty's Plenipotentiary could not be counted upon under a month .
The chief element of strength for the Consul lay in the large fleet of
Government grain junks on the eve of departure for Peking, at that moment
lying ready laden in the anchorage above Her Majesty's ship “ Childers.”
Their prompt departure was so important a matter to the Taoutae, and extending
from him upwards to the Lieutenant-Governor at Soo -chow, and the Governor
General at Nanking, that their detention would ensure not only prompt atten
tion, but whatever satisfaction it was in the power of the authorities of the
Province to grant .
The only question, therefore, was the possibility, for a very limited and
short period of two or three weeks, of maintaining an embargo, without involving
hostile collision and a rupture.
After consultation with the senior naval officer, Captain Pitman, as to the
means at his disposal for carrying out such a measure, and his opinion of its
feasibility without serious risk, I felt quite satisfied that I should be wholly
unjustified if, shielding myself behind the letter of my instructions, I abandoned
to certain injury our best interests at this port.
The result, I may be permitted to say, or rather the whole progress of the
events from the first day of the embargo to the punishment of the offenders, has
gone far to prove that in this estimate of means of coercion and chances of
collision there was neither error of judgment nor miscalculation .
I certainly hoped, and was inclined to believe, that the Taoutae, finding his
official position menaced in so serious a manner, would have adopted, as the
lesser of two evils, the alternative open to him until the twelfth day after the
outrage, of putting forth all his means, and arresting the offenders. In this I
was mistaken . With a singular ineptitude, he vasted time, so precious to him,
in mere subterfuges and miserable attempts to extricate his junks by trick and
evasion! ; and the last thing he thought of was really and honestly to exert
himself to put an end to his difficulties, by seizing the criminais - a clear proof
how hopeless must have been the efforts, by any diplomacy, to have extorted
redressfrom such an officer.
It was matter of some surprise to me that so many days elapsed before
news, official or incidental, reached the Lieutenant-Governor at Soo -chow , the
immediate result of which I anticipated must be the dispatch of a superior
officer to supersede the Taoutae in the affair, a nd communicate with me.
I was quite prepared, if it seemed otherwise expedient, or any risk of
collision threatened, in negotiation with such delegate from Soo - chow, to take
off the embargo, on his assurance that prompt redress should be afforded,
whether by the apprehension of the offenders or the removal of the Taoutae,
retaining the embargo on the maritime duties until the attainment of the end .
This mode of proceeding, I felt, would in no degree compromise our position,
while it would at once relieve me of the burden of a responsible and anxious
coercive measure .
Finding this desired result delayed, I dispatched the brig to Nanking, as
a certain means of affixing a limit to such an exceptional state of affairs , and
this was immediately followed, as your Excelleney is aware, by all that I had
anticipated or could indeed have desired .
That there was not a certain amount of risk, I am far from affirming ; but
that it was remote, and by no means of a character to deter an officer of sound
discretion from following out, to its legitimateconclusion, a line of policy on
which so much depended, having carefully provided a means of retreat without
a compromise of our position, I trust will be manifest. I counted with great
confidence upon the inertness or indifference of the mass of the population (the
grain junk men, against whom my efforts were directed, being in truth a most
unpopular class of ruffians, whom all the surrounding country feared and
detested ), the hesitation of the authorities, from fear of personal consequences
direct and remote, to try the issue of an actual struggle; the guarantee which
the jeopardy any collision would place the property of the junk owners
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168
themselves in , furnished against any effort to force the passage of the river for
these vessels, the only ones affected, I counted upon all these as clements of
strength to myself and of weakness to the Chinese, as pledges of good augury
for peaceful relations being undisturbed under the pressure of the embargo.
There were beyond these other strong guarantees for ultimate success
without violence ; the practical assertion of conscious strength , of the absence
of fear as to the result, and of the efficacy of the means at my disposal,
afforded by my continued residence in the city, isolated from all Europeans,
and surrounded by the Chinese population, beyond hope of escape if violence
were to be attempted, was no doubt of great and beneficial intluence. It gave
them assurance that no hostile measures were contemplated by myself injurious
to persons or property, beyond the mere stoppage of the grain junks, which
chiefly affected the authorities and not the people, and must have tended to
calm people's minds, notwithstanding the circulation of absurd and mischievous
reports, rumours and alarms, which my daily walk through the length and
breadth of the city, and the passage of the ladies of my family, must alone
have sufficed to neutralize without an effort on my part. Even a despatch of
one of the two men -of-war in the midst of the blockade, told in our favour, for
much more was gained in the moral effect of such a palpable evidence of
security and sufficient force, than was lost in physical means of resistance or
aggression.
The result, and the whole progress of the negotiations, step by step, being
now before your Excellency, I trust that it will be seen that however bold or
aggressive the measures taken may have seemed, they were at no time attended
with any serious danger to our relations, with less, I firmly believe, than must
have been the result of a successful denial of justice. In boldness and decision,
in truth, lay their safety. I was closely watched, no point was left untried, and
there can be little doubt that the slightest indication of indecision or vacillation
would have caused the very danger which a contrary course effectually
averted.
I will not trouble your Excellency further with explanations which I
venture to hope may be suggested by a careful consideration of all the
circumstances , but I venture to hope that the whole of my despatches and
inclosures on this subject may be forwarded by the next mail for Viscount
Palmerston's information, that his Lordship's judgment may be formed with full
knowledge of the facts.
I have, & c.
(Signed) RUTHERFORD ALCOCK .
No. 57 .
Viscount Palmerston to Mr. Bonham.
Sir, Foreign Office, July 1 , 1848.
I OBSERVE , with satisfaction , in your despatch of the 10th of
April, that you succeeded in obtaining from the Acting Chinese Commissioner
prompt redress for an unprovoked assault committed on two Britishsubjects,
Messrs. Bowman and Johnson ; and I have to acquaint you that I entirely
approve of your havingat once resisted the pretension advanced by the Chinese
Commissioner, that unless British subjects are accompanied by linguists or
policemen, they cannot expect redress for outrages and insults committed upon
them by the Chinese.
I am, &c.
(Signed ) PALMERSTON .
169
No. 59 .
Viscount Palmerston to Mr. Bonham .
Sir, Foreign Office, July 5, 1848 .
I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of Sir John Davis s despatch
of the 18th of March, and of your despatches of the 25th and 30th
of March, and the 12th and 24th of April, respecting an assault com
mitted by some Chinese junkmen on three British subjects, Messrs. Medhurst,
Lockhart, and Muirhead , who had gone, for missionary purposes, to a town
named Tsing-poo, situated at some distance from Shanghae. The inclosures
forwarded with these despatches, give an account of the measures taken by
Mr. Consul Alcock to obtain redress for this outrage, and it has been a great
satisfaction to Her Majesty's Government to find that those measures have been
so entirely successful.
I have to state to you, in reply, that under all the circumstances of the
case, Her Majesty's Government approve of the decision taken, and of the course
pursued by Mr. Alcock, who, by promptly availing himself of the means of
coercion which the peculiar circumstances of the moment placed within his rcach,
has been enabled to bring to a speedy and satisfactory settlement amatter which,
if aa longer delay had taken place, might, perhaps, not have been adjusted without
greater and more costly efforts.
Her Majesty's Government do full justness to the ability and firmness with
which Mr. Alcock carried out the measures which he had resolved upon ; and
they are sensible that it was owing to the manner in which he conducted the
business at Shanghae, and especially to the decided step which he took of
dispatching Mr. Vice-Consul Robertson to Nanking, that the matter was
brought to a satisfactory and honourable conclusion. And I am glad to be able
to add, that Mr. Robertson and Mr. Interpreter Parke, appear to have executed
in a very able and judicious manner, Mr. Alcock's instructions. It is my inten
tion to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty , that the conduct of
the officers commanding Her Majesty's ships “ Childers ” and “ Espiègle,"
appears to me to have been such as to entitle them to coinmendation .
But although Her Majesty's Government approve of Mr. Alcock's conduct
on this recent occasion , yet this case must be considered as an exception to a
rule, and not as a precedent for future guidance . And Mr. Alcock will, there
fore, no doubt, on any occasion of difference which may hereafter arise between
himself and the Chinese authorities, conform strictly to the instructions which he
and the other Consuls in China have received for their guidance in such matters.
Moreover, as it appears that on this late occasion the Missionaries, although
they were not, strictly speaking, transgressing the limits of the regulation, yet
from ignorance, or want of presence of mind ,omitted to take steps which might,
perhaps, have saved them from the assaults to which they were exposed, it is
desirable, that Mr. Alcock and all the other Consuls in China, should strongly
impress upon the British residents within their district, that whenever, in the
course of their excursions in the country they find themselves likely to be
exposed to insult or violence from a mob, they should endeavour to place them
selves immediately under the protection of the nearest Chinese Magistrate,
unless they should be so close to their boat, or to any other place of safety,
that it would be easier for them so to escape from danger than by seeking out a
Chinese magistrate .
I am, &c .
(Signed ) PALMERSTON .
170
No. 59 .
Mr. Bonham to Viscount Palmerston.- (Received July 25.)
My Lord, Victoria, Hong Kong, April 28, 1843 .
ADVERTING to my despatch of the 24th instant, I think it proper
to inclose, for your Lordship's information, copy of a letter that I have
this day addressed to Mr. Consul Alcock , in reply to his of the 10th and 12th
instant, explanatory of the reasons that induced him to incur the grave respon
sibility that he has seen fit to do in his late proceedings at Shanghae, without
previous communication with, or reference to, Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary.
I have, &c.
( Signed ) S. G. BONHAM .
Inclosure in No. 59 .
Mr. Bonham to Consul Alcock.
Sir, Victoria , Hong Kong, April 28, 1848 .
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the
10th and 12th instant , which, with their inclosures, have been forwarded by this
mail for the information of Her Majesty's Government.
Adverting to your first despatch , I feel sure that the successful result of
Mr. Vice -Consul Robertson's mission to Nanking cannot but prove most grati
fying to Iler Majesty's Government. I fully concur with you in your appro
bation of the conduct of that gentleman, who appears to have shown much tact
and ability in the discharge of the delicate duty with which you intrusted him ;
and I hope that his services,as well as those of Mr. Parkes, who has borne in
this afrair a conspicuous and creditable part, will be duly appreciated by Lord
Palmerston .
As regards the arguments advanced in your letter of the 12th instant, I
have only to repeat my admiration of the able manner in which you have,
throughout, conducted the negotiation, and assure you of the pleasure afforded
me by its successful termination. The reasons you assign for proceeding to so
great a length , are forcible , and fully entitled to consideration ; neither am I
unwilling to admit, that had the grain junks been permitted to put to sea, the
means of coercion would have been lost, or, in other words, that had you not
travelled out of the ordinarycourse, the matter would not, in all probability,
have been brought to so satisfactory a conclusion as it has been. But I must,
at the same time inform you , that I was assured by my predecessor that this
was the first instance of the assumption, by any Consul, of so grave a position,
and I need scarcely to a gentleman of your penetration observe, that although
in the present case the power you assumed was most judiciously exercised, a
general practice of departing, however great the apparent necessity, from the
prescribed rule of proceeding, would be inevitably attended with very serious
inconvenience.
In conclusion, I can only say that it will be to me a source of great happi
ness to find that the fearless energy with which, when you had accepted so great
a responsibility, you acquitted yourself in obtaining for the subjects of Her
Majestythe redress to which they were entitled, has been as warmly appreciated
by Her Majesty's Government as by myself.
I have, &c .
( Signed ) S. G. BONHAM .
171
No."60.
Mr. Bonham to Viscount Palmerston . (Received July 25.)
(Extract) Victoria, Hong Kong, May 4, 1848 .
IN conformity with that part of your Lordship’s instructions contained in
your despatch of 11th January, I have now the honour to report that, on
,' to
Saturday the 29th instant, I proceeded in Her Majesty's steamer “ Medea,”
Hoo -mun -chae, for the purpose of having an interview with Seu, the Actilig
Imperial Commissioner, who, as your Lordship has been informed by my prede
cessor, succeeded to this office, as also to that of Acting Governor-General of
the Provinces of Kwang -tung and Kwang-se on the departure of Keying, who
left Canton for Peking on the 16th March.
As Seu is entirely unknown to Europeans, and I believe never saw , and
certainly never spoke to one until my interview with him , I considered it expe
dient to make a certain amount of display on the occasion, and in consequence
took with me the Major-General Commanding the Forces, the Secretary to the
Superintendency, my private Secretary, the Chinese Secretary, Mr. Gutzlaff,
and four other military officers, who, together with the Grenadier company of
the 95th Regiment , made a very respectable cortége .
As Her Majesty's steamer “ Medea ” could not, by reason of her draft of
water, proceed up the creek to Hoo -mun -chae, the Senior Naval Officer had,, at
my request, ordered down the “ Pluto ” from the Factories to Anson's Bay, to
receive us there, and we embarked on board her and proceeded to the place that
had already been agreed upon . This is the same that was used on Sir John
Davis being introduced to Keying, and where Sir Henry Pottinger's Supple
mentary Treaty was signed.
On the “ Medea ” passing the Bogue Forts, she was saluted by all of them ,
and all the ramparts were manned ; these compliments were repeated on our
return with the Imperial Commissioner on board, although, at that time, the
commanders of the different forts were entirely ignorant of his being there ; it
was , therefore, clear that orders had been given to the different forts on the
river to treat us with every respect, and this order was most fully carried out.
On our arrival at Hoo -mun - chae, we were received with marked respect , and
immediately sat down to a table to partake of refreshment, when I conversed
with Seu .
Seu is somewhat taciturn, and made but few remarks ; he said he did not
know if Keying would return or not to Canton , but that he himself was deter
mined to carry out the provisions of the Treaty, as far as in him laid, by making
no distinction between the central and outside people, so long as the foreigners
were properly restrained. He added, that there were numerous wicked pe ple
in the Province, and that since his accession to office as Deputy-Governor oi ihe
two Provinces, which is about a year ago, he had been compelled to execute
upwards of 500 persons .
During our conversation I asked Seu if he had heard of the late misun ' er
standing at Shanghae, arising out of the cruel assault on the Missionary ge! !e
men, and as he replied he had not , Mr. Gutzlaff was requested to acquaint w.m
with the particulars . His only reply was, that equal justice should be adminis
tered to the natives of the central nation as well as those of outer ones, meaning 1
thereby, of course, Chinese and foreigners.
After aa general conversation of this description, I invited his Excellency to
return with us in the steamer “ Pluto ," to see the “ Medea,” to which he forth
with assented, and after aa visit of a couple of hours' duration, we proceeded to
that vessel . On our arrival on board the “ Medea," in Anson's Bay, he was
saluted with seventeen guns and received by the Grenadier company of the
95th Regiment, and after partaking of a slight refreshment kindly offered by
>
Captain Mason, and inspecting the vessel, he returned in the “ Pluto ” to Hoo
mun - chae, accompanied by Mr. Gutzlaff .
Seu was attended on his part by Lae-gan-tseo, an Admiral ; Chaou-chang
ling, a Salt Inspector ; Kwan -show ( a Manchoo ), Adjutant to the Governor ;
and Jung-ling (also a Manchoo ) , a candidate for a a Prefecture, and as far as I
could judge, was well pleased with all that passed on the occasion . From his
172
personal demeanour and cast of contenance, I judge him to be a stern, uncom
promising man , and one who would go to some length to obtain any object he
had in view .
Your Lordship should be informed that this meeting was arranged between
the Imperial Commissioner and myself so long ago as the 28th March ; at that
time he said nothing of his intending to visit and inspect the forts in the vicinity
of the Bogue; but on his leaving Canton, on the 27th instant, such was the
reason assigned to the people of Canton, as will be seen by the inclosure.
Whether or not Seu originally intended to inspect the Boguc Forts, and
others in the vicinity at the time he arranged for meeting me at Hoo-mun-chae, is
uncertain ; but the inclination ofmy opinion is, that such was not the case, and
that his doing so on the occasion , was a mere pretence to account for his absence
from Canton , as perhaps he feared the violence of the mob if it was known that
he had left the city for the purpose of holding a conference with the British
authorities ; and that such was the case when Keying had a meeting with Sir
John Davis, in April 1816, is abundantly evident by his considering it neces
sary to issue a proclamation on the subject.
On the whole, it is not improbable that Seu, thinking that the Canton
populace would consider the meeting to be in some way connected with the
proposed entry into the city in Ipril next, issued this proclamation for the
purpose of deceiving them as to the real cause of his absence from the city ; but
it shows that his position is such , that he is by no means prepared to act as he
sees fit, and that he is compelled to stoop to evasion with the populace on any
occasion when, from circumstances he may be compelled to act in any way
which he conceives may be obnoxious to popular feeling.
Inclosure in No. 60
Proclamation .
( Translation .)
SEU, Governor-General of Kwang -tung and Kwang -se, hereby issues a
proclamation.
Whereas I have fixed upon the 27th instant to start from Canton, in order
to repair to the Bogue for the purpose of inspecting the forts, I have ordered
the acting Licutenant-Colonel, Commander of the provincial troops garrisoning
Canton, to receive at my Yamun all the daily despatches arriving at my address,
as is on record, which I have now to make known by proclamation.
For this reason, I hereby issue a proclamation ordering the soldiers and
runners at the different post stations along the various routes to Canton, to
repair, in obedience to my commands, to my Yamun , and deliver the despatches
to the said officer.
Do not disobey. A special proclamation .
April 27, 1848.
No. 61 .
Mr. Bonham to Viscount Palmerston .— (Received July 25.)
My Lord, Victoria , Hong Kong, May 6, 1848.
I HAVE the honour to inclose, for your Lordship’s information, translation
of a memorial from Le-sing- yuen , Viceroy of the two Keang Provinces, and Yu,
Tartar General of the Province of Keang -nan, to the Emperor, reporting the late
visit of Her Majesty's sloop “ Espiègle ” to Nanking.
173
Your Lordship will observe that the outrage which caused the visit of Her
Majesty's sloop to Nanking is described as a quarrel or fight, and that the
Missionaries' visit to Tsing -poo is alleged to be a violation of the treaty ;
nevertheless the Viceroy did not deem it prudent to deal with the Consul's
demand for redress otherwise than as having a just and proper claim to his
attention .
The Viceroy complains of the demand for redress having been made direct
to him from the Consul at Shanghae, “ just as if there was no great minister
( Seu ) appointed to the whole control and superintendence of the Five Ports.
Člauses IV in the American and French Treaties respectively distinctly provide
for this contingency, and should complaint be made to me on this subject by
the Imperial Commissioner, I shall, until I receive your Lordship’s instructions,
simply reply that the British Consuls at the Five Ports have the same right of
appeal to the superior officers of the Chinese Government as is conceded by
Treaty to similar functionaries of the French and American Governments
respectively . This power of appeal, considering the distance of Hong Kong
from someofthe open ports, appears to me to be very important, and a salutary
check on the local authorities .
The Viceroy refers to the raising of the blockade on the grain junks, from
which it would seem that some previous report on this subject had been made
to the Emperor. He also omits all mention of his having paid a visit to the
“ Espiègle."
The document, on the whole, appears to me of some importance, throwing,
as it does, considerable light on the policy by which the Chinese rulers are
actuated, in their communications with foreign States.
I have, &c.
(Signed) S. G. BONHAM.
Inclosure in No. 61 .
Memorial from Le-sing -yuen, Viceroy of the two Keang Provinces, and Yu,
Tartar General of the Provinceof Keang -nan, regarding the late visit of Her
Majesty's sloop “ Espiègle ” to Nanking .
(Translation .)
A MEMORIAL reporting the visit of the barbarian chiefs to the provincial
city, to make an accusation and complaint, but who neither demanded nor
presumed to do anything beyond this ; as also the appointment of the Treasurer
and an Intendant of Circuit to proceed with all despatch to examine further
into the matter ; all the particulars of which are now drawn up in due form of
memorial, and sent by express to His Majesty, with an uplifted prayer that the
sacred glance may fall thereon .
Itwas reported to your Ministers by Heen, Intendant of Circuit for the
departments of Soo-chow -foo, Sung-keang-foo, and Tae-tsang -chow , that on
the 4th day of the second month (March 8) three English barbarians, Medhurst
and others, having gone in defiance of Treaty regulations to the district city of
Tsing -foo to distribute books, they there had a quarrel and fight with the head
men and sailors in charge of the few remaininggrain junks, from whom they
received some trifling wounds; that the Magistrate of the said district had
seized two of the offenders, whom he had put in the cangue and flogged, and
had also forwarded Medhurst and the others back to Shanghae; but that in
consequence of many of the criminals not having been seized , Alcock, the
Consul of that port, had appointed a barbarian chief to proceed in a small
barbarian vessel by way of the great river ( Yang-tsze -keang) to the Yamun
(or official court or residence) of your Minister Le (the Viceroy) to make
accusation and complaint, &c.
On learning the above particulars, yourMinisters immediately appointed
E -leang -yaou, the officiating Judge of the Province of Keang-soo, and Woo
keen -chang, an unattached Intendant of Circuit, to proceed with all haste to
Shanghae to severally examine and arrange these affairs. And we also sent
flying instructions to all the military commanders and District Magistrates
along the river, enjoining them to keep up the strictest guard, and to make
known to the inhabitants by distinct proclamation, that there was no cause for
surprise or alarm . And we further appointed Chin - peh -ling, the Colonel com
2 A
174
manding the right wing at the entrance of the Grand Canal, and Chang
pan-lung, acting as major in command of the regiment at Kaou-tsze (near
Nanking ), both ofwhom , from past experience, are well versed in the barbarian
affairs, to proceed with Chin -heen, the Prefect of Chin -keang -foo, down the
river to meet them (the English ), and mutually to devise plans for obstructing
or stopping their further progress.
They found on examination that the vessel was a small one with two
masts, and that she was followed by no other ships. On board of her they met
Parkes, an interpreter, of the said nation, who understood the Chinese language,
and from the inquiries they put to him they learned that it was in consequence
of Medhurst and the others having been assaulted, and the Intendant of Circuit
for the departments of Soo -chow -foo, Sung-keang -foo, and Tae-tsang-chow
having delayed to arrange the matter according to regulations, that they
just as if there was no great Minister (Keying) appointed to the whole control
and superintendence of the Five Ports — were proceeding direct to lay a com
plaint before the high authorities at the provincial city ; that they had started
from Shanghae on the 16th day of the second month (20th March ), having first
closed the gun ports, and placed the guns laterally along; that the Vice - Consul
Robertson was on board, and thatall the crew numbered altogether upwards of
fifty men ; also that nobody had been allowed to land all the way along, or to
have any communication whatever with the people.
Chin -pch -ling and the others then acquainted them that the high
authorities at the provincial city had already deputed the Judge and an
Intendant of Circuit, to go down to examine into and arrange the matter, and
to seize many of the ofienders, who should be sent in custody to Shanghae;
that by that time the affair must be already adjusted and concluded , and as to
any document they might have to present, the Colonel and others would forward
that for them , whilst they themselves, as the Colonel directed them , should
immediately return . But Parkes stated that they had been deputed by Alcock
to have a personal interview with the Viceroy, and that he would certainly
blame them if they failed in gaining one.
Moreover, in consideration of the peace that has now so long existed on
both sides, and also that this was but a solitary vessel that had come to state a
grievance, the officers and soldiers in garrison at the various forts were all of
them unwilling to attack her with their thundering cannon . Thus, therefore,
she came steadily on, both parties awaiting for the proper time to arrive, and
indeed, froin first to last, they (the English ) were exceedingly respectful.
In consequence of the ship having repeatedly got on shore, and been
otherwise delayed on the way, they did not arrive in the neighbourhood of
Nanking before the 20th day (30th March ), when they anchored in the river off
the Pat-sze Creek, beyond which they did not further advance .
On the 27th day (31st March ), your Minister, Le, called them to an
interview when they handed me a statement, the purport of which I found to
agree with the report made by Chin -peh -ling
- and the others. On my personally
inquiring of the said interpreter Parkes concerning the matter, he only
requested that the Treasurer might also be appointed besides the Judge, to
proceed to Shanghae, where, conjointly with that officer, he might examine and
arrange matters, but begged for nothing else. Your Minister Le had happened
to have just received private advices from your Minister Luh (Lieutenant
Governor at Soo -chow ), informing me that the officiating Judge E -leang -yaou,
immediately after his arrival at Shanghae, had apprehended the sailors who had
created the disturbance, and had at once examined and punished them ; that
the said Consul Alcock had nothing further to object to, and that all obstruction
to the departure of the rice junks engaged to transport the grain by sea had
been removed. Therefore, addressing myself to Parkes and the others, I
informed them of these particulars, and enjoined them upon their attention in
the strongest possible manner. But Parkes and the others, although they
expressed themselves obliged for what had been done, and commended the
measures, still persisted in urging that Alcock had not yet acquainted them
with anything of the kind . They further stated that the appointment of a
delegate of higher rank than an Intendant of Circuit, was one of the primary
objects of their visit, and was in fact à most necessary step, to secure which
they did not mind the troubles of the journey.
Being of opinion from what I learned, that Heen -ling the Intendant
175
of Circuit for the departments ofSoo -chow -foo,Sung -keang -foo, and Tae -tsang
chow, in the steps he took for managing this affair had been wanting in
proper fear and promptness, and that it was necessary that he should be
temporarily removed from office until it could be ascertained whether it was
not in consequence of his erroneous mode of proceeding, and through failure
in the performance of his duty, that had occasioned their coming so far to make
a statement of the case. I therefore appointed Foo -shing -heun, the Treasurer
of Nankin, to go and make further inquiry into the matter, and learn the true
particulars : and hearing that Chin -che-kee, an unattached Intendant of the
Province of Chih -le, was then on leave at his native district (Nanking ), and who,
from having formerly held the office of Intendant of Circuit for the depart
ments of Ning- po -foo, Shaou -hing-foo, aud Tae- chow -foo, in the Province of
Che-keang, understood well the disposition of the barbarians. I also appointed
him to go down, in order that, conjointly with the Judge E -leang-yaou , they
might so thoroughly examine everything and arrange matters so firmly, as
would tend to thepreservation of mutual quiet. At the same time I gave them
(the English ) a reply, and bestowed upon them some provisions, at which the
said chiefs were all rejoiced and satisfied, and Chin-peh-ling and others were
again deputed to immediately escort them out of the port.
The particulars of how they left the river and went out again to sea,together
with the appointment of Woo -keen -chung (Sam -qua ), temporarily to officiate as
Intendantof Circuit for the Departments of Soo -chow - foo, Sunk-keang -foo, and
Tae -tsang -chow, shall be duly reported in another memorial ; but in the mean
time we beg respectfully to inclose for His Majesty's perusal, copies of Alcock's
statement, and the declaration of your Minister Le in reply thereto. And
being exceedingly apprehensive that the appearance of the barbarian chiefs at
the provincial city to make accusation and complaint, may have caused
anxiety in the sacred breast, your Minister Le, conjointly with your Minister
Yu, the Tartar General of Nanking, beg now to send by swift express this
memorial, in which will be found all the particulars of how they have arranged
the matter, upon which they humbly pray the sacred glance of the Emperor
may fall, and that His Majesty's instructionst hereon may be made known to
them .
A respectful memorial.
True translation,
(Signed) HARRY S. PARKES.
Note. - In the copy of the memorial furnished me, the date has been
omitted , but it must have been written on the 2nd or 3rd of April.
(Signed ) H. S. P,
No. 62.
Mr. Bonham to Viscount Palmerston .-- (Received July 25. )
(Extract ) Victoria, Hong Kong, May 11, 1848.
>
5
IN reference to the late proceedings at Shanghae, which led to the
discussion between the local authorities and the Consul, I have the honour to
inclose for your Lordship’s information , translation of a communication which
I have recently received from Seu, the Imperial High Commissioner, with a
copy of the reply which I have this day addressed to his Excellency.
Your Lordship will observe that I have left the questions mooted by the
Commissioner as open ones, insisting only, as was really the case, that the whole
subject matter which induced Mr. Consul Alcock to address the Governor
General at Nanking ,and take other measures to ensure effectual redress, arose
from the gross negligence and intention of the Taoutae, and other inferior
officers of the Chinese Government.
2 A 2
176
I would here also beg to remark, that I cannot but consider the
Missionaries' visit to Tsing -poo as being beyond the reasonable limits to which
it was intended by the British and Chinese authorities to restrict them . British
subjects resident at Shanghae, have now a right to ramble about all day, but
must sleep in their houses at nights. Shanghae is thirty miles distant from
Tsing-poo, or thereabouts, and it would be idle, therefore, for the Missionaries
to advance that, had they been unmolested, they could have acted in conformity
with the existing regulations.
Inclosure 1 in No. 62.
Commissioner Seu to Mr. Bonham .
(Translation.)
SEU , High Imperial Commissioner, &c., sends the following communication .
I just received an official letter from Le, the Governor-General of
Keang-nan and Keang-se, in which he states, that Medhurst and other
Englishmen were wounded in an affray with some sailors in Tsing-poo district,
Robertson, a British officer, with several others, proceeded in consequence, to
Nanking to represent the case, which has now been duly settled.
It was at first agreed upon that foreigners at Shanghae, who proceeded on
an excursion in the morning should be back in the evening, and not be allowed
to pass the night abroad. Now, however, the various foreigners set about and
proceed in their rambles to the nearest districts. Computing the distance of
the road, it will be found that they cannot return within the space of one day.
Medhurst and the others in this instance, went in direct defiance of the existing
Treaty to Tsing-poo, a distant place.
Though it is one of the provisions of the Treaty, that the Consuls of the
various ports have the rightof addressing themselves, in case of any injustice,
to the high authorities of the provincial city, still Robertson and others, on
ascending a considerable distance the Yang-tze river to the metropolis, to
make known the complaint, frightened the people and gave rise to rumours.
One might also apprehend that they would meet on their voyage with some
mishap, and this would be still worse.
I thought it therefore my duty to ask the Honourable Great Minister to
request the envoys of the various nations to send a circular to the Consuls at
the emporiums, with the intimation, that in future all foreigners at Shanghae
ought, when going on an excursion in the morning, to return in the evening ;
and not be allowed to pass the night abroad, and make this a standing rule.
For if this is not done, the local authorities will be unable to direct their
attention to every spot, and our native subjects are very numerous, and the bad
are mixed up with the good. Should thus any trouble arise, our good under
standing would be disturbed.
If the Consuls and others have to represent any matter to the high autho
rities at the provincial city, they may prepare a statement, and hand this sealed
to the local Mandarins for transmission, and wait for the decision. They ought
on no account to proceed to the metropolis to deliver it in person, and thus
occasion alarm , and giverise to sundry reports, and expose themselves to
unforeseen calamities . (Here ends the despatch from Le, the Governor
General.)
On examining the above, I find that these suggestions are well calculated
to ensure for ever mutual tranquillity, peace, and friendship. I the reforesubmit
the same to the Honourable Envoy, with the request, that you may order the
Shanghae and other Consuls to carry this accordingly into effect.
Wishing you much happiness, &c.
Taoukwang, 28th year, 4th month, 2nd day. (May 4, 1848.)
177
Inclosure 2 in No. 62 .
Mr. Bonham to Commissioner Seu ..
Victoria , Hong Kong, May 11 , 1848.
I HAVE received your Excellency's official letter of the 4th May , informing
me that you had received from Le, Governor-General of Keang-nan and Keang -ze,
a communication, in which he states that Medhurst and others were wounded
in an affray with some sailors at Tsing -poo, and that in consequence,
Robertson , a British officer, with several others, proceeded to Nanking to
represent the case , which has been now duly settled. This letter further
suggests that Medhurst and others being at Tsing-poo , were beyond the
distance allowed by Treaty for foreigners to ramble from Shanghae, and also,
that if Consuls have occasion to represent any matters to the higher authorities
at the provincial city, it should be made by å sealed statement to be handed to
a Mandarin for transmission , and that the Consuls ought not to proceed in
person to deliver it. In these suggestions I understand your Excellency to
concur .
In reply, I must remind your Excellency that what is termed by the
Governor-General an affray, was nothing of the kind, it was a violent and
murderous attack upon three ministers of religion, one an aged man, which
was wholly unprovoked by them . It was an attack made for the purpose
of robbery, as is clear by the culprits having, after throwing the Missionaries
down to the ground, absolutely robbed them of their watches, spectacles,
caps, and clothes, a stick with a silver head, and whatever else they could find,
for which offence by the laws of China, I believe, these culprits to be liable to
be put to death, and I am surprised that a public officer of the Governor
General's high rank and position should have misrepresented the transaction to
your Excellency, as he must be fully aware of the facts of the case, and
the robbery that accompanied the murderous assault. This question, however,
as well as the final disposal of the culprits, is now under the consideration of
the Governor -General, and I trust that I shall hereafter be able to report to
my Government that the same punishment has been inflicted on the culprits as
if the injured people had been Chinese.
I shall address the Consul on the subject of the Missionaries being at
Tsing-poo, but I believe it has always been customary for them to proceed
there, and that their right to do so has heretofore been unquestioned ; if I
find they have no right to go to Tsing -poo, they will be restrained .
Under ordinary circnmstances,I am quite satisfied that the Consul would not
have sent his deputy to convey his letter of complaint to the Governor -General,
and indeed, had the Taoutae Heen only done his duty and seized on the culprits,
and had them properly punished, there would have been no necessity forhis making
any complaint at all; if, therefore, Mr. Robertson's appearance at Nanking can be
>
considered irregular, the Taoutae, and the other Chinese officers, from their
refusing any attention to the just demands of the Consul for redress, must be
held to blame, and this is indeed acknowledged by the Governor -General, from
his having the Taoutae removed from office . I must also remind your Excellency
that, as the letter of remonstrance, sent by the Consul to the Governor-General,
contained a complaint against the Taoutae for neglect of duty, it was by
no means improbable that the letter would never have reached the Governor
General.
I can assure your Excellency I will do all in my power to restrain my
countrymen within due bounds, but that in cases like the present, when old and
harmless men have been nearly murdered by robbers, and no redress has been
afforded by the local authorities, I cannot direct the Consul to refrain
from pursuing the only course by which it seemed possible for him to obtain it ;
in fact, had he not taken the steps he has done, the grain junks to which the ruffians
belonged, would have sailed away, and these guilty men have been unpunished.
Your Excellency bears a character of firmness, and at our late interview at
Hoo -mun -chae, yourself told me that equal justice should be administered to the
central and outside people. If your Excellency will only insist on your subordi
nate officers acting on this just principle no misunderstanding ought to take
place ; but in this instance there can be no doubt that the Taoutae Heen, the
178
Magistrate of Tsing -poo, and the officers in charge of the junks, have been
grossly deficient in the discharge of the duties entrusted to them , and that
unless some stringent orders be issued by your Excellency to your subordinate
officers to enforce the stipulated rights guaranteed by your Emperor, serious
and painful results must inevitably ensue.
I have been instructed to do all in my power to maintain the peace happily
existing between our nations, but my Government will not uphold me in doing
so at the sacrifice of its honour and dignity; but of this your Excellency will
be aware , and it is therefore unnecessary to add more than that I am actuated
by the best feelings to your Excellency, and I trust you will reciprocate these
feelings by insisting on your subordinate officers faithfully fulfilling their
duties. It is to their neglect that this occurrence at Shanghae may be attri
buted, as well as others of a more painful nature, to which at present I am
indisposed to particularly refer.
(Signed ) S. G. BONHAM .
No. 63 .
Mr. Bonham to Viscount Palmerston.—(Received Auyust 21.)
My Lord , Victoria, Hong Kong, June 10, 1848.
IN continuation of my despatch of the 12th April, I have now the
satisfaction to forward a copy of communication from Mr. Alcock, of the 20th
ultimo, with its inclosures, reporting the punishment of the ten criminals who
committed the assault on Mr. Medhurst and two other Missionaries at Tsing - poo.
I have, & c.
(Signed ) S. G. BONHAM .
Inclosure 1 in No. 63 .
Consul Alcock to Mr. Bonham.
Sir , Shanghae, May 20, 1848 .
I HAVE the honour to inclose, in original and translation, copy of an
official communication from Woo, officiating Intendant here, making known the
sentence passed upon the ten prisoners, sent to Soo - chow for trial for the
Tsing -poo outrage.
The admission of a robbery, as well as assault, is distinctly made, and it
was for this I contended in vain with the Nea-tae while he was here. The
degree of punishment awarded I consider of minor importance , and whether the
sentences be strictly in accordance with the evidence adduced and with their
laws or not, is a question which I conceive it would be bad policy to raise, and
could be followed by no good result.
I have therefore simply acknowledged the receipt of the communication,
and expressed satisfaction at the termination of the trials.
I have, &c.
(Signed ) RUTHERFORD ALCOCK .
Inclosure 2 in No, 63 .
The Officiating Taoutae to Consul Alcock.
(Translation .)
WOO, holding by Imperial authority the rank of Salt Commissioner, and
officiating as Superintendent of Maritime Customs for the Province of
Keang -nan, and Intendant of Circnit, & c., makes this communication.
On the 16th day of the 4th month of the present year (18th May) , I
received a communication from the Provincial Judge to the following effect :
179
In the case of the Englishmen who were assaulted and robbed at Tsing - poo
by Wang -ming -foo and others, I, the otiiciating Judge, have now had the
criminals brought before me and put them to arigorous trial. Wang -ming -foo
has confessed in his evidence that because the Englishmen did not give him any
of the books that they were distributing, he with E -wanneen assaulted and beat
them, and afterwards robbed them of various articles. (He affirmed) this to be
the real truth, and on being confronted with E -wanneen, their evidence was
found to agree . Wang-ming- foo has, therefore, according to the law for
“ assault with robbery of property,” been sentenced to receive one hundred
blows and be banished perpetually to a distance of three thousand le. E -wanneen
has been sentenced to a lighter punishment of one degree, and will receive one
hundred blows and be transported for three years. With regard to the cight
remaining men , Lew -yuh- fa, Sung -fang, and others, it appears from the evidence
that they were only on the spot assisting the others, and will therefore be
flogged as the law provides.
Besides reporting these particulars for the information and consideration
of the Viceroy and Lieutenant-Governor, in order that they may memorialize
His Majesty on the subject, I, the Judge, have also to make you (the Intendant)
acquainted with the same through the medium of this communication.
I, the Intendant, having received the above, consider it my duty to address
you, the Honourable Consul, on the subject, and I therefore now make you this
communication, and request that you will be pleased to examine into the
same .