194
Review of Public Occurrences During the
APRIL,
monies, laws, prohibitions, and orders of the celestial dynasty they cannot very easily understand; on this account the security-merchants and linguists are or- dered to lord over and manage their trade; it is their duty to give unceasing instructions, suppress their pride and profligacy, that their hearts may be changed and themselves renovated; and, moved with gladness, dwell tong in peace and obtain profit; each confining himself to his own station and employment. Aud the security merchants should be careful to preserve their respectability on ac- count of their estates and families, and conduct their trade on just principles, without frand or falsehood, then will men from afar put confidence in them.
44
Now we have inquired and found that formerly some of the hong-merchants were lawless and shameless; and when foreigners came to Canton and lived in heir factories, the avaricious amongst the hong-merchants hit upon a hundred plans to pay their court to them; some previously bought youths to be their dɔmestic attendants; or they invited women from the boats to lodge with them in their factories; which was not only injurious to our native manners and cus- toms, but gave occasion for much apprehension that some serious disturbances might occur.—At present, the foreign ships successively enter the port, and we have real apprehensions that there are some lawless ones amongst the hong" merchants, who still follow the old courses. Besides issuing secret orders to examine and seize, it is proper that we prepare strict prohibitions, as follows. The security-merchants and linguists are hereby ordered, as well as the police, patroles, and constables, to fully inform themselves thereof. Henceforth, it is necessary you should all have regard to your characters, and thoroughly reform your former faults. All the foreigners dwell in the rear of the hongs, near the river; near there the tankiá and other small boats are not allowed to remain; and the foreigners in their journeys, between the provincial city and Whampoa, are not allowed to seek for and hire the tánkiá people, nor go on board the other small boats. The foreigners are allowed to bring their own servants and attendants, originally they were not permitted to hire the people of the Inner Land, If they (the merchants and linguists) dare, as hitherto, to hire for the foreigners native servants and youths of tender age, and seduce them to spend the night, drinking, &c., in the river boats, or bring in loose women during the night into their factories,-when they are seized by the police, &c., or even should we hear only of such conduct, the lawless foreigners, as well as the security-merchants and linguists, shall be delivered over to the district magistrates, and punished with the utmost severity of the law. And if the local police and constables receive `bribes and connive with the foreigners, when once their delinquency is heard of, they shall be first punished by wearing the wooden collar for a month, and then taken to the public offices and bambooed. We, the governor and hoppo, have a firm grasp of the laws, decidedly we will not show the least favor. All should tremblingly obey, and truly not try experiments with the laws. A special edict. Tánkwáng, 16th year, 9th moon, 27th day." (Nov. 5th, 1836)
22d. A public meeting was this day held in Canton, for adopting measures relative to erecting a tribute to the memory of the late cap- tain Horsburgh. Can. Reg. p 198.
234. Several foreign merchants, charged with being engaged in the opium trade were ordered, in virtue of an imperial edict, to leave Canton within the period of half a month
Vol V. p
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