1842.
Last Ten Years, from 1832 to 1841.
195
28th. Sir G. B. Robinson, in the absence of any dispatches rela- tive to his "quiescent course of policy,” declared his intention to per. severe therein. Corresp. p. 135.
Mr. H. Holgate was appointed to succeed to the charge of the British Seaman's hospital at Whampoa.
A General Chamber of Commerce was formed in Canton, at a pub- lic meeting held this 28th of November.
December 13th. The orders for the expulsion of foreigners from Canton repeated, in an edict addressed to the hong-merchants. Vol. V., p. 467.
14th. With the following note we close sır G. B. Robinson's official correspondence; it was written at Macao under this date, and ad- dressed to viscount Palmerston :
"My Lord, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of dispatches from your lordship, per ship Neptune, announcing the abolition of the office of chief superintendent of the trade of British subjects in China, and directing me to make over the archives and other documents of this establishment, to capt. Elliot, R. N. The commander of the ship Eleanor, being actually in attendance at my office, at the moment of their arrival, for the purpose of signing his manifests and receiving a port-clearance, I have no time to add more, than that these instruc tions will be carried into effect this day, and that I shall further have the honor of addressing your lordship, by ships shortly about to sail for England. -Corresp. p. 136.
"I have, &c., (Signed) GEORGE B. ROBINSON " On the same day, captain Elliot, as chief superintendent, thus wrote to the same.
44
By a ship upon the point of sailing, I have the honor to acknowledge your lordship's dispatch of June 15th of this year, to my address, accompanying dis. patches from May 28th to June 15th, to the address of sir George Robinson.
“In conformity with thesc instructions, I have this day assumed the chief place in the Commission. And with the expression of my thanks to your lordship, I beg to convey my assurance, that I shall endeavor to justify the appointment, by a steady determination faithfully to discharge the duties intrusted to me. I apply myself to that purpose with a strong persuasion, that a conciliatory dis- position to respect the usages, and above all, to refrain from shocking the pre- judices of this government, is the course at once most consonant with the mag. nanimity of the British nation, and with the substantial interests at stake, in the maintenance of peaceful commercial relations with this empire. Being this impressed, my lord, I hope it will be a source neither of surprise nor dissatisfac tion to you to learn, that I do not propose to protract the actual interruption of our public communications, upon the ground that we have a right to a direct official communication with the viceroy. I will only add, that the very re markable movements of this government in respect to the foreign trade actually in agitation, and the critical state of uncertainty in which the results still re- main, furnish me a strong additional motive for desiring to place myself at Canton Js soon as possible