18.
Last Ten Years, from 1832 to 1841.
265
4th. Under this date captain Elliot addressed a communication to viscount Palmerston, from which the following is an extract.
**In my mind, my lord, the peaceful establishment of direct official intercourse is no longer of questionable or difficult accomplishment. The principle that officers were not to reside in the empire, has been formally renounced by the emperor himself, and that was the main obstacle; the clearest admission of my right to direct sealed communications with the governor upon the ground of my official character, has been conceded; an official mistake in an edict describing me to be a merchant, has been publicly acknowledged and corrected; facilities (especially upon the plea that I was an officer, and involving a direct official intercourse with the mandarin here) have been accorded; striking proofs of the disposition to devolve upon me in my official capacity the adjustment of all dis- pntes, even between Chinese and my own countrymen, have been afforded. On one occasion, the provincial government has already communicated with me in a direct official shape; and upon my late departure from Canton, it was easy to perceive that the governor was prepared to fall entirely into that course, upon the condition that I should waive the proposed change in the superscription of my address.
"When to these circumstances be joined the consideration that the provin cial government has now been accustomed to a measured mode of official ad- dress, which it is certain has been more agreeable to it than the less guarded tone of irresponsible individuals, I think I may say, that it is probable the communica tions will be opened upon the required footing before the replies to these dis patches can arrive. But at all events. I entertain a persuasion that a letter from your lordship to the cabinet at Peking, written by her majesty's command, and sent to the inouth of the Pei ho in a ship-of-war, would at once draw from the emperor an order for the concession of the point. Your lordship's letter might he sent here for translation: and if communications were open, authority might be given to me to return it to England. If her majesty's government, how- ever. should be of opinion that the proposition contained in my dispatch of No- vember 19th, 1837, were deserving of attention, perhaps the object of direct official intercourse might form a part of the instructions to the special com- missioner.”—Corresp. p. 249.
Under date of June 15th, 1838, lord Palmerston shortly expresses the approval of her majesty's government of captain Elliot's course in retiring from Canton; and adds that
“With respect to the plan proposed by you in your dispatches of the 19th No vember, for scuding a special commissioner to Chusan, to endeavor to effect some arrangement with the Chinese government about the opium trade, her majesty's government do not sec their way in such a measure with sufficient clearness to justify them in adopting it at the present moment.”
..
lle also intimates that
With respect to the smuggling trade in opium, which forms the subject of your dispatches of the 18th and 19th November, and 7th December, 1837, I have to state, that her majesty's government cannot interfere for the purpose of enabling British subjects to violate the laws of the country to which they trade. Any loss, therefore, włuch such persons may suffer im consequence of the moors effectual
31
NO