1842.
Lust Ten Years, from 1832 to 1841.
353
tween Canton and Macao, for the purpose of conveying letters and passengers.
23d. A dispatch was received by the governor from the Board of War, giving conveyance to an imperial ediot, of the ad, respecting the new commissioner.
A proclamation was addressed to foreigners by the governor and lieut.-governor, giving notice of the approach of a special coinmis. sioner, and urging the immediate removal of all the opiam and store- ships from the Chinese waters, threatening a stoppage of the trade in the case of non-compliance.
27th. A regulation that the debts of one hong-merchant to fo reigners shall not exceed a hundred thousand taels, was ordered, by the local authorities, to be engraven on stone, and kept in everlasting remeinbrance.
30th. Under this date, captain Elliot wrote the following observa · tions with reference to the then approaching tempest, which had long been gathering in the north.
“The stagnation of the opium traffic at all points, however, may be said to have been nearly complete for the last four months. And it is now my duty to signify to your lordship the expected arrival of a very high officer from the court, of equal rank with the governor, and specially charged, as I am this day informed by Howqua, with the general conduct of the measures lately determined upon at Peking, for the suppression of the opium trade. It must also be stated, that the emperor has recently been advised to command a total interruption of the fo. reign trade and intercourse, till the introduction of opium shall be effectually stopped; and an edict of great moment, evidently founded upon that policy, has just been issued to the foreign merchants, but not yet to myself. It shall be transmitted to your lordship as soon as Mr. Morrison has translated it; but it is probable the communication will not be sent officially to me till the arrival of the high commissioner from Peking, which may be expected in the course of a few weeks.
"There seems, my lord, no longer any room to doubt that the court has firmly determined to suppress, or, more probably, most extensively to check the opium trade. The immense, and it must be said, most unfortunate increase of the supply during the last four years, the rapid growth of the east coast trade, and the continued drain of the silver, have no doubt greatly alarmed the govern ment; but the manner of the rash course of traffic within the river, has probabty contributed most of all to impress the urgent necessity of arresting the growing audacity of the foreign smugglers, and preventing their associating themselves with the desperate and lawless of their own large cities. In the excited temper of this extraordinary government, it would be unsate indeed, to speculate upon the particular means they may pursue; but, at least, I am sure that my own altered position, and the course I took last month, with respect to the forced trade within the river, will give much weight to my remonstrances, in any me ment of emergency.
Replying to Howqua's suggestions to-day, that such proceedings must be look
VOE. XI. NO VIL
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