Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 140

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Review of Public Occurrences During the MARCH,

the presents which they annually sent to Canton for the mandarins.” Auber, somewhere, speaks of large sums of money as having been paid with a view to an extension of privileges; and we ourselves can remember the time when the whole of their shipping was kept out of the port till past midwinter, in order to bring the provincial authori- ties to terms; for the same object, we have seen heavy cannon brought from Whampoa and placed in their factory at Canton, and scores of blue jackets in marshaled bands drilled in the East India Company's garden. Lord Napier's course was dignified and straightforward. when just privileges were denied, he remonstrated; when indignities were offered and rights infringed, he threatened ;—but he had not the power to execute, and when he was dead, his government did not see fit, either to demand reparation, or to maintain the high ground he had rightly taken. Mr. Davis, who seems to have been in a mea- sure pledged to a firm course, seeing this, withdrew, and the policy of the Commission was changed. This was on the 22d January, 1835. On the same day, a boat's crew belonging to the ship Argyle fell into the hands of the Chinese, and thereupon the action of that new policy began to be developed. The deposition of captain Mac- donald was given in our last; we now record the sequel, borrowing our information from the Blue Book.

"As there appeared to be no doubt that these unfortunate men had fallen into the hands of some of the notoriously lawless people upon the part of the coast indicated in the deposition, the superintendents determined to lose no time in formally and respectfully reporting the circumstances to the direct knowledge of the principal authorities at Canton. With this view, they caused the following note to be tran- slated into Chinese by Mr. Gutzlaff, and its sentiments to be render- ed in a manner conformable to the genius of the language, and in accordance with those respectful modes of communication adopted by public officers in their reports to cach other.

"To his excellency the governor of the two provinces of Kwangtung and Kwangsi.

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The undersigned have the honor respectfully to represent to your ex- cellency, that, &c. [here was recited a succinct statement of the circumstances.| "The undersigned are very conscious that your excellency will hear of the violent outrage committed by these evil-disposed people upon his majesty the king of England's subjects, driven by distress upon the coast, with feelings of sincere regret ; and they have a firm confidence in the earnestness of your excellency's efforts to deliver these unfortunate innocent men from their perilous condition with the utmost promptitude: In the discharge of e soleum duty to the king their gracious sovereign and in a sense of respect