2000
Review of Public Occurrences During the
APRIL,
make to them; I remarked at the same time, that these officers must be in every respect better judges than myself of any necessity which existed agreeably to the governor's edict, that they should see me; at all events, if they were of the mind that we ought to meet, I could assure them that it would give me great pleasure to have the honor of receiving them at my house; if they did not consider it requisite, I should be glad to suit their convenience, by affording the merchants any verbal explanation in my power upon those points which appeared to the governor to need further explanation.
"Renewed efforts were made in the course of the day to induce me to visit the officers; but I had strong reasons for declining to accede to that proposition; and I felt much satisfaction, that an obstacle (not of my creation) had arisen to prevent our meeting. It occurred to me that there was a possibility the mandarins inight have propounded questions, with respect to the particular ship of war in which I came, and that the replies might have led us back to the consideration of events much better kept out of sight. If, upon the other hand, I had declined to answer such questions, it was to be apprehended, that my silence might hrve been constructed into arrogant disrespect towards the governor, and have in- duced inconvenient heats and suspicions. With the merchants, unembarrassed by the presence of the mandarins. I was aware I stood in a far more favorable position. They would take all imaginable care to shape their questions in such wise as would make the avoidance of disagreeable topics no difficult matter.
*
·Upon the occasion of this last visit to me on the night of the 28th, the mer- chants intreated that I would give them something under my own hand to show to the mandarins; and I then caused the accompanying memorandum to be tran- slated, which I told them, they were at perfect liberty to hand to the officers. They wished me also to sign a string of answers which they had drawn up from my conversation, and from the paper just referred to: but this I refused to do, not that there was any violation of the truth in what they had said, but I could not recognise their right to place me on examination on any subject what- ever. If the mandarins thought fit to come, I remarked, we would discourse at large upon any point of question they proposed; but I never could consent to set my hand to questions put to me by persons in the situation of the merchants. When they found that this was my resolution, they left ine, professing that they thonght the mandarins ought to be satisfied with what I had said, which I con- clude they were, as I learnt that the whole deputation departed the next day (the 29th instant) to return to Canton, and report to the governor. I delivered to the merchants my reply to his excellency's edict.
"It is proper to state to your lordship, that I took occasion to tell the mer- chants in strong terins, for communication to the authorities, that I could not undertake, upon the part of his majesty's government, the least share of responsi- bility, for the adjustment of any dispute or difficulties which might arise at Can- ton, pending my protracted absence from that place, in conformity with the governor's desire.
His excellency, in his wisdom and sense of justice, would admit that it was fit I should be placed in a situation to prevent and control before I could be called upon to manage and adjust. This was an argument very congenial to the mode of general reasoning in this country upon all points of responsibility; and they assured me that it should be earnestly pressed upon the governor's attention
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