Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 259

THE

CHINESE REPOSITORY.

VOL. XI.-MAY, 1842.-No. 5.

ART. I. Retrospection, or a Review of Public Occurrences in China during the last ten years, from January 1st, 1832, to December 31st, 1841. (Continued from page 201.)

CAPTAIN Elliot's proceedings, undertaken with a view to obtain, from the Chinese, a formal recognition of his authority as king's officer, with permission for him to proceed to and reside at Canton, were noticed in the last number, as were also those of the local govern. ment regarding the trade in opiuin. These proceedings were brought down to the close of 1836, from which date we now proceed with our review. The more careful attention is due to these early steps, in public affairs, because with them are intimately connected the merits of the present war between Great Britain and the Chinese empire—a war involving, more or less directly a large portion of the human family. In proceeding with our review, it is our aim to ad- duce all the facts and testimony within our reach, necessary to ena- ble the reader to form a correct judgment on the case in question.

January 1st, 1837. The magistrate at Nánhái went to the shop of Hungyi, a money-changer in the street Lienhing, near the foreign factories of Canton, in search of opium: the owner of the shop having absconded, some of the people employed by him in it were seized, in order to elicit from them information regarding the conduct of their master. The magistrate came out the next day and sealed up

the shop.

2d. Aming, one of the linguists who had been seized and tortured on the charge of aiding in the smuggling of fine silver, was brought out of the city under a guard, with a heavy wooden cangue round his '

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