Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 363

THE

CHINESE REPOSITORY.

VOL. XI.-July, 1842.—No. 7.

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 307.)

THE year 1839 will long be memorable in the annals of foreign inter- course with China, and its occurrences referred to as the immediate causes of the great struggle now in progress. These were connected with the illegal traffic in opium. A proposition had been brought forward, the previous year, to legalize the trade in this article. But at the opening of this year, 1839, it was reported at Canton, that the party opposed to the admission of opium on payment of duty, had gained the entire ascent in the imperial councils; that Hiú Náitsí, the leader of the party advocating the legalization of the drug, had been dismissed from the public service; and that memorials, from all the provincial governments, had been laid before the Cabinet, the General Council, the imperial house, and Board of Punishments, for final consideration. The tenor of these memorials was found to be almost unanimous against the admission of opium, at the same time recommending more vigorous measures for effecting a discontinuance of its traffic and use. Already, indeed, at Canton, measures of this kind were in progress.

A summary notice of the events of this year was published at its close, in the Repository for December. From that and the Corres- pondence presented to Parliament in 1840, the facts for the present retrospect are chiefly derived.

January 1st, 1839. The trade of the port of Canton was reopen- ed to foreigners, by command of the local government of Canton

VOE XI. ON VIL

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