Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 37

1842.

Last Ten Years, from 1832 to 1841.

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it. The shopkeepers ought solely to vend it in and outside the city; they cannot export it out of the province. As often as the hong-merchants receive rice, they ought to send in a chop, stating the quantity, to the local officers, and the govern. or, lieutenant-governor, and hoppo's officers, who will examine it. and duly communicate it to the háu-kó, that he may hand it in to the said officers (the hoppo's clerks), that they are not to make money by extortion; but if they are found out, they will be reprimanded and degraded. Thus, there will be no longer any necessity for making new regulations against the growth of vile practices.

"We cominand at the same time the local officers, and the whole body of hong- merchants, to obey, whilst we add to this our explicit orders addressed to all the military belonging to the metropolis, and to all the soldiers and servants wno guard the entrance, and to all the linguists of barbarian merchants of different nations— that they may duly acquaint themselves that, from the moment of this publication, every rice ship ought to pay the export duties and customs according to the es tablished imperial tariff. The soldiers and servants of the custom-house, and the compradors, cannot by any means, or under any name, charge them by extra extortions. Yet, if they dare to disobey, they will be punished prosecuted, and all banished.

"When the rice has entered the harbor, and passed the custom-house, let it be entirely disposed of, and let the hong-merchants and shopkeepers give notice of it, for the advantage of the people. But every shopkeeper, who retails it and sells it in small quantities, ought to confine himself to this province, to dispose of it- the exportation is not permitted. Everybody ought to obey this implicitly, and not slight this special proclamation.

"We have moreover issued explicit orders in addition to these, addressed to those merchants, that they immediately communicate commands to all the chiefs and barbarian principals of every nation, and to all the barbarian ships, that they jointly obey this. Do not oppose! A special order!" Can. Reg., June 17th, 1833. June. Rumors were still abroad concerning insurgents and re- fugees in Formosa. Vol. II., p. 95.

Large numbers of poor people, driven by famine from their homes in Kiángsí, made their appearance at Canton; and in some instances, these hungry beggars in large gangs entered the foreign factories.

10th. The death of the empress, who had long been in a state of bad health, occurred this day at Peking. The usual honorary ce- remonies were decreed. Vol. II., p. 142.

A Chinese Mohammedan, -a poor native of Tientsin, returned, via Bombay, from a pilgrimage to Mecca, after an absence of three years from Canton.

17th. A young woman in Canton, aged seventeen years, received sentence of death for crime of poisoning her uncle, and was imme- diately carried out to the place of execution, and there beheaded.

23d. Prospectus for a monthly periodical in the Chinese lan- guage was issued at Canton by the Rev. Charles Gutzlaff.

July 5th. The governor of Canton issued a proclamation declar-