725343-1856-GOVERNMENT-NOTIFICATION — Page 1

THE

Hongkong

Government

GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY.

NEW SERIES.

VICTORIA, FRIDAY, 28TH NOVEMBER, 1856.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

VOL. II. No. 73*.

The Contract for publishing this Gazette, entered into on the 24th September, 1853, was terminated on the 30th ultimo ; and notice is hereby given, that a NEW SERIES of this Gazette will be published hereafter, to commence from the 7th instant, under a New Contract, and that

"THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE" will, as before, be the only Official Organ for Proclamations, NOTIFICATIONS, and PUBLIC PAPERS, of this Government.

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By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 28 July, 1855.

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.

Diplomatic Department.

His Excellency SIR JOHN BOWRING, H. B. M. Plenipotentiary, &c., &c., hereby publishes for general in- formation, such Correspondence as will exhibit the true character of the proceedings at Canton, and which have necessitated the operations in which Her Majesty's Naval Forces have been so triumphantly engaged.

By Order,

Superintendency of Trade, Hongkong, 26th November, 1856.

W. WOODGATE.

Correspondence between SIR JOHN BOWRING, H. B. M. Plenipotentiary, and YEH, Imperial Commissioner.

TRANSLATION FROM THE CHINESE. Natfection by MR PARKES, H.B.M. Consul at Canton, issued by order: for the removal of conceptions, by declaration of the truth, to the end that confidence may be restored to the public mind.

In every discussion there is a position which is the correct one; nor can à just conclusion upon the merits of any question be arrived at, until the

ments on both sides shall have been heard.

ibe Governor General, Ych, has been at great ever since the approach of the British forces, *vier command of the Admiral, H. E. Sir M. our, to inflame the public mind by the cir- stion of unfounded statements on the subject; *t it is to counteract the evil effect but too pro- r to be apprehended from these, that H.B.M. potentiary has instructed the Consul to issue. ▲ Nafication of the plain truth to the gentry and

of the city and suburbs of Canton. At Hongkong, being a British Colony, it is com- 1-4nt for the owner of any vessel of any country,

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he shall have obtained the requisite security, take application, through the proper official rack, to the supreme authority for a Colonial ster. Under this the vessel hoists a British , and the register once issued, she is re- pelid in all respects as a British vessel, while e on board her become alike responsible to tish control, and entitled to British protection. the conditions of this colonial registration were *zunicated some months ago to the Governor Beneral by the Minister Plenipotentiary, who is Governor of the Colony, and a translation of Canal Ordinance was enclosed to him in Excellency's despatch Seanwhile, the Lorcha Arrow a vessel duly tord as above, having come up to Canton in farer part of October, information, it appears, *** given to the authorities by a person who had robbed by pirates at sea, that one of the de- en was serving as a sailor on board the Now, by the Treaty between England China, all authority over British vessels at

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dhe Five Ports is vested in the Consuls. proper course, therefore, if any question had tried against the Lorcha, as she was flying colours in the port of Canton,-being one of Five-would have been, to call on the British d to enquire into the case and take the ne- fry steps. Without any reference, however, 1 Consul, a party of the local marine boarded Veel, tore down her ensign, (seized twelve

men who were on board, and carried them into the city)

The Consul, of course, as soon as he became aware of this violation of his jurisdiction) report- ed it to his superior, H. M. Plenipotentiary. He at the same time made his complaint to H. E. Yeh, as Imperial Commissioner, accompanying his statement of the facts by a request that H. E. would cause the seamen who had been carried off from the vessel to be restored to her publicly; in order that due atonement might be inade for the affront that had been offered to his authority as Consul. He added, that if it were still desirable to examine the parties, he was prepared to con- duct an enquiry with any officer of his own rank, who might be deputed for the purpose,

tion, and the form in which it was to be complied with namely, that the men, publicly removed from the vessel, should be as publicly restored to her, and that a letter of apology should be written. At eight in the evening came another despatch from H. E. Yeh, requesting the Consul to inform him why his despatch of the morning had not been acknowledged.

It being thus apparent that farther protrac- tion of the correspondence would be of no advan tage to the settlement of the question at issue, there remained no alternative but to place the matter in the hands of the Admiral. His Excel- lency, unwilling to inflict unnecessary injury upon the inhabitants, confined himself in the first instance to the capture of some of the forta along the river; this done, he directed the Con- sul to warn the Governor General, that if he per- sisted in refusing to listen to us, more serious proceedings would be rendered inevitable. The Governor General proposing nothing, the Ad- miral proceeded to possess himself of the re- maining forts along the Canton River. He then up the Tsing breached the City wall, and blew Hai Gate.

The Governor General replied, that the Lorcha was not a foreign vessel) He sent back some of the men, but nine of the twelve that had been taken; but these the Consul did not think it right to receive; and, under the instruction of the Plenipotentiary, he now demanded, besides res- toration of the whole number, a letter of apology for their seizure, and assurance that nothing of the kind should occur again,-to be given within

Now, His Excellency has been brought to this forty-eight hours The Plenipotentiary himself wrote to the Commissioner, on the 12th October, point by no intention of his own; he has been to the same effect, adding that, unless the required simply driven onward by the determined obsti- satisfaction were accorded within the period nacy, and extreme discourtesy, of the Governor assigned, it would be left to the Naval Coniman- General. The original claim advanced was, com- der-in-Chief to exact it. This letter reached paratively speaking, of no great magnitude. Less Canton on the 15th October, but was left without could not have been demanded than the formal answer for eight days. H. E. Yeh then sent a rendition of a crew unauthorizedly seized without reply, in which he repeated what he had already reference to the Consul. To the high official of said to the Consul. To the requisition made by a nation, with whom the rule and practice of the latter, he paid no more attention than before. what is due from man to man are so important a H. E. the Admiral, unwilling to resort to force consideration, what could have been so easy as to acknowledge an error committed, and to give without due deliberation, waited from one day to another, until the 21st October, when the Consul, assurance that none such should be repeated! under farther instructions from the Plenipoten-How widely different a course was pursued ! tiary, addressed a last letter to the Imperial (For several years past, the high authorities at Commissioner. He was now told, that unless he Canton have entrenched themselves in inacces- conceded what had been asked for by six o'clock sibility to foreign officials, pleading always that in the evening of the following day, the naval the people are opposed to the admission of forces would act. At noon of the following day, foreigners within the walls. It has hence resulted an officer of low rank was sent with the twelve that discussions, which might have been disposed seamen to the Consulate, with a message from of in a single interview, have endured through His Excellency Yeh, that two of them were months of correspondence, and this, too, without criminals, and must be sent back to him imme- any satisfactory result. The present case coin- diately.

mences with an insult to our flag) that is to say, The Consul, in reply, put in the hands of the an affront is put upon our dignity as a State; officer sent, two extracts from his letters before this is followed by the unauthorized seizure of referred to, reciting the substance of his requisi-sailors subject to British control and protection;