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Diplomatic Department.

With reference to certain letters that have been addressed to Her Majesty's Chief Superintendent of British. Trade in China by Mercantile Firms at Canton and Shanghae, relative to the insecurity of reign property at those ports, and to indemnification for losses arising out of the disturbed state of Fairs in China, His Excellency Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, &c., &c., is pleased to give publicity the annexed extract of a despatch from the Right Honourable Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, as containing the general views of Her Majesty's Government upon the subject.

By Order

W. H. MEDHURST, Officiating Secretary to H. M.'s Plenipotentiary, sc., &c.

uperintendency of Trade, Victoria, Hongkong

18th October, 1953.

Brtract of Despatch No. 52, dated August 8th, 1853, from the Right Honourable the EARL 37

CLARENDON, K.G., to the address of His Excellency SIR GEORGE BONHAM, Bart., K.C.E.

i have received your despatch, No. 24, of the 28th of April, enclosing copies of a correspondence with Messrs. Smith, King & Co. of Shanghae, on the subject of their request to be informed whether on the event of the pillage of the Foreign Factories at that place by the rebels, Her Majesty's Government send undertake to recover the value of property so destroyed; and I have to state to you in reply that Hon Dajesty's Government cannot give any prospective pledge of the kind. So much depends in

to all claims for compensation for losses on the circumstances under which those losses were arm, that until Her Majesty's Government are informed of the actual circumstances connected any particular case of loss, it is impossible for them to decide what course they will pursue in

2 to it.

it is quite clear however that it would be incumbent on any British merchant, who might claim nensation for Losses sustained under the circumstances supposed by Messrs. Smith & Co., to ore the value of the goods which he may have lost, and also that he has taken all proper precaution above his property or to secure himself by Insurance or otherwise from the consequences of its

True Extract.

W. H. MEDHURST,

Diplomatic Department.

His badciency Her Majesty's Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China, is pleased to direct but the annexed RETURNS of the British TRADE at the PORT OF CANTON during the Year 1852, be published for general information.

By Order,

W. H. MEDHURST,

Officiating Secretary to H. M.'s Plenipotentiary, &c., &c.

dency of Trade. Victoria, Hongkong.

19th October 1859

1—A KETURN of the Number and Tonnage of MERCHANT VESSELS which derived ci aad Deported from, the PORT OF CANTON, during the Year ending 31st December, 1852, dis-

guishing the Countries to which they belong.

Hamburgt.

Janar

Berghe Nowed @

Render assian

DADAR

ARRIVED.

DEPARTED

TORNAGE

Surs.

UNDER WHAT COLOURS.

No. of SHIPS,

TONNAGE

124,385

British,

60,010 | American,

223

3

121.653

59.684

.6,026

Dutch

6.251

2,101 French

1.170

3,589

Spanish.

4,095

Hamburgh,

3.072

4.096

2.042

1,158

2,243 Danish,

1,153

Swedish

235 Bremen. 493Belgian.

406 Norwegian. 2,879 Peruvian.

134 Chilian.

243 Ecuador,

230 Prussian,

800 | Siamese,

398

210,082

British Consulate. Canton. 31st December 1852.

5,152

134

242

236

384

204.239

D. B. ROBERTSON

H. M. Consui