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THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE.

PREEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG JAZETTE,

HONGKONG, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 297a. 1812.

Communication may be received from h. m.'s plen- ipotentiary affording information to the British merchants of his intentions for their future security. We have the honor to be.

Your Excelloney's, most obedient servants,

(Signed)

*

Turner

Co Lindsay & C...

per William Fryer. Dirom & Ch.

Potter.

C. S. Compton? Henry Gribble: Canton, 12th December, 1842,

In re-publishing from the Canton Regis Dent & Co. ter, the annexed Correspondence relative | Gibb, Livingstone C. to the late Riot at Canton, we have autho-Fox, Raison & Co. -

per E. A Staple, rity to state that the "communication" al-Ball & Co. luded to in Sir Hugh Gough's letter of the per J: M. Smith. 13th instant, (addressed to the British- Merchants at Canton) as having been des- patched to H. M's Plenipotentiary, was but a private "uote, written at Whampoa, and of a character, that was not considered m require an immediate reply. Indeed, "nono whatever, would have been sent, had not the Plenipotentiary, found it necessary at the time, to despatch a Steamer to Lanton, with a Letter to the Viceroy..

=

(Copy)

Canton, December 18, 1842.; Gentlemen,—In reply to your letter received last night, I beg to assure you that I sensibly feel the critical situation in which you stand.

excellency will

ture therefore to hope that your take into consideration their urgent request that their excellencies the naval and military comman- ders-in-chief may be moved to place such a force for their defence in Canton as may seem expedi

ent.

We have the honor to bo, Your excellency's

Dent & Co.

Turner & Co.

Most obedient servants,

(Signed)

W. C. LeGeyt, S Jus. Hulbert.

Gibb, Livingston & Co. Frunjee Jamseljee.

08 Comptoi

Wm, Føyor.

Bell & Co.

Per pro. MackrillSmith.

Postonjeu Cownsjec.

Horibusjpe Franjeo [Co. Pestomee Mervanjes & Jummojen Nasser vanjeo, Fattunjec Framjee. Burjorjee Sorabjes. Canton, 13th December. 1842.

E. A. Staple. D Potter,

......

Government house, It is from reluctance to leave you in uncertainty No. 213. that, although anxious to return to the head quar-

Hongkong, December 10th, 1842- ters of the force. I have remained here five days, We have also been requested, to point and am still waiting in hourly expectation of an

GENTLEMEN, —I have this day received your letter out, that Sir Hugh Gough proceeded to

answer to the communication which I despatched of the 13th instant, inclosing copies of one which you had addressed to lieutenant-general Sir Hugh Gough, Macao and Canton, on his own private af

to her majesty's Plenipotentiary on the 8th instant. "fairs, not on public basiness. His Excel- 1 will accede to your request in regard to leav- and of his excellency's reply on the subject of the late lency, after the occurrences in Canton, re-ing the steamer where she is, and I would decide disturbances at Canton, furned to Macao, whither the Proserpine to remain myself in any event, but I do not appre-observe that you assume,

1st That the disturbance originated in a precon. hend

any inmediate further outbreak, and feel that

certed plan. 2nd. That it would have taken place Steamer followed him, and thereby led to

I can be individually of little use

use here, whereas my sooner or later

without

the immediately exciting cause the tardy receipt of the Viceroy's answer, to

presence is required with the force. It would be

of an affray, between certain Lascars and the Chinese. which reference is made in the concluding a great satisfaction to me to hear from sir Henry 3rd, That the local authorities were either unable or paragraph of the Plenipotentiary's letter Pottinger before I leave you, and I shall delay my unwilling to afford the necessary protection; and 4th to the British Merchants, of the 16th inst. departure as long as possible with that

that there is a spirit of hostility towards the English view

amongst certain classes in Canton, who guide and in- We cannot forbear expressing our unfeign- ed satisfaction at the tone and temper of

fluence the rabble in their operations. You proceed to observe, that it is

not

possible to Sir Henry Pottinger's reply. It is a document

carry on your commercial pursuits at Canton except which well merits attentive perusal, and

by nemal residence. You add, that your withdrawal will rejoice every heart which cherishes

would throw the trade into the hands of Americans British feelings. To our minds, Sir Henry

and others, who are not likely to suffer from the hos tile feelings of the Chinese and you conclude by re-

manders.in-chief, to place such a force for your defence and protection in Canton, as may seem expedient. ́. I propose to have the honor of replying to the va rious points of your letter, in the order in which you have arranged them; and to doing so, I hope and be lieve that it is not necessaich I feel to promote your for me to assure you of the unfeigned solicitude, interests and welfare, as well as

as to pre

provide for your comfort and safety, by every means in my power, con. sistent with the views, which my judgment has led me to form; after the deepest and most anxious reflection on the question which those points involve, in connec tion with the momentous trust which has been confid ed by her majesty's government to my guidance.

I received through the Kwangheep on the 9th inst., an assurance that the Chinese government is very desirous to maintain tranquility, and though their power may be doubtful, I believe the assur- to be sincere. I will take this occasion to recom- mand you to be upon your guard, and carefully to forbear from all that may tend to collision with

may be content to rest the reputation of the populace, pending the result of the measures, questing, that I will move the naval and military coms

his Superintendence of the British Trade, on the letter in question; which is alike creditable to him, as a soldier, as a diplo matist and above all, as a philantrophist. The conduct of the Plenipotentiary, during the late events, is but an additional evidence of his thorough appreciation of the vast interoste committed to his care. We know he will reap a harvest of golden opinions, among his fellow Countrymen, and we are encouraged to believe, that the ultimate results of his mission, cannot but extort the praise of those cren, whose present irregular but profitable proceedings may be doomed

to extinguishment.

decision rests, may determine. upon which the plenipotentiary, with whom the

I have the honor to be; Gentlemen,

Your most obedient servant, (Signed) II. Gougu,Lieut, General. The British Merchants at Canton,

His Excellency Sir Henry Pottinger, Bart Siry-Wo take the liberty of waiting on your excellency with the

copy annexed

of a letter we yesterday addressed to sir Hugh Gough, toge- ther with a copy of his reply, by which you will perceive that he has consented, in consequence of the recent attack on the foreign factories, to allow With respect to the 1st point, I am obliged to dis- the steamer Proserpine to remain off Canton for tinetly avow, that no single fact has come to my kuów - the present, for the protection of the British com-ledge that authorizes me to concur in the opinion you munity.

have expressed on it. On the contrary, the accounts- that have reached me show that a large body of Las cars (Sir Hugh been allowed to go up to Canton on leave, from the

Gough ship "Fort William" (and other

vessels), without any apparent control or any person to look after them; that they had been fighting the whole day" with the

in large bodies, and overpowered the Lascars, who Chinese, whom they drove back and kayt w che until towards the ovening, when the Chinese assembled were, in their turn, driven back and allowed to take refuge in one of the hengs, that was subsequently burn- ed and that only then the attack on the buildings

It is well known that the Great Duke,It is unnecessary to trouble your excellency

with the statements in

in detail of the parties who "the heroe of a hundred fields in a pious were eye witnesses of the riot, or the enquiries horror of war, yields to none. It will not which have been subsequently made, but the result be among the least valued services of H. may be stated in few words. M's Plenipotentiary, that at the late junc ture, it was to his circumspection, temper and prudence, that the Calamity of a War between the two greatest Empires of the world was averted.

CORRESPONDENCE ON THE CANTON RIOT.

(Copy)

His Excellency. Major General

Sir Hugh Gough, G. C. B. &t. dc. &c. Sir-The undersigned British Canton having met to deliberate on tants in position, beg leave respectfully to their present submit that cu- quiry of the Chinese leads them to believe that the recent attack on the Foreign factories was the result of a pre-arranged determmation of the mob, assisted and influenced it is supposed by par les averse tapprehended foreign innovation; and as the local authorities were avowedly unable for a considera ble time to quell the disturbance, and did not, in fact, succeed in doing so until after a considerable loss of life and property, were forced to the cop clusion that the Brush community cannot be con sidered safe in their houses in Canton, without efficent protection from their own government of the spot.

Although the local authorities have plac considerable number of soldiers to

tones, we do no

ded upon in case

to be still

of Canton,

that

That there

ere appears no doubt of the fact mined on for some time previously to its occurence the attack of the foreign factories, had been detest and that the parties employed in it were regularly,

organized,

2. That although an affray between some Las- and Gbigese, was the ostensible cause of its com- enement at that particular time, the attack would have taken place sooner or later had no such virsunstance accured.

3. That the local authorities were unable or untvilling, to ford efficient protection in time to prevent a considerable sacrifice of life and property, and the cuses, which occisoned such a result. are liable at any sinent to recurs

commenced,

states no less than 170), had

I cannot convey to you my sentiments on this (1st) point more clearly and simply than by here quoting a portion of a private letter, which I wrote on the 13th instant to Lieutenent general Sir Hugh Gough, in answer to one which I had from his excellency, on the 14th. I hope the riots at Canton are over

and that

4 That this a spirit of hostility to the English very general among certain orders in Canton, and that the common people are guided and induced by parties who have means, and the Lagoars. I hold that not even a boa abilty giving effect to ther operations, in a rabre systematic manner than could be expected from an

ordinary mob.

A no machinery exists at present for carrying on the trade, except by actual residence in Canto and as it is unlikely any change can be mad

ement u

our merchants thore, will profit by their experience. "It seems quite clear, that the crew of the Fort Wil- liam and other ships were the originadors the dis turbance, and before I make any demand for repay- ment of the losses, from the local government. I must be satisfied, that some attempt was made to control should allowed to land without or person with them, and i

ularity and order in he Consequences)

Lome

mer

marks, Esnall also hava

in considering the

fully to to

10

porable at any rate unid