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PRINTING OFFICE. Hongkong 9th March.

P CHIN A AND HONGKONG GAZETTE.

HONGKONG, THURSDAY, MARCH 30тn. 1813.

As promised in our last, we now glance at the sayings and doings in England, on receiving news of the PEACE. We have only space to cite the two Leading English journals. The Times expressed its lively satisfaction at the termination of a War it has "never been able to believe just." It said "the gains are ill-gotten and may share the fate of

many similar acquisitions, but then we shall no longer be sickened by seeing the brethren and successors in arms of those who stemmed the tide with cannon or bayonet-orowds of poor pigtailed of battle at Albuera, or Waterloo, sweeping away animals; and read after a day of slaughter, that a Corporal and half a dozen privates comprise the whole loss of the British Army." Speaking of our future prospects and altered position,it observes our officers in Canton, Amoy and Ningpo will now speak in another tone, and will receive a dif- ferent attention; and something of European law and regularity will be infused into those perplexing and irregular relations to which in part we owe

the late contest.

The Chronicle of course exults in the, news, and

for the special laudation, or rather exculpation of the ex-foreign Secretary twits the adverse faction with the memorable debate in 1840 on China Af fairs, which was so near ousting the Melbourne Ministry. It seeks to justify the official neglect or abandonment of Captain Elliot, by pointing to

the-claims of Great Britain.” In the metropolis the Church Bells rang, the Park and Tower guns roared in honour of the occasion. A Salute from the Castle and the chimes of the City Bells glad- doned the denizens of Auld reckie. In Dublin, more gay and joyous still, the whole garrison as- sembled in Phoenix Park und hailed the welcome || news by firing a feu de joie. At Liverpool the in- || telligence was greeted with firing of guns and ring- ing, of bells. In the Provinces the demonstrations of popular satisfaction were universal so that one might then have justly called our country by title of merry England. se

In our early issue we called attention to the propriety, nay the necessity of an application to the Government for a reduction of the Tea Duty, We were confident of a ready response and a hearty co-operation at home. We have not been deceived, the East India Association of Glasgow (vide our last) have transmitted a memorial to the Lords of the Treasury, wherein they very forcibly urge the expediency of a reduction of the duty on black Teas of one half.

It was in reference to this memorial TIMES assailed them. We

that the

its time-honoured, genial, but alas! almost obsolete || have been compelled for that we ..

The funds of course rose, nearly every article of produce and manufacture sympathised and brought better prices. The value of shipping and machinery was sensibly affected, the city quidnincs even affirmed the Income Tax was to be taken off instanter. Having braved the unpopularity of such an impost the Premier is too sagacious, we think, not to continue it for the terin prescribed by the act, to say nothing of the grievous falling off in the Revenue for the last quarter,

All our letters indulge in a strain of buoyancy and confulence highly satisfactory, and we rejoice to know that tens of thousands of our countrymen were---thanks to the PEACE-agreeably surprised in- to the unexpected enjoyment of a merry Christmas and a happy new yeur.

Ir is reported that Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane will shortly proceed to Manilla, that the Belleisle will soon sail for England, and the Royalist for Port Essington and Sydney.

Chinese Tariff-IN reply to C. K. we may observe that although we had prepar ed a Pro-forma Chinese Tariff, classified on the plan of Mr. Mac Gregor, as given in the Report of Import Duties Committee revision of Sir Robert Peel, yet owing to and which has been adopted in the late

the want of accurate statistical information and the non-existence of a Chamber of Commerce, we were so dissatisfied with the number of blanks in the Columns. that readers. When the press of recent intel- we would not venture to r

present it to our ligence is over, we hope to give a specimen of our attempt.

that with the best mutual efforts of friendly We take this opportunity of telling CK

Europeans powers, we yet never knew a Tariff, or Commercial Treaty that did not require a year, at least, to complete its ad- justment. It would perhaps have savoured

||

the magnificent results achieved by H. E. Sir Hen- too mu condition outiquiere, to have l

ry Pottinger, who also it avers was not shackled

with definite instructions and the absence of which secured his diplomatic success. It says with res- pect to Captain usbility of controlling by minute Debate, in vain was it urged the impossibility of instructions the conduct of our relations with a country more than 15,000 miles distant from us. It asks how conclusively the validity of this argu- ment is proved by the recent intelligence, but also says, had the Chinese only held out a little longer a special mission (alluding derisively to Lord Ash- burton's to America) must have been the reward of their perseverance.

"

abridge JOURNAL OF COM- MERCE, which appears in another part of our Paper. We however cannot forbear expressing we tender to our Metropolitan Cooted spirit, and Contemporary the promoting the cause of JUSTICE TO CHINA. warmest thanks for his powerful assistance in

the rejoinder of the LOND space, t

our cordial satisfaction at its

suffice it to say, at present, that we would prefer We cannot detail in full our own views, abstractedly an ad valorem duty on Tea, as is recomended by many influential parties. But we do not disguise from ourselves, the practical difficu!- ties, which it is alleged, "would now arise from such a mode of assessment, although during the Company's Monopoly they were not felt.

We would be very chary of recommending any plan which should in the least interfere with the enterprise of our Merchants, or the legitimate fa of Tea. At the same time, we find much exag- cilities and convenience of the buyers and sellers gerated apprehension exists; with respect to the inconveniencies which would spring from levying an ad valorem. The plan we would venture to recommend would be a combination of a fixed and an ail valorem duty, and hence perhaps liable to the objections so strongly urged against a sliding scale.

If an ad valorem duty were levied on all Teas above the value of Is, 3.1. per lb. and no less than - 1s, 3d. per lb. leviable on any sort or kind of Tea imported: the capital objection to an ad valorem-

brought in, as alleged for Dyeing purposes, but duty would be removed. We should not then have, Tea dust, and spurious stuff, called Tea, really, to mix with Teas paying a much higher rate of Duty.

With an ad valorem duty, unmodified by some such limit as we have indicated, Her Majesty's

ated, which would be vended, at 6d. to 9d. per ib. lieges would stand a chance of being poisoned by

in bond. We need hardly say, with an ad valorem the cargoes of rubbish, not Tea, although so design-

duty, there would be such a serious deficiency in

ly show, would entail no greater loss of Revenue, the Revenue, as would bar its adoption now by any minister. Our recommendation, as we will short-

convinced on this point) to promote the comfort of than Sir Robert Peel would cheerfully make, (if the people, and the just claims of Anglo-Chinese commerce.

We make out, that the consumption of Tea, du- kin, that our Cottons and Broad Cloths cecd ib.40,000,000. It is fair to assume that the made it a cor

of the Treaty of Nan-ring the present year, will reach, if it do not ex-

specified duty; yet not having done this, we should be admissible at not more than a average value of such Tea, when imported. will be 1s. 6d. per lb., thus producing á Revenue of must be content to wait the time necessary country, and the continuance of the Income Tax.

£3,000,000. The general improvement of the >> for such formal arrangements.

quite satisfy us, that with the reduction we ask, the national expenditure in 1843, will not exceed the income. Our proposition would not involve present loss of more than £500,000 to the Revenue,

see it is reported that the

Japan.~WP been commissioned by

Samarang,

Capt. E. Belcher for surveying. We are On the Continent, France excepted, the modera- told he is appointed to make a hydrogra- tion of Great Britain is justly extolled, and muchphic survey of the Coast of Japan and satisfaction is expressed at the vast prospect pre- neighbouring islands.. sented by the opening of a new Continent to the increasing activity of all Europeans. A Paris pa- per, La Presse, denounces the War as unjust but remarks with a good deal of truth "the English are immutable in their Policy. In all their ar rangements with foreign nations we find the trace of the same prevailing principles. They tend in- cessantly to seize upon the best positions through out the globe. The Island of HONGKONG was long coveted by the English. It is the best situation i the Chinese Seas; it is an inosumable,

vanced

Our occupation of Hongkong gives a new and additional interest to everything ap pertaining to Japan. Despite the unsuc- cessful attempt of the Morrison, to open a communication with the authorities, and to Japane restore to their homes some shipwrecked Sailors we yet hope (if the Sama 1g proceeds to the destinat

cated. the attempt will be renewed and that some now at Macno, will be af tunity of returning to their

post in the southern Archipelago. For these rea sons England takes possession of " It adds wit ford regard to the Conditions of the PACIFICATION,

1s a great, a magnificent success. à success

does honour to our Civilization, to the age

in and partreularly to the people w

ner of Ja

Again, Sir Robert Peel on introducing his fin- ancial measures, and as a plea for so irksome an Impost, as the Jucome Tax, declared that the sav- ings on many articles of daily consumption, would be so much reduced, by the operation of his new Tariff, "that generally, the payers of the Incomo Tax would be more than re-imbursed. We bo- lieve this has been partially realized, but it would be entirely so, by the adoption of our suggestion.

It is superflusus to mention, that Tea is no long ea a luxury, but an article of prime necessity, that a reduction in its cost, would go far to popularize the Income Tax, would greatly augment the com- fort of the poorer classes, would promote the cause of temperance and morality, and at the same time benefit the revenue by mcreasing the cons sumption of Sugar, besides affording additional facilities to our commerce with China.

Glad shall we be if proper efforts shall be made. to secure these resalts

In which case. w:0.

sce (suine two Income Tas

minish the Ten Du

point at one shih

Ich we

ed it from the pusillanimity of the authorities of the Coast Celestial Empire.

Having touched on thenings, we turn to the last dogs on receipt of the tifying ligence

was on the 283 November that Lord Stanley ad

dressed the Lord Mayor.

Bed Almighty God to

ung that it has

her

jesty's ith complete suoće and that the Em- peros of China, has been compelled to recognize

recoguice at Macao, two of their country men whom they had last spoke in the Bay of Yedo.

present, the average und

a few

hon of Tea in

consumption more than one pound and a quarter per head !