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THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONG-KONG GAZETTE.

Feby. 0.-Hambro" ship Alina, Anderson, for Elam

burg,

*

37

J

ال

J

8.--- Danish barque Indianeren, Holm, før do. 12-Brit, barque Armata, Brown, for England 20.---Bremen barque Carl Wilhelm, Erich, for

Antwerp,

21.--Brit ship Cleveland, Morley, for Samarang 20.-Brit, brig Alfred Tullock, for Ams ordain March 5.--Belgian brig. Reubens, Ryk, for Antwerp 9-Brit ship Old England. Bland, for China DEPARTURES FROM SOURABAYA, Jany. 19. Brit. barq Persian, Edington, for Hollant. Feby. 4.-Brit ship Manitus, Dodge, for Chi

Cargo 12,925 piculs rice.

29,-Hambro' ship Pransiska, Berndt, for Ham

burg from Samara NY -

Jany. 25, -Sicilian ship Sumatra, Bartolo, for Pa-

NOTICE.

Parties sending advertisements, are requested 10 rerite on the face of them, how often, or how long, they wish them inserted. In all instances, non-subscribers, will pay in adrana, New advertisements, will be

received, until 4 (Clock on the sings previous to publication, Viz. "Mondays and Fridays.

The Friend of China is vegularly filed in London,

by Mr. P. L. Simmonds. Agent for the Colonial papers, British and Foreign Newspaper und advertising agency office, 13 Cornhill (opposite the Royal Exchange), who wild recrios any communications, orders and advertise.

ments.

THE FRIEND OF CHINA,

AND HONG-KONG GAZETTE.

VICTORIA, WEDNESDAY, May 1st, 1844,

The Register publishes an Ordinance for the for pation of a Justice of the Peace Court, and for regulating proceedings before the same, b

Trom a Press of other matters, we have not been enabled to give due attention to the enactments of this Ordinance. A cheap equitable Court however is much required; and in the meantime, wo suppress a few remarks we had drawn up on this subject, as some of them may prove supererogatory.

We have received, from William Sael Esq.

||

Mr.

|

in all six hours. The inconvenience caused by this, in receiving and answering letters, is great ; and frequently, when a vessel is about suiling, it is im- possible to have letters ready by that early hour, in the afternoon. This arbitary alteration of the hours, and reckless disregard of niercantile interest, is inexcusable, and will, we are convinced, not pass unheeded in the proper quarter.

or

4th. Mr. Scales fails to give due intimation, of his intention to make up mails, for any particular port, or neglects to inform himself of the intended departure of vessels, by which valuable oppor tunities for correspondence are sometimes lost.

These complaints are not trivial and groundless,

confined to a few, or to They are universal and increasing, and cannot be or any particular body. allowed to pass unnoticed, We might add some- thing of personal incivility: but this, as we formerly remarked, may proceed from the excitement of a new country with new pursuits; also in a great degree from ignorance of his true what is expected from him.

• position, and In the meantime we drop the subject, but we will not lose sight of it. We anticipate it will be proposed to levy further contributions, to pay for Post Office runners and clerks,in

wo consider illegal post-

In our last issue, we felt constrained to offer a few observations on the present state of the Post Office, and the exactions and changes introduced by the Gentleman placed in charge of that department of the public service, We are not aware whether les is vet aroused from that by state of self

lacency in -

which we can suppose he first viewed the long array oftwo pences and four pences, extorted from the public, and about being transtormed by a rate of exchange peculiar to his own system of accounts, intogoodly piles of cash and candareens. We can readily imagine how gratify ing it must have been to this Gentleman, on his first arrival, to find himself enacting laws and levy- ing taxes, without even the idle form of consulting a Legislative Council. Ifhe is a lawyer, the bright dreams of other days the hallowed bench, the flowing wig, and the ermined robe, would all seem more than realized and the imaginary dignity of the halls at Westminster sink msignificance before the actual glories of the Post Office at Hong- kong Bright consummation of the day dreams of youth. He had but to mopose and it was acceded, to order and

ad it was done, Black Mail was levied. upon the improved plans introduced by modern civilization-new regulations wore imposed-sa.|| now system of exchange was brought before the ages p Merchants of China-the letter carriers were with- drawn, the accommodation of leaving a small sum for payment of postages, in advance formerly allor ded, was now refused, and parties in the habit of re- ceiving letters, if they could not spare a servant for that purpose, were compelled to toil their way through a burning sun twice a day, or oftener, loaded with copper cably on chance

extorted from us.

for

The Notification

which follows appears in the Register since our remarks were

were in type. His Excellency has taken a liberal and just view of the matter, and we again repent that, if Mr. Scales hus instructions to impose the other charges to which we have referred, he is bound to public satisfaction. But for the is | letters or papers for them. And a Beng Excellancy there would have been

exactions on the part of the Post-master. Yester- day we paid

and one shilling for two Newspapers from Manila others have undoubtedly been fenced in the same manner.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

either

rence

as from the straggling way in which the town has been laid out, and the site chosen for the Post Office, it is so happily placed, as to accommodate no one, with the

of those in Government Offices, whose letters neither be numorous or important. Mr.Scales so

found himself in the full sway of ar. bitury power, thus changing and taxing the unres-be heuenlorward charged on isting

sung inhabitants, who acquiesced in silput astonish either brought into or carried ment and his heart waxing strong within him, he

This Notification must b thought who is like me among the wise men of annul or interfere with the the East.

Post office of the bodigo tage leviable on Nowapan,

Ir is hereby notified that pending a reference to Her Majesty's Government no Colonial Postage will

of Government

Surgeon of the Borneo expedition, a more minute / subt from his eyric on the hill-under the and the amount of whic version of their transactions from first making that || with much contemps, he has been viewing | down in the Notification :

island nutil their escape, than has yet been laid before the public. It is too long for insertion in our paper, but will be published in a Supplement on Saturday.

papers that may be Hongkong 18

understood not to ba of the different one to the Pos- through them, ia distinctly land Bishad m the thongkong

the humble populace of Hongkong the unfortunate Gentlemen, who hove not, &e, &c., de, mysteriously attached to their names. We trust he will soon be aroused from his | Government House, Victoria, fit of official

Gazette, of the Bub pt Aptil, 1811,

By Order.

RICHARD WOOSNAM.

antiated to

ties for observation and intimate acquaintance | he will prove more ublic servant. In the

From Mr. Sael's position on board--opportuni- | by-and-bye whej, bulisin, and do not a

with Mr. Murray's sentiments, overy reliance may be placed upon his statements.

meantime we will take upon ourselves, the duty of occasionally, mildly pointing out his unintentional errors, wilful derelictions from duty.

objections to Mr. Scales, system devolve

Hongkong, 20th April, 1844.

The Authorities at Canton are far from being satisfied by the arrival of the United States frigate Brandywine, at Whampoa. The Imperial Com missioner is abeont, but the Mandarins have inti. mated to Commodore Parker, that if w

would be

By the arrival of the Cacique from the Saad into four principal heads. Tale imposes desirable he should leave the riven

wich Islands wo learn that the French have taken possession of the Island of Tahiti. Quequ Pomare had found an asylum on board H. B. M. Ship Basilisk,

The orders received by Admiral Thomas, in command of the South American station, were peremptory he was not in the slightest degree to Interfere in the matter. The Admiral, with the fleet, was at the Sandwich Islands waiting for his des patches, yia Mexico. When ho found his instruc- tions were to reinain neutral, he despatched the Hasued to Tahiti, ordering the vessels from thence to Sydney, New South Wales, where poor Foudre will probably find a refuge for life

among strangers, whose habits and customs are strange to her, and who may little sympathize with her gor- duly appreciate the full extent of her misfortunes.

suppose he will noimply with this request until i suits his own convenience but as the figate is shortly expected here to refit, his present visit af Whampoa will be a short que,

Nothing has yet transpired officially of the pro- bable shecoss of Mt. Cushing's Mission. If His Excellency insists upon gong north, with the from the United States, he will be stoutly opposed, Brandywine, and the other vessels, on their way

far 3 more passive hostility goes, and every obstacle short of actual warfare thrown in his

way.

This

mis-

The report of Keying's having been appointed Tapers from to negotiate with the American res

Isions is a very probable one.

people, are jealous as ever of the presence of although they have had a severe proof of their foreigners, near the seat of government; and inferiority to Europens in war, nothing short of à their consent to the actual presence of a foreign recurrence of such a dire calamity will obtain Mmister at Peking, or foreign ships taking up a position near the entrance to the canal which leads thither

postage on letters and papers, which was not levied previous to his arrival, and for doing which he has shown no instructions or authority, British or Co. lonial, further than his own pleasure, with verbal information that he has Sir Honry Pottinger's sane. ion. For instance, packets containing patterns of goods, which are post office, or my passed free through every other now weighed and paid for as if they contained or only charged as a single letter, are Bills of Exchange or other valuable papers. The Post Master General will be somewhat astonished when he hears of this regulation. Papers and letters to or from British India, formerly free, are now chargeable with foreign rates. the neighbouring colony of Manila, formerly fror, now, six-pence each which sum we paid to-day We have always been in hopes that the British after the mail pas landed. Letters and papers although they were kept in the post office 48 hours government would stoolly oppose the colonization to and from the Consulates formerly free, of this and the neighbouring Islands by France. Not that such colonization will at all militate papers payable in aduernos--letters optional. Papers now, respectively four pence, and one penny against British, or advance French commercial to the United States, formerly free, now two shil- forest, but as a matter of justice. Some thirtylings onch. Those are a few samples of the laws years ago, t

the father or grandfather of the present enacted by this Lycurgus of Post Masters, Queen offered to onde the Islands to Gront Britaini 2nd. Me.Scales fins reduced the establishment of in perpetuity. The offer was refused, but a pledge the runners who formerly delivered Mails. By this was given that they would be protected from the he has entailed much trouble and expense upon aggressions of other powers. Since that period the community, It is now necessary, in many many Missionaries have settled among them and instances, to employ a purson for the sole purpose have been eminently successful in their plous of going to and from the Post office, song, Mers Jabours, Cultivation is increased and improved, cantile establishments being two miles distant. Sugarof an excellent quality, encoureurs, lini quies, No intimation being given by telegraph of the m. cocoa-nut oil, &c, were shipped to Sydne we have seen the Queen's flag waving more| Post office, it is solely by kelping a fi

where rival of vessels, and no delivery being mad phan once. From the stillness of the Ishnods, at that place, that letters can be And the few inhabitants probably not more The expense of this to individuals or great, than 10,000, as a colony it is of little value || boying

French vandy may be flattered by

a new colony, which may

puls a theme for uations. from this the adventures, uro poor Islanders it will ha ulic tion. Many of them will migrat

lourishing Island of Orabe 1e, veluch rawing itself from barbarium to retrograde into Heathemen, or be the superstitions of Catholicis

edit

and the rice.

nCoolie to provide to the Post office by a mere tale two or the being sufficient fur, the

ard. Mr. Scales has been plearou the hours of which his of from the removal at nearly al Muono nd

ted with greater. Formerly

8 AM 106 1. M. Now

The French flect are expected in June or July if the Chinese act wisely, they will satisfy the wishes of the Ametien mussion before the other one comes to hund.

We are somewhat at a loss to necount for the

quarter. expensive establishment sent by France to this Her trade with China is quite insignifi- cant, nor at all likely to increase. The celestiala are not consumers of wine, silks, fruits, and the other principal artele of French commerce--pei. thor at they likely to acquare n (nate or perme-

milbrary or bijanerio. In France the consump tion of Tear is vory-tilling, and until they cau tablic export of cottons and conrec

I to this part of the world, they exponat at winch thair ships ago Ball outward droght, and the doct of negro- be able to purchase - their tear cheaper in Europe be Amerien, than they can import them.

The great i

| lbrl, experienced

and personal discom ers visiting Hongkong,