728
PRIĢINAL CORRESPONDENCE.
(To the Editor of the Friend of China.) Victoria. 27th March, 1845. Sir. I do not conceive that the very objectionable paragraph of Dr. MacGowan's statement, on which: you so justly animadvert, should be allowed to pass- without some further remarks,
It is pleasing to observe however, that he in no way Jeads us to conclude, that Capt. Eyer was of his opt- ion, for that, would he a libel on the highly respect. able, and intelligent class, of his countrymen,sto which he belongs
A thart, sufficient for the purpose of conveying a ship, coming from the northward with a for wind, into the northern, anchorage of Chinchew bay. daylight, was in existence above ten years ago, I need not tell you or the Public what improvements in the pharts have taken place since then, especially since I' Majesty's Simps. began to survey it. Why was not the Oscar" as well provided as those Vessels at an- chor in the bay?
Dr. MacGowan does not say that he showed the well known signal for a Pilot, or that of distress, how then were those unt anelior to ascertain that he was puprovided with charts ?
The entrance by the southern passage is very in picate, and had, such signals, as above mentioned, been made the character of the British Seaman, is too well known for us to doubt, that many of the of- Bicers of the Ships at anchor, would cheerfully have isked their lives and that of their boats crews, to have Is it for this acted as Pilots in board the Oscar " well known trait that he applies the term "desperate men" to them? or is it (as a minister of peace) with the view, of cherishing amongst his countrymen, an unchristian and unnatural feeling towards the British P Was there, no. Newspaper in Chine to hold up to execration the desperate men" on the "Oscar's" arrival at Macao, or to justify the charge (for it is a charge not an insinuation) that it first appears in an american Missionary Périodical?
But, Sir, (with reference to your remarks, as to the causes of the apparent lukewarmness, or coldness, in respect to pecuniary aid. with which the missionary canse has been treated, from the coutluct of some of its servants indug'ng caution in those who feel an in- terest in it) the Paragraph leads to various and in portaut considerations. There are millions of Dr.
Stacgowan's countrymen who will read the Paragraph and who cannot but be mislead by it.
Can the terms Smugglers" and "desperate men" fail of leading them to imagine a class similar to the old Buccaneers of the Spanish main or the more re- cently armed and desperate" smugglers of the British chanel in C. C. Bay? If Dr. Macgowan has erred· from ignorance who is to blame: he could at Hong- kong and at other places, easily, have ascertained hat a large propertion of the desperate meu" are gentlemen well educated, with no cause for, or pross pert of ever being called upon to be desperate and, too high minded and well principled to have male such statements of him, as to deserve having galled forth from you the assertion, in which I most
|
THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE.
NOTICE.
New advertisements, will be received, until 4 | Imports. from British India, in one
O'Clock, on the evenings previous to publis cation, viz: Tuesdays and Fridays.
ENGLAND
UNITED STATES CALCUTTA BOWMAY SYDNEY MADRAS ESTAVIA
SWEDISH TRADE.
vessel of 19) tins burthen Exports, to Ams'erdam and New-York, in two vessels of 581 tons burthen
4
·
Dac. Nov 1
7
Jan, 26
Dec. 28
Jan, 16
Απον
SINGAPORE Tely. 20 MANILA Frisy 20 CHTSAN
Feby SHAMARA Feby. Fon.cow-Fao Juny, Feby.
LATEST DATES.
Doc. Nov. 23
1: 28
****.
THE FRIEND OF CHINĂ,
AND HONGKONG GAZETTE, VICTORIA, SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1815.
By the Isabella, Captain Gray, we have the Singapore Free Press to the 90th ult.; Har Majesty's Steamer Driver, had sailed for Bor- neo a few days previously, having on board Captain Bethune R. N. and Mr. Henry Wise, on a special mission from the British govern- ment to the Sultan of Borneo. After visiting Borneo, the Driver will proceed to Pulo Labu- wan, the intended coal depot for the line of Steamers between Point de Galle and China,
Our readers we trust will understand, that the following Notifications which appear in four. columns to-day, or any that may hereafter ap: pear, are not published officially. To keep our subscribers fully informed upon such subjects, we will take the usual liberty of copying from que contemporary the China Mail,
NOTIFICATIONS.
"It is hereby notified that orders have been given to the Police to summon all persons be- fore the Chief Magistrate who may be found riding in a furious manner within the town of Victoria, and that besides the penalty inflicted by Ordinance No. 5, they will remain furthere Hable for any injury they may inflict on indivi- duals."
W. CAINE. Chef Magistrate of Police, Chief Magistrate's Office, Victoria, 26th March, 1845,
By order,
$ 18,234
,,153,689
Total Imports and Exports. $171,922 Nave-These two ships were merely employed as freight ing vessela; the inwand earg heing from Bombay--the out- ward cargoes to Holland and America, and all on British
account.
:
GERMAN TRADES. Imports, in oné la aburgh véssel bure-
then 230 tons Exports, in one Prussian and two. Hauseatic vessis barthen 721 tons
? Total finports and Exports
advantages of no ordinary degree is undeniable, but when we see every effort of the cominunity crushed by the executive, when we see burilens laid upon every branch of trade before it has gathered sufficient strength to support them, we fear that before there is any considerable local trade, there must be changes in the measures of government, and a more liberal policy pursued. The abstract question of taxa- tion is not one upon which we would now enter, we remark, however, that if we must be taxed, let the tax be laid upon property, on nicome, or: on anything except commerce; this is a súl $5,713 ject for the consideration of Her Majesty's go
vernment, and it is for them to say whether in 122,883 its infancy, it is just to tax tlie inhabitants of a golony, who already are burdened in no ordi- nary degree by land rent, and who positively have been injured through the incapacity or obstinacy of government servants,
$
$122,631
General Summary of the import trade of Canton for the year 1841. British imports value
American French Dutch: Belgian
Danish Swedish German
Portuguese,, Lorelias
Total
or
French Dutch Belgian Danish Swedish
German Portuguese orclias
Total
or
fully agree with you, "That a more uncalled for and, been given to the Police to destroy any Dogs entries in the Books kept at this Consulate, an Pas English Mandarins. Salt, the most mode
#erroneous report was never disseminated through the
columns of the most unprincipled perfou edy”
In this case.
I never was an adviser of those nice distinctions, by which men reconcile to their consciences, the lead ing of others by insinuations, written, or verbal, to the same conclusions, as if the false statement was truly anade; one is fully as bad as the other, Dr. Mactiowan by his act, leans to my way of think. ug, and since the truth and value of one paragraph, has cause to light, how many more many there not be in his papers, solely the produce of his own imagina- tion And this is the way a Christian medical mis sionary does his duty to his employers in America.
It is at least consoling to know, that this conduct of his is not likely to injure his usefulness among the Chinese in the Christian and interesting labour in
which his engaged, but when your paper of yesterday reaches his present station, will it not necessarily so sinong the small European and American community, to whom he ought to be a Pastor, a blessing and a coin- fort? I only hope that we shall have same explana- tion from hin. Apologising for occupying so much of your valuable time.
I am, Your obedt. Servant.
A. M. S.
"It is hereby notified that strict orders have
found ruming loose in the streets after 6 o'clock at night?"
By order
W. CAINE. Chief Magistrate of Police, Chief Magistrate,s Office, Victoria, 26ti March, 1815.
The result of our inquiries on the subject of An Englishmau's letter in our last issue, have been so far satisfactory, that it appears the government do not tax the females referred to for the purpose of raising revenue, but solely for the support of an Hospital, to which when sick they obtain free admission, and which is under the charge of a European Doctor, aided by a native. Doctor, nurses &c. &c. are told that the subscription to this institu- tion is not compulsatory; and that its influences
REMARKS AS REGARDS IMPORTS: The preceding Returns have been carefully compiled, as regards the British Trade, from the
regards the Foreign Trade, from the Linguists Reports to the Superintendent of the Customs The Quantities of Importa specified are, in both instances, those that paid duty. Bullion and Coin being duty free, its insertion has been omitted in the absence of official data.h
The Weights and Measures stated, are those in use at Canton. Catty is equal to 13 Pound Avoirdupois; hence 100 Catties correspond with 133) Pounds in England. I Chang is 4 English yards, nearly...
The Value given has invariably been adopted. upon a moderate computation, according to the average prices of the year in the Canton Market, including the duty and other expenses.
. It must be remarked that the commodities stated as imported in Portuguese Lorchas or small craft, We proceeded for the most part from Marao, where they arrived in British and Foreign Vessels, and were subsequently trans-shipped in the roads in
Lorchas for Canton.
••
glance, and in colony, a anore have been devis-
The great blow at the prosperity of Hong, $15,506,240 Kong was the supplementary treaty, the effects 1,320,170 of which it may take many years of prudent 33,823 management to remove, This unfortunate 231,708 compact at once placed the main portion, of 60,517 what would have been our commerce, at the 51.990 mercy of the authorities of China, and they „18,234 have used that power in a m>nner the most » 5,743 injurious. Independent of them, there was 614,824 an inconsiderable trathc which they could not control. Opium and Salt, with auction $17,843,249 sales of manufactured goods or Indian produce in some degree brought prosperity to the colony, £ 3,866,037. and by judicious management this traffic would have increased. Unfortunately on his voyage General Summary of the export trade of to China, our present Governor visited the.
Canton for the year 1844.
flourishing settlement of Singapore. There he British exports
value $17,025,360 found certain local taxes, which in a place American
0,680.171 where commerce was firmly settled did not
37,130 ins
n any material degree militate against its #572,188.
9,043 prosperity; forgetting that Singapore was a place of some standing, with peculiar adván. lages, improved by its first Governor, the 153,688 enlightened. Sir Stamford Raffles, and carefully 122,838 teaded by each subsequent one, His Excel. 7.522 lency has endeavoured to impose sumilar taxes here, and the edusequaces are most disastrous, 825,513,049 We have an auction duty of 21 per cent, which deters many from disposing of goods by publie £ 5.529,022, competion, a mode of purchase to which the native buyers were getting favorable--but they cannot understand this payment to government in addition to paying for the goods-according to their ideas it is extortion on the part of the
necessary of life, is farmed out, or the of weighing it sokl to a Chinaman; the pur- chaser must satisfy the demands of this man, and this they look upon as a second squeeze on the part of the English Mandarins. Opium too, has pot escaped; the privilege of retailing the drug for consumptionless qarties than a chest has been sold, leased, or farmed for $720 per month, yielding the government, always suppose ing the rent to be paid, $ 8,040 per annum. The injury inflicted by this is much greater than may be apparent at a the present position of injudicious measure ed. The government have not even the fana tical apology of a desire to limit the use of the drug among the native inhabitan's ---the sole m- ducement was the probability of drawing a pal- try revenue, and for this every other considera- tion has been set at nought. We need not in- from our lecal readers, that through - blunders - To the Editor of the Friend of China.
in the translation of official documents, and Sir, I notice that the Chief Magistrate intimates, that all dogs, found loose on the streets, after 6 o'clock
through various regulations connected with fit night will be destroyed. I hope the law does not
the harbour and the native shipping--some of cone into immediate operation as there will be ne
them good in themselves as well as charges, winch to the natives appear acts of extortion. ock at night till next winter The law as it applies
they look upon the colony and its rulers with miss- to the Queen's Road and other public thoroughfares with houses on the road, is an unexceptionable one,
The Weights and Measures stated, are those in picion. They become alarmed by each new edict. but surely it is hard, that the trusty guardian of a collect the revenue, tax, or whatever it is de- Bungalow, merits death for chasing a thief from his signated, and all other particular, must however, use at Canton. 1 Catty is equal to 14 Pounds and those--or a part of them who were early quasters premises to the street
I shall leave the be laid before the public, ere they can be satis Avoirdupois; hence 100 Catties correspond with settlers are leaving the island; the occasional visi- China Moil "
on the floor of my Verandah for thefied that everything is straight forward. 133) Pounds in England. 1 Chang is 4 Englishtors prefer going to Macao to supply themselves with goods, and enr trade, which ought under perusal of my dogs, in the hope that like the dog in
We would be extremely sorry to hear that, yards nearly. Pickwick they may be able to take notite," as I can'
I am, &c.
the government was levying contributions
proper management to increase is dwindling away.... The opium farming is the most severe from the native inhabitants, of which the Euro- peaus were kept in ignorance; such it is to be
blow it has felt since the supplementary treaty. It is not that the tax will materially influence hoped is not the case, but we must admit, that
the local consumption, but it will roost quaterial. with every disposition to put a favorable con-
ly influence the local sales. · A very latge por- struction upon the measures of the Executive.
tion of the drug is purchased by dealers in small- we do not like the secret way in which this It is an established principle in British con- hospital has been formed, and still less the col-stitutional law that without representation quantities not for use, but on purpose to refine lection of contributions towards its support by there is no taxation; it is sometimes amusing to and sell to the boats wheils visit the harbour, for a native pulice from native women.
see with what ingenuity the rulers of small export to the mainland. This will be put an colonies endeavour and too often succeed, in end to at least the attempt will be made—and evading this principle. Perhaps in the whole these boats will seek a ma két elsewhere. We range of colonial history, Hongkong offers the have been furnished with a statement," from FOREIGN TRADE WITH CHINA.
most melancholy example of the pernicious in-which we gather that, the sales of opium nomi- The Mail of the 27th contains some addi- fluenges of a penny wise and pound foolish nally for local consumption are warly 1,000 tional returns of the foreign trade at the port government, whose mental vision extends not chests a year, "valued at $700,000. Of this it of Canten for the year 1911, compiled by Her beyond the limits of an insignificant revenue, Majesty's Consul Mr. MacGregor, Like the derived from the struggling energies of a youth French and Dutch returns they are quite in-ful commerce, which they are blindly suffocating considerable, but may hereafter be useful as in its infancy. Had it pleased providence to a standard by which to mark the progress grant to us two years ago, an enlightened and the commerce of the var ous-European na liberal Governor, intimately acquainted with tions with China. We give in a condensed modern commercial policy, and anxious not form the particulars, it being pite unnecessary lely to please those who had conferred the
Had His Excellency waited until the trade of to fill our columns with the small items of each honour of office upon him, but also to make the we also re-publish Mr. MacGregor's general prosperity of his government the main duty of the port was establishund, and then put on mo- derate taxes, he might have done so without summary of the trade of the port, and his re. his appointment, this island would now have oc marks, which are those of a practical and intel. cupied a different rank as a commercial colony, injury, and with the certainty of raising revente, ligent commercial writer.
our harbour would not have been deserted of but this premature attempt will deve away our shipping, nor would the few nature vessels who customers, and will not be the means of draw- frequent the port be fleeing from it, drivening more than a ufere pittance into the away by the exactions of the Executive.
exchequer. We predier that the Opiuma After a It is in vain that people blindly assert that by regulations will prove a failure, and bye trade must come to the place, that the careful perusal of thera we cannot see that a native merchants must settic among us, that a Magistrate could convict or punish any man British colony is sure to prosper, and a variety for selling less than a chest. It is stated that of other supposed truisms, some of which are at for consumption a chest is the smallest quantity the best apocryphal. That Hongkong from its that can be sold; the great bulk of the dealers geographical position, fine harbour, and above do not purchase for consumption, they do so all from the wealthy and enterprising merchants for refining, and export and we are really at a who have settled on it possesses commercial ' loss to perceive how they can be convicted for
do nothing more for them.
THE TENANT OF A BUNGALOW.
19 Wed.
·14
21 Fri.
20 Tours
20 98 77 75 76 3003 73 66 69
Kine clear,
15
22 sat
10
23 Sun.
29 77 68 64 66.3
2986 74 06 | 09. 80 70 67 68,5]
fine clear.
miotit.
Un
Throughout.
II.
-18 Tas 3004
10
17 Mon.
30.07
METEOROLOGICAL TABLE FROM 17 TO 23 MARCII, 1845. Remark
of Month Month Week.
Chiness day Day ofį day of
"Mean
Barzaneter
Thermometer.
Winds
Latter
Fore.
08 06 07
fux | Mine | Mean.
Hasy. Doo
have been most beneficial,
Every institution, having for its object the rohief of the unfortunate---whether they be the guilty, or the guileless deserves the support and the countenance of the government and of the community. The precise object of such institutions, the parties by whom they are sup ported, the names and characters of those who
of
BELGIAN TRADE,
Imports in two ships of 1151 toue burtlien $60,51T Exports in two ships of 1151 tons burthen 9,002
2
889.512
Total Imports and Exports
!
DANISU TRADE.
Imports in one ship of 372 tons burthen $51,000 NOTE--The ship did not rail und after the 1st of Jane ary; she was panly kered, and would fit up at Singapore.
་་
KEMARKS AS REGARDS EXPORTS.
The preceding Returns have been carefully compiled as regards the British-Trade, froin the entries in the Books kept at this consulate, and as regards the Foreign Trade from the Linguists Reports to the Superintendent of Customs. The Quan'itics specified are in both instances those that paid duty
The Value given, has been adopted, upon a moderate computation, according to the average prices af the year in the Canton Market, including the duty and other charges.
TAXATION.
is estimated that $210,000 worth is consumed on the island; the residue in value 8400,000 is exported. For the purpose of drawing a smail revenue this trade is sacrificed; and not alone every the 1,000 chests, of opium, but trade of description, the natives being alarmed by our imposts, and afraid to trust themselves in our harbour.
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