ENG-1952 — Page 234

HISTORY

lucrative nature of the trade, there were many com- plaints of the conditions under which it had to be carried on.

There were eight regulations limiting the freedom of the foreigners at Canton; and if these regulations were not consistently applied, they were always liable to be enforced and were regarded as vexatious Briefly, they did not allow traders to reside at Canton all the year round, but only during the actual trading season; women were not allowed to reside in the factories, that is, the trading posts; foreigners were not allowed entry into the city of Canton, or allowed freedom of move- ment, except across the river to the Fati Gardens three times a month; they were not allowed to ride in sedan chairs, or to have Chinese servants. Learning the Chinese language was discouraged, at least to the extent that only Chinese were recognized as interpreters in any negotiations. No direct communication with the local Canton provincial officials was allowed except by way of petition presented through the co-hong. These restrictions on personal freedom were regarded as humiliating, and the sense of grievance they gave rise to was increased by the commercial restrictions of the co-hong monopoly, which prevented the institution of anything approaching a free market, and by the absence of any right to own property such as godowns. addition there were constantly varying port charges and customs dues, which though not heavy, were arbi- trary and indefinite. Added to all this, the foreigners were referred to as barbarians, treated as such, and regarded as standing in need of occasional correction.

In

When the East India Company lost its monopoly of the China trade in 1833, Lord Napier was sent out as Chief Superintendent of Trade to act as the official representative of British commercial interests. His

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