The Press. — London, England, 1857-01-03 00:00:00

JANUARY 3, 1857. The possibility of finding suitable localities for new penal settlements, and the further possibility of keeping them so when found, are indeed most deeply interesting and important questions. There are, doubtless, difficulties in the way of giving a perfectly satisfactory answer to them, yet not, we hope, such as patient inquiry may prove unable to dispel. As regards the locality itself, we can only say that a great number of places have recently been brought before the public, out of which it is surely not too much to expect that sonic might be found suitable. That any one should be free from all possible objections is, of course a hopeless idea. It would be sufficient to require a certain combination of advan• tapes with an absence of all objection to our own occupation of the territory. The site should be at a certain distance from any civilised part of the world ; the soil sufficiently fertile to repay agricultural labour ; and the limits sufficiently extensive to enable discharged prisoners to settle there permanently. It should not be sufficiently attractive to encourage a large immigration from this country, nor sufficiently the reverse, to repel it altogether. It is desirable, as Reeorder HILL has observed, that there should be an honest population into which the convicts should gradually be absorbed; and it is desirable, on the other hand, that this popula tion should be kept as long as possible within such proportions as would prevent them from claiming the colony for themselves alone. It seems to us that the Falkland Islands would answer most of these requirements; they are decidedly unexceptionable as far as size, remoteness, and facility of occupation is concerned, and we believe there are many other islands in the Pacific Ocean or in the Indian Archipelago that would answer almost equally well. We cannot doubt, then, that if Government took up the matter seri ously, and ordered an official survey, the result would be the discovery of at least one, if not more localities on which we might discharge our felon population without any impediment whatever. It is not likely that, with Canada, Australia, and the Cape of Good Hope before them, English emigrants would crowd to the Falk- ! land Islands in such numbers as to alter its character as a penal colony. That it should in time develop itself into something different is a result not to be deprecated, but de sired. But if we have provided for the dis posal of our criminals for two or three genera tions to come, we ought surely to be satisfied. We are not bound to look so very far forward. " Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof ;" and, indeed, the condition of the whole civil ized world a hundred years hence may be something so totally different from what it is now, that we may conscientiously relieve our selves from the necessity of prospective legis lation. Reformatory schools and the spread of education on the one hand, and the changes of territory and fluctuations of empire on the other, may have brought about a state of things in which the problem which is now so formid able may no longer prove perplexing. We say, then, that if there is any reasonable probability that the system of transportation can be pro longed for another century, we are bound not to reject the benefit thereby accruing to the British race during that period, because we cannot exactly say what is to be done at the end of it. What would have been the condition of this country at the present day, if, since the year 1737, all our convict population had been re tained at home? No process has yet been discovered, save hanging, by which we can consume our own convicts as we consume our own smoke. If we would not be stifled with crime, some outlet must be found. THE KING OF PIEDMONT, while out on a sporting excursion a few days ago, having become separated from his suite, was stopped by a party of robbers who demanded his purse. " But am the King," was the royal reply ; to which the robbers answered, " We know that very well, and it is precisely for you that we were waiting here." The wood being solitary and the suito at a distance, his Majesty was obliged to yield compliance, and held out to the robbers a purse containing twenty gold Napoleons, which was re ceived with marks of the greatest respect. THE PRESS. THE BOMBARDMENT OF' CANTON. THE late intelligence from China is of unusual importance. Canton has been bombarded by the British squadron, all trade is stopped, and it was officially announced by the British Consulate on the 15th November that there was " no immediate pro spect of the restoration of quiet." The real origin of this outbreak of hostilities appears to be the desire of the British authorities to obtain the due execution of a promise, long made and delayed by the Chinese Government, to admit the English officials within the city of Canton. The ostensible cause of the affair would appear to be a very justifiable act on the part of the Chinese au- thorities. In the month of October last a lorcha, the Arrow, was lying at anchor off Canton. It appears that, for some time, smuggling in salt has been carried on to a great extent. The Arrow was suspected of being engaged in such contraband trade, and it coming to the ears of the Chinese authorities that certain no torious pirates were among the crew, the local police were ordered to arrest the entire crew and subject them to examination. On the Bth of October this was carried into effect ; the crew were arrested and taken before the Imperial Viceroy Yeh. The legality of this act depended entirely upon the point at issue, viz., the nationality of the vessel. The Chinese, declare that the Arrow was not a foreign vessel, that she was built, owned, and employed by a Chinese, that her crew were Chi nese, and that, though possessing a British colonial register and flying the British flag, they have evidence to prove that the one was dishonestly obtained and the other temporarily purchased for the mere purpose of smuggling with impunity. On the other hand, the British authorities declare that before leaving Hong Kong the Arrow had duly obtained at that port, as she was entitled to do, a British colonial register, and henceforth to all intents and purposes she became a British vessel. Be this as it may, on the Bth of October the local marine police proceeded on board the vessel, arrested the entire crew, and, according to our consul, Mr. Parkes's, account, hauled down the British colours then flying at the masthead. This act the Chinese Commissioner, Yeh, denies, on the authority of the crew themselves and on the custom of the place. He writes to Sir Michael Seymour, in a despatch of the 31st Oct.:— It has been the invariable rule with lorchas of your Excellency's nation to haul down the flag when they drop anchor, and to hoist it again when they get underway. When this lorcha was boarded in order that the prisoners might be seized, it has been satisfactorily proved that no flag was flying. How, then, could the flag be hauled down? Yet Consul Parkes in one despatch after another pretends that satisfaction is required for the insult offered to the flag. And again on the 2nd of November No foreign flag was seen by my Executive at the time of the capture ; and as, in addition to this, it was ascertained on the examination of the prisoners that the lorcha was in no respect a foreign vessel, I maintain that there was no mistake committed. However, Mr. Parkes, when informed of the arrest of the crew, at once took the matter warmly up, proceeded to board the lorcha, and remonstrated with the Mandarin officer left in charge. It is reported that the officer insulted and even threatened him with violence. Mr. Parkes then instantly com• municated with the British authorities at Hong Kong, and wrote to the Governor Yeh, complaining of the whole proceeding as an open infraction of the ninth article of the Supplementary Treaty between Eng land and China, according to the terms of which the Governor, having any complaint to make respecting parties under the protection of the British flag, is bound in the first instance to communicate with the British Consul. The Consul further de manded that the whole of the men seized should be publicly restored to the vessel. Governor Yeh replied that the lorcha was not a foreign vessel, but he sent back nine of the men, retaining only the two who had, on the preliminary examina tion before him, been identified as the parties impli cated in the imputed acts of piracy, and the witness whose evidence was necesssry to their ultimate con viction. This did not satisfy Mr. Parkes, who refused to receive the men; and on the lath he again wrote, " demanding," to use his own words, " besides restoration of the whole number, a letter of apology for their seizure, and assurance that nothing of the kind should occur again—to be given within forty eight hours." Of this letter Yea took no notice. On the 18th, after communicating with Sir John Bowriog at Hong Kong, the screw corvette En counter, 14 guns, and the steam sloop Sampson, 6, upon Mr. Parkes's suggestion, arrived in the Canton river, with a large force of marines and blue jackets. Tho steam sloop Barracouta fol lowed with further detachments, with Admiral Seymour on board, anti who proceeded direct to Canton, and hod an interview with Mr. Parkes. The British and other traders were then officially warned of the posture of affairs, and commercial transactions, which for a week before had been little more than nominal, were suspended. On the 21st Oct. Mr. Parkes despatched a final letter, demanding the public return of the whole of the crew, and an apology for the insult to the British flag, within twenty-four hours. On the 22nd Governor Yeh wrote to Consul Parkes, and at the same time forwarded to him twelve men—namely Leong-Minglai and Leong-kee foo, convicted on the inquiry he had instituted, and the witness, Woo Ayen, together with nine men pre viously tendered, but Consul Parkes would neither receive the twelve prisoners nor the letter, on the plea that the men sent were not the same as those seized, and so he at once put the matter into the hands of the British admiral, Sir Michael Sey mour. The admiral then demanded of Governor Yeh redress and apology and a salute of twenty-one guns to the British flag, and gave the Viceroy twenty four hours further to consider the course he was pursuing, warning being given that should he still refuse compliance, coercive measures would be adopted. Yeh, however, made no satisfactory reply, the tone of his communications, we learn, being any- thing but apologetic. Negotiations failing, on the 23rd of October, the barrier forts at the mouth of the river were stormed, and taken by our seamen and marines without loss, the Chinese offering but a poor resistance. Guns were spiked and taken to the number of 437. Some of the forts were burnt, while others were held by cur marines and a detachment of the Royal Artillery, sent up from Hong Kong under the com mand of Captain Rotton, P..A. A body of 100 marines was also landed to protect the factories. Two days were now allowed to elapse in the hope that Yeh would give in, and acknowledge himself in the wrong. No signs of surrender being made, on the 27th, 11.M.5. Barracouta and Encounter ascended the river, which is here rather broader than the Thames at London-bridge, though with not more than two fathoms depth of water, and threw shot and shell into Governor Yeh's palace, and into the encampment of troops outside the city. On the 28th and 29th the bombardment was continued and directed against the famous city wall. About 1.30 p.m. on the 29th, a breach having been made, a party of marines and blue jackets were landed, and with very little opposition entered the city, and took possession of the Governor's palace. Sir Michael Seymour soon followed, and having promenaded round the apartments of the palace, the troops were withdrawn with the loss of five killed, and one officer and thirteen men wounded. The bombardment set tire to a certain portion of the town, and destroyed thirty-six out of thirty-eight of the Chin-chew and Fokien Hongs, with an enormous amount of valuable property. Further attempts at negotiation were then made. Anlenvoy despatched on the 29th by Governor Yelt to ascertain what the demands of Sir Michael Seymour were, was informed that a right of access to the Chinese authorities within the city of Canton for foreign representatives, was a sine qud non. On the 30th Sir Michael despatched a letter to Yeh embodying these demands, and insisting upon a per sonal interview in order to settle difficulties. To this, Yeh on the 31st. replied by a summary of the whole case of the Arrow, maintaining his ground that the vessel was not de facto a British vessel, and that, according to custom, no colours were flying at the time of the arrest of the crew, who had since been liberated but refused by Mr. Parkes, and con cluding : In reference to the admission into the city, I must ob serve that in April, 1849, his Excellency the Plenipotentiary Bonham issued a public notice at the factories here to the effect that he thereby prohit•ited foreigners from entering the city. The notice was inserted in the newspapers of the time, and will, I presume, have been read by your Excellency. Add to this that the exclusion of foreigners from the city is by unanimous vote of the whole population of Canton, and it may be supposed how little to their liking has been this storming of the forts and this destruction of their dwellings, and, apprehensive as I am that evil may hence befall the officials and citizens of your Excellency's nation, I can suggest nothing better than a continued adherence to the policy of the Plenipotentiary Bonham as the best course to be pursued. As to the consultation (proposed by your Excellency ), I have already, some days ago, deputed Tseang, prefect of Luy-chow-foo. I accor dingly reply, availing myself of the occasion to wish your Excellency prosperity, &c. On the 2nd of November Admiral Seymour replit d that he was perfectly satisfied of the facts of the Arrow case, as represented by Mr. Consul Parkes, that the demand for the removal of the prohibition of foreigners from entering Canton had nothing to do with former negotiations, that the demand was only made on behalf of foreign officials, and that it was made inthe belief that it was the sole security against a recurrence of any future misunderstandings like the present. To this letter no reply was returned, and it was then resolved to attack ti ,inner, or Mantchou portion of the city, di vided from the southern by a high massive stone wall, and containing the garrison of Canton. This