The Press.
London, England, 1857-02-07 00:00:00

derstaud that wars in India, undertaken for India,'
objects against native princes, stand upon a different
footing. But in the present case British troops are
spoken of and the whole affair is treated as a British
and not an Indian war. Itis a war entered into by
direction of the Home Government, and is dearly a
British war, and, if so, it ought to have been declared
by a British sovereign and brought before Parlia-
ment. (Hear, bear.) I know not what answer my
noble friend opposite may make, I presume that he
has consulted the authorities of the Crown on the
subject, but my own impression is, that as the war
is an unfortunate one, so the proclamation of it
has been unconstitutional, nay, almost illegal.
( Hear, bear.)

But if I deplore the commencement of the Persian,
ten times more do I deplore the opening of the
Chinese war—(cheers)—accompanied as it has been
by proceedings unknown in civilised warfare--(Hear,
hear)—but which I have to night heard with asto-
nishment characterised as being marked with great
forbearance. (Hear, bear.) Ido not say that the
Chinese have not violated the treaty into which they
entered, but what I do say is, that I consider it
extremely doubtful whether the lorcha Arrow was
under the protection of the tiag of this country, and,
if not, our whole case falls to the ground. Sir J.
Bowring admits that the time for which the Arrow
was entitled to carry the British flag had expired:
but he adds that the Chinese did not know that such
was the case. He also states that under the colonial
register she was entitled to carry the British flag
until her return to Hong Kong. Now, I very much
doubt the legal validity of the colonial register, and
of this I am sure, that there is infinite danger in
allowing any authority at a distance to grant British
protection, and to enable persons, whatever their
character may be, to advance a claim to British
influence. I believe, however, that the colonial
register is of very doubtful validity, because I think
that it is inconsistent with, and repugnant to, the
law of England, and it is clearly laid down that
colonial law shall not be repugnant to the law of the
parent State. I believe that this colonial register
confers the privileges of British vessels upon vessels
which are not the property of British subjects, but
of persons who, being foreigners, have been allowed,
on the payment of large sums of money, to take
leases of land in Hong Kong, thereby becoming
resident in that colony, but who do not thereby
become British subjects, and who cannot by the
general mercantile law claim for their vessel the pro-
tection of the British flag.

But, my lords, admitting even the legal validity of
the colonial register—supposing even that the Chi-

nese had been ten times more in the wrong—sup.
pose the insult had been more grave and had even
been repeated. I say that the course taken by our
representative is one which I had expected to have
heard censured, anl not vindicated. The Arrow was
in Chinese waters, although I know I may be told that
the power of the consul extends over those water:.
There was a man on board that vessel chargeable—and.

I believe, fairly so—with the commission of acts of
piracy ; that man was arrested, and also the re-
oi cue crew. On the demand of the consul,
however, the Chinese offered to restore the crew,
retaining the man. Now. I say, that in this case,
whatever may have been the inadequacy of the
reparation. it was a cas? in which the British repre-
sentative ought to have received the men, although
he might express disapprobation at the proceeding.,
and at the same time apply to his Government for
instructions. Instead of adopting that course, he
takes upon himself to enter upon hostilities of the
most acrid character. He destroys their forts, but
he goes still further in that course of forbearance
so mach lauded by the Government. tA laugh.)
In time of peace—that is to say, with no war legally
proclaimed—without, I believe, giving any notice
of his intention, upon his own authority, with-
out the sanction of the Crown, he orders the
admiral on that station to do—what? You took
great credit for sparing Odessa. tLottil cries of
" Hear, hear.") You were told that Odessa was
full of food and military stores : you were at war with
a mighty empire ; this country was taxed to the
utmost but you said that, on grounds of humanity,
you would not destroy a commercial town. But now
in the time of peace, without the sanction of the
Crown, the Ilritish representative takes upon him-
self not only to destroy forts, but to bombard a
peaceful commercial town with an indiscriminate
slaughter of unoffending citizens—t Hear, hear)—a
town with which you have no relations but commer•
cial relations, and the destruction of which can simply
be fatal to your own commercial interests. And we
are told that such a bombardment is an act of signal
forbearance My lords, I look upon that transaction
with pain, and with no expectation of the benefits
which we are informed wilt result from it. At all
events, if such benefits do result, it is probable that
they have been the real object from the first, and
that you have gone to waron talc?. pretences. (Hear,
hear.) But I doubt whether you will gain the andel-