The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Ling, the officer who seized them, to that vessel in my
presence, and, if accused of any crime, they may then he
conveyed to the British Consulate, where, in conjunction
with proper officers deputed by your Exacllency for the
purpose, 1 shall be prepared to investigate the case.
Mr. Parkes also wrote to Commodore Elliot, calling
on him for any prompt mark of support that he could
render him.
On the 10th of October Commissioner Yeh re-
plied to Mr. Parkes's letter, distinctly denying the
nationality of the vessel, and inclosing certain soorn
depositions of a respectable Chinese merchant ship-
master, stating that his vessel was piratically boarded
and plundered on the 6th September, while off San-
dhow-tang, that in the crew of the Arrow he had
recognised the principal pirate, and hence had given
information to the authorities, and demanded his
seizure.
A second deposition, from one of the Arrow's
crew, asserted the Arrow to be Chinese built and
owned, and that the British register was bought of
Messrs. Block, of Hong Kong, for 1,000 dollars.
This witness also deposed that the man suspected of
piracy, one night while at sea detailed the whole
affair, for the amusement of the crew, of plundering
certain junks early in September off Sanchow-tang.
Commissioner Yeh thus comments upon these
depositions :
It is clear, from the above reports nod depositions, that
the cfficers had good reasons fur seizing these men, among
wlicrii there are several great offinders. \Voo•Agin, Le
Mingtae, and Leang•keen-foo, must be again very strictly
examined; but I have directed that the Assistant Magis-
trate Hen take the remaining time, namely, Leang-Apaon,
Leang-Meike, Leang-Atae, Leang-Agew, Leann-Aow, Ho-
YuenAke, Leang-Kingjen, and Tang-A-koi, and
return them to their vessel.

Mr. Parkes refused to receive the nine men, and
explained his reasons on the 10th to Sir John
Bowring :
The nine men enumerated at the close of his letter were
returned to me at the same time, but I refused to receive
them, because they were not delivered in the manner I had
demanded ; but I doubt not the assistant magistrate will
put them on board the lorcha in obedience to the orders
given him to this effect by the Imperial Commissioner.
To this Sir John Bowring replied on the 11th with
a most important admission :
The question presents two important inquiries : first,
the rights of the vessel in question ; and, second, the con-
duct of the Chinese authorities.

It appears, on examination, that the Arrow had no right
to hoist the British flag; the license to do so expired on the
27114 of September, from which period she has not been
entitled to protection. You will send buck the register to be
delivered to the Colonial-414.e.
He continues :

But the Chinese had no knowledge of the expiry of the
license; nor do they profess that they had any other
grounds for interference than the supposition that the
owner is not a British subject; that, however, is a qnes-
tion for this Government, who granted the register; and
it is clear that the Chinese have violated the 9th Article of
the Supplementary Treaty, which requires that all
Chinese malfaisants in British ships shall be claimed
through British authorities.
Sir J. Bowring concludes with injunctions that Com-
missioner Yell is to be informed that forty-eight
hours only will be allowed him to make an apolcgy
and give an assurance that nothing of the sort will
happen in future.
If such representation failed a war junk was to be
seized in reprisal.
Mr. Parkes accordingly next day, on the 12th, in.
forms Commissioner Yeh of this determination of
her Majesty's representative.
To which Yell on the 14th, replies on the whole
question, and denies the imputed insult to the
British flag:—
It had been ascertained by the previous examination
that this lurcha is not the property of a foreigner, and at
the time when the naval officer seized the twelve men, and
brought them to my yamun, I directed that they also
should be examined as to the matter, and they stated that
when they went to the lorcha to seize the men they saw
no foreigner on board ; that at that time nu flag had yet
been hoistedon buiull the lorcha; that they heard that the
flag was stowed away below, but they themselves saw
nothing of it. Therefore they seized the men and brought
them away.
Hereafter Chinese officers will on no account without
reason seize and take into custod; the people belonging to
foreign lurches; but when Chinese subjects build for
themselves vessels foreigners should not sell registers to
them, for if this be done it will occasion confusion between
native and foreign ships, and render it difficult to distin-
guish between them. Thus may all parties conform their
proceedings to the conditions of the 9th article of the
reaty.

No more satisfaction being given by Yeh, the
same day reprisals commenced. Commodore Elliot,
with the Barracouta and Coromandel, passed the
Barrier Forts, and seized on a war-junk. Mr.
Parkes, on the 15th, wrote to inform Yell of the act.
On the 21st Yeh replied, asserting the Chinese
nationality of the vessel, denying the insult to the
British flag, but adding as regarded the future

Hereafter, if any lawless characters conceal themselves
on board foreign lurches, you, the said consul, shall, of

SATURDAY,

• )nrse, be informed of the same by declaration ( from the
Imperial Commissioner) in order that you may act in con.
junction (with the Chinese authorities) in the management

of such attars.

'With respect to the reprisals Yeh observes that the
junk seized by Commodore Elliot was a trading-junk,
and asks :-- _ _ _

Where in the treaty will he find authority for such pro.
ceedings as these? 1, the Minister, in any course of
action, must not exceed the rules of strict propriety, nor go
beyond the bounds of the laws in any punishment that L
impose.
- " -

On the same day Mr. Parkes replied to the Com-
missioner insisting upon an apology and reparation
for the insult, and shortening the time for com-
pliance to 24 hours, when force would be employed.
The twenty-four hours having been extended to
sEven days, without a sign of compliance on the part
of Yeh, on the 22nd Mr. Parkes addressed to him
another letter, reasserting, upon " clear and conclu•
sive proofs," the fact that the lorcha had the
British ensign flying when boarded, and had an
Englishman on board, and insisting upon the return
of the whole twelve men seized :

If but one of their number be missing (concluded Mr.
Parkes) I cannot undertake to receive them. But it is
very far from my intention to give these men, when they
are surrendered to me, their liberty. I shall receive
them, but ought to detain them in safe custody until all
the requirements of the treaty in their case shall have been
fulfilled.

The whole twelve men were sent back the same
morning, hut Mr. Parkes refused to receive them, on
the following plea:—

The twelve men sent to the consulate at noon on the
22nd, together with the communication from your Excel-
lency, which accompanied them, were returned, because
the demands made in my letters of the Nth and 12th of
October had not been complied with, as was clearly ex•
plained at the time to the Nankee, Assistant Magistrate,
who brought them.

On the same day, Mr. Parkes places the matter in
the hands of Admiral Seymour, detailing all the cir-
cumstances of the case, but casually admitting that
Yeti's assurance in his letter of the 21st might
" perhaps he considered sufficient, though British
should have been the word used instead of foreign."
The admiral on the following day ordered up the squad.
ron, andltook possession of the Barrier Forts. As
soon as the capture of the forts was complete, Mr.
Parkes, on the 23rd, wrote to Commissioner Yeh, re-
peating his proposals for a settlement of the
differences, and threatening further demonstrations
in case of continued obstinacy :

However much he may regret this resort to force, which
your Excellency, by your violation of the treaty, has com•
pelled, his Excellency will proceed to the destruction of
all the defences and public buildings of this city and
government, unless you at once comply with every demand
which has been made.
Should these movements occasion or lead to the destruc-
tion of any British property, the British Government will
demand from that of China full compensation for the same.
To which Yeh replies, on the 24th, recapitulating his
version of the affair, and strongly denying that the
British colours were flying at the time of the seizure
of the Arrow, and protests against this use of force
towards a nation at peaco with England :

Your honourable nation (concludes Yeh) has hitherto
reverenced the spirits of heaven and the Sabbath-day, and
justice and propriety are held by you in esteem ; but does
the destruction of forts correspond with such professions ?

On the 24th and 25th the forts at the head of the
Macao passage were taken. On the same day a
strong body of Chinese troops advanced upon the
Factories, but were easily driven back by the marines
in charge.
On the 26th Yeh again indignantly protests against
the capture of the Barrier Forts :

On the morning of the 22nd of October 1 addressed you
a declaration, and with it sent von the twelve men, thus,
therefore, returning to you the whole number that had pre-
viously been seized. You, the said consul, received (the
letter and men), and thus had knowledge (of the fact ).
\Vas not this proceeding in perfect accordance with (the
demands made in) your letters of the Nth and 12th Octo-
ber? Why then did you as before refuse to receive them,
and proceed without reason to burn and destroy the forts
of this city ?
On the 27th Admiral Seymour made an attempt to
settle matters, but, for the fist time, put forth the
additional demand for the right of entry into Canton
for foreign officials :
His Excellency (writes Admiral Seymour), having by
his illegal measures, and determination to refuse repara•
tion, produced this display of force, I concurred in opinion
with Sir John Bowring, that this was a fitting opportunity
for requiring the fulfilment of long•evaded treaty obliga-
tions; and I therefore, in addition to the original demands,
instructed Mr. Parkes to make the following communica-
tion.
That to prevent the recurrence of evils like the present
which have been occasioned by the disregard paid by the
Imperial Commissioner to the repeated applications for
redress and satisfaction, made to him by letter in the mat-
ter of the Arrow, by her Majesty's Plenipotentiary and the
Consul—writing, in consequence of the closing of the city
to foreigners, being the only means of communication—l
demanded for all foreign representatives the same free