The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-22 00:00:00

COLONIAL.

THE LATE ItiltDEltS IN CHINA AND
CONDUCT 01' SIR JOHN DAVIS.
The Manchester Commercial Association some time
since made a representation to the Foreign Secretary of the
necessity existing at Canton for greater protection to the
British residents. Subsequently to the correspondence, in
telligence was received from members of the Manchester
Commercial Association, then at Canton, of the murder of a
number of their employee, whilst on an excursion into the
country. An important feature in the case was, that, on
search being made for the missing parties, by a few of their
friends, it was ascertained that several of them were probably
alive, not having up to that time been murdered, but only
placed in confinement in a small village ; and limier these
circumstances a number of British merchants, formed into a
volunteer association for the protection of property (there
!King then no military force at Canton), prepared to rescue
the prisoners, but were restrained by the orders of the
British consul, who required that they should wait till troops
arrived. On the arrival of troops it was found thtt the
prisoners, though then murdered, might, it was fully be-
lieved, have been saved, had there been no interference
with their friends. The punishment of the offenders was
demanded by the British authorities, and four Chinese,
said to be the murderers, were put to death without trial,
for the offend, a British military niece hang presort to wit-
ness the carrying into effect of the sentence. It is, unhappily,
an established fact that in China substitutes for the gallows
can be bought as readily as substitutes here can be had for
the militia, and there being reason to believe that, in this
case, several of the real murderers were escaping punish-
ment by that means, a deputation from the merchants of
Canton was sent to Sir John Davis to represent this suspi-
cion, and to request that he would not allow the military
to be present, because it would be acknowledging as a sub-
stantial measure of justice what in reality was only a sham.
The Manchester Commercial Association have letters from
Canton to show that at this interview the conduct of Sir John
Davis was of a very remarkable character; and the following
correspondence, which has taken place betweenithe president
of the association and Lord Palmerston, in their endeavours
torepresent the facto of the ease and
bobteeain better protection
for life and property at Canton, has n publis
Manchester Commercial Association,
ire
Sept. 25, 1846.
To Lord Palinerston.—My Lord,—The directors of this
association, by letters received from China per the last mail,
have been solicited to co-operate in calling the attention of
her Majesty's government to the serious outrages which
have been recently committed against the persons and pro-
perty of British subjects in Canton by the native popula-
tion, and to point out the necessity which exists of guarding
against a recurrence of similar di
edi b the prence
of a British ship of war in the immatesturbances neighbourhood.
The association, however, judging from what has already
transpired in the' public prints, doubt not that your lordship
is in possession of full eetails, and that the matter receives
your careful consideration. They therefore only deem it
necessary, as parties having a deep personal interest in the
subject, to express their anxious hope that her Majesty's
government will adopt immediate British to afford greater
security to the lives and property of subjects m the
Chinese empire.-1 have, &c. (Signed) J. ASPINALL
TC ItX Ell, President.
Foreign-office, October 1, 1846.—T0 J. A. Turner, Esq.—
Sir,—l am directed by Viscount Palmerston to acknowledge