The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-09 00:00:00

THE CHINESE WAR.

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS.

On Saturday were published the papers relating
to the proceedings of her Majesty's Naval forces at
Canton, presented to both houses of parliament by
command of her Majesty. These papers are ex-
tremely numerous, occupying 225 pages. They
include the despatches from Sir John Bowring to
the Earl of Clarendon, Admiral Seymour's des-
patches to the Admiralty, the respectiye correspon-
doenee between Sir John Bowring, Admiral
Seymour, and Consul Parkes, and with the Chinese
authorities ; documents relative to the proceedings
of the French and American representatives, to•
gether with a variety of papers, the substance of
willieh has already been made known There is
aic,.`sn an appendix, composed of papers dating from
entr''s'4B respecting the right of British subjects to free
,Y into Canton. The only expressions of
t°P,Lninn on the part of the home government con-
,,a`ned in the papers will be found in the following
mespatches :
The Earl of Clarendon to Sir J. Bowring.
Sir Foreign Office, Dec. 10, 1856.
have received your despatches of the 13th
and 15th of October, reporting what had passed in
''ePard to the seizure, by the Chinese authorities
at
Canton, of the crew of the loreha Arrow, sailing
tide, British colours.
tb` have consulted the law officer of the crown on
ti"la 'natter, and I have How to state to you that I
iP'„ opinion that this act of the Chinese autho-
es constitute an infraction of Article IX. of the
upplementary Treaty.
t The only
possible defence open to them appears
h.? he, that the Arrow was not "an English
f;i:relinut ship" within the true intent and meaning
.;i the Treatry ; but Article XVII, Rule I, in Sup.
Particular
Treaty, recognises• and includes this
class of vessel. She had a British
b '49r, British colours, and papers; and even if
er licence had been improperly granted in August,
this was a matter of British internal regula-
in, and to be dealt with b the British authorities.
ofltua,Peint is evidently an a y fterthought on the part
Chinese, and the only evidence of it is the
hineerroborated assertion of one of the crew whilst
herelist°dY• No British loreha would be safe if
crew
Iha were liable to seizure on such grounds.
to 1, ve further to observe that there do not seem
thi"ave been any such circumstances of urgency in
fet.B„e_aaa as would afford any justifieatien or excuse
tien,Lue arbitrary conduct of the Chinese authori-
",:; who were, probably, emboldened by the
nif ce of any of her Majesty's ships from Canton.
of Arrow was bound to Hong Kong, andany
guilty ier crew could be identified as having been
won ef piracy, or were even suspected of it, there
trtFui have been no difficulty in securing their
rehnsion and delivery: had the Chinese autho-
vizea taken the course indicated by Article IX.,
°°lninunicating with the British Consul
.viz Y two of her crew were charged with piracy,
det;; Leming-tae, and Liang-kien-foo, the third
wji
„nneu (Woo.a-jen) is apparently only wanted as
fer
-eased S-.l.esa; and there was not the slightest pretext
e'2ing the other nine, who were afterwards
titl.l° accidental and temporary absence of the
eoptilsh Master on board a neighbouring vessel
is - net effect the question. The British flag
44 early proves (by the deposition of Kennedy
Leee,h) have been hauled down by the
bialineae Mandarin crew, notwithstanding the de-
but of this fact by the Imperial Commissioner;
the even if the flag had not been actually flying at
ter
,_lllll_le
moment
it that the national charac-
ef the waslorcha well known to
.the author ties.
September of the Arrow's license on
iPt
eesa.r t have prievous to her seizure, does not
beer. known to the Chinese autho-
xeultioanncl,tll, je, again, is a matter of British
Chinese "'ltch Would not justify seizure by the
TtiC Piluctou luvoivect in this case is most im-
rri_tant) and the demands made by Mr. Consul
tes
<,
Appear to me to be very moderate under
of cireurnstances. I consider that the re-delivery
f te,three men still detained, and a subsequent
rh tl
demand for their extradition before they are
;oiv'tlll,ht) again, should be insisted on as a sine qua
f milleY must be considered as having been
j°}'`'.u.ly taken in broach of treaty, and' without any
vil",,ifileation or excuse, from on board a British
and illegally detained in custody by the
kn° is of the Imperial Commissioner, with full
01,7W1edge of all the circumstances and in defiance
ormal demand by the British Consul.
or utter all the circumstances of the case, I approve
ira,,tile intention to seize and hold one of the
111'"e,rialjunks as security for the redress which
4)l,',ligh commissioner has been called upon to
jo this case.
aav e Only to add, that I conclude you will have
erred"
' a strict enquiry, to be made into the
..
tin
ces connected with the grant of the
to the loreha in the year 1854. I am, &e.,
(Signed) CLARENDON.

Elie
keeretary of the Admiralty to Mr. Hammond.
(Received January 3, 1857.)
Sir Admiralty, January 3, 1857.
111(aae'---L T commanded by my Lords Commis-
or rs of the Admiralty to transmit to you copies
letter from Rear Admiral Sir Michael Sey-
b(,e,r, and of such of its inclosures as have not
(14 treeived at the Foreign Office, detailing the
413, 'fore4la at Canton ; and in laying the same
ilqitt Yole Earl of Clarendon, I have to request
Ivhatl will move his lordship to inform my Lords
the 41-inatructions are to be sent to the Admiral by
fall °f the 10th instant.--I have, &c..
(Signed) Tnos. PRINN.
-1?. /I
(txtan ""d to the Secretary to the Admiralty.
, racf.)
Foreign Office, Jan. 10, 1857.
I°ltellve laid before the Earl of Clarendon your
itqiinl. the 3rd instant, inclosing Rear Admiral
th,"e"fl,ol Seymour's report of the late operations
:(111 ii„`-'anOri river, and requesting to be made
Tviti; the instructions which should be
e~-1-"n1 on the subject ; and in reply I am to
hior4t that
you w. 9.1 acquaint the Lords Commis-
°,l3llll "," the AdmirKlty that Lord Clarendon is of
e'ti that the ach:firal's conduct should be
h
4PProved, and more especially the judg-
,ltecl) amens, and moderAtion with which he has
'4e% B,TI, the respect which be has shown for the
Proprieties of the Ch:(nose people.

The p
pi ---1,t.T1 of Clarendon to Sir J .Boicring.
' havera—.) Foreign office, January 10, 1857.
i(lcteb,,, l'eoeived our despatch of the 23rd of
ksliat - last, with ay report of the operations iu the
Rie°' iver.
Iv, . tty.„ , and I have to. acquaint you that her
Vi9eh 1.,' government entirely approve the course
ilha.racNB been adopted by Bear-Admiral Sir
441 V; °eYluour and yourse
to lf ; and I h ve to
0va1414 of also to convey Mr. Parkes a similar
his Conduct.
,t catrit , -- -
11-I)4' " Coure , the French representative,
d
setioi!!eQl to Sir JohnY Bowring his " moral . a. _
blth,r. ,to the course taken by the British
N'tlit:te'3, and his recognition of the fact that o.
°Fou.. til: interests direct us towards the revision
eaties with China

h"4 i; slCle" MI 'Phi. the m ndotion of the Board of
goi,,;,,,tiasere--" on ree°meto be instituted at
~f• tit" Ikr)n !reet,'d a futther inquiry
4 at port lnto the' circumstances attending the shipment
,t'thiseiiii:t. atnii(el
ilivinea •-, then. coolies on board the ship Duke of
I,ttlop Weet n'rii,avarll' h just received from Mr. John.
illle Beer t -""e Seine has
for the sufferers by the
A )tioila 60-43' to the subs
IciPati°°itnhird remittance of £9OO,
w pad 'aria eo Petted at Glasgow, xr„- ina Post, in the curse
01:ametiptriorc:Pondent of the .i._ rn" " Hotel de Ville,
of the late ball ..v" the that it
tor" talo,'''''" It i .'
inform youtoilette
tt l' '8 Yo,, 1 BMy painful duty t,
tat,44itisian. IMger tlran ever to walk
possess of
TI
be .lii
, rtg th '3', Which is the only Int dresses. ,P
°I eo (er,ra ~ vast proportions of evening
PAHA. the
`was I po
I)4(l:,lllbrantirls ere a heavy clustering of beast-5
a'nclhavitl
44(1,,°111 -°11", stuck on the back of the head, or fruity,
1° tilt, Noilid Portions of the drooping about th,Te.
,neck_,,
t er.
11° samehuman form
b ru. 14,,.._ Portion of the th t- eu.' ru'l,
face is,
10 t
&rtlickust forrver its outline but the • w dress A
' geau Ilnate bits at the Bourse will Now etnate, • f .
WI e with propriety."