The National Register.
London, England, 1817-05-26 00:00:00

ationall 14riviOttr.

Our Iling,Conrintution anti

MONDAY, MAY ,26, 1517.

furnished Captain Alaaysel,l tVitil a letter, ordering the pro.
sluciel authorities, 'wherever he might touch, to supply Ilie
wants of the ships. If they neglected to inform his imperial
majesty of lilts eiretinisteare, they alone were to blame.
Hovrever they did not troublerthe coast of China; they stood
' across the gulp') of Leateng, saw the great wall, wisitlioe tip
one side of steep mountains and descending the other down
into the very guljolt ; and instead of meeting with the eastern
coast of Corea, where it appears on oar charts, they fell in
with an archipelago of a thousand islands, among which
were the most commodious and 111.1gilifivelit harbours; the
real coast of the Coreau peninsula being at least !aft miles
further to the eastward. Frost hence they proceeded to the
Leion-Kitott Islands, where they met with* harbour equal to
that of Port ,',labor, and with the most fdendly reception
from the poor boot kind hearted people of those islands. Fi-
natty, from hence they stood across direct for Canton.
In the means time the embassy proceeded to Pekin and
on their as rival at TienSiug, ,so it is stated in the Gazette be-
fore us, a grand entertaitintroit was given to Lord Amherst,
agreeably with the estahtisited ceremonies of the empire ;
for which, however, his lordship is said not to have toren
sufficioally thankful. Another edit-f, bearing date the Volt
of Augoost, announces the arrival of the Ambassador at Pekin,
bearing a letter and tribute from 'the King of Ent; land: and
smother edict, in the next day's Gazette, 'timeliness the con-
clusion of the mission, melees it to quit Pekin the same day,
points out its toute throne') the provinces to Canton, coon•
mends the great officers of the provinces and the criminal
judos( s to attend the ambassador, together with a large mili•
tery event t 1 and it is difficult to say whether snspicitin or
pusillanimity most preponderates in the precautions Met:tied
in these absurd milers; or %leaky! petulance or timidity is
most apparent im them. It states that the letter and presents
have not been received, because the ambassador could not
present them ; and the reason for nut presenting them is thus
announced :
• This was the day which his Imperial Majesty had appointed t°
receive Lord Amherst, the ambassador from Om King of England ;
but when he came to the door of the interior palace, he was suddenly
taken so ill that he could neither walk nor move. The second am-
baaeador (Sir G. &auto's) was also affected in the same manner; they
could not therefore have the happiness of receiving the gradous tY•
your and the presents of the celestial emperor.'
The sickness of the ambassador is a stale trick of the Chi-
nese ; the explanation of whir'), we conjecture to he this :
Ou fueling that Lord Amherst oils inflexible, they endeavour-
ed to etisnure him by 411 appal coot relaxation of the demand,
when moo arriving at the hell of andience lie detected their
stra taceits, anti resisted the attempt to enforce the ceremony,
winch they would have marls as scruple to 010. The autocrat
of two hundred millions of people could not at once tell Isis
sieves that a foreign ambassador would not, he therefore qua-
' Idled the refusal with soiggestisog that be could not, through
siekness, see his • heavenly face.'
The ambassador 11111 not. however, leave Pekin on the 29th
%togitst, in eonformity with the imperial inandeto : it was ge-
nerally believed in Gliat,ll that le• did not set mit oil the journey
till the 7th September; mita liatened in the Intermediate
time does toot appear, but Iso the litho September another edict
Was It begins by noticing the grand ballet iet given
at Tienassing ; the refusal of the ambassador to comply with
• the prostrutions there, with which his imperial majesty was
not made acquainted, and for which neglect the new manda-
rins, queries and lie, were ordered to he degraded three de-
gree, : anti it proceeds to say, that the ambassador was
lodged at a ceretin pl Ice, called ris yntn, near the capital,
teat from thence he was conducted to the imperial palace,
• Where (observes his Chinese Slajesty) I was about to ascend the
throne to receive them, when the first and second were both taken ill,
and could not appear bethre me. In consequence of which I ordered
them instantly to return to their own country, fur it then occurred to
me, that they had declined to comply with the ceremonies of tile ce-
lestial empire. With respect to dear king, who sent them on so keg
a voyage across the vast ocean,- us present to me a letter and to offer
tribute, it was undoubtedly Isis intention to pay us homage, and to
obey our commaeds, which mark of submission we were unwilling
entirely to reject, het we also should foal to observe one of the fun-
damental rules of the celestial eitioires that of affhrdiug our protec-
tion to petty kingdoms. For the reason we hare thought tit to seled
the most trifling and least valuable of his articles of tribute; namely,
four maps, two portraits, and ninceystive prints, which we receive in
enter to confer some marks of our grace and favour. We have also
ordered presents to be given to die king in return, namely, a l'essae
tiesr large and eight small silk purses, to be conveyed to the said
king; sond this we do in contiornuty with the ancient and accustoned
rul., of the celestial empire, of nooking rids gifts in return for things
of hale value. The ambassadors on the receipt of these presents
were much delighted, and showed evident signs of surprize and as-
tonishment.'
t% ell, indeed, they might !.—This extraordinary state-paper
then proceeds to order the Viceroy of Canton to prepare tin
entertainment for the ambassador, and dictates the speech he
is to stake on that occasion, a hick is nearly a repetition of a hat
we have quoted; and it emit-hides by saying, ' steroid the am-
bassador again conceal that the rest of the presents may be
received, you are merely to say, we have express orders to
the color:11y from the celestial emperor, and we date not
again offend his ears,—and aids these words you ail reject
their supplications.' Preparations were accurslinelvuriking
by the Viceroy tors arena entertainment when the last ships
came away, 117111 he had sent Matte to the chief out the far-eery,
that he haul received the emperor's letter to the King of Eng-
land, which would be deliseacil to the ambassador on his ar-
rival.
These edicts contain all that' was known at Canton of the
proceedings of the entinissy. It is clear e metal', however,
from them that it had failed ; that is to that the einbassa-
dor had saved his own Matta:eta and the character of the
nation he represented, at the tAill'llre ut fOlcgoilig the grati-
fication of beholding the de/aline rays of the • celestial coun-
tenance,' and has ing the saleable presents sent out by the
F:rst India Commons. retinues! upon their hands. Toil is the
sum total of the failure ; our WA:11111st repeat, that not only ions
the tuitional character barn upheld Isv the r. tinsel of Lord
.Imltcrst to comply with a disgusting and degrading ceremony,

Pit tot 93d.

which a former Edgli•li and a it iliSi4D alnbAS,iitiOe also
refused; but that, indiv i lually, he will have experiehee,l
corsideratimi and attention from those very people tare !Lose
failed in their attempts to degrade hitn, and, through him, the
w:ml • parkin : for the less that iY coneed:.4l to this pos'llani-
mous and insolent people, the more will their fears for the cos-
segnelee begin o operate. What the isqw of the embassy
would ham u been, provided Lord Amherst had was ell all per-
sonal considerations, and submitted to undergo the degrad-
ing ceremony, may In collected from the estreme conde-
scension of the two Dutch ambassadors, Titsingh and Van
Bream. After Lord Macartoey'sfinture, as it was also called.
these two men imagined that a line opening was afforded to
the patch to obtain, by an itueondlitional submission, all that
the English had lost by their obstinate refusal. They began
at Canton to bow their heads nine times to the ground bribe,
a yellow tikreen ; to thank the Emperor for having graciously
condescended to permit them to appear Wore him w th a
letter and tribute ; and, befit c their return, they were brought
on filch knees and bowed their heads to the ground ninety-
nine times at least.---4 pour faire le saint d'honnedir,' as Van
lii aam, with true llatavian cumposure, calls this humiliating
ceremony ; but, after all this compliance on the part of the
Dutch, when they (wind themselves, in the capital, thrust into
a stable where some cart horses were standing, poor Van's
phlegm began to move a little, and he ventures to exclaim;
Nous serious .notts attendus d nue pareille aventure!' This
was not all ; tbr they were passed through the country literally
like so many vagrants; 'Audi in wretched hovels neither
wind nor water tight ; left sometimes by their bearers perched
in chairs in the midst of heaths, or on the summits of moun-
tains ; frequently without any provisions for whole days ; and
in short, went through so many hardships, that Van Braam.
who was a large man, says that lie had lost on his return a full
foot in circumference! whereas, in the case of Lord Macart-
ney, far from manifesting any petulance or ill-humour, which
might have been expected from mortified pride, the Chinese
.chewed every attention to the ambassador aml his suite during
the whole of their progress through the country.

But why object, we have heard it asked, to a cerentosy
which is the established usage of the country? Lord Ma.
cartney, we thick, has satisfactorily answered that question .
in urging 4 the propriety of distinguishing between the ho-
Magi: of tributary princes, and the ceremony used on the
part of a great and independent sovereign ; and ' that it
could not be exp;eted that an ambassador of an independent
sovereign should pay a greater homage to a foreign prince
than to his °on master, unless the compliment should be
made reciprocal.' It is not ti tie that the Chinese think little
or nothing of du it humiliating ceremony ; had that been the
CAW, the court of ceremonies would not have objected to
Lord Maeartney's proposal of a person of equal rank to his
own performing the same teremony before the King's por-
trait that he should be required to pet form before the Ens.
perot. We know not, of course, whether Lord Amherst was
prepared to propose this rieiprueity of compliment; Ind Wire
dill, and it tV.I3 nut aceeptol, he seas perfectly right in 1..-
fusing as Lott! Mac:it-they had done. We cannot conceive
a case allure the representative of the sovereign of Great
fltaititin should sobinit to a degradation which the represen-
tative of the Emperor Alexander had peremptorily resisted.
The disappointment in not succeeding could not be more
mortifying, nor the refusal less excusable, tbr Lord Am-
herst than for Count Golotikiii ; the latter, after a long and
fitiguing journey across the woods and deserts of Siberia,
was stopped short just as lie Caine in view of the promised
land, and turned back, because lie would neither how the
knee to the Yellow skreen, nor promise to do so to the Baal
himself, on his presentation at Pekin.
We have heard it asserted, that the Chinese protested
against the case of Lord Macartney brim; drawn into a pre-.
ccdeut, and that Lord Amherst was instructed to comply
with the customary ceremonies : the tirst we know to be
false; and the other we have every reason to helkvv to be an ;
it is not likely he should be instructed either to comp" or to
refuse, bat to act according to his owu discretion and to cir-
cumstances. If it be *sled, Why Bead an embassy at till
the Direetors of the East India Company call best answer
such a question. -They only, and their servants, know the
comparative situation of their affairs at Canton, before and
after the mission of Lord Macartney : since that mission, II
new generation has sprung up • old gi ievances were revived;
01 manlier of vexatious impediments and insulting conduct
were daily directed against our trade, and those who con-
ducted it ; the native set.% alit% Mtre forbidden to engage
thenise.s es to Europeans ; and the latter were proliiinted
from addressing the local authorities in the ellilleW 1411gilil re,
which is the only tango:tee they understand; supplies of pro-
visions were stopped to his Alajesty's ships, and cargoes with-
held from those of the Company ; the magistrates entered the
factory without permission or previous notice; and 'nasty
other offensive proceedings were instituted, which seemed
too plainly to indicate a disposition to retnru to a system of
oppression and insult, which, though it inig.ht have Items
submitted to in the early stage of our hitercourse, could
%rarely now be endured. In this state of things, the gentle.
meat of the factory. two years ago, came to the spirited reso-
lution of withdrawing the whole of the ships of the season
ya ith their eat goes vet unloaded) trout Co: river, and of
.ppealing at once to the Court of Pekin : and Sir George
St minim, who conducted the diffietilt and delicate discus-
sions, WoOi miler the nicessity of actually 1.1.11!0%, lug the Bri-
tish thig Irmo the factory, and preceeilieg ti,Wil the river
to carry their inteotions into ',fleet, wlici, tae natural timi-
dity (lithe Chinese gut the better of their iiiso:ence ; and a
deputation was sent after lam to etareat his return and con-
tinue the negociat ... So It 1111.4111, 111(.11401e, g.llll plubably
was, deemed advisable to ft-111111d those coin it pinvineial
anthorities, by another embassy, that the ge..thniesi if the
English factory at Canton were out a set Of imp. utected ad-
yenta. ers, as they wire ineitiled to consider them. Beyond
the wish of olituthing
.justice and pioteet.en tar our tootle.
tne Jia'ist India Cowpaity could have nothing to ask; and
when we cutundes Ulu nutpitude awl impui tauci a that trade

1W

which employs front England mote than 240,000 tons of ship.
piug, and from India nearly the salllV Amount—which takes
from ns broad cloths to the auto nit of one million sterling,
and cottons front Bombay to donble that value—which ena
Hes, by its protits,•the East India Company to pay thed-
di:rids/ads, and brings amitially into the Exchequer from three
to four millions which supplies an article,
not merely of litsmiy, but now almost become one of the first
necessity, and which no other part of the world ran supply
—the preset vation of such a trade from capricious obstrue-
Buns, and vexatious linpos.tions and delays, is well worth
the risk even of Olen:hug his Imperial tiojetty, who is gene.
rally contented with visiting his anger upon his on n subjects.
if ao embassy prminced no other effect, as one of the Direc- •
tors justly observed,' one hondred thousand pounds
be %sell expeit.l4 every ten or twelve years, to savd our
people fraiii.iikesilt and oar trade limn interruption,'
iLittle mischief as we apprehend fioni the failure of the
embassy, we arenot quite at ease with regard to the affair
-of rite ‘ticeste engaging with fieyChinese lints. The Chinese
have at all timer: :teen jealous at iimr men of war entering the
river, and we believe complaints ou this setae have been
made by the Company's servants of the Lick/ay, ho of Course
can csareise no control over officers of the navy: but the
Alec:tie wits placed under extraordinary circumstances; she
had carried ant an Aiiihteounlor on a paeitic mission ; she sans
ordered to Canton to refit and prepare for the reception of
that ambassador ; hei eimpt,iiis had a kner from the viceroy
of Pe-telie•lee, ordering the atilforities to supply her wants
wherever she oriel,: touch. It %wild appear, therefore, that
the Chinese admiral and the cosiimanders of the fort., in
wantonly tiling at the Aleeste, had exceeded their orders ;
and this euay.explaiti why no notice u hate ver laid been taken
of the affair at Canton, where Captain Maxwell had been
four days., when the last le.•crs came array ; at which time
neither the prelim ations for the reception oh I mud Amherst,
nor the leading of the t :wormy 'A ships, hail suffered the least
inte,ruption. We until-v.:Mill, indeed, ilut our long Ibr.
beat ante has had no other eticct than that of encouraging
the Chinese war junks auil fiats to ti e on our ships of emu-
coerce and their boats, on every frivolous per text, which,
though genet ally hat niless, is a wanton and 11-plulteetsiblv
ugAression. This forbearance must hate its bounds; it is
nut every man who can carry it to that 10.telt of endurance
exercised by the late Admiral O'Brien Di ury. On the me-
morable expedition against Macao, this gallant ()dicer found
the river near Canton blocked tip by armed junks, hat ing
thousands °Minnow on board. • Apprehending (lie unserves
Ina letter to his friend) • that they might tire their little
pet/toils, I advanced in way barge to explain to their admiral
my peaceable intentions. When within about a bundled
yards, they fired a siu.t whicft passed Over the barge: I still
11tharieell ; IWO e r flit ee HAIM that passed over Us; I came
laity yards; but in endeavouring to make myself
beard, through my Chinese interpreter, all their junks
opened their Mc on my boat, with stones, and God knows
what, until OliP Of not marines was sill mek. The seamen in
the other boats, seeing liar lined at SU furiously, were no
longer under control, html pulled close lip, whet I saw the
necessity of giving them positive orders to ke, p hark, wet.
knowing that the total annihilation of I Lei poor janks, and of
the city of Cillatin, must have beau the' inei liable conse-
quence, had 1 per aaa i , trd a single musket to be tired, which
was impaticutiy looked 11. r by every one. I told the 'lnert&
the siiiwicargues,' continues the brace Admiral, ' that I
never wouirl consent to the slaughter of these defenceles.
multitudes; bin that if Iheir commerce required to be sou-
ported b hostilities and that ifa single seaman of mine was
killed, would level Canton to the t roun,i.'
Whatever may be the lime oh' the untoward circumstances
connected wi!li the Embassy to China, by what particulai
point of exaction on the one side, and of resistance on the
utlii.r, the failure may have been occasioned, in the abspere,
of all information but that which his Chiliese Nlajesly Inis
been pit .8,1. d so give, we can merely form conjectures: but,
in the well known character of Lori Awherst, particillatly
eibtiligitialletl as it is by a suavity of manners, an equal tem-
per, aid a mid dud conciliating ditposittion. joined to the
able support of Sii George Staunton, who, is perfect
knowledge of the language and the people, piwsesses that
calm and steady if. lei inination whiela is best stilted w den.
with this sithtly nation, we have the best pledges that the
honour and the interests of the nation will Out be compi....
raised, but rentain safe in their hands. If the ticilaol buss
mess Should ha found, which however we think out likely, to
'ave influenced the ei anklet of the Chinese, they are the
veriest bunglers iii polities -that es er existid, since they
might have UOtalltell something iiy conciliatory neguciation ;.
whets as, if their army should, untOritinately for it, tome in
contact with our fielieys, their miscratile soldiers with iii, tr
paper hilinets, wadded gowns, quilted petticoats, and
slotted boots, with be too happy- to compound fur their lases
by a surrender at ettscsetion.—kQUill'itrlj Review.)

Comssniva Hnusu Rzron m. —W Inv the question of Partin-
meuiary itct..r.nalio.l was discussed iu Nlay, 1812. the divi-
sion was 215 ill li!I•1 Ulf, ItlallJg n oriptily of 1;.1 against
the motion ; tierces the division of Eliot rsday wa• 2dl In ii,
fullaitig a ortjutry of Itl4 against it. Curviinmaiices have
emit/alio:el to pro .lice ink accession to the Anti-Reformers.
The country may- tau ly place, it to the ncemott of the orators
and nuttr.. or the 2d of Wee/talker I.ast, that the .11.11'arity in
oppositioo to reform 1146 aupteute.tl 61 an almoners at tiaepre-
sent day.

An os•La account, printed by order of the House
of Cuinaais, states the amount of advances by the
Bank to tiovernalent, on Land and Malt, Exchequer
Bills, and other ir..curities, on the loth of October, 181
st I 2,79 2,P371. i ss. 41; ditto.sth of January, 1817,
10.078,4351. Its. Id.
It is not unworthy of remark, that the Grin Bill
which was brought into the MO) l'athatuent for the
wild' ol his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects, was
moved and seconded by M. Gardiner, afterwards Lord
Mountjov, an.l by Mr. O'Seill On the .sth June,
1798, Cord Ilmiatjoy was killed by the rebds at the
Battle of Ross ; and on the Bth of the sain! mouth,
L O'Neil was pikel in the middle of his tenantry,
in t'ie .town of Antrim. These were the only parsons
of distinction who fell in the Popish reheLion of that
year. -How often dues it happen, that .those•who en.
rii,Pe in injurious measures sulfa. by the no..eonduct of.
the very persons from wh-nn they had the least reason to.
arxisect enmity ! Such Az:, out lesiku4b it could
11164/i

THIg: NATIONAL RIGISTER.

IMPERIAL PARII.I2IIENT.