The National Register.
London, England, 1817-10-13 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL W.:MITI:It

It touched at Madeira, Rio Janeiro, the Capes, and Ba-
tavia ; upon each of which places, Mr Ellis furnishes
maoy interesting put ticulara, especially of .the
• From Batavia, the vessels sailcstlirr4He Chineie sea,
which they reached. in July, and after receiving on
beard Sir 'George Stniniton, frotil Canton, who had
hem appointed first Commissioner of the Embassy; and
Mr. Morrison, and other gentlemen of the factory, to
• act as interpreters, &c. the whole of the ships stood
away flit. the Gulf of Petcheclee, into which the river
Pciho, on which-the Embassy was to ascend in boats
towards Pekin, tlischarges itself. After various com-
munications with .the Mandarins on shore, appointed
to .take charge of the embassy, Lord Amherst, the
Commissioners, Interprete.rs, . and suite, landed at
Tung-koti, whence they proceeded in the boats to
Tien-sing., where there is a summer palace, in which,
it appeared, an entertainment, on the part of the Em-
peror, was to be given to the Embassador. From the
enquiries of the Mandarins, in the interviews which
had taken place previous to landing, and same expres-
sions respecting the ceremony ofprostration required in
the Imperial presence, Lord Amherst anti Sir George
Staunton had reason to expect that the subject would
be lingually entered upon by the Mandarins at Tien-
sing. In this they were nut disappointed ; and as the
discussions which there took place explain the nature of
the demands made by the Chinese, the non-compliance
which ultimately led to the failure of the embassy,
we shall give the whole in Mr. Ellis's owe words :
" tint of August.—At a quarter before ten we lett our boats and
proceeded iu chairs to the Hull, where we were to be rixeivial. The
band and the guard, with Lieutenants Cooke and SOlll:rset . preceded
the Embassador's chair, Mr. Morrison and his Excellency's son fol-
lowed, then the Commissioners, and afterwards the other gentlemen;
the order WILS most regularly kept, and we arrive 1 without interrup-
tion at the Hall, a long building supported by light wooden pillars.
At about one-third of the wool, before a skrcen, a table with yellow
silk hanging before it met our eyes, a symptom of the discussion that
awaited us. The :Mandarins were all in their robes of ceremony,
iirincipnlly of civil orders.
6' After a few polite expressions of their hope that we had met with
no obstructs at on our way thither. Kwung-ta-jin opened the subject
of the ceremony by saying, that the entertainment which we were
that day to receive was expressly commanded, and indeed, given by
the Emperor ; that, therethre, the same ceremonies would be pi:t-
hinned by them, and expected from us, as if we were in the impvriut
pretence. Lord Amherst replic:4. that he was prepared to approach
his Imperial Majesty with the same demonstration. of respect as his
own sovereign. They then specifically mentioned the ko-taro as the
ceremony that would be required. Lord Amherst declared his in-
teation of following, in every respect, the precedent established by
Lord Macartney.
The Caiachaes argued in reply, that in fact our former Embassa-
dor had 111:1e every thing in point of ceremony that had been re-
quired of him, and especially bad performed the ceremony of the
ko-tou, as well in the presence of the Emperor as at other times; Soo-
ta-jirt said, lie himself rentendsered his hatiii4 performed it when at
Canton; and they then both appealed to Sir George Staunton as
having been present, and able to give evidence of the tarts which they
had asserted.

"To such a falselawal it would have been easy to have given a
very short and decided answer t but as it WAS suflicimtly obvious that
the question was nut pin to sir (:corge with any view of wally ascer-
taining Cie truth, hot evidzaitly ter Me purpose of making it a per-
Whiell could only !load to mutusl it,iiation aim ot-
fence, it was deemed nio,t advisable, both by lord Amherst and my-
self, that Sir George should avoid the discussion into which they were
desirous of drawing I • ,by ob.erving that the Einbassador's infor
illation of wlisa had tsken pisecon the occasaion of the fernier Embassy
was derived from the authentic records which, had been presented to
our Sovereign by Lard Macartney on his return, and on which re-
cords our present instructions were also grounded ; but that as to his
(Sir George's) opinion or evidence respecting a fact which had oc-
curred twenty three years ngo, when he was a Child of twelve years
of age, it was quite improper and ah,uril poi ask it, or to suppose ht
could )e of any weight in deciding a question already settled upon
much higher authority.
" A haughty tone was here assumed by the Mandarins, who said,
that they supposed it was the intention of the EiliLlattor to please
his Imperial Majesty, that the ceremony was never dispensed with,
and that it was not becoming that they should perform a ceremony
ea this otrosion %Inch the Embassador refused. Lord Amherst had
no hesitation in expressing his anxiety to she's every respect, and
give every satisfaction to his Imperial Majesty, consistent with his
duty to his own Sovereign; and that from this feeling it was his inten
tion to approach the Imperial presence with the same demonstrations
of veneration as he would his Britannic Majesty; that such had been
the conduct of I.enl Macartney, and such were the instructions of his
Sovereign on the present riceasion. Some expression here fell from
them, tending to convey that the Embassy would not he received.
It was then said by Lord Amherst, that however mortifying it might
be to his feelings, he must decline the honour intended hint by the
entertainment, and that he should be prepared, on his arrival at
Pekin, to submit the reasons of his refusal. in writing, to his Impe-
rial :Majesty. What! reject the Emperor's bounty? observed the
Mandolins. His lordship again.iveated his regret and his last pro- I
petition, which was positively rejected by them.
" An appeal was then made to Lord A mherst's paternal feelings, and
it was asked, whether he would be so wanting in affection, as to de-
prive his son of the honour of swing the Emperor. Much of the
same ground was repeatedly gone over on both sides. The certain
displeasure of the Emperor, and the actual colny:tance of Lord
Macartney, were repemedly urged by the Mandarins; tile latter 1,0-sition
sition was again strenuously denied by Lord Amherst, and the own-
minds of :as sovereign were plotaleci and press,sl as the ground of
refusal.

" Fueling that netbing was is be gained, a disposition to yield
was manitived by the Mandarins, and they rested their case upon
the great personal responsibility they should incur by acceding to the
Enertsatdor's pmpw.al ; they nsikert:4l that they dared not report site: t
circumstance to the Emperor. T.oed Amherst observed in reply, that
he Gould not possibly anticipate the Emperor's being dissatisfied with
the same demonstrations of respect that had been accepted by Kien-
lmng, his illustrious father. They then declared, that the Enmemr
Kien-Lung had hen ints:h4ispleased. and that Me princes and no-
bles had eonsid2reti it most extraor,Liary that they should prostrate
themselves. while the F.eglish rem:pied standing. His loolship
tia:;worc‘l, tlsett his ott;ect W:tg to eo.;:i•ine a proper maitiftsitation of
to his Chinese Majesty with the duty he owed his own So-
Vereiga, and the poNtive mum:an& he had re;eived upon the parti-
tular point, that whatever tillght he the particular ceremony per-
fbrincd. the respect he felt in his hetrt for .hi Impend Majesty,
mild rot he thereby augmented. The Mandarins observed, that
the filings of the heart were best shorn be actions, and that lord
Remora's refusal evinced a deficiency in proper sentiments of ve-
mration.

" Soo•ta-jin, who had hitherto only interfered to assert poaitively
from his own knowletlg,2 the eornidiamso of 1..0rd Alaca:iney with the
cere.tisocy boa at I%tolciti and Ca:,ion. now entered fully into the
obscrvin:: that rim. trade at Canton might materially
'a:L:lr trout the ditylcalure of a: g.ApCIOT wauthcr resnaik was

OCT. 13.

made respecting the possible angcr of his fmpieial .‘lajesty towards
the *Ng of E!i±rilind; Waetirsuition M:::•;forrisan very meltsiti/
refused to ire.srpret. At length they said, that off. v '..4elt!. not
insiss upon the pertsorinance of the ceremony on the present occasion.'
but that they threw the romoinibility of the consequences upon l.ord
Athherst, and that they could not pretend to say whether the Em-
bassy o: presents would be received, adding, that it would be well
to consider the discredit among other nations which such a dismissal
would reflect upon our own country. Lord Amherst declared, that
the copseioasnes of obeying his Sovereign's commands would relieve
him from all uneasiness; that what he proposed to do. namely, to
make a haw before the table, WAS the same honour that was paid by
the members of the Chief Council of the nation, to which lie belong-
ed, before the vacant throne of the Sovereign, awl dim more ought,
Lot to be espected from him.
" The point was here finally given up, and Lord Amherst, in ex-
pies 'nig his seistherian, said, that to evince the sincerity of his dig.
position to cam:dime. he would, although it was customary only to
bow ono before the throne of his own Sovereign, not liesisate sy
make :Is many- bows on the present ottmlon as they did preSdathets
the Chinese, with characteristic endeavoured to graft
upon this %admirery concession a demand that I .ord Amherst should
kneel upon one knee; this proposition was, of course, resisted, aid
the discussion seemed about to be renewed,' when they abandoned their
position, and we proceedesl to the hall of reception, the conference
having taken place imam inner apartment, Lord Amherst, his son, the
Commissioners, and Mr. Morrison, being present. %Viten at 1:•.t
door, Awing in a friendly manner entreated us to reconsider the eon
sequences that might result. It was observed tit:ado...re was nu ne-
cessity fur reamsiderat ion or consultation, a: we had no option.
" On entering the I I all we plaeed ourselves bethre the table, the fan.t •
of which was covered wish yellow silk, and a lighted censer I.laced
upon it. We bowed nine times, in unison with the pmstrations
of the Manthirins Sou-tasiin, Kwang-tasjin, and six others, went
through the ceremony. The upper part of the Hall was raised
step, and in this compartment the tw... chief Mandarins. Lonl Am.
herst, his son, and the Commissioners seated themselves ; the two
Mandarins being on the left, all the other Chinese were seated below
them on the same side, and the gentlemen of the embassy opposite ;
a handsome dinner in the Chincie style, was then served, aceumpa-
Mel by a play ; hut of these hereafter.
" When dinner was ewer we returned to the inner apartment.
,After taking our seats, liwang-tariin observed it was not well, acd
declared his fear of the Emperor's displeasure. Lord Amherst again
termed his conviction that the Emperor could not be dissatistiel
with his having paid the saute homage that he addressed to the
throne of his own Sovereign. The ceremony to be performed in the
presence of the Emperor was now brouiht forward by the Mandarins;
laird Amherst then distinctly stated his intention to kneel upon one
kruy, and make his obeisance in that posture, he added, that the
practice at the English court was to kiss the Sovereign's bend. At
this lattet eircumsteacc, they, as was expected, shook their heads,
and made some faint attempts to renew the general discussion; the
determination that was manifested, however, induced them to desist,
and they merely affected not to understand the ceremonial proposed
by Lord Amherst, which was again explained, hat without effect.
They then proposed that his Excellency should at the moment go
through it ; he replied that it could not be perfi.rmed by hint before
any other person but the Emperor, they observed...that their wish
was not that he should then perform, it to any one, but merely that
from seeing it actually gone through, they might be able to make a
more acclimate report to his Imperial Majesty. Sir George Staunton
then happily suggested, that Lord Amherst's son should penitent the
proposed ceremony before his father. Chinese. usage was so com.
Newly in accordance with this infinite:teams of respect from a.son us
his father, that every difficulty or objection to any. previous practim
by Lord Amherst was removed, and the proposition was instantly
admitted. The Chinese did nut appear dissansti,sl with the appear-
ance of the ceremony thus pertionned, but said, that kissine the hand
would not be allowed. land Amherst, of course, did nut ornect to the-
omission. The number of times was then discussed, and Lord Am-
herst stated that once was the usage of the English court; that he
had been induced to bow nine times before the table from a feeling
that his remaining standing, while they were in the :let of prostration
would not have had a good appearance; but that his demonstration
of respect was not in his opinion, increased by the repetition ; should
however they, or other high officers of state, be present at the audi-
ence with the Emperor, he should not hesitate to meat his bnws as
often as they did prestrations. The Mandarins said, Mut none but
his Lordship, and the gentlemen then present, would be calks! upon
to perfoun the ceremony at the audience, and that a repetition of nine
times would he expected. lord Amherst replied, that to *hew his
disposition to gratify the Emperor lie was ready to consent to his
wishes in this respect ; although he must again repeat, that the res-
pectful character of the ceremony was not, to his feelings, in the least
heightened. The Mandarins then proposed that Jeffery should
practice the ceremony nine times before them ; to this Lord Amherst
objected, amsideting it too serious a business to be trilled with :
the precise mode of the ceremony having been again distinctly ituted.
the discussion closed. Lord Amherst then took an opportunity
expressing his satisfaction at its termination, and his personal gra
tihcation at the kindness and attention they had shown hint. They
replied, that they had merely obeyed the orders of his Imperial
Majesty."
Thus closed these two conferences ; that before dinner highly
important in its immediate result, as we had the satisfaction of having
successfully resisted the very demand which mainly eontributid to
the failure of the Russian Embus:ll6r, and to his return front the
frontier. Whatever might he the opinion entertained respecting the
expediency of complying with the Chinese usage in the presence of
the Emperor, either with, or even without equivalent, there could
be none as to the ceremony this day proposed ; the only precedent
of compliance was that of the last Dutch embassy; the treatment
throughout experienced by the members of that missies and the
innumerable causes of repetition, uuder the most degratlimfeircum-
stances, and on the most trifling occasions, that were devised by the
Chinese, must sufficiently establish the expediency of resistance.
With this view the minds of Lord Amherst and those who acted with
him were made up, to have hazarded the reception of the embassy
upon the point ; and the expression of inflexibility cenimuniceted
by this previous resolution to theircountenances and manner, had, no
doubt, considerable influence upon the Mandarius."

The %%hole interior and axle' ior of the New Mint, together-
with' the military way and adjoining ethnics, hi.s been lighted.
wills gas, by means of an apparatus erected by (Jos-eminent,
within the walls of the Mint. The gas for illmnimaing this
Establistmient is prepared, not by distilling coal in retorts,
but by means of a 10 fi:et cylinder, si hieli revolves horizon-
tally round its axis, and produces every :1 hours a sufficient
quantity of gas to light 1609 hour.. '1 he imritication of the
trade gas is effected in its nascent stale by chlorine, instead
of quicklime, and all the inlet stud outlet mains and braneir
pil en are made to open and shut by self-arting um -enlist!
valves.. The quantity of gas daily made, and I'olo4llllrd by
the burners and lamps, is recorded in ulpeniCe of the ob-
server by it machine, hurdled and kept in 'notion by the elas-
ticity of the gas. The effect of the 1111Ult•l'ous fight, sea terrd
upon so extensive a scale, over the beautiful machinery of ilia
coining processed, is uncommonly striking, and the New Mint
now exhibits the most elegant establishment of the kind in
the world.

Among die improvements making in tlydr-park, is a water-
fall Prom the East owl of the Serpentine River, %%Inch wdl
descend between the willow. non tln• piers n deeie•lnw.

Afrrei:ry says' " The land sale; a hilt have taken place
in this part of the country lately, have hevit upna terms which indi-
cate a returning regard to i cal prope:ty. It see la:: co linger difficult
to sell. There Wi :ui auction in this town last Friday of estates in
:Jere:al nti?,iilioaring parishes, anti the property in general a, thought
to hats: svld

16.

As bad beerr antkiipatea, Government have come to
the resolution of issuing Exchequer Bills bearing an
interest of only '2d. 'per day. Friday, at a late hour of
the day, official notice was in consequence of this de-
termination, given by Eta Bank of England to the
Stock Exchange, that all bills dated November 1816,
-you'd be paid off, or exchanged fiw new bills bearing
aterest k the rate of Qd. per dav, till the 30th inst,
Ihe bills to be taken to the Exchequer °dim by the
t'.4th of the present month. When the notice, which
was printed, reached the stock Exchaage, the business
of the day was nearly over, as on a former occasion, and
a great portion of the principal brokers and jobbers
had left the house, so that the operation of the mea-
sure upon the funds could not be' tried. So far, how-
ever, success seemed to attend the plan, that the new
bills, by anticipation, bore a premium of abont
sixteen. shillings.

The Prince Regent's Court.— Friday, at three
o'clock, the Prince Regent held a Court at Carlton-
house, when the Duke de San Carlos, the Spanisn Am-
bassador, was introduced to his Royal Highness by
Lord Castlereagh. His Excellency had a closet audi-
ence of the Regent, delivered his credentials, and was
most graciously received. Afterwards, his Excellen-
ey's suite was introduced. They came to'Court in the
French Ambassador's carriages, with the servants in
the state liveries.

Baron Humboldt, the Prossiam Ambassador, has
had a closet audience of the Prince Regent, delivered
his credentials, and was most graciously received. His
Excellency and suite came to Court in Prince Ester-
hazy, the Austrian Ambassador's carriages, attended
by the servants in their state liveries.
On Saturday last the High Sheriff of the County of
Dublin presented addresiesto Lord Whitworth and Mr.
Peel, from a numerous and respectable assemblage of
the Noblemen and Gentlemen of that County, held at
Kilmainham on the preceding day. To the private cha-
racter of the respectable Nobleman who is on the point
of retiring from the Government of Ireland, as well as
to that of his amiable Consort, the most just and candid
testimony is borne in the following paragraph, which
we extract from the Dublin Evening Post, well known
forits inveterate political hostility to the existing Ad-
ministration :

" We believe whatever may be the difference of
Party amongst us—whatever the heart-burnings and
recriminations, to which all Parties, in their turn, have
had such frequent and unfortunate recourse, there is but
ore feeling on the subject of Lord Whitworth 's private
virtues, and of the meekness with which he bore his
faculties while discharging the duties of the Vice-Re-
gal Government in this Country. As to the Duchess
of Dorset, her departure will be felt and lamented by
every friend to goodness and humanity. May her suc-
cessor imitate her fair example."
On Saturday at two o'clock, a Cabinet Council was
held at the Foreign Oflice, which was attended by the
Earl of Liverpool, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
Lords Sidmouth, Castlereagh, and Bathurst, and Mr.
Canning, The Council was summoned by Lord Castle-
reagh, and it was supposed to be for the purpose of take-
ing into consideration the dispatches brought by Mr.
Mayers, the King's Messenger, from Lord Cathcart, our
Ambassador at St. Petersburg. The Council did not
break up till past four.

CAUTION TO ARTISANS—The several Gazettes for
sane time past have contained abstracts of Acts of Par-
liament, passed in the reigns of their late Majesty's
King George I. and 11. and of his present Majesty
George 111. stating the pains and penalties the sub-
jects of this realm arc liable to, who entice any artizan
or mantiliicturer out of these kingdoms ; and also cx-
tcndit to those who are any way instrumental thereto,
as well as the punishments, to the artificers or manu-
facturers themselves. Under the statute 5 George I.
..bap. 27, any person who shall contract with, entice,
or solicit any artificer in wool, iron, steel, brass, or
other metal, watchmaker, or other artificer out of the
kingdom, 1001. penalty, three month's imprisonment,
and till the fine be paid. By the statute 23 George 11.
chap. 43, if an artificer in wool, mohair, cotton, silk,
or in iron, steel, brass, or other metal, or any clock-.
maker, watchmaker, &c. a fine of 5001. and imprison-
ment. Penalties of 1001. and 2001. to be levied by the
aforesaid acts on any person or persons who knowing-
ly permit tools used by manufacturers in this country
to be shipped for exportation.

MALMAISON.—Cone of our tourists have said, that
the Prussians, aided by British bayonets, destroyed
the paintings, furniture, and valuables, of this favour-
ite abode of Josephine. A. person at present in France
says—" I was surprised to find the paintings and fur-
niture iritici; and on inquiry was informed that some
inconsiderable mischief had been done by a few strag-
glers from the I'russian army, before the entry of the
Allies into Paris; but that not even a detachment cf
the regular army bad entered the premises. On such
slight grounds are stories created, and animosities in-
creased! In the house, Lord Combermere and General
Vandelcur had, afterwards, the head-quarters of the
cavalry:.

We have in several preceding numbers dwelt upon
the dangers which are to be apprehended from the sys-
tem of piracy, pursued by bands of lawless ruffians,
sailing under what they call the Spanish Patriot Hag;
and we have more than once adverted to the mistaken
policy of the government of the United States of Ame-
rica, in affording facilities for the out-fit of such ves-
sels, and fire the disposal of their plunder in American
ports On this subject we copy the ffillowin,g from an
American paper, glad to observe that there is at least
one man in the United States, whom cupidity has not
blinded to the calls of humanity and the principles
of honour :

" Under the pretence of aiding the cause of the Spanish
Patriots, they sully forth on the high road of nations in pur-
suit of the enemies of liberty. They board and overhaul
every thing they meet, and the character of the vessel is
generally determined by the number of Spanish dollars that
may be found on board. If allegros none of these on board,
why then patriotism will let her run ; but if a few thousands
should happen to he found, pure patriotism is sure to fall in
love with them, and• Ole vessel, beyond all doubt belongs to
Ferdinand and the Spanish inquisijion. With their coadeet
or patriotism, however, vie have nothing to do; ealy it does
seem to us that the Government ought to take such steps as
will prevent them from coinproarising the peace, and tarnish.
ing the honour of the country. We are led to the above
retlectious by seeing la the Baltimore papers that another pri-
vateer, calling herself the Buenos Ayrean arvernment
selsooner,General San Martin, Deiter, has arrived there from
a cruise of five mouth., Lest from the coast of Spain. But a
few days since, one was detected, if our memory serves us
right, smuggling on shore her ill-gotten booty in some of the
bye creeks in the vicinity of Baltimore. Another was not
long since found in the river Delaware, ran on shore and
deserted, first taking rare to unload and secure all the " pa-
triotism" she bad on board. The Chesapeake-bay has for
along time been NA asylum for them, w here they refit, recruit
and victual, contrary to law ; and yet the Government take:
no notice of it. This is not right, and every man who pro.
perks' estimates the character of Ins country will feel indig
nom that the ports and harbours of the United Statesshould
become the refuge of buccaniers."

NATICVAI: REt4ST.eit.
PIRATICAL PATRIOTS!