The Sun.
London, England, 1837-10-09 00:00:00

THE CANTON AFFAIR.

It was stated some days since, that the now order issued
by the Governor of Canton referred only to the immediate
departure of certain parties from that city convicted of
having been engaged in an illicit traffic in opium and sycee
silver, and was no more than an enforcement of a former
order, which, with the grounds of it, and the names of the
persons to whom it applied, have been published heretofore.
Upon the excuse pleaded for non-conformity by the traders
implicated, that their departure was delayed solely through
the non-payment of debts due to them by the Hong mer-
chants, the governor, as was stated, gave peremptory in-
structions that the debts should be verified and liquidated
forthwith. To render the affair more intelligible, copies of
the governor's answer to the memorial of Messrs. Dent and
others, and a letter to, them, from the Hong, are subjoined.
" ANSWER OF THE GOVERNOR TO THE ADDRESS OF
MESSRS. DENT AND OTHERS IN REGARD TO THE
AFFAIR OF HINGTAI HONG.

" Tang, Governor of Kwangtung and Kwangae, &c.,
issues this order to the Hong merchants, requiring them to
be fully informed thereon.
" On the 2lst of April I received from the English and
other merchants, Dent and others, the followirg addiess

" This having come before me, the Governor, I have
examined the subject, and find that heretofore the Hong
merchants have always been forbidden to incur debts to
foreigners, and that in repeated instances on record they
have been severely punished for so doing ; and with regard
to the Yen Khechang, of the Hong Hintai, he has been in
the situation of Hong merchant barely seven years, and
he has in so short a time accumulated debts to the large
amount of 1,000,000 and upwards of dollars. What de-
gree of bad management must it have been that could run
to this extent—the thing is too absurd, too extravagant.
" If this matter be not faithfully and completely settled,
where will be our compassion to foreigners, and how shall
we prevent similar and even worse conduct in future ? I
issue, therefore, this order. When it reaches the senior
Hong merchants, let them, in obedience to it, immediately
convene a meeting of all the Hong merchants, and examine
the accounts of Hingtai, to ascertain clearly what are the
real sums owing by that Hong to foreigners, and let them
equitably and earnestly apply themselves to make some ar-
rangement for the settlement thereof. Within ten days let
them present a joint report on the subject for my conside-
ration. If they dare to regard this legally, or to delay or
overstep the period, I, the Governor, will maintain the laws
firmly as the solid mountains, and will assuredly direct the
district magistrate to close the Hingtai Hong, according to
the law, and apprehend the merchant, that he may be
closely examined and punished. At the same time, the said
senior merchants, together with all the other Hong mer-
chants, shall alone be held responsible ; the property of the
foreigners cannot be left without an ultimate guarantee for
its safety. Let these commands also be enjoined on the
foreign merchants, that they, knowing them, may act ac-
cordingly. These are the commands.
TANG KWANG.

" 13th year, 3d month, 19th day (423 d of April, 1837)."
FROM THE HONG MERCHANTS TO MESSRS. DENT AND

OTHERS.
" A respectful communication, on the 23d instant, was
received from his Excellency the Governor, a reply and
copy of which we have already sent you, requesting you to
examine the same. Therein we are commanded to examine
the accounts of the Hingtai Hong, to ascertain exactly
what are the real rums which he is indebted. We find that
in the address presented by you, gentlemen, there is only a
general amount stated, without any distinct detail ; we
would, therefore, trouble you, gentlemen, to give us a clear
statement of the exact sums owing by Hingtai Hong to
each of you, in order that we may be able to make a report
thereof : this is our present object in addressing you, and we
att,hAep 25, 1837.
sr7retimepresent our compliments.,
,
" ( Signed by 12 Hongs.)
" To Mr. Dent and other gentlemen."

We learn from Cronstadt, in Hungary, that the
term of a quarantine at the frontiers, is lengthened to 21
days, because a tipsy, who came from Turkey, died of the
plague at Bucharest. Rigorous measures are adopted also
by the Wallachian Government.