The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-14 00:00:00

CAPTAIN ELLIOT.

In the Indian Papers, the circumstances of the two
ships under American colours being allowed by Captain
Elliot to withdraw from Canton river, laden with tea,
after having remained there some months, when it
was declared to be in a state of blockade, is warmly
discussed. The British merchants at Macao ad-
dressed a letter to the Calcutta Chamber of Com-
merce, in which they express their conviction that

. .
the case of the American vessels is not such a one as
shows a single circumstance in their favour accord-
ing to which a relaxation of the law of blockade
might be justified. It is said, they both entered the
port with a knowledge that a blockade was intended,
and in undoubted violation of it ; that even admit-

ting the entry to have been excusable, they might have
retired with their original cargoes, or in ballast, or have
remained within till the blockade was raised, and that

it can be fully proved that the teas forming the
cargoes in question were not in Canton till sonic
months had elapsed since the establishment of the
blockade, and, indeed, were only purchased a few
days before the departure of the vessels. A circum-
stance that is considered aggravating in this case is,
that the intention of relaxing the law in favour of
these American ships was concealed for many weeks
from everybody but those immediately interested in
these vessels by the Superintendent of Trade, who
admitted the Vice-Consul of the United St rtes to a
private visit, to make known to him the intended sus-
pension of the law in favour of the Americans, and
also, besides soliciting such suspension by the naval
commander, guaranteed him againa all consequences
with the British Government. The merchants conclude,
after announcing their intention of petitioning the
House of Commons, by soliciting the co-operation of
the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce in preventing a
recurrence of similar proceedings, to the injury of
British interests. The Chamber of Commerce, it
seems, on considering this letter, have condemned
the indulgence shown by Captain Elliott to the Ame-
rican vessels, but refuse to interfere on the ground
that the subject being pnrely Chinese, does not fall
within their province. So far the view of the ques-
tion is entirely on the side of the British merchants,
but the Indian journals that oppose these merchants
are also opposed to the policy adopted by Captain
Elliot, contending that the blockade has been in-
efficient, and as such injurious to British' interests.
With respect to the merchants, they say, that, notwith-
standing the disaffection they now show at the depar-
ture of the American vessels, they themselves carried
on considerable traffic from Macao with the blockaded
city of Canton.

These journals seem willing to admit that the Ame-
rican ships having been once allowed to enter the
port were rightly permitted to retire, but they regard
the inconvenience arising from this case as a mere
consequence of the half measures which have ren-
dered the blockade inefficient. The blockade being
such as it is, the whole affair of the American
ships follows, they say, as a matter of course ; and
at for such an unsatisfactory policy, they regard it as
threatening destruction to the prosperity of British
commerce, as opening a source of disputes be-
tweea the British merchants in China, and as cal-
culated to lower the importance of the English
in the e 3 es of the Chinese. Thus it is worthy of
remark that on the one hand the merchants are
dissatisfied with Captain Elliot for allowing the vessels
to break through the blockade, on the other hand
-the papers who oppose the merchants are against
Captain Ediot's policy in general ; so that in fact
the only point in discussion is whether he has been
wrong i❑ a particular instance, or whether, in fact,
he has not been wrong altogether.—Times.

ROCKET PRACTICE IN CHINA.

The report just received of the attack on the Chinese
forts and shipping mentions the projection of Congreve
rockets, as a part of our means of offence which was
called into operation. These auxiliaries to our
artillery were supplied, no doubt, from the stores
of the East India Company, who keep a
large stock at all times in India. Among the
many causes for edification and astonishment which
the " Emperor of the Sun and Moon," with his
\strange people, will have had, as the consequences
of this collision with our forces, will be the circum-
stance of the superiority of our fireworks. It is a
fact, we believe, that the Chinese are the real inventors
of the rocket as an artificial firework, and even as
an instrument of war ; its capability, however, for
this second object, in their hands, being confined—so
trifling is its projectile force—to a simple means of
annoyance, instead of destruction, for confusing the
ranks of cavalry. It is to the late Sir \I illiam
Congreve, after many years of practical experiment,
that this weapon owes its present character for de-
structiveness and precision of flight. To him be-
longed the merit of manufacturing rockets of almost
unlimited weights ; of bringing up the range, for
instance, of the 3:2-pounder to 3,000 yards, and of
gradually increasing the power of even the 12-pounder
to the penetration, at 1,200 yards distance, of a solid
bank of earth to the depth of 20 feet. We must add,
also, as the inventions of the late Sir W. Congreve,
the substitution of strong iron for paper cases,
and the fixing of the stick by a screw in the axis of
ttobegirsoeckiett,thine .straightness
of
repeat, must have be-: by
binding
of the ar on
arrow. wt . e h side,
Great, so
we as
Celestial nation at such a visitation of their native and
familiar plaything, with its appalling roar, and, to them,
new and gigantic dimensions and powers of n
de-
struction. In the case of the Congreve rocket,
it was theught at one period just to give the in-
ventor a pension of 1,200/. per annum, which he
enjoyed for very many years, and now to continue to
the widow 3001. of that pension. Yet it is notorious in
the Ordnance department et Woolwich, that the com-
monest care has never been observed to preserve a
secret thus handsomely paid for, which would have
been a much easier task than in many other cases, as
a mere specification in writing will not adequately
teach the art without the aid of practised workmen,
and many of these have been turned adrift as rea-
dily as common labourers. There are two individuals,
who from the first, as Directors and Masters of the only
War Rocket Works in England, must be the deposita-
ries of all the essential particulars for the manufacture of
these articles. The deposit of such particulars, with
drawings of the machinery and tools, in custody of the
Master-General and Board of Ordnance, would seem
to be a measure of prudence that could hardly be over-
looked.