The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-24 00:00:00

" No. 12.

" Canton, April 7, 1847.
" Sir,—The undersigned British residents in Canton
beg respectfully to call your Excellency's attention to
the following matters, in connexion with the arrange-
ments you may at present be concluding with the Chi-
nese authorities :

" The shops in Hog-lane, and the thoroughfare there,
are the occasion of great inconvenience, annoyance, and
danger to the foreign community. The shopkeepers
there are always ready to tempt the seamen to drunk-
enness, and it would no doubt be remembered by your
Excellency that most of the disturbances which have
occurred in Canton have originated in that neighbour-
hood, while on all occasions of riot or fire our danger is
greatly increased by the assembling of low characters in
the place alluded to. We, therefore, request that your
Excellency will obtain for us the removal of the houses
in Hog-lane, and the stoppage of this offensive
thoroughfare.
" We further suggest to your Excellency that the
space thus cleared will afford the best site which can be
found for the erection of a church, and as the Chinese
authorities have agreed to give space for one, and must
be put to a considerable expense in removing buildings
on a suitable locality, we think it but reasonable, that
as they will be saved this expense, they should be called
upon, instead, to compensate the owners of the miserable
habitations in Hog-lane ; but to obtain such a desirable
object as that in view, we would be willing ourselves to
pay the owners the reasonable value of the buildings, if
the matter can be arranged in no other way. We have
the honour to be, Sir, your Excellency's most obedient
humble servants,

_
' [Signed by 49 British Residents.]
"To his Excellency Sir John F. Davis, Baronet, &c."
"No. 13.
" British Consulate, Canton, April 7, 1847.
" Gentlemen,—l am directed by his Excellency her
Majesty's Plenipotentiary, &c., to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of this day's date, and to make
the followingreply :
.. _

" On the 3d inst., on reaching Canton, his Excellency
received from Mr. Consul Macgregor a paper professing
to embody all tho principal wishes and views of the
British residents, and these were therefore shortly in-
cluded in the list of demands made on the Chinese
Government, and since assented to. It is plain that his
Excellency at that time negotiated under circumstances
peculiarly calculated to obtain successful results, a
therefore much regrets that the subject of your nd he
present
letter has been postponed until the negotiations are con-
cluded.
"At the same time he must observe,
5 that
now sought could never be urged as treaty
none of our conventions with
hfares entitle us to insist
and d
the obliteration of
China rights, since the objects
on the stoppage of thoroug
whole lines of houses. These, 111 TOI7 country, are

.

very serious questions, involving vested rights, privaie
and public, and it mai be questioned whether (as far as
tile thoroughfare is concerned) the Government of China
has power to remove a right of was contrary to
public wish, tor more than a limited time at least.
" This circumstance may render your objects
of attainment, and his Excellency regrets it the more“ I Vd: s,l,
as he is fully alive to the evils attending the existence of
the lane in question, and the advantages which would
accrue from its removal. He will, however, use his best
endeavours to persuade the Chinese Minister of these
respective evils and advantages, and if the British com-
munity can raise funds which will induce the owners of
the shops to give them up, the other obstacles might
probably be surmounted.
" It is altogether a mistake to suppose that the Chi-
nese authorities are to be at the expense of the proposed
site for the church, and it would be hardly worthy of the
British Government that they should.
" I have, &c.

" A. R. JOHNSTON."

The above (No. 10) was the first expression given
to the public of lieying'i sentiments ; he is linoAn to
Live been grt>atly perplexed and distres,;ed, unable to
e.it by day or sle.:.p by night. It is genera:ly be;ier,,d
by thwe woo have th q best means of knowing the truth
of this matter, that he bas been lest to stand quite
alone—and even opposed ...'v suLne of the high officers
of the province.
THURSEAY, THE STIL—The folf.`rislog cerreTondecce
&c., we borrow from the Hung Kong Etgister.

" No. 14.
" Head-quarters, British Factories, Acvil 8,1847.
" Gentlemen,—l am directed by Mtjor-G,.`l. D'Agui-
Jar, commanding the troops in China, to acqub-int )°u
that he intends to leave Captain Graves, and one ser-
geant of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment, and Li,,ut.
I),L Costa of the Roy ai Engineers, with one corpora:l
and three privates of the Roy al Sappers and Miners,
behind in the factories, until further orders, for Ihe pur-
pose of rendering you every assistance in their power,
as regards the completion of your organization and other
defensive arrangements.
" I have the honour to be, Ste.,
" J. BRUCE
" Assistant Adjutant-General.
" To the Associated Gentlemen Volunteers,
Canton Factories."

As this note left an impression that the whole of the
troops were to be withdrawn, a meeting was held to re-
monstrate against such proceeding, and the following
address was adopted and had been signed by seventy-six
persons, when Captain Bruce arrived, and stated that
the Light Company of the 18th were to be left with Cap-
tain Graves:—

V.,