The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-20 00:00:00

THE LATE OPERATIONS IN

CANTON RIVER,

Correspondence relative to the operations in the
Canton River has been just laid before Parliament by
her Majesty's command; and the following are ex-
tracts from the more interesting portions thereof.
The first extract is of a letter from air John Davis.
SIR JOHN DAVIS TO COMMISSIONER KEYING.
" Victoria, Hong Kong, April 2, 1847.
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Excel-
lency's single reply to three of my notes.
It has always been our invariable rule to write se-
parately on every separate subject. This new pro-
ceeding on your Excellency's part I regret to observe
►s insincere, and terms to confusing and evading the
real points at issue.
I again enclose a copy of my principal and most
important note, which you have passed unnoticed.
Viscount Palmerston requires reparation for the vio-
lence committed on the two sailors on the 17th Oc-
tuber. I have also to demand the immediate punish-
ment of the guilty at Fuhshan on the 12th of March.
You have frequently evaded the punishment of the
aggressors on former occasions, and Lord Palmerston
states it can be endured no longer.
According to the general rule of nations, my Go-
vernment will be compelled, by a refusal of justice, to
take possession of securities for the performance of
what is due. Perhaps it may become necessary to
resume possession of Chusan it our people are badly
treated at Canton with impunity. The four points
indispensably required are as under :-
1. The punishment of the aggressors at Canton on
the 17th of October.
2. The punishment of those at Fuhshan on the 12th
of March.
3. Sufficient ground for the dwelling. of British
merchants at Canton.
4. The practice now, or at a fixed period, of the
right of free entry into the city.
(Signed) J. F. DAVIS.
sat JOHN DAVIS TO COMMISSIONER KEYING.

Canton, April 4, 1847.
In pursuance of the arrangement agreed upon at
our interview of this day, I beg to incluse to your
Excellency the following written specification of
points which I wish to be settled :-
1. That I should either return your Excellency's
visit in the city, or that a time be specifically named,
after which there shall be a general free ingress for
British subjects.
2. That British subjects shall be free from moles-
tation in their perambulations within the neighbour-
hood of Canton.

3. That the aggressions of October 17 on the two
seamen be punished, and also that of March 12 on
Colonel Chesney and others, and that the names and
punishments of the guilty be reported to me.
4. That British merchants be granted a building
site of about fitty acres by the river, at the corner
of the Macao Passage.
5. That a site for a church be rented on this side
of the river be also granted, as well as a burial-
ground at Whampoa.
6. That a flying bridge to connect the two factory
gardens be allowed to be constructed, and that the
garden walls we kept clear of Chinese huts.
7. That the river space in front of the factories be
kept permanently clear of boats.
As soon as the foregoing points have been settled
I shall be able to return immediately to Hung- Kong.
(Signed) J. F. DAVIS.
The result of the operations is described in this
dispatch from Sir John Davis to Lord Palmerston :
Victoria, Hong-Kong, April 12, 1847.
My Lord—My hurried despatches of the sth and
6th of April were intended to put your Lordship in
possession of the outline of events from the 2d to the
6th inst, within which period of tour days a rapid and
successful course of operations obtained for me all
that I justly despaired of ever effecting by negotiation
alone, and the absence from this colony, for exactly
one week, of a portion of the ordinary g-ardson, has
probably rendered all the details of an.. expensive ex-
pedition unnecessary hereafter.
Every military precaution.. was adoptid,. and we
reached Canton in thirty-six hours, after capturing
and disabling all the means of annoyance in our rear,
in spite of resistance. This was effected with 900
men of my garrispn, three steamers, and a brig ;
While in 1841 the lame end was attained after many
days by 3,ooo4troops, three line of battle ships, eleven
frigates and sloops, and four steamers. For the de-
snip to the Major-General's dispatch to Lord Grey
By the testimony of the able officers of artillery
and engineers forming the staff of our garrison, the
city of Canton was entirely at our mercy, and only a
word was required to involve it in helpless and in- i
evitable ruin. This catastrophe was happily averted,
and the demands for reparation were obtained in
tour days after quitting Hong-Kong, without I be-
lieve the loss of a life. The good conduct of the
troops, while in position at Canton, was equal to
their promptness and discipline in their irresistible
passage up the river.

I now have the honour to inclose a translation of
Keying's agreement.
1. The entrance to the city is not required on ac-
count of its value, because scarcely anybody would
think it worth while to exercise the right, as we see
daily at Shanghae and elsewhere; but the principle
is worth our care, and the previous indefinite period
is now reduced to a fixed one of two years, in which
interval the confessed and admitted weakness of the
Canton Government may have time to prepare the
people for the change.

. .
2. The limit for excursions is defined (as at Shang-
hae) by a day's journey out and home, and we have
now furnished the authorities with a strong motive
ter restraining and punishing the aggression.
3. The punishment of those who maltreated the
two seamen (required by your Lordship's dispatch of
January 12, the communication of which Keying did
not think proper to acknowledge) and that of the
assailants on Colonel Chesney, are conceded. The
sequel of this dispatch will show that I had some
trouble to procure the latter to be inflicted before I
quitted Canton, in the presence of our own officers.
4. The grant of additional building ground, so
long denied to ourselves and the Americans, is at
length obtained ; and its being on the opposite, or
Conasnitodenr:danasd
the burial grounds at Whampoa, though now for the
al ensssa.
dp
Tvo
aphnuet
al populous
ds aidetio n
additional
ofs
pt
ah
ce
eriver,fora
o r a
cmhuarychbeatc
first time obtained, are all according to treaty.
6. The bridge between the gardens, and the addi-
tional building in the same space, now conceded, were
before the subjects of dispute, as reported in my
dispatch of the 17th of March.
7. The control of the boats in front of the factories
is a mere measure of police, for which the Govern-
ment should be as ready as ourselves, though the
point has always been neglected.
An important proclamation was issued to this effect
the day after the above dispatch was written :
PROCLAMATION ISSUED BY TUE DISTRICT OFFICERS

OF CANTON.
(Translation.) April 13, 1847.
Chang, by special Imperial appointment, district
magistrate of Nanhae, raised ten steps, recorded ten
times, and an expectant of promotion of the grade of
eminent distinction ; and
Le, acting district magistrate of Pavan-
Yu
dis-
trict magistrate of Sinning, raised ten steps,trhee
grade
ten times, and an expectant of promotion
of
recorded
rde
of eminent distinction ; hereby issue a fervent and
earnest proclamation.
hucnTred years past, and
Whereas foreigners and nativesm eorcfe the w
at
Kdiffearaegn!
countries have carried on
tung for upwards of two
the people of China have long
foreigners having come
from afar to act as meng lived with them in
peace and intimacy, the said
h
ants in China, it is a common
matter (and one whichrc
surprise) for them should
to
look tahtepr el
afoc
er es i excite
e
vicinity of thiscity, and g
and to walk about inspecting
them ; and if the
assemble together to look
they thereby give rise to disturb-
ance inhabitants a
t a
n without tho
crowdut anyr rudely
ceremonyely
and inure
round
peaceful relations, but they also do
the them,
g not
greatest t onlydorie violence to our Emperor's purpose of
cherishing
ienr thatdness to people from
we issue a fer-
ventafar.proclamation on the subject.
rentu
a 1t ,d is
a Il est
ande
earnest showing
therefore
proper kindness
For this reason a proclamation is hereby addressed
to the literary gentry and the people of the said locali-
ties for their full information. If foreigners should
in future proceed to the said places to walk for
amusement, do not as heretofore assemble to look at,
wrangle with, and rail at them, so as to give rise to
other troubles, and draw down on yourselves inquiry
and punishment. Be particularly careful to yield a
reverential obedience! Make no opposition to this
special proclamation !
The following is the last document in the corres-
pondence, giving the Government sanction to the ope-
rations :

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON TO SIR JOHN DAVIS.
Foreign-office, July 5, 1847.
Sir)--Your dispatches of the sth and 6th of April,
which I received on the 29th of last month, have
enabled her Majesty's Government to judge of the
motives which induced you to undtrtae the late
operations in the Canton river; and I have great
satisfaction in acquainting you that her Majesty's
Government consider that, under the circumstances of

G-e/>----2,(---:4IF-----"w-
-the case, the co e you adopted was fu
of he
re
the procrastin ng and evasive conduct of
edeaCpshijeseer
authorities d was the one best calculated to pre-
•
vent mo serious difficulties at a future
'Majesty's Government therefore entirely
what you did, as well in undertaking the ex
as in the negotiatiors which preceded the witrdraltri
of her Majesty's forces from Canton.
Her Majesty's Government have, indeed, no wish,
unnecessarily, to have recourse to force, in order to
compel the Chinese authorities to just demands ;
and they consider that the utmost patience and for-
bearance should be shown in dealing with them...
But her Majesty's Government cannot doubt
that the lesson which those authorities have
now learnt, that forbearance has its limits, and that
her Majesty's servants in China, relying upon the
support of their Government, are prepared, it' neces-
sary, promptly to assert the rights which British
subjects in China are by treaty entitled to enjoy, will
have a salutary effect on the future conduct of the
Chinese ()dicers.

/Her Majesty's Government trust, however, that
what has occurred will not operate as an encourage-
ment to any thoughtless or ill-disposed individuals of
the British community, wantonly to provoke collision
with the Chinese. It will be your duty, and that of
all her Majesty's servants in China, to suppress by
the most prompt and vigorous exertions of the
powers entrusted to you by law, every tendency to
such conduct on the part of the British community ;
and you may reckon with confidence upon the support
of her Majesty's Government in your endeavours to
give effect to their wishes in this respect
(Signed) PALMERSTON.