The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-26 00:00:00

TilE

searching out the murderers in order to deliver them up,
and that they will probably be obtained within a few days.
As soon as they have been conveyed to the authorities
they will be rigorously punished in accordance with the
laws. Decidedly there shall not be the slightesr delay
or remissness.

" The villagers in question became all afraid as soon
as the authorities commenced their proceedings, and the
gentry and elders have agreed to deliver up the mur-
derers without having dared to make the least contu-
macious opposition, a proof that the people have a sense
of the laws of their Sovereign. I shall therefore be able
to coerce them, and your Excellency need not cause
yourself trouble with over anxiety on my account. For
this reason I make you a communication in reply, and
take the opportunity of expressing my hopes for your
abundant happiness. A necessary communication.
" To his Excellency Sir John F. Davis, Bart., &c.

" December 13, 1847."
Oct the 15th of December Sir John Davis observes,
that ten days have now elapsed since the murders were
committed, and no redress has been obtained, notwith-
standing your own declaration that, without giving full
redress, you could not face myself nor the representatives
of other nations. It is time that I should now fix a
limit, beyond which I cannot communicate on this
subject with your Excellency. I have therefore to state
explicitly, that unless the murderers are executed at
Hwang•chu-ke, in presence of my deputed officers before
the 22d inst., I must cease my correspondence, and in-
form my Government that proper redress cannot be ob-

tained.-
In reply to this, the ion. Baronet received the fol-
lowing singular communication from Keying, in which
an attempt is made to reduce the dealing with the mur-
derers to a matter of arithmetic:—
COMMISSIONER METING TO SIR JOHN DAVIS.

(Translation.)— A communication.
" Ke, Imperial Commissioner, Governor-General of
the Two Kwang, &c., hereby makes a communication in
reply.
" Yesterday I received and made myself fully ac-
quainted with your Excellency's dispatch, in which you
say, with reference to the case of the murder of six
Englishmen by the natives, you had to state explicitly
that the murderers must be executed before the 22d
inst., &c.
" On examination I find that murderers in giving
reparation for life must forfeit a life for each life they
take. This is a pervading principle of justice of both
ancient and modern times. In the present case the
Englishmen have wounded two Chinese with fire-arms,
one of whom has already died, and it is uncertain
whether the other will live or die; while the Chinese beat
six Englishmen to death. Now, in consequence of my
rigorous orders to the commissioners and local authori-
ties to examine ,the captured criminals day after day
with torture, four of them have been convicted as prin-
cipals in the murder, and it is proper that these be forth-
with severely dealt with, their punishment being in-
creased in degree. They will therefore be taken bound
to the execution-ground, and at once executed. As to
2at hn2edd ritnehssett tahswee yhwewi
When the
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all
xepdr severallyeobab
periodi
probability
tarrives,
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I
information of the proceedings in another dispatch.
" Further, I have twice already memorialised his
Imperial Majesty, by speedy express, with reference to
this case, with the view of attaining its certain settle-
ment, of which circumstance I have also to inform you.
For this reason I make you a communication in reply,
and take the opportunity of wishing you constant hapr
ness, &c. A necessary communication.
" To his Excellency Sir John Francis Davis, Bart.,
&c. &c.

"Dec. 16, 1847."
In his reply to this communication, Sir John Davis
wrote:—

"
" I have to acknowledgCeanthtoen;elDceecipetmobfe r
ylo7 ,
ur1847 .
Excel-
lency's letter dated yesterday. In this yeu state that
because one of the villains who attacked my countrymen
was killed, and another wounded by them, you will
execute only four of the murderers.
" But these villagers had often openly declared that
they would kill any foreigner who came there; and the
six persons murdered by them only defended themselves
when they were attacked with weapons. Your
Excellency talks of their being beaten to death; but
they were some of them deliberately tied up, and then
put to death with weapons, as appeared on examination
of the bodies.

" The British Government will certainly consider
your present proposition as only an addition to the in-
jury, and as no better than mere mockery. It is im-
possible for foreigners to remain at Canton if they cannot
go out of their owe precincts without being murdered,
The first article of the treaty has been daily more and
more grossly violated, until no safety or protection
remains.

" I have already told your Excellency the very least
that will satisfy the British Government and nation.
The murderers must all be executed where the crime was
committed, in presence of my officers, and Hwang-chu-
ke be destroyed as an example to the other villages; it
will be better to do this aow than hereafter. I will not
trouble you to put to death these four men at the execu-
tion-ground; it will be no satisfaction whatever, and of
no avail. Any four criminals indifferently might as well
be substituted in their places.
" The wrong committed by the Imperial Commis-
sioner Lin was not greater than the present. You either
cannot or will not protect the lives of British subjects by
proper control over the country people. It is now time
for the British Government to require not only satisfac-
tion for the past, but security for the future.—Accept,
&c., (Signed) " J. F. DAVIS."
In a dispatch to Viscount Palmerston, dated Dec.
24, Sir J. Davis states that, " On the afternoon of the
20th I received Keying's assent as to the place of execu-
tion, and it was agreed it should take place at seven
o'clock the following morning, in the presence of my
officers. The Pluto accordingly proceeded, at daylight,
on the 21st, to the village, having on board Mr. John-
ston and a number of officers, with the light company of
the 95th regiment. The ground was kept by the Chi-
nese and English force, and an immense crowd was col-
lected at some distance, though in perfect silence and
order. The four chief criminals were brought forward,
one by one, to the centre of the square, and their heads
struck off, while their stout and healthy appearance
proved that they were countrymen recently from their
work, and not criminals out of gaol. Indeed it is im-
possible to imagine that, in the presence of the villagers
themselves, the Government, for its own sake, could
degrade itself by such a gross subterfuge." He adds,
" Keying has forwarded me the following account of
the trials and sentences of all the fifteen prisoners, but
the facts are evidently perverted."
(Translation.)—A communication.
" Ke, Imperial Commissioner, Governor-General of
the Two Kwang, &c., hereby makes a communication.
" Whereas with reference to the case of six English-
men having been put to death by the villagers at
Hwang-cbu-ke, lat the first, on hearing of the affair,
appointed high civil and military officers, having under
their direction the local military and inferior special
officers, together with the prefect and district magistrate
to proceed to the place in question, hold an investigation
and take such measures as might be necessary. They
obtained the bodies by dragging, and successively cap-
tured and forced the gentry and elders to deliver up a
number of criminals, of which I have given your Ex-
cellency information in several communications, as is on
record.
" Having found on examination that in this case a
total number of seventeen criminals, Leang-a-lae, Sic.,
had been captured, I gave orders for them to be de-
livered over to Commissioners to be rigorously tried and
punished, and I have now received the report of the
Commissioners, stating:—
" ' In obedience to your orders we had the criminals
brought before us, and subjected them to a most strict
interrogatory.
" ' Two of them, Ho-a-wei and Le-a-ying, were, on
being interrogated, found not to be concerned in the case
and therefore entitled to be liberated.
" ' Leang-a-lae deposed that he was 24 years of age,
Chin-a hae that he was 40 years of age, and both of
them that they were natives of the village of Hwang
chu-ke. Le-a-ying deposed that he was 22 years of age,
Hwang-a-man that he was 39 years of age, and both of
them that they were natives of the village of Ilang-
kefaou. They all deposed alike—that in the afternoon
pudrstuhienvgiltlha
oenttehree sth December, six Englishmen carrying pistols
egme,,atnwdo tohfattheonEntghlaishvmillear
fired,
sshouting
and
Chin .a -chin andwounding killing
the Le-a-keen, who fell to the
ground; that the
Pursue and• beat the deponents, incited the crowd to
of them killed by Englishmen, one of whom each
repeated wounds with swords and
spears; and that after a
panied by Leang-a-urh the consultation with and accom-
y threw the bodies into the
river, in the hope
of extinguishing the traces of their
crime—all which they declared to be the truth.
" ' Leang-a-gan deposed that he w
and a native of the village of Keaouas 40
years of age,
had followed Leang-a-lae and the othPerer , and that he
beat the Englishmen, one of whom he had put
pursue and
put to death.
" ' Wang a-ling deposed that he was 38 year
and a native of the village of Hwang- chu.kesof age,
; that Le-
a-keen was his grandmother's brother's son ; that on
seeing him receive a wound and fall to the ground, he
advanced to assist and protect him, and that he threat-
ened to pierce the Englishmen with a spear, in doing
which he happened to wound one of them so as to

kill him.
Chin-a-hae deposed that he was 31 years of age,
and ilo-a-shing that he was 30 years of age. Both
'
deposed alike—that they were natives of the village of
liwang-chu-ke, and that it
in thecase
that t
ehehad
assisted Leang-a-lae, &c., ininflicting wounds n
Englishmen.
" Leang-a-urh deposed that he was 33 years of age,
and a native of the village of Hwang-chu-ke, and that
he had complied with the request of Leang-a-lae, &c.,
to assist them in putting the six bodies into the river.
" Ho-a-teen deposed that he was 33 years of age,
Chin-a-keun that he was 28 years of age, Leang-ae that
he was 35 years of age, Chin-a-wan that he was 29 years
river
orrf age, and Leant;-a-fang that be was 32 years of age.
They
luni all deposedarryi
n alike—that they were natives of the
villa of Flwang-chu-ke, and that they had complied
_nitcht, the request of Leang-a• Ise, &c., to give their assist-
and throwing them into it, which he declared to be
the bodies of the Englishmen to the
the truth.

..4•we have to present this report, that youmaY
examine into it and take such measures as may be
necessary.'
•
" After examination, I find that as the four criminals
Leang-a lae, Chin-a-hae, Le-a-ying, and Wang-a-man,
first commenced inciting the crowd to pursue and beat
the Englishmen, and then put them to death by repeated
wounds, thus causing the matter to become a serious
case ; the circumstances attendant on their crime age
comparatively grave, and that if they merely be sen-
tenced, in accordance with the law, to decapitation after
confirmation by the Criminal Board,, such would not be
sufficient' for a public warnine. These four criminals
IntyP, therefore, been sentgnee,r with additional severity