The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-26 00:00:00

THE RIOT IN CANTON.

CANTON, JULY 18.—One of those serious disturbances
which the inefficiency of the Chinese authorities and the
strange apathy of our Government suffer to proceed un-
checked to such alarming extent, occurred here on the
evening of the Bth inst.
The disgusting state of the thoroughfares in the
neighbourhood of the factories, thronged with filthy
mendicants, and obstructed in every conceivable manner,
has been long a subject of complaint, but no efficient
measures have been taken to remedy evils from which
serious consequences were evidently, at any moment,
likely to result.
On the afternoon named an English gentleman got
jostled in the crowd, and in making his way through it
was struck by a Chinaman. The blow was of course re •
turned, and the Chinaman, picking up a large stone,
threw it at the foreigner. The latter closed with his
antagonist, and seizing him by the tail, dragged him to-
wards the house of Mr. Church, a part of Mingqua's
Hong, from the windows of which the occurrence had
been witnessed by some gentlemen, who proceeded
to the assistance of their countryman. The culprit
was then brought into Mingqua's Hong. A mob
soon collected around it, and a furious attack
with stones commenced. Information of the state of
affairs was given to her Majesty's Consul, and was by
him communicated to the Chinese authorities. This was
between six and seven o'clock, and about eight the
Consul and Vice-Consul arrived ; but there being
neither a Chinese nor English force at band, the mob,
wholly unchecked, and then greatly increased in num-
bers, proceeded in their work of destruction. A storm
of missiles was kept up on the house into which the
offender had been dragged, who, however, in the confu-
sion, not being very carefully looked after, had con-
trived to escape. The shower of stones soon shattered
the venetians, damaged the window-posts, and began to
make an impression on the soft brick-work of which the
house is built. More efficient engines of mischief, how-
ever, were soon found. The door-posts and railings
were torn down, and used as battering-rams, until a
breach in the walls was made ; and the mob pro-
ceeded to fire the house, in which in a few minutes
more they would doubtless have been successful, when
the whole range of factories would probably have been
destroyed. Her Majesty's Consul, the American Chargd
d'Affaires, and most of the foreigners in Canton, had
been waiting with perhaps too exemplary patience the
arrival of the Chinese authorities ; but further forbear-
ance would have been madness, and it was determined
on to go to the relief of the houses attacked, and their
inmates.

The gates were accordingly thrown open, and a strong
party of English, Americans, and other foreigners,
headed by the British Consul and the American Charge
d'Affaires, issued out. The mob was repeatedly warned,
but did not disperse, reefing to II little distance, but still
keeping tip volleys of stones, until at length shots were
fired,*and several Chinese were killed and wounded.
This was about nine o'clock, more than two hours after
notice of the affray had been sent to the Mandarins, but
who were still anxiously looked for in vain. These
strong measures cleared away our assailants, who, how-
ever, only retreated down the avenues leading to the fac-
tories, and considerable alarm was felt lest our houses
should be attacked in the rear, and fired. Our party
was then divided, and posted as well as circumstances
would admit, and though in several places during the
greater part of the night the mob seemed inclined again
to attack us, the bold front presented kept them in check.
At past ten o'clock the Chinese officers arrived with a
large force, at d proceeded to clear the streets, in effect-
ing which, however, some of their soldiers were roughly
handled, and one party came howling to one of our posts
for protection. We kept watch all night, but were not
further disturbed. The next day a public meeting was
held, and very numerously attended, and resolutions
were unanimously passed affirming the necessity of a
ship-of-war being permanently stationed off the factories,
and appointing a standing committee to address our Go-
vernment on this subject, and to take such other steps
as exigencies might demand.
Guard was kept again the following night, and it
passed over quiety ; things continue now apparently
tranquil, and the Chinese guard is being gradually
diminished.

Reports as to the casualties vary a good deal. The
Chinese proclamations speak of three killed and six
wounded, but four bodies were counted on the night of
the affray, and of four wounded taken to the hospital
one died the next day. We hear also that some of the
bodies were thrown into the river by order of the Man-
darins, as the quietest way of getting rid of them. Their
conduct throughout the affair has been thoroughly
Chinese. They are magnifying the casualties in their
correspondence with our Consul, and affect great in-
dignation at what doubtless they in their hearts rejoice
at, for, above all things, they dread such mobs as assem-
bled the night in question, and received so severe a
lesson. In their proclamations to the people, on the
other hand, they understate the number killed, and are
lavish in their promises of what they call justice.
One chop of a very objectionable nature is enclosed.
It assumes that the men were killed by the English, and
says not a word of the jeopardy in which we were placed
by their own most shameful tardiness. Our Consul remon-
strated against the English being thus singled out on an
occasion when the Americans and all foreigners acted
together. Our allies, indeed, are personally the only
sufferers. A Parsee has his leg broken, and a young
German was knocked down by a severe blow on the
head, and had a shower of stones upon him. He was
confined to his bed for a day or two, but happily has not
sustained any serious injury.
The merchants, shopkeepers, and all the respectable
inhabitants of the neighbourhood, are greatly delighted
with what was done, for the mob had begun to plunder
them, and their danger was as great as ours. Conspi-
cuous among the plunderers were many members of the
Triad Society, occasionally making signals to one
another. The members of this society are greatly feared
by the Government and people. As well as we can un-
derstand, they appear to be en organised band of plun-
derers, though it is said political objects are connected
with thel association. It is reported that these black-
guards intend another attack. We do not feel quite
secure, but hope the worst is over, and trust that the
very serious affray which has taken place will call the
attention of her Majesty's Government to our situation.
It is shameful that we should be left to the protection
of a Government which requires three hours to collect
a force sufficient to disperse a street mob. By the treaty
we have a right to station a ship of war here, and indeed
are bound to do so; but independent of these paper
rights, surely if the Chinese Government cannot protect
us, the British Government should; and if the China
trade is worth preserving, humanity and common sense
alike demand the stationing on the spot an efficient and
disciplined force. It was surely wiser to prevent such
affrays than to go to war about their consequences; and
our trade is not to be sacrificed, nor are our lives to be
endangered, for the sake of a nonsensical punctilio.