The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-29 00:00:00

Pa-li-chiao, September, 23, 1860.
My Lord,—In my despatch of the 16th inst., I did
myself the honour to submit for your lordship's informa-
tion a statement of the incidents which had occurred here
between the 11th inst., when the first communication from
Prince Tsai and his colleague reached me at that date. I
now proceed to narrate what has taken place subsequently.
The arrangements detailed at the, close of my despatch
above mentioned, as having been determined on after the
return of Messrs. Wade and Parkes from Tung-chow,
were exactly carried out. Mr. Parkes started for;that place at
a very early hour on Monday the 17th inst., accompanied by
Colonel Walker, Quartermaster-General of the Cavalry
Brigade, Mr. Thomson of the Commissariat Department,
Mr. Loch, my private Secretary, Mr. Do Norman, one
of Mr. Bruce's attaches, who volunteered to go with
him to assist him, and Mr. Bowlby, and escorted by
five men of the King's Dragoon Guards and 20 of
Fane's.Horse, under the command of Lieutenant Anderson.
The allied force and the Commanders-in-Chief com •
menced their march somewhat later. I received no com-
munication from either during the course of that day. On
the following morning, however, at ab tut 10 a.m. the sound
of artillery was heard in the distance, and at noon a Seikh
trooper arrived from Sir Hope Grant's camp. lie blonght
me a letter from Mr. Parkes, but no news from the camp,
except the verbal report that a brisk cannonade had com-
menced half an lxour after he left it.
Mr. Parkes, in his letter, informed me that the' Colll='
missioners had raised tho three following objections to my
despatch to them of which he had been the bearer : -
Ist. To the indefinite date assigned for the withdrawal
of our troops, which they contended should take place im-
mediately after the signature of the Convention ; 2d,
to my proceeding to Pekin with an escort, ortat least with
an escort equal to that which I had stated would accompany
me to Tung-chow ; and 3d, to the delivery of her Majesty's
letter to the Emperor at an audience. It was on this
last objection that they chiefly insisted. I do not
enclose the copy of Mr. Parkes's letter, as it was
marked private, but the closing sentences are so charac-
teristic that I beg leave to quote them. He dates it at 4.30
a.m. from Tung-chow, which is six miles from the pro-
posed place of the encampment of the army, four miles
from Chan-kia-wan, and 24 miles from Ho-se-wan,
where I was residing, and he writes, "I am now starting
with Col. Walker and a Chinese officer to attempt the ar-
rangement of the first of these points (the camping ground
for the army). I then go to Chan-kia-wan to start sup-
ply work (also for the army), then come back to Tung-
chow to get out the proclamation, on which black-cutters
have been at work during the night, and if time and phy-
sical strength will then admit I shall ride back in the even-
ing to Ho .see.wao that I may know your lordship's views
on the question of audience, which the Chinese authorities
will, I am sure, again recur to the moment they see me."
Kt about half-an-hour after midnight, I received a letter
from Sir Hope Grant, describing the circumstances which
led to the engagement of the 18th, its successful issue, and
inquiring how I considered the negotiations in which I
was engaged for the re-establishment of peace to be affected
by this incident. The General's letter was in pencil, and
I cannot now furnish a copy of it. But I enclose a copy
of my reply, which I despatched at 4 a.m., of the 19th
inst., to the head-quarters of the Commander-in-Chief, by
the hands of my Military Secretary, Lieut.-Col. Crealock
I followed at 5 a.m., as I thought that the detention of
Mr. Parkes and the others who were with him, might give
rise to questions, in the determination of which I should
take my share of responsibility.
I found that Sir Hope Grant bad established his head-
quarters at Chan-kia-wan, and soon atter my arrival there,
we proceeded together to the residence of the French Com-
mander .in-Chiel, in order that we might confer with his
Excellency as to thehest means of recovering the subjects
of her Majesty and the Emperor of the French who were
missing.
It was agreed that a reconnaisance of British cavalry
should proceed forthwith to Tung-chow, and that Mr.
Wade should accompany it with a notification to the chief
mandarin of that city to the effect that the Commanders-
in-Chief of the Allied Armies required all English and
French subjects to return to head-quarters of their re-
spective armies, and that if any impediment was put in
the way of their return, the city of Pekin would forth-
with be attacked and taken. It was added that
Tun chow would not be molested if the inhabitants kept
aloofg- from all resistance to the Allies. Mr. Wade, in the
execution of this mission, endeavoured, in the first place,
to communicate with a Tartar camp situated on the Pekin
side of the city of Tung 'chow. But he could get no
one to acknowledge his flag of truce, and was fired at
more than once. He succeeded, however, at length in
obtaining access to the chief mandarin of Tung-chow, who
spoke of our countrymen who had been in the city, with
great calmness, saying that he believed a party of upwards
of 20 had left it some time before the firing on the 18th had
commenced. This conversation left on my mind the pain-
ful impression that on their way back to the camp, they
had been cut down by the Tartar army in its retreat, an
impression 'which tile fact that we had received me commu-
nication from the Chinese authorities after the defeat of their
army on that day, tended to confirm. In a further recon-
naissance, which was made by Major Probyn on the day
following, an intelligent native was captured, who afforded
us some relief by assuring us he had seen some of our coun•
trymen proceeding in a cart to Pekin. No communication
was, however, received from any Chinese authority
respecting the fate of these persons, and the Com-
manders-in-Chief, with great propriety, as it appears
to me, resolved to prosecute their movement in
advance. On the 21st instant, accordingly, a large
body of Tartar troops on the road from Tung-chow to
Pekin was attacked and dispersed, and their camps which
covered a space of several miles were taken and destroyed.
On the morning of the day following I received a com-
munication from the brother of the Emperor, informing
me that, in consequence of the mismanagement of affairs
by the Prince Tsai, and Muh, he had been appointed:Cons-
nnssioner to treat with me, and proposing an armistice
with a view to the re-establishment of peace. I answered
by referring them to the Notification already delivered to
the chief mandarin of Tung-chow, in the name of the
Commanders-in-Chief, and informing them that, until the
British subjects detained in Pekin were restored, I could
not take any steps to stay military operations. I enclose
herewith the copy of this correspondence.
I may be expected to say something respecting the ori-
gin and cause of the renewal of hostilities wleich took place
on the 18th inst. To hazard conjectures as to the motives
by which Chinese functionaries are actuated is not a
very safe undertaking; and it is very possible that fur-
ther information may modify the views which I now
entertain on this point. I am, however, disposed at
present to doubt there having been a deliberate intention of
treachery on the part of Prince Tsai and his colleague, but
I apprehend that the General-in-Chief, Ssig-ko-lin-sin,
thought that they had compromised his military position by
allowing our army to establish itself so near his lines at
Chan-kia-wan. He sought to counteract the evil effect of
this by making a great swagger of parade and preparation
to resist when the allied armies approached the camping-
ground allotted to them. Several of our people, Colonel
Walker, with his escort, my private secretary, Mr. Loch,
Bares Gros' Secretary of Embassy, Comte de Bastard, and
others, passed through the Tartar army during the course
of the morning, on their way from Tung-chow without
encountering any rudeness •r ill-treatment whatsoever.
At about a quarter to 10, however, a French Commissariat
officer was assaulted by some Tartar soldiers under
circumstances which are not very clearly ascer-
tained, and this incident gave rise to an engage
•
ment, which soon became general. On the whole,
I come to the conclusion that in the proceedings of the
Chinese Plenipotentiaries and Commander-in-Chief in this
instance, there was that mixture of stupidity, want of
straightforwardness, suspicion, and bluster which charac-
terises so generally the conduct of affairs in this country,
but I cannot believe that after the experience which Sang-ko-
lin-sin had already had of our superiority in the field, either
he or his civil colleagues could have intended to bring on a
conflict in which, as the event has proved, he was so sure to
be worsted. At the same time, the facts that he covered
by his guns and with a portion of his troops the ground
assigned to us, and that a French officer, returning from
Tung-chow with the knowledge and consent of the Chinese
Plenipotentiaries, was assaulted and killed on his lines,
entirely justify both the charge of bad faith which has been
brought against the Chinese authorities for their conduct
in this instance, and the proceedings of the Allied Com-
manders-in-Chief which have ensued therefrom.
I have, &c.,
ELGIN AND KINCARDINE.

The Lord John Russell, &c.

Enclosure 1.
Ho-see-wao, Sept. 19, 1860, 3.30 A. 31.
My dear General —I received your letter at midnight.
The bad faith of the Chinese releases us, in my opinion,
from any obligation to restrict our advance, and leaves us
free to move forward if we deem it expedient to do so.
I think, moreover, that the safety of Mr. Parkes, and a
those who are with him, will be best consulted by a for-
ward movement on your part, but you may probably have
received information ere this reaches yon, which will enable
you to arrive at a sounder judgment than I can on that
point.
As far as I am concernedt therefore, you are perfectly
free to go. Indeed, I shall be glad to hear that you have
done so.
no troops at Tung-chow, it would be a pity
If there be
respec table inhabitants out of the place ; you
a message to say, that in consequence
to drive the
might probably send
of the bad fait of the Chinese authorities you had resolved
to advance, but that if not resisted you will treat it as you
treated Tientstin.
ty confident that he can carry on his boats
Dew is pre
to Tung-chow, At any rate up to this point there is no
difficulty whatsoever.
I have, &c.,
(Signed) ELGIN -AND KINCAILD INE.
Lieutenant-General Sir H. Grant, K .C.B , &c.

Enclosure 2. 1
(Translation) Received September 22, 1860.
The Prince Rung, Imperial Commissioner, with full
powers, &c., makes a communication.
Tsai, Prince of I, and Muh, President of the Board of
War, not having managed matters satisfactorily, his Ma-
jesty's decree has been received depriving them of their
Imperial commission. The Prince Rung, having had the
honour to be named Commissioner with plenipotentiary
powers, will at once despatch Hangki and San-wei-wan to
have an interview for the discussion of the question of
peace. Let his Excellency the British Minister tempo-
rarily suspend hostilities, in order to the establishment of
\
friendly relations.
A cmunication, addressed to his Excellency the Earl
of Elgin, &c.
Making, 10th year, Bth moon, i'th day (21s
Translated by 1860.)
Tiro' WADT%, Clan. o:sSeeePrte"tarT.