The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-06 00:00:00

Enclosure No. 6.—Memorandum.

Yesterday evening a Cantonese, Sen-seen-sang, who has
for several years been in the habit of lending money to ex-
pectant officials, whom he accompanied when appointed to
any post, called on me. He had just returned from Pekin,
via Shanghae, hiving left the former place on the 22d of
March. He informed me that at the time of his departure
from Pekin, the expected return of the British Ambassador
to Tien-tsin, and the possibility of his visiting the capital
were subjects freely canvassed in every quarter; that the
Emperor was known to be highly displeased with some of
the stipulations contained in the Tien-tsin treaty; that he
was entirely averse to the ambassador's taking up his quar-
ters in the capital, and that he had resolved not to grant
him an audience on any pretext ; that military preparations
were going on at Pekin and Tien-tsin ; that the Russians
had offered the Emperor 10,000 muskets, but that his Ma-
jesty had declined to accept the present, fearing that the
muskets in question might be brought to the palace by an
equal number of Russians ; that the arrangement of all
matters connected with the reception of the British at Tien-
sin, and the preventing of any visit to Pekin, had been con-
fided to Sung-wang Tay, a Ta-tsze-wang, son-in-law of
the last Emperor; that Sung-wang-yay was at Tien-tsin
with 50,000 troops, Manchoos and Mongols ; that the
batteries at Tien-tsin had been rebuilt, and the river
staked in such a way as to render it impossible
for foreign vessels to reach that city; that 30,000
" so-lo" troops, men never called out except in cases of
the greatest emergency, were under orders to hold them-
selves in readiness to joing Sung-wang-yay if called for;
that Sung-wang-yay's orders were to receive the British at
Tien-tsin with all civility, but at all hazards to prevent any
nearer approach to Pekin ; that Sung-wang-yay was very
desirous of gaining military renown, and that the ambas-
sador would be unable to reach Pekin without having re-
course to arms ; that, according to the opinion of some, the
ambassador, accompanied by a few people, might possibly
reach Pekin without bloodshed, but that a fight would cer-
tainly ensue if more than 100 men were landed ; that the
country between Tien-tsin and Pekin being flat, and the
Chinese troops being so much more numerous than any
number of men the British could land, it was the general
belief that the British could be surrounded and cut to pieces
before the completion of one-half the journey.
Sen-seen-sang further informed me that a Russian am-
bassador had visited Pekin on the 2d March ; that the Rus-
sians in the capital, more than a hundred in number,
roamed about just as they pleased, much to the grief of the
Emperor and the anti-foreign party ; and that it was feared
the British, if they once effected an entrance, would take an
ell for every inch theßussians had arrogated to themselves
—that at Yung-chow large quantities of grain had been
bought up by the Russians. but that the Emperor having
become alarmed, had forbidden the traffic.
(Signed) ROBERT HART, Interpreter.
British Consulate, Canton, May 22, 1859.

No. 7.
MR. BRUCE TO THE RUM OP MALMESBUR'.
(Received July 31.).

(Extract.) Victoria, Hong Kong, June 1, 1859.
I have the honour to inform your lordship that M. de
Bourboulon arrived at Hong Kong on the 26th ultimo, from
Macao, where he had been delayed by the non-arrival of
the corvette and small steamer destined to convey him to
Tien-tsin. Admiral Rigault had taken all the stoz e 3, &c.,
out of the corvette when at Turon, and she has not yet
completed her provisions, but I trust she will be ready to-
morrow, on which cray I likewise proceed to Shanghae
direct. I have waited for M. de Bourboulon, as I thought
it advisable that every step we take in the Pekin
expedition should be taken by ua in concert ; and as I do
not wish to have any communication with the Imperial
commissioners, should they be still at Shanghae, until my
French colleague arrives.

No. 8.
MR. BRUCE TO THE EARL OF MALMESBURY.
(Received August 11.)
Shanghae, June 14, 1859.

My Lord,—l took my departure from Hong Konstas soon
as the French corvette Duchayla was reported ready to pro-
ceed. Foreseeing that I should find on my arrival here
questions of considerable importance, which it would be de-
sirable to decide in concert with M. de Bourbolon; I did not
think it advisable to precede him, and thereby put myself in
the position either of acting in his absence, or of giving as
a reason for delay that I was waiting for him. I reached
Shanghae on the evening of June 6, and M. de Bourbolon
arrived on the following morning.
I found three letters from the Imperial commissioners,
proposing that, instead of proceeding to the north to effect
the exchange of the ratifications, I should remain here and
commence discussions on various details connected with
carrying the treaty into operation, alleging as their reason
for waiting at Shanghae that the Earl of Elgin, on proceed-
ing to the south, had left some of these details unfinished.
On reading, however, Lord Elgin's letter of March 3, 1859,
addressed to them on his leaving China, I saw that there
was nothing to justify their delay that they were informed
therein of my. being the bearer of important documents to
be delivered at Pekin, and that they were warned that a
strict adherence to the treaty was the only method by which
peaceful relations could be preserved. One of the articles
prescribes the exchange of the ratifications at Pekin within
a year, and I know, from what passed last year. that it is
not, in the eyes of the Chinese, one of the least important
of its stipulations.

I am unable to state whether the commissioners were
acting under instructions from their government to use
every effort to prevent our proceeding to the north, or
whether they adopted this expedient for the purpose of being
out of the way when the visit to the capital, so unpala
table to the pride of the Chinese Government, is to take
plate. But that their object was to gain time, the favourite
policy of this Government, in the hope that something,
they know not what, might turn up and relieve them from
this visit, I could have no doubt ; neither could I doubt,
independently of the precise nature of my instructions, that
anything which looked like hesitation kr irresolution on my
part, would encourage the Chinese in putting obstacles in
my way, and render the objects of my mission more difficult
to attain without a fresh appeal to forge.

I accordingly addressed to the Secretary of State Kweili-
ang the enclosed note, declaring that my resolution to pro-
ceed was inflexible ; refusing to enter into any discussion of
details until after the exchange of ratifications; declining
to grant them an interview at this place, and holding them
responsible for any consequences that might ensue from
the want of due preparation at Pekin for my reception.
M. de Bourboulon, who shares my opinion on the sub-
ject, transmitted a note to the same effect.
I further sent a short note, pointing out that, by em-
ploying one of the steamers lying here, they might still, if
they liked, reach Tien-tsin in time.
In the meantime the squadron sailed to rendezvous at
some islands a short distance off the Peiho, and Admiral
Hope left on the 11th, having agreed to inform the officers
in charge of the forts at Peiho that the Ministers of Eng-
land and France were coming, and to direct them, if they
had received no instructions on the subject, to communicate
the intelligence to Pekin, and to obtain a reply within a
fixed number of days. On the occasion of the Admiral's
departure I addressed to him the letter (a copy of which is
herewith enclosed.)

At this time the reports that reached us were not encou-
raging, and I learned from the best authority that a high
Chinese official had declared that he would not go to the
not ih, as there would be trouble, and that we should be
obliged to give the Chinese government another lesson at
Tien -tsin before the Emperor would be brought to reason
and before pacific counsels would obtain the ascendancy.
This tallied with other accounts, and with the fact that the
war party acquired so much influence at Pekin last winter, and
sent such extravagant instructions to the commissioners,
that Ho wrote back that if affairs were to be managed in that
spirit, the Emperor had better name his uncle and the other

heads of the war party as commissioners, as he would not
undertake the task of bringing matters to a peaceful conclu-
sion on such terms. To this unusual act of independence
the Emperor appended the remark, "his (Ho's) obstinacy
will involve him in calamity." The paper to which I refer
was obtained by Mr. Parkes, and a precis of it forwarded
to the Foreign-office in the month of January.
It is clear, therefore, that a war party exists, and that
the probability of resistance is a contingency not to be lost
sight of; and Admiral Hope, before leaving, addressed a
letter to Sir Charles Van Straubenzee, requesting him to
send up a second battalion of marines to be at hand should
active operations become necessary.
These steps seem to have alarmed the commissioners, for
on the 13th I received the enclosed reply from them,
which, in its explicit and clear style contrasts favourably
with the vague and puerile tone of their former letters.
As this correspondence has been forwarded to Pekin, I hope
that there, as well as here, it will produce a conviction that
we are not to be trifled with.

Your lordship will observe, that though their reply is sa-
tisfactory as to the disposition of the Chinese Government,
and its readiness to exchange ratifications, it makes no
allusion to the interview with the Emperos, and to the pre-
sentation of the letter of credence to him. I gather from
this omission that the Emperor has not instructed them on
this material point ; and as the question of ceremonial
ought, in my opinion, to be settled before we leave Tien-
t:4n for Pekin, it is clear that it could not have been dis-
cussed here, involving as it does the necessity of taking the
pleasure a the Emperor upon it, without the risk of losing
the season altogether for the visit to Pekin.
I must observe, ray lord, that in order to effect the
presentation in person of my credentials to the Emperor,
and to deter the Chinese from their hitherto invariable
practice of subjecting foreign envoys to petty slights and
insults, which lower them and the governments they
represent in the eyes of the people, I must suceeed in in-
spiring the Emperor and his counsellors with a conviction
that what I have once demanded I will exact, and with a
wholesome dread of my readiaess and power to resort to
force, if my demands are not complied with. The notes I
have addressed to the commissioners, as well as my general
bearing, are, I feel certain, faithfully reported to the Em-
peror, and with this conviction I have purposely assumed
the attitude and tone best calculated to induce him to sub-
mit quietly to very unpalatoable proposals, by impressing
upon him that these concessions are inevitable unless he is
prepared to draw the sword.
The considerable force collected by the admiral will tend
to strengthen this impression, and it is the more necessary
at this time as the Chinese are aware of the absence of any
French force from China.

Throughout many generations of our intercourse with
China we postponed considerations of national dignity to
our commercial interests, and the statement "that the bar-
barians care for nothing but trade," appears again and again
in their official papers, as the key to our character, and the
principle by acting on which we are "soothed and con-
trolled." It is essential in dealing on this occasion with
those questions of force and ceremony so important to the
Chinese mind, that we should disabuse them of this notion,
and I believe that tenacity and firmness on these points
will, by elevating our national character in the estimation
of the people and of the government, and by gaining their
respect, if not their goodwill, facilitate greatly hereafter
our relations with China.

For this reason, when the commissioners the other day
conveyed directly to me that they were ready to arrange to
my satisfaction the question of the Canton indemnity, I
took no notice of the overture.

I ought to add that Mr. Ward, the Minister of the
United States, has insisted on exchanging the ratifications
of his treaty at Pekin, and that ho is prepared to accom-
pany us to the north ; he has, moreover, advanced the
same claim to an interview with the Emperor. Of the in-
tentions of the Russian envoy I have learned nothing as Set.
It only remains for me to add that I purpose leaving this
to-morrow morning for the Peiho, my French and Ameri-
can colleagues following the next day.—l have, &c.
(Signed) FREDERICK W: A. BDUCR.

Enclosure 1 in No. 8.

COMMISSIONERS E.WEILTANCE, lIWASHANA, &C. TO MR.
BRUCE.
(Translation.)

Kweiliang, &c., Hwashana, &c., Ho, &c., Imperial com-
missioners, &c., make a communication.
It appears from the records, that on the 22d day of the
12th moon of last year (January 25, 1859), a despatch was
received by the commissioners from the late British minis-
ter, Lord Elgin, in which there are the following words :
" The undersigned has determined on proceeding to Canton
to take certain steps (or to act) ; his business accomplished
in the course of some five or six weeks, he will name a time
for his arrival at Shanghae, there to settle with the com-
missioners such questions as still remain to be discussed."
In due course of time, on the 26th day of the 2d moon of
the present year (March 30, 1859), the commissioners re-
ceived a second letter, dated the 29th of the Ist moon
(March 3), to the effect that (her Britannic Majesty) had
appointed the Hon. Mr. Bruce to be her representative,
&c. ; and that he would arrive in China shortly; further
stating that " the undersigned, now on the point of leaving
China, must take leave, on this his last opportunity of ad-
dressing then, earnestly to impress (upon the commis-
sioners) that the one essential to a continuance of friendly
relations is the faithful observance of the treaty," &c.
The commissioners, in consequence of Lord Elgin's earlier
letter, in which he engaged to return to Shanghae for a Con-
ference with them, have been waiting for him without
moving (lit., obstinately, persistently).
Lord Elgin has returned home, but Mr. Bruce, having
received the commands of her Majesty to succeed him in
the administration of all things essential, and now occupy-
ing, to the great satisfaction of the commissioners, a posi-
tion identified with that of Lord Elgin, his predecessor, the
proper course to be pursued is, doubtless, to appoint a day
for a conference.

In faithful compliance with the engagement already en-
tered into, and as the period appointed for the exchange of
the treaties is very near at hand, it is of course most expe-
dient that all business which has to be considered should
become the subject of consultation, and be proceeded with
as early as possible.
A necessary communication, addressed to Mr. Bruce,
envoy extraordinary,. &c.
Lien-fang, 9th year, 4th moon, 25th day (May 27, 18.59).
(Received June 6, 1859.)