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

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the Board of Civil Office, Hwasbana, to return from Shang- purposes, ono great object of the treaty, viz.: free aocess to
hae to Pekin, and they may arrive any day. If the envoy of the central government.
her Britannic Majesty will hays the goodness to wait until It was only after my arrival at Hong Kong that I heard
the Chief Secretary liweiliang and his colleagues reach the of the commissioners having remained in the south, and re-
capital, they will thereupon receive him at once, and he will ceived Mr. Hart's memorandum (enclosed in my dispatch of
enter the capital to exchange the treaties (or will exchange May 30), describing the hostile feeling of the Court, and
the treaties in the capital), throwing considerable.light on the motives of this incon-
At Peh-tang-Ho itself there has always been a military venient delay of the commissioners. I felt at once that it
station and a battery for the defence of the coast. Orders became necessary either to throw overboard my instructiens
have been issued to remove the troops and guns to the rear; entirely, to abandon the visit to Pekin and the attempt to
and as soon as this shall be effected a vessel (or vessels) will establish, on a proper footing, once for all, our diplomatic
be prepared for the Governor-General to proceed with out- relations with the Court of Pekin, or to declare that I would
side the bar to welcome her Britannic Majesty's Envoy to insist on exchanging the ratifications at the capital within
Peh-tang-Ho, whence he can proceed by land to Pekin. the period stipulated in the treaty, and on a personal recap-
A necessary communication addressed to Mr. Bruce, Sce. Hon by the Emperor for the purpose of delivering to him
[The character signifying " her Majesty" is not on a level her Majesty's autograph letter. I could not doubt thatthe
with that signifying the Emperor, as by the fixed rules of task of extorting a reception at Pekin in a form implying a
Chinese official composition it would be were it employed in surrender on the part of the Emperor of his pretentions to
speaking of the Emperor himself. It marks a non-appre • a recognition of our equality on paper ; and that the Chinese
ciation of the complete equality we claim for our Sove- government, in accordance with its usual policy, would en-
reign with all allies, the Emperor of China included, and deavour, by prescribing the route I was to follow, by limit-
I should recommend that the original be returned for coring the number of my attendants, and by bad arrangements
rection.—T. W.] during the journey, to put me in the degrading position
hitherto occupied by foreign envoys, and recover by this
means the prestige it had lost by our successful coup de
main of last year. To prevent such a result, and to receive
free access to the capital in future on becoming terms, I
decided, after mature reflection, on proceeding by the river,
the natural highway to Tien-tsin, under the British flag,
as its presence at that islace would establish in the eyes of
the Chinese that our visits to Pekin are a matter of right,
not of favour.
M. de Bourboulon, whom I consulted before deciding on
the course to be pursued, entertained views similar to mine,
and wrote a despatch to the commissioners in the same

Enclosure 4 in No. 9.
REAR-ADM1R..4.1. HOPE TO MR ERECE.
Coromandel, off the Peiho, July 1, 1859.
Sir,—l have the honour to acquaint you that the means
at my disposal have proved insufficient to remove the ob-
stacles opposed to your entry at the mouth of the Peiho ;
and that they are of so formidable a nature that any fur-
ther:GPerations cannot lead to successful results.
I 'Expect the repairs of the gunboats to be completed
about the middle of next week, and I hope to be able to
reassemble the force outside the bar about that time, and
under such circumstances I shall be glad to know in what
way I can most forward the objects of your mission.
I have also to request that you will be se good as to for-
ward a copy of this communication to M. de Bourboulon,
and inform that gentleman how much I am indebted to
Captain Tricault, of the Duchayla, for his assistance dur-
ing the engagement of the 25th ultimo.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) J. HOPE.

sense,

I could not, however, in face of the unsatisfactory infor-
mation I had received, hope that the Chinese Government
would agree to such a complete revolution of its mode of
dealing with foreigners, unless I was backed by sufficient
force to inspire it with alarm, I Lccordingly consulted with
Admiral Hope and Sir Charles Van Straubenzee on this
point. Several gun boats and part of the squadron had
been dispatched by Sir Michael Seymour to Shanghae, pre-
vious to my arrival in China, to be ready to accompany me
to the north. This measure had been adopted before unfa-
vourable intelligence had been received from that quarter.
We agreed, on consultation, that the force dispatched was
not large enough to produce the desired impression. It was
accordingly strengthened, particularly in the class of vessels
that can cross the bar, and brought up to an equality with
that which accompanied the allied ambassadors last year.
The larger the force, the less likelihood, judging from our
experience of the Chinese character, there would be of a
collision.

Enclosure 5 in No. 9.

MR. BRUCE TO REAR-ADMIRAL HOPE.
Magicienne, off the Peiho, July 2, 1859.
Sir,—l regret that in consequence of a resistance which
our previous experience of Chinese warfare could not have
led us to anticipate the means at your disposal have proved
insufficient to remove the obstacles to my progress up the
Peiho.

Allow me at the sama time, whilst offering you my pro-
found sympathy for the loss sustained by the squadron, to
express my sincere admiration of the decision and gallantry
shown in the operations undertaken for that object.
As you inform me that in the face of this formidable re-
sistance further operations cannot lead to a successful re-
sult, I beg to state that I have for the present abandoned
all attempts to reach Pekin, and have resolved to refer
home for instructions as to the course to be adopted. Wi th
this view Mr. Rumbold proceeds by the next masl to Eng-
land, to furnish her Majesty's Government with full par-
ticulars respecting what has occurred.
Under these circumstances I agree with you that the re-
turn of the Marines and Sappers to Hong Kong is desir-
able, and that the ships should be employed in the man-
ner most conducive to the security of her Majesty's subjects
and to the protection of their interests at the several ports.
In accordance with your request, I have communicated
to M. do Bourboulon a copy of your letter. —I have, &c.,
(Signed) F. W. A. Bnuca.

On arriving at Shanghae, where I proceeded as soon as
my French colleague was ready, I found, as I anticipated,
the commissioners armed with pretexts to detain me, and
prevent my visit to the I 'eiho. Their letters, though mo-
derate in tone, alluded to the three principal clauses of the
treaty, and proposed to re-open discussion upon them. Had
I accepted this overture, and abandoned the course laid down
in my letter of the 16th of May, they would have inferred
that I was to be " soothed and contrail/4" and would have
postponed the ratifications, with the intention of obtaining
my assent to conditions which would have deprived these
clauses of their practical efficacy. This view is confirmed
by the fact that they were not in possession of the ratified
treaties, the Chinese Government having thus confined
them to the task of gaining time, if nothing else, by renew-
ing negotiations, reserving meanwhile in its own hands
the power of exchanging the ratifications or not, as it might
seem expedient, after the result of the interviews had been
communicated to it.
I think that the commissioners themselves were acting
rather in obedience to their instructions from Pekin than in
' the expectation that their attempts to detain us here would
be successful. For as soon as they received my letter, stat-
ing that I would not enter into discussions until the ratifi-
cations were exchanged, and declining any interview with
them at Shanghae, the twelvemonth allowed by treaty for
the exchange having almost expired they changed entirely
their tone. They acknowledged the propriety of abiding by
the terms of the treaty, and stated that they had memorial-
ised the Emperor to send down a high officer to Tien-tsin,
whom we should find on our arrival ready to conduct us in
time to the capital. Though they hinted at a journey by
land from the river's mouth, and wished me to anchor the
squadron outside the bar, they did not state that orders had
been given to prevent us entering the river and making use
of it to reach the town of Tien-tsin.
Admiral Hope left a day before the reply of the commis-
sioners was received, being desirous of making the passage
under sail. The place of rendezvous was fixed at the Sha-
loo-tien Island, whence he was to communicate to the au-
thorities the approaching arrival of the ministers of England
and France, en route for Tien-tsin, and inquire whether
orders had been given for out reception.
I announced his departure the next day to the commis-
sioners, and suggested the propriety of their proceeding to
the Peiho on board one of the steam ships, owned by Chi-
nese, lying here, by which means they would be able to
reach it in time to receive us. They declined doing so, on
the ground that they could not adopt so unusual a method
of travelling without the Emperor's permission. This may
be so, but I am inclined to think they shared in the feeling
expressed in confidence by the most enlightened of their as-
sistants, that he would not go to the north, as there would
be trouble, and that the Emperor and his counsellors were
so unreasonable that they could not be brought to terms
without another lesson.
M. de Bourboulon and I left Shanghae four days after
the receipt of the letter of the commissioners, in order to
afford time for the memorial to reach the Emperor, and for
the necessary orders to be given, should he be inclined to
accord us a friendly reception, and carry out the recom-
mendations it contained.
Mr. Ward, the American minister, accompanied us at
their express invitation, having claimed, under the most fa-
voured nation clause, the right to exchange the ratifications
at Pekin and present his credentials to the Emperor.
My dispatch of the sth instant, which is forwarded by
the present opportunity, gives in detail the events that took
place at the Peiho. I have only to remark, in explanation
of the course pursued, that we found ourselves off the
mouth of the river, which forms the highway to Pekin,
within a few days of the period fixed by the expiration of
the treaty for the exchange of the ratifications. On re-
questing a passage to be opened for us, and explaining the
peaceful objects of the mission, we were informed that there
was no authority on the spot ; that the fort and barriers
were not constructed by order of the government, but by
the people, who had built and garrisoned them for their
protection against rebels, net to keep us out of the river.
In proceeding to remove them we therefore violated no-
order of the Imperial government, and had we been suc-
cessful, the government could, and would, no doubt, have
disavowed entirely the acts of those who opposed us. At the
same time we were convinced that the repugnance of the
Chinese government to execute fully the treaty, and to grant
us the reception we were instructed to demand could only be
overcome by a sense of their inability to resist us. The pre- '
parations made since last year had given them confidence,
and that feeling would have been increased had we, on corn-
ing in presence of them, receded from the demands we had
made. Under such circumstances to have accepted the
proposal of the Governor-General of Pehili would have been
to enter on a path which must have ended in disgrace amid
failure ; and nothing, in my opinion, would have justified
us in consenting to it, unless the only competent authority
to pronounce a judgment on such a question had expressed
doubts as to the result of an attempt to force the passage of
the river. But I can state positively that if Admiral Hope
had expressed doubts on the subject they would not have
been shared by the squadron, nor by those who have had
most experience of warfare in China ; and if it be decided
that the means at our command were insufficient to justify
us in pursuing so bold a line of policy, it is but right that I
should share that responsibility with him.
The intendant of this place has received official notice of
these events from Pekin, with orders, as he states, not to
molest the English. But the effect of this check must be
prejudicial to our interests, as in this, more than in almost
any country, we are respected and considered in proportion
as we are feared, and whatever may be the ultimate decision
of this Government with reference to the treaty of Tien-
tsin, I do not think that its provisions can be carried out
until we recover superiority in the eyes of the Chinese.
Mr. Wade has drawn up a full and explicit memorandum
on the proceeedings of the Chinese Government within the
last year, to which I beg to call your lordship's attention.
—I have,

(Signed) FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE.

Inclosure 1 in No. 10.

TRANSLATION OF A PAPER FORWARDED TO THE EARL OF
ELGIN IN MR. PARKE'S DESPATCH OP JAN. 15, .
1859
[MEMORANDUM.—Two Chinese clerks, perfectlyunkno
wn
to each other, have suggested, the moment they road this
paper, that it was the composition of a small official sent by
Hwang-tsung-han to Shanghae, to watch the progress of
affairs. The writer speaks of himself throughout an official
of much lower rank than the person he addresses, but I do
not think that this is Hwang. The words " Governor-
General" (of the Two Kwang) prefixed to Hwang's name,
must have been elevated, had the letter been written to him
direct. It must have been sent to Canton after Lord Elgin's
departuro for Hankow and before his return to Shanghae.—
T. W.]
The administrasor-in-chief of barbarian business in the
capital are the three Princes Hwui, Kung, and Ching (1).
When the four Imperial commissioners (2) had• their
audience to take leave, his Majesty very positively signified
to them that it was his pleasure net to allow peace to be
made in this sort of way (3), and that the whole fifty-six
articles of the Treatp of Tein-tsin must be cancelled. Ho,
Governor-General of the Two Kiang, received them at
Chang-chow in the Bth moon (August, September), and
stoutly maintained that there must be no mention whatever
of change. They were consequently at issue until their
arrival at Shanghae, when, owing to the strong support
given to the Treasurer Wang to the representations of
Ho, the commissioners began to incline to a compromise.
Several memorials were addressed to the Throne in the
joint names of the whole five, in reply to which they con-
tinued to receive, in every case, his Majesty's peremptory
injunctions (to persist in the course prescribed) ; until, in
his last decree, his Majesty declared his pleasure to be, that