The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-30 00:00:00

suffering to which the people have been subjec:ed without
a cause. they Are even more averse to the concession
flan they were before.
It ,sere hest, then, to adhere to his Excellency Mr.
80-ham's policy. With my long experience of your
Excellency' intelligence and justice, I have spared no
pains to make my reply both clear and epecific. Let
your Excellency give careful attention to it.
I therefore reply, availing myself of the occasion to
wish your Excellency prosperity and peace.
A special communication, addressed to his Excellency
Sir J. Bowring. her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, &c., &c.
Hien-Fung 6th year 10th moon, sth day (12th No
vember, 1856).
Translated by THOMAS WAD; Chinese Secretary.

lEEE. IMPERIAL COMMISSIONER, GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF
THE TWO KWANG, &C., &C., MAKES COMMUNICATION IN
REPLY.
On the 16th inst. I received your Excellency's letter
of the 14th, and acquainted myself with its contents.
In my reply to an earlier letter I showed, by a de
tailed and specific statement of the whole case, that the
prisoner seized on board the lorcha was a Chinese cri-
minal. The letter under acknowledgment tells me "the
lorcha without doubt lawfully bore the British flag,
under a register granted by me." This attests the truth
of what was stated in evidence before the officer sent to
conduct the examination in the case of the lorcha—viz.,
that having been built by Soo Aching, a Chinese, a re
gister was purchased for her for 1,000 dols., and that she
fraudulently assumed the flag of your nation. I have
always understood foreign flags to be each one peculiar
to a nation—they are never made so little of as even to
be lent ; how, then, could a foreign nation do anything
so irregular as to sell its flag to Coina! This appears
to your Excellency a proceeding in accordance with law;
all I can say is, that I am not aware that foreign nations
have any such law. As I have said before, therefore,
had the flag belonged bona fide to a Briti-h merchant
vessel, it would have been proper to follow some other
course than the one pursued ; but the fact being that a
Chinese had fraudulently assumed the flag, why should
Mr. Consul Parkes have put himself forward as his ad-
vocate ? Simply because he wanted a pretext for making
trouble.
As to the entry into the city, after a long correspond-
ence upon this question between the late Commissioner
Stu, and the late Plenipotentiary Mr. Bonham, the dis-
cussion of the matter closed (3) definitively. The letter
now under acknowledgment says, " Mr. Bonham never
did so close, and never was authorised so to close, it."
If he did not so close it, why did Mr. Bonham issue a
notice at the factories, which was put in the papers, to
the effect that foreigners were not to go into the city !
What is this but proof that he had definitively closed
it I His despatch at the same time stated that he had
reported it to his Government, and on this I, then go-
vernor of the province, and the late Commissioner Seu,
represented to his Imperial Majesty that the English
hsd definitively cosed their negotiations respecting
admissions int ) Canton, aril had the honour to re-
ceive in reply the following decree:—
"The pnrp ise of walling cities is to protect tne peo-
ple ; in the protection of the people lies the security of
the stare. When the people ,-f Kwang-tung are unani-
mously determined against the admission of foreigners
into tee city, can an Imperial injunction be laid on them
by proclamation se to do, whether they will or not It is
not in the power of the Government of China to cries
the vishe of Lie people out of deference to those of the
men from afar; on the other hand, it behoves foreign na-
done to study the temper of the people ; to the end that
be capital of their merchants may work free from risk,
Respect this."
It seems pain in my humble opinion that the reason
why his Imperial Majesty refused [what was asked] was
that he had, on his part, so studied the temper of the
Kwang-tung people as to appreciate their aversion to it;
and your excellency, to judge from your letter, where
it speaks of " the opposition of the gentry, and the tur-
bulent violence of the people of Canton," it would seem
had also sufficiently studied the temper of the Kwang-
tung people. The people are looked on by the state as
its foundation. When the ruler loves his people there is
some prospect of their obeying their ruler. Thus, as a
general rule, has it ever been. To run counter to the
feelings of man is tie disregard what nature teaches is
right before Heaven. This has never been the policy of
China, and I assume that your excellency's Government
no less recognises as paramount the obligation of con-
forming to what is right before Heaven and due by man.
Now, ever since the arrival of Admiral Seymour he has
been attacking and demolishing houses, both in city
and suburbs. He has also demolished a number of forts.
These forte, again, were constructed at the expense of
the gentry and the people of Kwang-tung, to pro-
tect them against pirates. Will they, when they
find them one day attacked and destroyed—will
they be disposed to desist from hostilities; and
yet, when, in addition to all this, the trade of
every mercantile house has been stopped by these
operations, begun without a cause, your Excellency still
says, in speaking of the city question, "I cannot for a
moment admit," &c.
As to another passage in the letter under acknowledg-
ment—" were it to be admitted that the unruly spirits
of a nation (4) might be permitted to disregard the su-
preme authority," &c. As the merchants of your Excel-
lency's nation have come to Canton in the hope of find-
ing a flourishing trade, so has the mercantile community
of " every nation" come in the hope of finding a flourish-
ing trade. Is it then reasonable, I would ask, to expect
that " every nation" will belatisfiad at this stoppage of
their trade!
As to your proposal in the same letter that we " should
meet as becomes," Iv., an interview might of course
have been practicable in the first instance, but do the
proceedings of Admiral Seymour, mho has commenced
hostilities without cause, show any acquaintance with
what " becomes ?" (5) He has come t Canton, and at
a moment's notice he has destroyed habitations without
number, with considerable loss of life. The sufferers
are crowding to my court, complaining of their distress,
and entreating me to do them justice ; and such at this
moment is " the opposition of the gentry and the turbo
lent violence of the people," that not only won d yur
Excellency have some difficulty in entering the city, but
for the time being I myself should have equal tr. -üble in
getting out of it. It is the admiral's wanton proceeding
that has provoked all this irritation. Let your Excel-
lency once again well consider it.
I therefore reply, availing myself of the occasion to
wish your Excellency prosperity, &c.
A necessary communication, addressed to Sir J. Bows

ring, &c.
Hien Funz. 6th year, 10th moon, 20th day (17th No-
vember, 1856.)
Translated by TILOILAS WADE, Chinese Secretary.

H. B. M.'s Consulate, Canton, Nov. 18, 1856.
Sir, —I have received your Excellency's letter of yes
teray.
I do not think it necessary to way more than I have al-
ready said iu reference to the past. But my present obj-ct
is to advise your EKoellency that I am still willing and
desir:n4 of meeting you in your owu Yaiuun, to discus,,
in the spirit of peace and harmony the means of putting
a stop to the miseries which the existing state of affairs
has brought upon the people, and the still greater miseries
which are impending over them.
It is the obligation of all governments to receive and
protect those ambassadors properly accredited by their
sovereigns ; but I wish your Excellency to understand,
that while I claim your attention to all the laws of cour-
tesy, which your nation has the credit of properly appre-
ciating, I am quite in a position, if you cannot control
the people, to protect myself in an official visit to your
Excellency, and to punish those who shall dare to inter-
fere with my purposes of peace and friendship.
If you consent to a meeting in the manner I propose,
I shall request his Excellency the Naval Commander-in.
Chief to suspend hostile operations.—l have, &c.,
JOHN BOWRING,
To his Excellency Yeb, Imperial High
Commissioner, &c.

TEM, IMPERIAL CoMMISSONER, GOVERAOR•OENERAL OF
THE TWO KWANGS, &C., &c., MAKES A COMMUNICATION

IN RIPLT.

I am in receipt of your Excellency's communication of
the 18th instant, and have acquainted myself with its
contents.

So far as an interview within the city is concerned, I
communicated to you in my last reply a copy, respect-
fully made, of his Majesty the Emperor's decree. Having
had the honour to receive this intimation of the Impe
rial pleasure (that that which was proposed) was not to
be sanctioned, dare I, even were there no other objec-
tion, act contrary to the %ill of his sacred Majesty ?
Mr. Bonham's reason for issuing a notice prohibiting
foreigners from entering into the city, was that he rightly
understood what policy consisted with safety. Tne native
and foreign mercantile community have in consequence
traded together without a misunderstanding for many
years. Now, the causeless operations of Ad miralNeyinour,
by the damage they have inflicted on the people, have
excited on the part of the inhabitants of the whole city a
feeling of animosity, which is daily increasing. You say
in your letter that you are quite able to provide for your
own safety; it is, I think, but too probable that so far
from having your safety in your own hands, you are in-
curring mortal danger. Would your Exelleney but fol.
low the course of the late Plenipotentiary, Mr. Bonham,
You would in so doing be following the policy of safety.
Your Excellency during your service [here] as consul,
must have seen with pur own eyes thn real coud.ition 1)1
things.

•
To conclude, I reqw-st your Excellency (inc. more to
ponder well on this, that in the inauagerr.ent of all mat-
,ers we must a‘.:t as reason teaches is rigru befi 4e Heaven
and ,lue by man, b,f)re we cart arrive at any satisfactory
result.

I accorilin4ly reply, availing my,leif of the opportunity
to wish that your Excellency'e pruzperity may daily
increase. i

A
necessary communication, ari,dreß..ied to H. 13 M.
FtnipoterHary, Sir John 131wr;-w,
Hien-Fung, Bth year, 10c,n raoon, 22d day (Nov. 19,
1856).
Tram;!wed by THOS. WADE, Chinese Secretary.

Superintendency Trade, Canton Consulate,
l'kov. 20, 1856.
Sir,—l Gave receiv'Jd your Exoellency's despatch
dated yesterday,
It has can-ed roe ranch disappointment and distress

meaning final cessation,
right. Sir J. Bowring's
(3) The word used in the Chinese version of Sir J.
ei:i . ni
d pe thear
e'd . "
EB namely,ii if'ssr
o,ml,ent teienvrBel.7o7...sf,unAgr r
r
(4) A nation ; in Chinese, each or every nation, any
nation, or different nations. The Commissioner chooses
to read it " ever' nation," for the simple purpose of em-
pl ,ying the argument that our acts are calculated to
provoke toe resentment of "every nation."
(5) Lit., "Forms and observances. Sir J. Bowring's
world were, "meeting as becomes the representatives
of great monarchs."