The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-25 00:00:00

It might be said that it would b better even to bear those
evils than run the risk of aVvar ; but such was not the feel-
ing of the British residents at. Canton. It is a source of
humiliation as it is a constant repron.th, that we have not
gained the objec.s of the war, This is felt net only at
Canton but at Amoy, .ani the other ports,
whore large numbers of Canton men are; and in 1816 it
led to serious riots at Fowchow. My lords, this is
a very serious question for all foreign residents, who
are in a state of constant apprehension from the anoma-
lous, nominally amicable state in which they now
stand towards the Chinese ; they are without the walls,
unable. to communicate with the Chinese authorities
in m ,tters of d oily occiirronce, an I are in a at to of con-
stant apprehensi.m. Hy noble friend says that the late
operatiou should n it have been un lertaken without express
instructions from the home government. Let me remind
hirn of what took place in 1817 under precisely analogous
viroutustances. At that time several outrages had been
corn irrdted on British subjects, and a number of seamen had
been decoyed into the suburbs c f Caaton and nearly mur-
dered. Sir J. D tvis plaleil the matter in ttiehands of Gen.
I) Aguilar. Ile at once took the Bogue Forts, blew up the
batteries, and spiked 879 guns. When that had b.3en done
Sir J. Davis obtained an interview with the High Commis-
sioner Keying, and he then sent in a written list of de-
mands; anion..st them was that of entrance into Canton.
The circumstances ire that year were strictly :analogous to
the present,. In both cases there was an infraction of the
treaty, in both cases a dm-nand for reparation. The only
difference was, that in this case there was much more mo-
deration displayed than in 1945. Tao conduct of Sir J.
Davis and Gen. d'Aguilar on that occasion was warmly
anproved of by Lord Palmerston. In his despatch he
states :

" Foreign-office, June 4, 1847.
" Sir-1 received yesterday afternoon the duplicate of your
despatch of the 12th of April, purporting to give a more de-
tailed account of the operations against Canton, undertaken
iu the beginning of that. month, than was contained in your
previous despatches the sth and 6th of April, and I re-
ceived at the same time your separate despatch of the 10th of
April, e,iclosiug a copy of dnjor-General d'Ag,uillar's report
to the Secretary of State for the War Department. But I have
not yet received your despatches of the sth and 6th of April.
Althroigh, in consequence of tho non-arrival of the previous
despatches, her Majesty's Government have not the means of
forming a correct judgment of the grounds on which the
expedition was undertaken against Canton, or as to the
negotiations which preceded that expedition, yet enough
appears from the despatches which they have received from
you, and from the articles of agreement concluded with
Keying, to show that the expedition was undertaken to
obtain redress, which had been refused on the several matters
mentioned in that agreement, and I have accordingly great
sal,isfaction in stating to you that her Majesty's Government,
as at present informed, aro of opinion that you were fully
justified in having resolved to undertake the expedition, and
entirely approve the promptitude and judgment with which
the arrangements for it were made, the decision and enter-
prFi.e with which it was conducted, and the ability and firm-
ness with which you seem to have compelled Keying to ac
cede to all your demands.—l am, drc., "PALMERSTON."
My lords, that was the first despatch sent by Lord Palmer-
ston approving of the proceedings ; another was afterwards
s3ut with which I will not trouble your lordships, but I rnay
say it was to the same effect. Lord Palmerston was then
the colleague of my node friend who sits at the table
(Earl Grey), and who, I believe, expressed no disapproval
of these operations; on the contrary, I believe his appro-
bation of them has been recorded. My noble friend shakes
his head, but I have a despatch here which will show that
lam right in that statement. I was not aware of its
existence until lately, and it is not, therefore, included in
the papers which have been laid on the table. If my noble
friend has no objection I will read it, although it is only
au echo of what Lord Palmerston wrote to Sir John
Davis. My noble friend wrote to Gen. D'Aguilat fol-
lows :

" Colonial-office, Nov. 7.
"Sir—The Goveraor of Ceylon has communicated to me
an application which you have made to the Major-General
commanding her Majesty's troops in that island, for a re•
inforcement of half a company of artillery, with two guns
and a proportionate supply of ammunition, to be held in
readiness to be forwarded to Hong Kong, should eircum-
staucee render it necessary to undertake any further mili-
tary operations at Canton. I have desired the Governor of
Ceylon not to send to Hong Kong the detachment for which
you have made application ; and I have further to signify ter
yeti that her Majesty's Government peremptorily forbid
you to undertakeeany further offensive operations against
the Chinese without their previous sanction, Her Majesty's
Government are satisfied that, although the late operations
in the Canton river were attended with immediate success,
the risk of a second attempt of the same kind would far over-
balance any advantage to be derived from such a step. If
the conduct of the Chinese authorities should, unfortunately,
render another appeal to arms inevitable, it will be necessary
that it should be made after due preparation, and with the
employment of such an amount of force as may afford just
grounds for expecting that the objects which may be pro-
posed by such a measure will be effectually accomplished
without unnecessary loss.—l have, &c., GREY."
lily lords, those are the words of my noble friend, and
although they do not directly and pointedly approve of
what had occurred, they certainly contain no disapproba-
tion. (Hear, hear.) That the matter did not proceed fur-
ther in 181(3 was owing to the small force at the disposal of
Sir John Davis; he said he should not have felt confident
of success had he not been allowed to act immediately, and
•to make an attack partaking of the character of a coup-de-
main; he did so act, and negotiations were afterwards
concluded with the Chinese authorities because he could
obtain no relief from Ceylon which he had written fur.
And this brings me to the letter cf my noble friend which
has been laid upon the table at his own request, and upon
evitich he says he took the opinion of the late Duke of Wel-
lington. My noble friend wished it to be understood that
no operations could he undertaken against China for any
insult to the British flag or an infraction of a treaty with-
out instructions to that effect from the home Government ;
but upon looking at my noble friend's despatch, I find that
so far from that, being so, the instructions it contains
were not general instructions at all, but merely prudent
and necessary orders, which were called for by the exigen-
tie* of the moment. Because it, was quite clear then
that no force could have been sent him from Ceylon of
sufficient strength to have enabled General D'Ae,uilar to
undertake any further operations against the Chinese with
a chance of success, my noble friend, therefore, did not
refer to operations ageinst the Chinese generally, but only
to those which bad just been concluded, while there was
an a clitional reason for the instructions being given at
the moment, in the then deplorably defenceless state of
Ceylon. (Hear.) Bet, my lords, if the authorities must
wait, fur the apt robation of the home government before
eireaging in such offensive nperatiens as circumstances may
call for, if that is to he considered as the force and wean
ing of the order issued by my noble friend, I can only say
that nothing would be more calculated to cast dismay-
amongst the British residents in China—not alone in Can-
ton, hut throughout the whole of the Chinese empire.
(Hear.) If it is once to be established that we give up the
right of the authorities on the spot to act with hostilities,
if necessary, when our rights are violated or injuries are
inflicted—if it is to be lad down as a rule that they must
first ask for approbation, which can only be obtained after
a delay of throe or four mouths, no British subject will be
safe ; and, for the sake of securing his life and property,
he will be compelled to renounce his nationality and seek
the protection of seine foreign power. (Hear.) My lords,
if that were to ho the rule, Ito would be sehject to insult
and wrong et the hands of mandarins of the lowest class,
and we should -soon hear of outrages being committed,
under the authority of Chinese law, similar to that re-
corded in the blue book, of a foreigner who was tortured
for three days, and afterwards hanged, his heart being torn
from his body while it was suspended. -But, my lords,
only consider the impolicy of such an order; under what
altered circumstances weuld force have to be used if it were
delayed until the approbation had been obtained? The
force which might have been sufficient to insure redress at
the time would prove most likely to be insufficient when
called upon to act. four months or so atter the wrong was
committed. The Chinese would have an oppertuni'y of
call acting their army, of ancresu tin' their 11 eats, and burr-
siva lee; their fits, a:,•1 se f.r from obtaining the redress
you rrquir el yea wig et fie f it refused, beceuse it could
not ha (refereed. (Hoar.) Ido trust, then, that your
lordships will net a 7reo to any reeraletion which can have
such en effect• as to fetter the discretion and tie up the
hands of her Majeste is sere ants in China in such a manner
as w;11 bring dirksraco on our name an,l fin;, and be rule-
ons to our commerce. (Hear.)
Lord LYNDHUBSE —I have paid grant attention to
the eaeera that, have ban laid upon your lo:deb:iris' table,
and I am sorry to say that I have come to the painful con-
clusien that the proceelinge out of which this unf rtunate
dispute has arisen cannot be jestitial upon any principles
either of law or of reason. (Rear, hear.) After the full,
comprehensive, and conclusive arguments which have been
a hlie seed to your lordships by ray noble friend the Earl of
Derby, and no part of which bar been answered by the
noble earl opposite—(hear, hear) --I should not have risen
to address your lordships upon this part of the case, were
it not that a report has boon cirenlated that I entertained
Te, this subject opinions different from those of my noble
friend. There is no foundation fur such an observation.
I do not feel that I or ,ssees any authority personal to my.
self upon a question of this nature; and I shall, therefore,
state shortly, and la-her in the form of a summary, those
arguments and reasons which Lace Lel me to the vote
which I ant ehent- to give, and will leave your lord,hipa to
judge of their value. It is itopossille to be too precise
upon a question of this nature. (Haar, hear.) What is
the charge which is on the present occasion preasrred
against the Chinese Government? It is that they have
infringed the 9th article of the supplemental treaty which
has been referred to. By that supplemental treaty they
bad undertaken, in the event of any Chinese having made
hi 3 escape and concealed himself on board an English ship,
tint t should made to the English authorities,
tarl that if it were found that the charge was well founded I
hat the persen ao concealed should be
delivered up. The
very essence of this charge that the party has taken re-
fuge
on heard an Tereelr chip. It cannot be pretended' for
a moment that, alter' a Chinese culprit has taken refuge
on board a Chin
Chinese Dover„ meat ship
an concealed himself there, the
‘ernaren)t hies not a perfect right to apprehend
hits. ( Rear
king to ti,al'king
the treaty, 1, hear)
therefore to the language of
t very reason of the thing, it must
he confin, d absolutely
i:relish ship. So the gees-
tion, after all, reaolves
row, within the nssaninig itself into this—was the Ar-
,:ol,nrnof this arrangement,
an English thin ?
I I assert it in
the very langua;e of tile Chinese Government—..o,,li that in no
respect whatever was tho Arrow au
p.(heers.)
Th F., is the very «yes( nee and foundetion of the
, aoow rite to whole (ipso (Fica(, hear.) Now, my lord.
any privilegae to a
which 110 one will sufficiently eeee,aj (I7vins
a principle
you may sir ve anypr:iglllts or.
th s —.net
foreigt]er or to n f
o rei"
v alt s"t'gentist yourselvere het
not as ag•,inst foreigners
t_ answer the case
'lll ettd t;rt) others of he same description to
of the Mani • • .
fights Ton may give r which the noble earl has rer
pass a law for that l---334'
against yourselves. You tray
• riitis)lto the subject of purposee-*
a foreign
But you cannot give my
count, y by any of your laws as against the country of which
be is a subject. (flea,r.) No man can, by possibilifeewieh
any shadow of reason dispute that preposition. Youcan-
,
n ship, owned by a
I e
therefore, where you have a for .ei,
1 for, ien sr, nenvert flea ref:eel into an Engoleehh• so ac to
brieg it within the terruar of this treaty. (Cheers.) eelo
ris, ...Oren we are talking of treaty trauseutions with East-
ern tratimis, we have a kilid of loose law and loose notion
of morality in regard to them. In order the better to ap-
preciate the question, I will change the situation to Attie-
rice. I will take the ease of an American subject rrs'ding
in t his metropolis, the owner of an American vessel. You
may, by a law, allow that vessel to assume the English
flag, and give it rights and privileges against your own
country, but you cannot alter the character of that vessel
as against the United States. You cannot change its
character. You cannot prevent the Government of the I
United States ex- rcising its ordinary dominion over it.
(Cheers.) It is impossible any man can contend for so
absurd, so violent a propositirn. (Hear.) I may y refer to
Circumstances which occurred lately in illustratioe. By a
law recently passed certificates of naturalisation may be