The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-30 00:00:00

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ties.of Europe. And therefore, when lam told my
policy is turbulent and'aggres,Sive, why then, gen-
tlemen, I appeal to the past, and evidence -is not
wanted in regard to these accusations when applied
to the future. The present 'dispnte is one of far
greater importance in principle than persons may
imagine. It is a mistake to suppose that we are at
war with China. As yetthe collision hasbe-n purely
local, "and the Emperor of China may yet disavow
the barbarian who caused it, but at the same time
I don't -expect that when Lord Elgin reaches China
that will have actually happened. lam inclined to
think he will find things much in the same state as
when the last accounts left,. and that the Empe-
ror: has • trusted to the chapter of accidents.
(Hear, Bear.) But then it was _said. that Sir
J. Bowrmg aed Sir M. Seymour made a second de
snand which the officers( in China had been forbid-
den to make in d.espatebes sent out some 8 or 10
years ago -;
and a noble :friend of mine, with whom
I was ta!king before the division in the House of
Lords, said he should vote againstthe Goverrnmetit,
and thatthis rea,=.on for doing so was a despatch I
had written in 1847. I said don't attach import-
ance to what any gentleman wrote in 1847, but
look to the circumstances of the present case. Now
the case apt the present is different. We said, in
'1847, don't you be on unfriendly terms with the
Chinese Government at Canton, but trade in the
usual course ; don't you commence hostilities to ob-
tain the fulfiltnent of our, rights according to_the
treaty of Nankin, which gives the British subjects a
right to trade in everyone of the five towns, of which
Canton was one. Trle, wethink there would beadvan-
t age in it--a manifestsrl vantage there would beif
&rash:merchant out of the'town and the Chine-e
merchant in the town could hold a direct commu-
nication instead of through agents, brokers, and
people of that sort, for the British merchant at
Canton is at the mercy of this class of people ; he
cannot carry on his business advantageously as in
the other tour towns ; therefore there there is a real
value in the thing.: Besides, in order to keep the
English out of Canton the Chinese Commiss'oncr
ordered the people to insult them, while the people
outside treat the English respectfully. Sir John
*Bowring himself, accompanied by two or three
gentlemen and two English ladies, walked round
the suburbs of Canton, and be says that he found
the Chinese themselves a trading people ; that they
are not a cruel or insulting race as the mandarins
are,' and if left to themselves would treat our
people with the same civility and good will as out-
side Canton, or as they are treated at 'Shanghai ;
and that everywhere else where the Chinese and
English are associated everything went on on
the most friendly and comfortable footing, There-
fore, I say, the obstacle was artfully created,
and its removal would be attended with commer-
cial advantage to the merchants at Hong Kong and
Canton. But we said don't interrupt peaceful re-
lations for the sake of .this advantage„ but it was
interrupted on other grounds, and then it was ob-
vious the personal intercourse between our officers
and Chinese officers would and might probably
tend to settle difficulties on the occasion, and if
continued in the future toprevent future misunder-
standing also. Well, that which Sir J. Bowring
told Sir M. Seymour to ask for was not for permis-
sion which I and my colleagues had desired the
Superintendent and Plenipotentiary not to acquire
by force of arms—it was not to enter Cantou—it
was the right to have personal intercourse between
our authorities at Canton and the authorities within
the town—it was for a freer communication, and
not for the indiscriminate entrance of all British
subjects. I say it was a proper demand, properly
demanded, and there could be no pretence to re-
fuse, and the obvious effect of it would have been
to prevent future mistakes and to heal the present
differences ; and supposing Commissioner Yeb didn't
mean to bring about a rupture, I will undertake to
say if we had had direct communication at the time
the Arrow was boarded and her crew carried away
—I say if it had been possible for Sir J. Bowring
or Sir M. Seymour to explain the nature of the
question, and to argue the 'question id a friendly
manner with the Chinese authoritiese---the result
which has 'since'taken place would have been pre-
vented. Well, gentlemen, great injustice baa.been
done to Sir J. Bowring. Sir J. Bowling was chosen
by me to go as consul to Canton, and when a va-
cancy in the government at Canton occurred he was
transferred to it by L')rd Clarendon. But what is
Sir J. Bowring, and what was he ? It has been said

aigtocracy—it bas
been the fashion to say these app‘,intrnents go
by favour, and not. by merit. He was not
member of the aristocracy; he had not a powerful
influence to protect and support him ; he was a
man like many othe-rs in this country, and as many
others will, I Lope, continue to be—he raised him-
self by his own ability and exertions—by his in-
dustry, his talents, and his attainments he raised
himself to the high position in which he is now
placed. Was he a mat, of wild temper—a firebrand?
Why he was formerly secretary of the Peace Society
—(cheers)_a man of the quietest, most kindly, and
benevolent disposition—a man, I believe, who
never had a quarrel with mortal man, who loved
peace, whose life had been devoted to questions
connected with the social intercourse of nations,
with commerce, with trade, with the removal of all
impediments which checked and confined the inter-
course of nations—be had been employed in con-
junction with Lord Clarendon to arrange a better
t trill of duties between England and France, and by
him also employed to induce the Government of
Austria to liberalise their tariff with a view of increas-
ing the commercial relations between Austria and
England, and lie was therefore peculiarly adapted to
the office, which consisted mainly in guarding the
commercial interests of this countryin our commer-
cial relations with a nation like China, and he was
therefore one of the last men to misuse his power
or to plunge the country into difficulties and
war. And therefore it would have been the greatest
baseness for the sake of a few votes to try to re-
verse the adverse verdict of the House of Commons
by throwing over an agent who performed his duty
to the best of his ability, and whose conduct inour
hearts we approved. We felt that every English-
man with a British heart in his bosom would have
done exactly the same thing under similar circum-
stances. • (Cheers.) I will venture to say I could
name some gentlemen who are the organs of the
peace party who would not have been less vigorous
than Sir J. Bowring. It was no disparagement to
Sir J. Bowring in appointing Lord Elgin to go out
to settle this difficulty. When special difficulties
arise special men are sent out to settle them. Lord
Elgin has thus gone out without superseding Sir J.
Bowring, who will continue to be what heis, trusted
and confided in by the English Government. Lord
Elgin's mission is for a special purpose, and when
it is finished, as I hope it will be in a twelvemonth
or a little more, he will return and leave Sir john
Bowring in exactly the same position in which he
is now. Well, gentlemen, I have taken advantage
of your kindness. (Cries of "Go on !") I have
made what is a great deal more than an after-din-
ner speech ought to be, but lam sure you feel a
great interest in the events passing, and I felt it
my duty to give these explanations, such as they
are, for I am satisfied the more these matters are
looked into, the more they are understood, and the
more the details are looked into by the people of
this country, the more the nation will be confirmed
in the choice of representatives, the more .we shall
feel that we stand upon suro ground, and that this
week, and the next week, and the week after will
give opportunity of showing us the sentiments of the
electors of every part of the country. I beg to thank
you on the part of myself and colleagues, and I
assure you the moments which official duties enable
me to spare among my friends in this town are
among the most agreeable and happy. (Loud and
long-continued cheering.)