The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-05 00:00:00

TRADE WITH CHINA.

(From the Canton Register.)
'By the latest advices from Canton, we learn that the trade
there was suffering so much interruption and inconvenience as
to be nearly at a stand for the present. The Hong merchants
seem anxious to continue their former monopoly, and as the
bongs, where merchandise has been always warehoused, are
in their hands, and traders have been unable to procure any
others, they
object The seem ssessed of sufficient power to effect their
Hopp, too, are unwilling to admit goods upon
Payment of the duties settled by the new tariff, without the
addition of further imposts ; and the native linguists exclaim
isludly that their emoluments arc lessened to a ruinous degree,
while their labours are greatly increased.
All this is very much what was expected by the best
judges, and We believe it arises wholly from local interests
and Prejudices, without being directed by the supreme Go-
vernment. It is, however, not the less necessary that the
rinest resistance should be made to any encroachment or
deviation from the terms settled by the treaty ; if any conces-
sion is once made no one can tell how far additional imposts
~ill be accumulated under various pretences, until affairs are
brought back to the same state from which we have just escaped.
If other means fail, our own Government must be called on to
see to the proper administration of the treaty so lately solemnly
whichZfired, and we have no doubt the same prudent firmness
t'
brought the former negotiations to so satisfactory a con-
tl'icio, will be equally successful now.
The following is the petition of the Chinese linguists :
tic :tee,
tt undersigned linguists, beg respectfully to call
n
lrense utnimer:st.ion of the foreign merchants resident at Canton
° the necessity of making some new arrangements for the
th
Of our services, suited to the altered state of
' Pielle,„v.:l°"l,Y we received an allowance called ' tam-tow' or
lasidued'''' "eh% a sum of so much per picul on all goods
(say rou(rlaY iioe.candarine, six cash, per picul),
.or shipped off
ii
eg candannes four cash). This was paid through the
° Iner I, -,
once f 'units to the Ho ) o being included in the differ-
nar 0 the buhognd
weer;selimPg ' price. :between the foreign and
tfrooudrateiernderslperuts, ceived it from the Hoppo's offi.ce
haonm. When the new order of things was in-
month ago, the said allowance of ' tam-tow,'
ZrhinPeictellage:ir'lYvatas, in the first instance, entirely cut off. Th
but its• Government have since agreed to give us back a part;
is still so insufficient that we shall require to look to the
foreignar trade itself as the source from which we must principally
f u ra:i the means of meeting the expenses we actually incur in
Idling facilities for the foreign trade.
"Iresystem,
athddeition to the allowing of picula. ge,.under the old
security merchant made the linguist a presen.t of
blielsOidt!els for every ship when the ship commenced discharging.
tron a a further sum of 200 dollars as compradore's money for
sactmg the business of the ship ; and when the grand chop
was obtained we received a chumahaw of 2231 dollars, and the
foreign mrchant allowed us the sum of 15,22 dollars per
ehop-bost for all goods imparted, but we got no allowance..on
ign thes !It aP or
all
'hat being previously taken into consideration
entirely done away Wpiytht.he new arrangement all these fees are
_ " As many of the foreign merchants may not be correctly in-
.Vformer', of the extent of our services, and may therefore have a
7i inadequate idea of the expenses
we incur, we now take the
liberty of submitting the whole to your notice.
`l° When a ship is reported, the linguist himself requires, in
tlrs first instance, ,
rst nstance, to go to the HopP n's office, and make er9u-
Dements for her discharging. He
then requires to dispatch
assirst naissistants to Whampoa, who take down the documents,
picking out the marks and number, Sso,
the ph and when
chops are loaded, some of these assistants must accompany
tthem back to the city. On the arrival of the chops ate the
ty, the linguist must again go to the.Hoppo's office to get
must t the
°PPG's people to come out to examine the goods,
;end four assistants to help to weit abnedxems asurethe goods,
measure
bales, count
the Pieces, and arrange for senodinngtevery merchant's goods to
ih! Place where, he wants them stored. When cargo is being
,"'PPed off, the linguist goes to the different merchants, and
)1:4; their statement of what they are going to ship. After
th-'lng written out a correct list, the linguist requires to go to
8o °d
to get his people °p come out and examine the
1""cos, and requires, as in the revious instance, to have
shotitfer, pzeo,p,le standing by to open boxes, arrange marks and
and afterwards he has to go to the different
merchants to get their shipping notes. When the vessel is
about to depart, the linguist requires to go over the statement
of duties, and apportion to each man his share, and having
i.itupleted all minor arrangements he must go again to the
ti°Plio's to procure the
.grand chop.
„e` 'ticli are the principal services rendered by the linguist to
Inv:,
er
themw to.ry es
ti
sgeenztertasa.dea,b,) besides many others, sufficiently annoying
ut too minute to be detailed here. The
we
always
gives us much more to do in the way of
viotisilig and running about than the old system ; besides, pre-
chantl, p
on,,o,uorfoz rvesaer,aiorauceshaa.d some assistance from the Hong men-
ursers and people, whereas now we are cast entirely
ways of charging remuneration for our
services, many are objectionable. If we charge so much a
MP) a large ship
may give us no trouble, and a small ship
able be very troubleso
inasmuch as me. Charging per month is objection-
the same
abaY le it would place the hard-working man on
Char footing as the man who does comparatively little.
againstging so much per chop is, with all that may be argued
it, perhaps the least objectionable of all. But the
old rule will require some modification. If we were to con-
tintic to charge 15,22 dollars upon all chops of import cargo,
and nothing upon export cargo, in that case, when a ship ar-
rived full and ,went away empty, we should gain our money
comparatively easy ; on the other hand, when a ship arrived in
ballast and went away full, we might have a deal of trouble
and no remuneration whatever.

" After maturely considering the various points of the case,
Re have resolved to make the following charges for our services,
vhich are respectfully submitted for your kind considera-
ti°ll, viz.—

"On all chop-boats inwards
„ "On all chop-boats outwards... lO drs.
laid This is understood to be exclusive of the charge of 12 drs.
Peace to the chop-boatman, and coolie hire, but all other ex-
4ltre to be considered as included in the abeve.
l:4l%kt' thops vary very much in size, we beg to state what we
er the quantity of cargo as represented by a chop, viz.. 41 t
" INWARDS.
I'
h°lllbaY Cotton
,4 r )0115118 70 bale,.
~ it'Ral cotton
, Sp. stripes
4, ;rift ells '
140 do. of 20 do.
4, Lo"riln lets ...... ..
gcloths ... l4O do. of 10 do.
100 do. of 50 do.
•Cotto Catties gross.
" Iron 'I. Yarn ............. ..... 100 do. weighing about 30,000
44 bi , tin, andother ncds of this description
'" ce. about . Jr
............................................. ,
s. Teas. , about " OUTWARDS.
I Mil. '" ......
Lellaneo_
3500:000000
.. , .us articles
k_ . . pectfully er •
"Nu: tor an
" earlyWer.;ror9l'
Ain
Your faithful humble servants,
" OLD' 'IOM, for the Foon-Hong.
" YOUNG TOM, for the Wo-shang Hong.
" ALANTSEI, for the Ching-wo Hong.
" " YOUNG AHEEN, for the Shune-wo Hong.
Canton, Aug OIQUA, for the Ehi•wo Hong.
. P
20, 1843."