The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-04 00:00:00

CHINA.

(From the Hang-Kong Gazette and Friend of China, Jan. 30.)
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The following ordinance, passed by his Excellency the
Governor-General in Council, is published for general infor-
mation :
By order, RICHARD WOOSNAM.
Government-house, Victoria, Hong-Kong, Jan. 25, 1844.
"An ordinance for her Majesty's subjects, within the domi-
nions of the Emperor of China, or within any ship or
vessel, at a distance of not more than 100 miles from the
coast of China.
" Anno Sexto et Septimo Victorise Regime.
"No. 1.
" By his Excellency Sir Henry Pottinger, Baronet, Knight
Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the
Bath, Major-General in the service of the East India Com-
pany, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the colony of
Hong-Kong, and its dependencies, and Superintendent of the
Trade of her Majesty's subjects, trading to and from the do-
minions of the Emperor of China. With the advice of the
Legislative Council of Hong-Kong.
"An ordinance to render her Majesty's subjects within the
dominions of the Emperor of China, or within any ship or
s distance of not more than one hundred miles from
the coast of China, subject in ail matters to the law of Eng-
land, and to extend the jurisdiction of the courts of justice at
Hong-Kong over the same.
" Whereas under and by virtue of an Act of Pailiament,
made and passed in the seventh year of the reign of her Ma-
jesty Queen Victoria, entitled, ' An Act for the better govern-
ment of her Majesty's subjects resorting to China,' her Ma-
j!sty did, by letter patent under the Great Seal of the United
kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, authorise the Super
intendent of the Trade of her Majesty's subjects in China (so
long as such superintendent should be also governor of the
Island of Hong-Kong) to enact, with the advice of the Legis-
lative Council of the said island of Hong-Kong, all such laws
and ordinances as might, from time to time, be required for
the good government of her Majesty's subjects, being within
the dominions of the Emperor of China, or within any ship
or vessel, at a distance of not more than one hundred miles
from the coast of China, and to enforce the execution of such
laws and ordinances by such penalties and forfeitures, as to
him, by the advice aforesaid, should seem fit
"1. Be it therefore enacted, by his Excellency the Go-
vernor of llong-Kong and Superintendent of the Trade of her
Majesty's subjects in China, with the advice of the Legis-
lative Council of Hong-Kong aforesaid, that from and after
the passing of this ordinance the law of England shall have
the same force, virtue, power, and effect over her Majesty's
suljects within the dominions of the Emperor of China, or
within any ship or vessel at a distance of not more than one
hundred miles from the coast of China, in all matters what-
soever, whether civil or criminal, that it has over her Ma-
jesty's said subjects actually within her Majesty's colony of
Hong-Kong.
" 2. And be it enacted, that the courts of justice at Hong-
Kong, which are now, or shall be hereafter erected, shall have
the same power, jurisdiction, and authority in all matters
whatsoever, whether civil or criminal, over her Majesty's
subjects within the dominions of the Emperor of China, or
within any ship or vessel, at a distance of not more than one
hundred miles from the coast of China, that the courts afore-
said have or shall have over her Majesty's subjects actually
resident within her Majestys colony of Hong-Kong.
" 3.. And be it enacted, in case of any murder, felony, rob-
bery, theft, trespass,, or crime whatsoyer being charged
to have been done upon the person ,or property of any one
whatsoever, within the dominions of the Emperor of China,
or within any ship or vessel, at a distance of not more than
one hundred miles from the coast of China, by any of her
Majesty's subjects, that it shall not be lawful for the person,
charged therewith, to object to the locality of the jurisdiction
of the said courts at Hong-Kong, but he shall be indicted,
tried, convicted, and punished. or acquitted, or demeaned in
all respects as if the offence wherewith he may be charged
had been committed within the colony of Hong-Kong, upon
the body er property of a person within the peace of our
Sovereign Lady the Queen.
" And for the prevention of doubts upon the subject, be it
enacted that the Peninsula of Macao shall, for the purposes of
this ordinance, and of all other ordinances made by virtue of
the power herein before-mentioned be deemed, and taken to
he, within the dominions of the Emperor of China.
" HENRY POTTINGER,
Superintendent of Trade and Governor of Hong-Kong, &c.
"Passed the Legislative Council on the
27th day of January, 1844.
" RICHARD BURGASS, Clerk of the Legislative Council."

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
His Excellency Sir Henry Pottinger, Bart., G.C.8., her
Britannic Majesty s Plenipotentiary anti Chief Superintendent
of Trade in Chief; &c., is pleased to direct that the following
letter, addressed to her Majesty's Officiating Consul at Amoy,
be published. RICH A.RD WOOSNAM.
Government-house, Victoria, Hong-Kong, Jan. 27, 1844.
"Government-house, Victoria, Hong-Kong, Jan. 26, 1844.
" Sir—ln your letter, No. 10, of the 12th of last month,
you have omitted to state when you received the Government
notification of the 27th (not 18th, as you erroneously quote
it) of November, accompanied by a copy of a communication
which I had addressed to the Viceroy and Lieut.-Governor of
Canton, "warding certain foreigners having gone from Amoy
to the city of Chang-chow-foo.
" I have now to inform yOu that I have received a corn-
plaint, couched in very strong language, from his Excel-
lency the Governor-General of the Fokien and Chekeang
provinces, calling on me to enforce that article of the sup-
plementary treaty (the 6th) which provides for no British
subjects (or others) going into the country beyond certain
distances, to be fixed by the local authorities in concert with
the Consuls.
" This comrlaint evidently relates to that part of your
letter, now under reply, in which you state : On the Ist
instant, a party of English officers asked my permission to
proceed to Chang-chow -foo to see the place and country.
As it was not in my power, had I felt inclined to do so, I
forwarded the application to the Taou-tai (intendant) of
Amoy, and he sent to me by the Hai Hong, a private com-
munication that no okections would be raised, at the same
time stating that he had no jurisdiction out'of this city. The
party, however, left, without further reference to me, before the
above message was delivered. They proceeded to the city of
Chang-chow-foo, were well received by the Mandarins, and
returned without accident.' "
We regret to learn from Amoy that the Eliza Stewart was
totally lost in a small bay near Amoy, on her wa St y
from the
north to Amoy. Further particulars of this loss have, as far
as we have been able to learn, not yet reached Macao ; the
vessel was laden with teas at the northern ports, and cotton
piece goods.
Her Majesty's steamer Driver has been dispatched, a few
days since, from Hong-Kong to Chusan, with a portion of
her Majesty's 18th Regiment, to relieve those of her Ma-
jesty's 55th Regiment, whose commancler, Col. Schoedde,
has arrived at Hong-Hong, and will, we understand, proceed
to Bombay in the Hon. Company's steamer Sesostris, about
to be dispatched on the 14th.
(From the Friend of China and Houp-Kong Gazette, Jan. 9)
By the Louisa Campbell, from Chusan,. the Ist inst., we
have news from Shanghai up to the 24th December. We
have already mentioned that some difficulty had occurred
swing to the circumstance of a Chinese boy having been
wounded by a shot fired by a European. It now appears
that the. Chinese refused to allow any place of residence in
the city or suburbs for foreigners, and there is ample proof
that they did so at the instigation of a number of Canton
merchants, who had gone to Shanghai and entered into a
combination both with the merchants and public autho-
rities, with the view of establishing a Co-bong there,
through whom, and through whom alone, all business,
whether relating to articles of import or'expoit; should be
transacted. Owing to the firmness of her Britannic Majesty's

Consul this attempt has proved a signal failure, and the in-
habitants of a portion of the suburbs of the city have been
ordered to evacuate their houses that the foreigners may oc- '
cupy them. The locality allotted, though good, is not the
most favourable, being at some distance from the quarter of
the city where business is carried on. Both houses and land
are, however, to he rented very cheap—the latter at from 20
to 30 taels per mow (equal to from 2/. to 31. per acre). Mer-
chants resorting to Shanghae will probably prefer paying the
Chinese residents in the quarter of the city where business
is carried on at a somewhat higher rent, in consideration of
the facilities offered there for carrying on business; and as
the attempt to hamper the trade has proved unsuccessful, no
difficulty will arise to prevent them from so doing. It was to
be expected that, finding themselves unable to cope with us
in the field, the Chinese would endeavour to counteract us in
carrying out the articles of the treaty ; and though they have
been foiled in this, the first instance, it will require the strict-
est vigilance, on the part of her Britannic Majesty's officers,
to prevent restrictions from being imposed. As an instance of
the disposition of the authorities, we may quote the follow-
ing :—The schooner Mazeppa arrived at Shanghae, and de-
clared a few bales of cotton and woollen goods to pay duty as
musters ; these, however, she did not land, finding there was
no market for them, and as she wished to depart without de-
lay, her commander applied to the British Consul to permit the
Chinese officers to suvey the goods on board. The Taou-tai took
alarm at this, well knowing that he bad been the cause of no
sales havirgbeen effected, and proposed that, as such was the
case, no duty should be pa,d. The Consul, however, insisted that
the duty should be received, and next day it was accordingly
paid. Frade is extremely dull, but there is every prospect of
an improvement now that the Chinese are made aware that
their attempts to establish a monopoly will not be allowed to
succeed, and we doubt not that our next arrivals will bring
us information of a more pleasing character than the present.
We must again repeat that it will require constant vigilance
on our part, to prevent ourselves from being overreached ;
though foiled in this instance, the Chinese will not be dis-
couraged from snaking other attempts, and we hope a remon-
strance will be made by his Excellency the Plenipatentiary
on this gross attempt to violate in the outset the terms both
of the original and supplementary treaties. •
The restriction imposed by her Majesty's Consul with regard
to the carrying of fire-arms' was removed immediatly upon
the sailing of the American barque Valparaiso, and a party of
officers, who arrived from Chusan on a sporting excursion,
had no cause to regret the trouble they had taken.
(From the Canton Press, Jan. 13.)
By accounts ft om Manilla, we regret to learn that the
Spanish brig Campechano, from Liverpool, bound to Manilla,
was, on the sth of last month, totally lost on the Montufar
Shoal, in the Straits of San Bernardino. The sea was run-
ning high at the time the vessel struck, and she broke up al-
most immediately after, leaving to the crew the only alter-
native of saving their lives by swimming on shore, which
most of them reached in safety, but four were unfortunately
drowned in the attempt. The vessel had a very valuable
cargo of piece goods, worth between 30,0001. and 40,000/.
In the Manilla paper, of the 17th December, we observe
a Government order, permitting to the Chinese of Manilla
the smoking of opium from the beginning of this year, and
directing the sale of the drug by retail to be farmed out, as
is now done at Singapore, Batavia, and ether places.places.The
Indians and other inhabitants of Manilla are not, however,
permitted to smoke opium ; this permission applies to the
Chinese only, and these are not to be allowed to smoke, ex-
cept in such place as pointed out by the authorities. Into
the public opium smoking house no -Indians or other inhabi-
tants are to be permitted to enter, and the magistrates are
directed strict :y to enforce this regulation. We know not
whether the Manilla Indians have a taste for the drug; it is
likely they have it in common with most of the islanders of
the Archipelago, and if so, they will soon know how to cir-
cumvent the authorities in procuring the drug. The number
of Chinese alone at Manilla, although considerable, is not
likely to make the opium farm a very profitable brunch of
revenue to the Government.
Her Majesty's ship Dido, lion. Captain Keppel, returned
from Manilla on the 7th, with his Excellency Lord Saltoun,
Commander of her Majesty's military force in China. Lord
Saltoun gave over his command to Major-General d'Aguilar
on Thursday last. It is said his Lordship has taken his pas-
sage in the Charles Forbes, for Bombay. The visit of the
Vice-Admiral and the General to Manilla has been produc-
tive of much gaiety there, and balls and dinners were almost
daily given to the distinguised visitors by Spanish and foreign
residents of Manilla. Her Majesty's ship Cornwallis had left
Manilla for Singapore.
(From the Canton Press, Jan. 20.)
Her Majesty's ship Dido, Hon. Captain Keppel, is now at
Whampoa to receive three millions of dollars from the Chi-
nese, as part of the money due by them according to the
treaty. The Honourable Company's steamer Proserpine ar-
rived here yesterday morning from Hong- Kong, and ;eft
again for Canton a few hours after, with Mr. Stewart, the
treasurer to the superintendent. A portion of this sum will,
we understand, be applied to the use of the Hong-Kong Go-
vernment ; part will be sent to England ; and about two-
thirds be remitted to Calcutta.
(From the Hong-Kong Register, Jan. 30.)
EDICT OF THE KWANG CHOW TOO TO THE
HONG MERCHANTS.

Hwang, the treasurer, issued directions to the acting pre-
feet of Canton, Lew, to inquire into tho payment of money,
amounting to about 3,600,000 taels owed by the Hong mer-
chants to the public treasury.
1. For Ginseng.—The Hong merchants received this ar-
ticle and sold it, but have not yet paid for it.
2 Tribute forwarded to the court.—They engaged of their
own accord to discharge this in yearly instalments, but when
it comes to the point, they want to throw it upon the new
merchants.
3 Payments made to the army in Turkestan.—lt was
agreed in 1832, that this sum should be forwarded in annual
instalments. But though the term for discharging this
liability is extended, still they must not endeavoer to escape
the obligation.
4. Payments made to the superintendent of the grain de-
partment and other small items. They ought not to think,
that on account of the newly-established regulations they
will avoid the discharge of these sums.
5. The payment of 2,800,000 taels to foreigners for which
they gave a bond.—This they have to pay within four years.
.'"'`-‘l•7 respite been granted to them in con-
sideration of their remaining debts, but let them not cherish
delusive hopes, because we have postponed the time, for no
farther delay will be allowed.
Now, in the original petition, the Hong merchants state,
that on each pecul of tea they will pay five mace, and on
cotton two mace. But they can form no estimate of the
sum of mosey they would be able thus to furnish annually.
They also say, that tea and cotton should not be the only
articles that ought to pay towards the clearing of the debts.
Moreover, they show that the new establishments, without
specifying them, should likewise bear a share in liquidating
the sums they owe.
They must, however, first pay up their instalments, as
they have become due, and, we shall then take into conside
ration and report to the throne whatever items ought to be
remitted. Thus the new merchants will have no pretext to
excuse themselves of being involved on behalf of others,
neither can the old merchants get rid of their liabilities.
Let the Hong merchants, therefore, after mature delibera-
tion, report on the above.
Taoukwang, 23d year, 11th month, 20th day,
9th January, 1844.
THE HONG MERCHANTS' REPLY.
We now beg to lay before your Excellency, in obedience to
the orders received, the following statement :
Hitherto all the sums either paid on public a;:count or to
discharge debts were taken from the Consoo Fund and levied
upon the trade, which is on record.
We are willing to pay for Ginseng and other items, and
although the time when the money was due has elapsed, still
we shall make up for the delay.
Respecting the six millions of dollars, paid in 1841 to the
English, we received orders from the officers of Government
to contribute in the first instance two millions of dollars,
whilst four millions were advanced from the public treasury ;
and the remaining expenditure on account of public emer-
gency, is not below several laks of dollars. To this we must
add the three millions of Hong debts which we discharged to
the foreigners, and moreover, above 310,000 taels on account
of the conflagration of the factories. Our non-payment and
discharge of liabilities, did therefore not arise from any un-
willingness on our part, but was owing to the heavy contri-
butions we had to make for public purposes.
'Our distressed circumstances have frequently been laid
before Government, and since the Hong monopoly is now
abolished, •and our privileges have ceased to exist, it is only
proper, that the new mercantile establishments who share in
the same advantages, should also bear the same burdens.
And for this purpose they should give a bond, and a certain
sum whi 1 they could annually furnish in payment of
debts should be stipulated. Nor should these contributions
solely fall upon tea and cotton only. And though these are
the staple articles of trade, and the consumption may vary
from year to year, still we shall be enabled to fix an average
sum, which they annually will yield, payable in instalments
according to the extension 01 the terms, to be fixed by the
Supreme Government. We should, moreovor, feel deeply
obliged, if the result of our deliberations were communicated
to the Court.