The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-03-17 00:00:00

LIVER THEATRE, CHURCH-STREET.

LAST WEEK OF THE SEASON BUT THREE.
•• Under the Direction of Mr. Raymond.
Ler
TWO NEW DRAMAS.
Six •
Nights of Messrs: CONEY and BLANCHARD
. ... and their Splendid DOGS.
Mr. and Mrs. RAYMOND.
THIS present TUESDAY EVENING, the 17th, WED-
NESDAY, the 18th, and THURSDAY, the 19th, the
turtertaintnents will commence with a New and Popular
th a_illat never acted here, as performed with the most en-
lisiastie approbation in London, called

THE FREEBOOTERS;
• OR, THE ROYAL CAPTIVE.
..-.. ..
Lord Darnley Mr. Higgie.
- - Edward •Burnette.: (with a Song) Mr. F. Gardner.
Sandy M`Serew.... Mr. C. F. Marshall.
Will Elliot Mr. Barton.
Aftr‘vvhich Messrs. CONEY and BLANCHARD will give
their Classical Illustration of the splendid
AfterOßK THE ANCIENT MASTERS.
which, Misses TI or and LIDIA will appear in a
Ma new admired Irish Medley Dance ! •
'rf; diddle, CHEVALLIER will Dance an admired Pas .Suel.
- which will be added (first time these two years) the
- , laughable Interlude, called
THE BOLD DRAGOON.
Lieutenant Fitzpatrick O'Leary Mr. Raymond.
4..,.42c Sir Anthony Firebrand • Mr. Tilbury.
M.. v Mrs. Raymond.
ISSeSTHOMASSIN and LIDIA will Dance the Passe Russe.
1.,L Wile. CHEVALLIER her popular Swiss Wsltz.
.. whole to conclude with (fort he first time) the New
Drama, entitled
. - THE FOULAH SLAVE ;
_ _ .

In Or, The Rogs "of the Plantation,
the astonishing and well-trained Dogs Hector and
Bruin will appear.
(the Foulah Slave)..
0 Antoine Bernard Mr. Blanchard.
n PRIDAY next, the 20th instant, a Variety of Entertain-
ments, for. the BENEFIT of Messrs.- CONEY and
IILAN'THARD, and Last Night but one of their appear-
4,t!ce.
'ficketti and places for the Boxes may be had of Mr.
141;zL, at the Box-office, from Eleven till Three, and at the
OpTac l places. Boxes, 3s ; Pit, 2s ; Gallery, Gd. Second
eat Half-past Eight. Boxes, 2s •, Pit, ls. No- Second
0,t.),C.0ck; eto the Gallery. Doors to be Open at Flalf-past Six
performance to commence at Seven precisely.

Cato.

WAR WITH CHINA.

'e are prevented presenting our readers, with the MAP
of the
.River Canton, with the STANDARD to-day,
corwe4uence. of being unable to procure some addi-
tional information which we were wishful to supply. In
another column will be found a brief description of
the Empire of China and its principal city, and on
FRIDAY we shalt add- an account of the more in-
teresting portion of the country accompanied with the
'gar, which ought to have appeared TO-DAY.

ebt-ZtherPool &tanbarb.

TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 17, 1840.

By the overland India mail, letters and papers have
Veen received from Bombay to the 31st of January.
:the, news brought by this arrival, especially in refe-
rence to our relations with China, is of a very impor-
tant character. The question of peace or war, how-
evel', appears to be as unsettled as ever. Up to the
(late of the last advices there had been no actual re-
newal of hostilities, either on the part of the British
c)r. the Chinese. Governor Lin, in a proclamation,
(!ated the 26th of November, declares that unless Bri-
tish traderS consented, before the 6th of December, to
;_, Ign the same bond as that signed by the master of the
4"ms Coutts, the trade would finally be put an end
ti'o, even under neutral flags. Private letters state that
2 •Govertunent at Pekin had disapproved of the con-
-411
Ilef,:l)f Chief Commissioner Lin towards the British
91:intendent Captain• Elliot, and the English mer-
.
and that that Whets of the Celestial Empire had
(i-el_to exercise the functions which he was specially
tier:egiltAd to superintend at Canton. The proclaina-
"tiriidlich we have alluded is said to have been
e-44de ‘vithout,authority. It is described as a parting
of malice against the English. Should these
-InesOntations prOve correct, it is probable that the
eaesent serious dispute with China may yet be adju.st-
'4 Without having recourse to extremities; should an

amicable arrangement appear consistent with the main-
tenance of our national honour.
It is said that several English ships had been trading
at Canton under Dutch colours. The Thomas Coutts
had been permitted to discharge her cargo. Much
business had been done through the medium of neutral
ships. Matters are said to have been approaching a
pacific end when Captain Elliot issued a specific order,
forbidding the British shipping to enter the port.
The Canton Press of Nov. 30 says that there was
very little hope, indeed, of an amicable arrangement of
the existing differences, and furnishes a translation of
Governor Lin's proclamation as the ground upon which
it rests its apprehensions. It then demands how the
Chinese GoVernment could enforce the cessation of the
trade as long as,the merchants of Canton are so deeply
indebted to the English ? The debts owing by insol-
vent Hong merchants are said to amount to four and
a half millions of dollars—the value of the opium sur-
rendered is said to be equal to ten millions—and the
losses for demurrage, &c., may amount to a few mil-
lions more; so that the Chinese, before they can claim
the very questionable right of exclusion, which they
have attempted to put in force, must satisfy English
demands for seventeen or eighteen millions of dollars,
without reckoning the expense which they will be put
to in enforcing payment.
The Bengal Hurhara of Jan. 18 states that Captain
Elliot had issued an order to the senior officer of her
Majesty's ships to obstruct the further entrance of Bri-
tish shipping within the Bocca Tigris, if necessary, 'by
force. This order is dated Nov. 20.
The Canton Press of December 14 says that a great
number of junks had been ordered from Fuhkeen to
strengthen the Chinese naval force at the Bogue, and
possibly to commit aggressions on the Tungkoo fleet.
The shipping had not yet been molested, though some
mandarins had destroyed the grog-shops erected by the
Chinese on shore : mandarin boats had also chased the
bumb-boats, without, however, capturing any, they
taking shelter in the midst of the English fleet.
The same joumal says that an alarm had been spread,
on the previous Monday, that a number of Chinese
troops had landed in different parts of the inner har-
bour from Tsinshan, and it was said that they came to
drive off Captain Elliot and Smith, who had that morn-
ing landed there. The firm opposition of the authori-
ties of Macao had the desired effect, and the Chinese
troops left the town again the same evening. Her
Majesty's ships Volage, and Hyacinth remained quietly
at anchor at Tungkoo.
Advices from Canton represent the market for im-
ports as being in a languid state. Exchange on Lon-
don was quoted at 4s. lid. for bills 'under credit, and
4s. 10d., with local endorsements, though in barter 4s.
9d. was still given.
Accounts brought by the Red Rover (to Bombay,
we presume) state that the Emperor had deprived the
High Commissioner Lin of two steps of official rank,
as a mark of displeasure for not having sooner settled
the difference with the English; and that a new High
CommisSioner had been appointed to inquire into his

proceedings.
It is stated that cotton vas transhipped at Hongkong
to Canton in American vessels, at the enormous freight
of Vs dollars per bale. 'From this it is pretty evident
that Brother Jonathan is likely to reap a rich harvest
from the present dispute.
A private letter, dated Tungkoo Bay, Dec. 14, says
that " every circumstance combined to give credibility
to the current report of the Chinese authorities being in
the highest degree disquieted and perplexed, and that
they would, no doubt, be too happy could they devise
some mode of settlement that would merely save ap-
pearances. But matters had become so embroiled that
an early accommodation was by no means probable."
The Bombay Courier of Jan. 25 states that the dis-
pute between the British and Chinese governments had
assumed a greater degree of interest in India, in con-
sequence of the Governor-General (Lord Auckland)
having received from her Majesty's Ministers full pow-
ers to carry on war or negotiations with the Chinese,
as the advantages of India may best require. The
Courier also says that " articles had appeared in diffe-
rent journals on the mode of assailing China. Some
opine that it would be useful to attack it first by land,
by marching 100,000 from Hindoostan through Ca-
boul, and across the desert; towards that part of the
Great Wall which is within 100 miles of Pekin; or,
secondly, by land and sea simultaneously, by sending
50,000 men and a large fleet from Europe. Both
those measures are impracticable, on account of the
enormous expense to which they would give rise, We
seek redress—not conquest."
Instead. of these projects of invasion, the Courier
suggests the blockade of the coast of China, and the
seizure of some of the adjacent islands. At the same
time, it strongly deprecates the idea of a " little war,"
which, however momentarily successful, might do
incalculable mischief, by teaching the art of modern,
warfare to the most populous nation on the face of the
earth, and instructing them how to beat ourselves. In
the present circumstances it is, therefore, our interest
as well as our dtity to make a sudden, strong, and lasting

impression.
The Bombay Gazette of January 29 says that the
" reports in Calcutta and elsqwhere about the in-
tentions of the Governor-General had been confirmed."
It adds that Lord Auckland had determined that a
large amount of shipping should be immediately taken
up for the conveyance of troops to China, and that, in
addition to the land forces about to be transported to
the Celestial Empire, the co-operation of all the vessels
of war in the Eastern seas should he given towards
the reduction of the pride of the Chinese. These
vessels were—the Volage, 28 guns—the Haycinth, 18
guns—the Cruiser, 18 guns—the Wellesley, 74 guns—
the Conway, 28 guns—the Alligator, 28 guns—the
Childers, 18 guns—the Larne, 18 guns—the Algerine,
10 guns—and the Druid, 44 guns, the last of which,
commanded by Lord Churchill, was under orders to
proceed to China direct. This is rather a respectable
force, and one perfectly well qualified, it is said, with
the addition of seven other vessels expected from
England, to put a quietus to the annoying interference
of the Chinese.

The Bombay Gazette mentions the island of Sapata
as about to be taken possession of by 'our troops. It

is situated about 100 miles from the coast of Cochin
China, and is admirably adapted for the purposes of a
maritime depot, from which troops can be conveyed to
any point upon which their services may be required.
The command of the naval force, it is stated by the
same paper, will devolve upon Capt. Sir J. J. Bremer
Gordon, K.C.8., of her Majesty's ship Alligator. Three
regiments were to leave Calcutta, two Queen's and one
native ; but a larger force was to leave Madras.

The Bombay Courier of Jan. 31 mentions among the
rumours which were prevalent, respecting the pro-
ceedings of Lord Auckland, that his lordship was going
in person to China. Another says that eight regiments
were to be sent, as the 14,000 tons of shipping would
allow—four from Bengal, two from Madras, and two from
Bombay. The same journal remarks that the Governor-
General had issued orders that no ships were to be
cleared out for China. This measure was construed
into a declaration of war.

The Bombay Times states that the Chinese are making
vigorous preparations for a contest. The last accounts
from Macao say that the Governor of Macao, at the
head of a number of troops, had inspected the forts,
and ordered a double supply of ammunition to be sent
to each. Numbers of Chinese troops had landed at
Macao.

The position and prospects of commercial affairs at
Bombay are described as exceedingly unfavourable.
It was quite impossible to effect any sales of English
merchandise, unless at a ruinous sacrifice. The cause
of this distresging state of affairs was the existing
scarcity of money, owing partly to the diminished
supplies of the precious metals from China, but
principally to the withdrawal from circulation of the
large sums which were lying unproductive in the
Government treasury.

The Bombay Courier of January 28 states that recent
accounts from Caboul conveyed the information that her
Majesty's 13th Regiment of light infantry was suffering
greatly from ill health, owing to the men's own im-
prudence in the abuse of spirituous liquors. The
rumours of the advance of the Russians on.Khiva were
still rife at Cabal. Sir John Keane (now Lord Keane)
had arrived at Lahore, at which place he only remained
three days. The newly-conquered country was per-
fectly tranquil. It is larger in extent than France and
Belgium together. • • Lord Keane was on his return; by
the Indus river, to Bombay. The Bengal army was
going back to that Presidency, and those regiments of

the Bombay army, whicn could be spared from the
newly acquired provinces, were on the return to
Bombay.

We have received a copy of the St. John's (N. B.)
Chronicle of the 31st of January. It brings us a full
report of the address of his Excellency the Governor
on the opening of the legislature, which took place on
the 28th of January. This document is of consider-
able length, and possesses a more than ordinary share
of interest, on account of the protracted dispute con-
cerning the Maine boundary. After congratulating
the legislature on their anxious desire and firm deter-
mination •to remain in indissoluble connexion with
" that glorious country, their parent state," under the
shadow of whose protecting power they felt themselves
" in the enjoyment of a degree of rational liberty which
has probably never been attained under any other than
than British institutions," he proceeds to enumerate
those questions which would be submitted to their

consideration. He speaks most favourably of the ac.

tual condition of the province, and states that "its trade,
and, consequently, its revenues and financial affairs,
are flourishing beyond any former period." The una-
voidable increase in the expenditure of the past year,
owing to the proceedings of a neighbouring state, had
happily been met by a corresponding increase in the
revenue, and every demand upon the provincial trea-
sury, arising from the emergency, had been fully met
by the surplus revenue of the year. The product of
the harvest had been extremely satisfactory, and left
the agricultural interest without any groimd of com-
plaint.

The Governor then proceeds to recommend the early
attention of the legislature to the improvement of the
great roads in the province—to the extension of the
coast and harbour fisheries—to the construction of a
canal to connect the Bay of Fundy with the Gulph of
St. Lawrence—to the improvement of the prisons of
the province—and to the encouragement of the agri-
cultural interest, upon, which, he says, " the ultimate
prosperity of New Brunswick appears to depend, in a
far higher degree than either upon its timber or its mi-
neral treasures, valuable and apparently exhaustless as
are the latter." In connection with the subject of
agriculture, he requests the attention of the legislature
to a communication which had been addressed to him
by the North American Colonial Association of Ire-
land " (and of London), who professed themselves
desirous of acquiring land in the province, and of co-
operating with its legislature and its government in the
introduction into it of a valuable class of settlers, under
fixed and well considered regulations, and upon receiv-

ing from the province such reasonable aid and encou-
ragement as it may be disposed to offer in promotion
of this most important object. He states, that he
" cannot too strongly recommend this proposition, and
the subject of immigration generally, to the serious
and favourable consideration of the legislature, feeling
that by no other measure can the prosperity of the pro-
vince be more certainly and rapidly advanced, than by
the judicious outlay of capital in the introduction of a
respectable class of emigrants."

The Governor then adverts to the training of five
thousand of the frontier militia, as a preparation against
any emergency that might eventually arise, and con-
cludes by expressing a hope that the boundary ques-
tion may be speedily, amicably, and finally adjusted.
There is no other news of importance in the paper
before us. Several fires had recently occurred at St.

John's, and great complaints are made of the insuffi.
ciency of the police. The Chronicle says, " Almos

nightly we are informed of misdemeanours being com-
mitted in our streets against either persons or property,
and yet no effectual check is applied to those disgrace-
ful proceedings."

It is an undeniable fact that our West India Colo-
nies, which are among the most valuable appendages
to the British crown, are rapidly declining in prospe-
rity,—that the staple exports from these colonies are
decreasing annually in amount,—and that there is every
prospect of ultimate ruin staring the planters in the
face; and yet Lord John Riissell and his associates
seem determined to withhold from the West Indies the
only remedy which can be applied to the present state
of things—the privilege of free immigration. It ap-
pears, from our parliamentary report, that there is no
hope held out by Government that the immigration or-
dinances for British Guiana will be conceded. Under
these circumstances we trust that some independent
member of Parliament will shortly introduce the sub-
ject before the House of Counnons in the shape of a
substantive motion. Surely, the salvation from utter
ruin of our West India colonies is of far greater
portance than the multitude of paltry and frivolous
questions which have hitherto engaged the attention of
the House since the commencement of the session.

" Our attention has been directed" to some remarks
which appeared in " a contemporary print" of Saturday,
and which would " seem to convey an imputation"
against the LIVERPOOL STANDARD, that we " acted
unfairly" towards " the Worshipful the Mayor" in
commenting upon the proceedings at• the Sessions-
house on Thursday last, when "the Conservative body
assembled to record their dissatisfaction with the pro-
posed measure of Government respecting the Irish
Municipal Corporations." Our contemporary accuses
us of having (by implication at least) charged the
Mayor with partiality. We did no such thing. We
cordially respond to our contemporary's declaration
" that his Worship's demeanour from the commence-
ment of the meeting to the close, was perfectly in-
dependent and impartial, and entirely free (the tautology
is not our own) from any symptoms of partisanship."
His Worship's conduct might merit this encomium,
and still have us at liberty " to find fault with his
decision." We presume that " the contemporary
print" of Saturday last is not prepared to maintain
that the Mayor is infallible, and therefore incapable of
committing an error of judgment. A few Conservatives
who were present at the meeting may believe the
Mayor's decision " to have been just and proper;"
but we feel assured that the great majority will agree
with us in thinking otherwise. Our belief must not,
however, be construed into a charge of partisanship
against the Mayor. We believe that he acted fairly to
the best of his judgment. We did not hold his
Worship " responsible for the composition of the
meeting," nor for " the introduction of parties to the
meeting by the private entrance," as our contemporary
would seem to insinuate. Still less do we hold his
Worship responsible for the turbulent and scandalous
proceedings of the rabble Irish who took posession of
the further part of the room. To a gentleman of Mr.
Walmsley's refined feelings such conduct as that which
we animadverted upon on Friday must have been
annoying in the extreme. He must have felt heartily
ashamed. of his party. It must have been anything
but a source of satisfaction to him to reflect that his
promotion to the civic chair had been, in any degree,
owing to the assistance of the ruffians in whose favour
he was compelled to decide.

Having thus exonerated ourselves from the very
ir grave charge brought against us, we may well disregard
the sneering remark that we " paid but a poor com-
pliment to the judgment and integrity of the gentlemen
who moved, seconded, and supported the vote of thanks
to the Mayor." We entertain for those gentlemen the
highest possible respect. We believe them to be
staunch and uncompromising enemies to Popish en-
croachments in every shape, and sterling friends to the
glorious constitution of our country. Their conduct
on Thursday showed them to be above the mean
jealousies of party spirit.
There is one more remark in the article which has
drawn forth these observations which we cannot pass
by in silence. The " contemporary print" of Satur-
day says--.--" It is by such inconsiderate, unwise, and
improper advocacy of the Conservative cause that the
worst injuries have been inflicted upon the party who
are most' anxious, earnest, and energetic in their en-
deavours to promote its success." As far as we can
make any sense of this passage it " seems to convey"
-an imputation that we indulged in language too strong
for the occasion, while denouncing the atrocious pro-
ceedings of the Popish party in the
.Sessions-house.
Such an accusation is somewhat out of place in the
columns of our contemporary, than whom few are
greater proficients in the " vulgar tongue." May we
be permitted to say that the namby-pamby, -compli-
mentary style in which our contemporary has alluded
to the proceedings of Thursday has sadly disappointed
.his admirers, who made up their mind to enjoy, on
Saturday morning, a slashing article against the whole
kit of Papists and Reformers who figured at both end

of the Session-house? One gentleman, in putting the
paper out of his hands, could not avoid exclaiming—
" Humph ! this smells very strongly of the—mahogany
table." We do not profess to understand the allusion,
and we should not have said anything on the subject, if
our contemporary had not commenced the attack, and
provoked this rejoinder.

•\lTe have this day furnished a full and accurate re-
port of the proceedings at the meeting held at the
Music-hall on Friday evening last, on the all-important
subject of church extension. The several speeches will
be read with great interest : they afford a full and con-
clusive answer to the frivolous and groundless objec-
tions of the Voluntary Church Association agitators.
Each of the speakers on Friday last based the cause of
church extension on the incontrovertible evidence of
facts and statistical details; and from this rock that
sacred cause cannot be removed by all the malignant
rage, gross misrepresentations, and shallow sophistries
of the triple band of Papists, Infidels, and political
Dissenters.

It was our intention to have offered some extended
remarks on the topics discussed at the meeting of Fri-
day last, but we find that our limited space will not
permit us to do so. The question of church extension,
however, is one on which we shall frequently have to
dilate prior to the introduction of Sir R. Inglis's mo-
tion.