Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-05-04

postponed. Some difference of opinion was express
ed as to tho provisions If the bill, but most Of the
hon. members concurred in its principle.
HOUSE OF CoMMoSs, APRIL l4th-WAR WITH
CHINA.-Mr. G. Palmer said, that the noble lord not
having brought down message from the Grown in
regard to the declaration of hosilities with China
but having vonteereda statement of the objects for
which the war about to be undertakes, and there
being two descriptions of claims for PREPARATION
behalf oil the British merchants, the Hong for
arrears accraing in course OF the regular trade, the
other ON account of the opium delivered up, his
question was, whether the indemnity demanded from
the Chinese was with respect to the opium delv--
cred up, and If not, whether war was Immediately
Lord j. Russell decline ans werng a question
of that nature. (Hcar, hear)
Mr.. g. Palmer then gave notice, that the Both
of April he should move resolution that the refu-
sal Of the Chinese Government to pay for the opium
deliver up to them by British subjects will not be.
considered by this house to form a sufficient justi
cation for going to war. (Hear)
AMERICAN BOUNDARY QUEsrIoN.-Lord John
Russell moved an address to Her Majesty for copies
or extracts of correspondence relative to the boan
Diary between British Amerisx- and the United States
THREE WEEKS LATER FROM CHrNA.-We have
received Canton papers, by the British Overland
mail to England, with Canton dates the 4th of ia
nuary.
Inc Commissioner has been pursuing his measures
sun iIrther Tor the total exclusion of English trade;
ana tue Canton Press has Edict prohibiting the
transhIpment Of British goods into any other foreign
vessel for the purpose Of i'm portaton into Canton
and ordaining thata Bond be required from every
such vessel entering the port, certifying that they
40 NOT contain any property transhipped from Bril-
tsh vessel and conserving to the of shin
and cargo should any thing of the kind be discover
ed on board and it will be the High Commits.
sioner anticipates no difficulty in detecting any at
temps at fraud or concealment, and in putting this
law mediately and efectualy in force
Captain Ell OF has made another fee ole attempt 10
induce the Commissioner to authorize the continuance
nj our legal trade; assuring his Excellency that
peace is he desire of his heart that he feels anxiety
and sorrow for the state Of complete confusion and
disorder matters have come to; and reminding him
that for 200 years England has enoyed
with the Heavenly DyN ~"
WAR W.T. CHINA-LoNDoT, April 4-6
patches from India were received on SUNDAY night
IN town by extraordinary express. They include
letters and papers from Calcutta to the 18TH and
from bombay to the 10Th Feb, and were conveyed
to Marseiiles by the Prome'h eus steam vessel
which lett Alexandria on the 22d Of March, and
reached Marseilles on the 29th The news brought
by this mail is of no great Importance. The prepa-
ratons for wsr against China were actively progress
sing, but no further collision had taken place. The
expedition which was to consist Of $1,000 men, was
to be commanded by Lieut.. General Sir r. Arbuthnet,
having under his orders Generals Oglander and
Walker. Lord Auckland arrived in Calcutta on the
18th OF February, and was actively engaged in ac-
celebrating the progress Of the preparations. He ap-
pears, in the first instance, to have contemplated
appeal to volunteers from the army but decided
eventually IN employing entire resiments. Ii is be-
leved, however Notwithstanding the vgour with
which the preparations proceeding, hat Il is the
Governor Generals object rather to awe the Chinese
by this armament than employ il at once in actual
hostliies against them. The chief object of this
pedition WILL it is said, be to secure the island
OF Form0sa snd retain it until the Chinese shall
have Unidentified the British merchants for the pro-
perry destroyed BY their orders. No alteration had
taken place in the relative positions Of the British
and Chinese the nte rdcton Of the trade continuing
precisely as before. The edict prohibiting the tran
shipment nj English goods into foreign vessels was,
II mistake Dromulpafed before the vious
advicfs from Cant1n came away. Captain Elliot had
attempted in vain TO induce the commissioner to
aathorise the continuance Of the legal trade. He
had, appears. been specially enJoined by the En-
peror to permit no intercourse whatever between
the English and the Chinese, and To allow Of the
admission of any of our commodities into China. In
accordance with these instru tons, Commissioner
Lin rad addret sed proc lamation to the citizens Of
all foreign nations trading with the United States
fo rsddiDg them tn carry any British goods or mer-
chandise on board their respective vessels, and re-
curing all captains OF ships, previous to their i'd
mission to port, TO enter into bond to that effect
THE OPIUM TRADE.-Mr. Crawford, a member
of the British House of Commons, has given the fol-
lowing brief historical statement of this trade
From the earliest period the trade in opium had
existed between Bengal and China, and in the pre-
vince Of Bahar the article had been grown long be-
fore the British sovereignty had been estabi she'd
So long ago.as 1856, when Lord CORVALLIS was Co
General Of India the subject had been brought
under the peculiar attention he Gov ernme Mt and
the trade was regulated in the way in which il now
existed and up to 1876 the commodity was introdu-
ccd into China pay ment Of fixed duty. But an
that year edict appeared in China against the i'm
poration OF opium into that country That edict,
however, proved utterly imperative. The quantity
of opium exported from Bengal never did decrease.
1t then consisted Of about 400 chests the ships
entered the port of Canton, having all times the
opium board, where il delivered fer the con
vcnicnce Of the Chinese authoritics-the whole Of
this being done by the Hong merchants. The Brit
sh subject had nothing To do in the Transaction In
cor oi he Tor. tou IN k.sx.
those who received the brides and those who paid,
certain transactions took place relative the opium
being taken from LintiD the outer waters and the
consequence that from that time to the present.
the vessels having opium on board, were placed in
a different situation. In 1874 the first ship made a
venture up the east coast, and passed over to the
port In consequence Of the success that attended
the first adventure, others took ace, and in the
year ISIS and $50 an established trade formed.
The vessels no longer went near Canton, but were
supplied with the opium by smaller vessels. The
trade in this way continued till 1873, by which time
II had augmented from 900 chests 1886 to "a zoe
chests in ls:39 In the year 1896 from causes which
IL not necessary for him then to go into the Chi
ne - Government took into their serious consdera-
ton the subject Of the Opium trade apparently with
earnest desire to put IL down. certainly respec-
ted foreigners but a question arose whether 10
would not be more polite to legaze the importa--
tion, or to continue the prohibition. In July, 1896,
an intimation was expected 10 have arrived from
Pekin that the trade lcgazed. But il appeared,
however, thatin the Council at Pekin, the lesaxa-
ton Of the trade lost by a majority Of one and
the consequence was that the measures Of the Chi
nese Government became more stringent to put a
stop TO the trade. Those measures were found in
sufficient in 1893 and il appeared that Com
missioner Lin was invested with extraordinary pow
ers, supsrsedng all the authorities under the Vice
roy, and he appeared in Canton for the purpose OF