The Placer herald., 1857-01-31
Bombardment Of Canton by the English
Fleet confrmed-Participation of the
American Squadron--Suspension of trade
Destruction Of Property, &c.
San Francisco, January 25. 1S5,

The startling news from China brought
by the clipper ship Mary Whitredge, and
telegraphed up from Point Lobos yesterday
forenoon, has been verified by the arrival of
that vessel. The origin of the trouble seems
to have commenced as follows, as stated
from the Friend Of China, of November
18th:
By treaty, should suspected criminals be
on board vessels under our flag, it is incum-
bent on the Chinese authorities, if they wish
to obtain them, to make application to the
nearest Consul, that officer, on being satisfied
of the guilt of the parties charged, at once
gives them up. That such suspected men
we're on board a Lorcha, registered as be-
longing to the port of Hongkong is admit
ted but without making the prescribed ref
erence, the Governor General of the Prov
ince directed that they should be seized.
This was done.
The British Consul demonstrated and
demanded their return to the vessel they
were taken from. The Governor General
treated the application with contempt.
The Penpotentiary, by the Consul, then
informed him that unless he did as was
wished, and at once apolgized for the in
suit to our dignity as a State, the matter
should be placed in the hands of Admiral
Seymour. TO this the Governor Gener-
al replied by sending some of the men to
the consulate-not to the vessel He aver
ed afterwards that the vessel in question
was not British owned; he had offered no
insult to our flag, for that none was flying
when she was boarded; that his subordinates
knew nothing about the treaty, and, in fine,
that he had committed no intentional insult
and had nothing to apologize for
All this may be as you say, in effect, re-
sponded Admiral Seymour, (when the reply
reached him. but come, why not permit me
to visit you at your official residence with
in the city and let US talk the matter over
face to face?
This the Governor General refused point
blank, consequently it only remained for Ad-
miral Seymour to pay the visit without his
leave. The Governor General was not at
home. He had retired to the Inner City
and to induce him to come out a lombard
ment was kept up on the public Offices for
one whole day and part of another. This,
too was insufficient, so the Imperial Navy
was destroyed, and finally the Bogus Forts
taken. Seven hundred Chinese were killed.
The British loss could not be ascertained
The following is the manner in which the
Americans were forced to take part in the
affray:-On the 9Th of November the Amer
ican force were drawn into the war by having
a boat belonging to the United States soop-
of-war Portsmouth, with the American flag
flying, and containing Captain Foote of the
Portsmouth, and three other Americans,
fired into several times from one of their
forts, between Canton and Whampoa The
Portsmouth and Levant were towed up to
Whampoa (he San .Iacinto drawing too
much water to accompany them,) to punish
the insult, when three other forts in the neigh
borhood opened fire upon the vessels This
obliged our forces to capture the four forts,
which they accomplished in three days,
though with a loss Of six naen killed and
eighteen wounded. No apology being made
by the Niceroy for the original insult, Com
modore Armstrong proceeded to completely
destroy the forts after which, the vessels were
to proceed up and anchor OFF the city, and
cooperate with the English
1t is expected that the whole foreign trade
with China will be stopped by the lombard
ment of the other four forts. The Viceroy
of the two Kwaegs has already ordered
through the Mandarns, that the people Of
Foochow and Annoy cease trading with the
foreigners. At Swatow a large depot for
sugar and OPIUM the foreigners have been
Obliged to flee.
At the large fire which occurred at Canton,
over one thousand houses were DESTROYED
together with ali the mating and sugar
storehouses, in which all the stock of the
above articles in first hands were destroyed.