Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-02-06
Cnlna.--rne Engllsh Romh.rcn,.,.

lie lOOld mali mas drought us long
dence eucdatory of the quarrel and its consequences
1t appears that by treaty all British vessels at anv rs
the Five Ports open to foreign trade are under tn
authority and protection of the English consuls -
when suspected Grim mails supposed to be on boa1
vessels under our flag, the Chinese authorities Is
they dese to arrest them, must make application =,
the Consul, who is bound to give them up if satsfsS
of their guilt Vessels of any country NAV obta;n
Colonial Register al Hong Kong, when the ownars
go through certain FORMS and such vessels arc y.
garded in all respects as British vessels while tbosa
on board of her become alike responsible 70 R;t;Se
control and entitled to British protection. '''"
A Chinese lorcha, the Arrow, had obtained .pcb .
register, and arrived at Canton, early in Octobar
manned by twelve Cinnamon. information ~.
given 10 the authorities of Canton by person wb"
he'd been robbed by pirates at sea, that one Of bo
delinquents serving as a sailor on ho.ra ,n n
Arrow. The native police boarded the loreha an S
captured the crew without any reference to Mr., H
Parkes, her Majestys Consul al Cantor. The CO.
sui alleges that the British ensign was vino fron.
the m 'shead, and that il was hauled down by the
capors He lost no time in demanding that the crew
of the orcha should be publicly returned To ka voa
sci, and that an apolt gy should be made for the in.
suit offered TO the British flag at the same time
sending information of the occurrence 10 tho Cove
nor of Hong Kong.
Yeh. Governor-General and Imperial Commissioner
polite but obstinate He denied the British char
acter of the Arrow, and sent back nine of the nr;
oners stating that the other three had been nrpvsd
guilty of piracy, but Mr. Parks would not receive
the liberated sailors. The Governor of Hong Kono
wrote On the l2ih of October, repeating the ConsnIs
demands, and after delay of eight DAYS Yeb repied
only repeating what he had already said TO the Con-
sui Sir Michael Seymour, the admiral on the sta
ton came up in the meanwhile, and on the 2lst Of
October, final demand for reparation and anolocv
addressed to Yeh. On the following day the
twelve seamen were sent to the consulate in charge
of " an officer of low rank and MIR. Parkes again
declined 10 receive them, stating that s'the men pub.
licIy removed from the vessels should be as publicly
restored to her, and that letter of apology should
be written
The matter was placed in the hands of the admiral
who demanded personal interview with Yeh. This
refused, and of the forts the river were
captured Yeh still remaining obstinate other forts
were taken, the city wall was preached, and the ad.
mra landing penetrated at the head of his forces 10
the Governor-Generals palace, which was deserted
He retired, and the bombardment of the old city or
official quarters followed. These measu es produced
no effect and the last operation, on The 10th of No.
vember was the reduction of the Bogue forts. All
that was known at the dispatch of the mail regarding
Sir NJ. Seymour's future intention is contained in the
following notification issued by the British Consul 10
the foreign residents:
"His Exceency is determined that his demand
shall be conceded. But the community must be we'll
aware that any course his Excellency may contem-
plate would be compromised by publicity. His Ex
ColeuCy COnl0cS 10 SGdt0g tlat ne
sees no immediate prospect of restoration Of quiet
The security of the foreign position will be as well
cared for as heTeOfoe the nature and object of any
measure now TO be resorted to his Excellency deems
ii advisable to keep to himself"
The demands which the admiral is determined 10
enforce the public restoration of the crew of the
Arrow, apology to the British flag, and free ad.
mission for English officials to the city of Canton
The last item has been in controversy for long time
In l847, the Chinese authorities promised to admit
foreigners within Canton, but on the preence that
the people are opposed to it, they have hitherto
avoided the fulflment of their engagement. at has
hence resulted' says Mr.. Parkes, that discussions
which might have been disposed of in a single inter.
view, have endured through months of cOrrespon.
dence, and this, too, without any satisfactory result"
All this is but repetition of our old dealings with
oriental nations We force them 10 sign treaties
which we know they will not observe, and at every
fresh breach we proceed TO punish the bad faith Of
the authorities by slaughterng the people. In the
end we find II necessary to possess ourselves of
terial guarantees, and find ourselves at the end
OF a war with an unproductive province or two on
our hands. In this dispute with the Governor.
General of Canton our Consul appears 10 have pro.
ceeded rather fast. Yeh asserted that the Arrow
was not B-itsh vessel. F." The Ioreha," he wrote,
" was b1ilt by 500 Aching, Chnese-she was not
foreign vessel at all, and her British flag had been
purchased through the merchant Block, as we clearly
established by the admission of the prisoners and
known at the time that my Executive went 10 seize
persons board her, that the lorcha was a foreign
vessel. She w anchored in the. neighbour OF
the Dutch Folly; she was built by the Chinese 500
Aching"
He denied that any flag was hauled down that
any insult intended, and he released the prison
ers 1t strikes US that his explanation might have
been accepted, when the alternative was the bonn
bardment of city inhabited by million and half
of people Three lives lost, and twelve men
were wounded our side We do not know what
the Chinese loss has BEEN but besides those killed in
the forts, large number drowned in attempt
to swim from the Bogue forts to the mainland Much
misery will be inflicted and little glory obtained in
the war, but there are hints that before ii ends, The
Island of Chusan will be added 10 the colonial pos.
sessions of Great Britain
Our latest accounts from Trieste state that from
the 18th Of November up to the latest advices tn.
European factories were closed, trade being nearly
sagnant. The Chinese authorities had reiterated 10
tho interior, opposing merely passive resistance
The English troops and marines occupy the forts and
public buildings.