The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-09
Interesting from China.
.PULATloN, TRADE AND PROSPECTS, OF THE EMPIRE

% SIR JOHN gowRING's LEcruRE.
From the London Post, Nov. 2a]
AT crowded meeting of the Society OF Arts yesterdav
evening Sir Jshn Bowrinp delivered long and highly
interesting discourse on China and its relations 10 British
commerce. Numerous persons could not obtain aam;s
sion and the confusion round the entrance owing 10 the
crush of ysters strucpnp for entrance rendered the
commencement Of Sir John Bowrings observations ndis.
tinctly audible ~ = ~
He began by describing the yastness and importance Of
China its immense population Of 400 600 the general
character OF the country and the extent OF lis mnoTs and
exports The average exports OF China to this country
during the last five years was stated to exceed co 600
sterling and It's imports Of British manufactures amount
ed TO only e. 600 C0 and but for the opum Unmarried
from India the balance would be TO be paid IN bull
lion Sir John Bowring dwet with much force and at some
length on the msconcepon that prevailed in this country
with respect to the trade in opium for the purpose Of dis
abusing the public mind respecting the alleged mmoratv
OF the trade IN opium and the injurious effects the rng 4
represented 10 produce on the people To prove that The
use of opum is not forbidden by the Chinese law as
sufficient he said TO state that opium Is cudyated IN
China TO great extent and that the quantity Of i'm
norted from India does not amount "a 40 much mn tha MN
duce Of China itself His experience Of the effect Of the
use Of ooum on The people led Sir John BowrinU To CON
Glide that IL far less nernicious than snir;ts NJ
mentioned that in Hong Kong during tho period he wss
Governor Of the island there were more deaths
caused by derum tremeps than by taking oniun He
adduced instances in which the introduction Of onnro
eating had tended TO improve the morals OF the eone nv
putting stop 10 the excessive use of spirituous 9Sor
and the effects Of the two kinds Of excess were he sa
greatly in favor Of opiu The effect az onnn IL a,noethA
different from that Of spirits II may deaden the facul
ties and produce stupor but does NOT nce n The con-
mission of crime. and among a neope vuho tnta on,,,
there is much less amount Of robberes assanfs ana ~
vice than among those who indulge too freely I'm snrs
Il had been stated he said as one or the evt, conse
uuences Of the announcement Of opium eating Ss,
prevented the diffusion 81 Christianity bp his was 60 s
rom being the case that in one district INTO which
had been Introduced as substitute for
the people had been found particularly willing 10 receive
Christian missionaries and had become ready onvers
In his intercourse with the mandarins and otcr Chsaoa
officials he said be had never heard auy of Thorn s,es
against the importation of opum and he fe,i
that the prejudice that had been excited in his cnmn
AGAINST the opium trade was without nndaton and sh:
the recognition OF the trade and the import OF opum INTO
China at low duty was one Of the most beneficial mea
sures that could be adontnd for Tho nroroo,;o 20 r
merce The average annual imports Of the drug nso
China had amounted 10 about seven millions sterne ana