The Express. — 1848-04-22 (London, England)

CHINA AND CONDUCT 01' SIR JOHN DAVIS. The Manchester Commercial Association some time since made a representation to the Foreign Secretary of the necessity existing at Canton for greater protection to the British residents. Subsequently to the correspondence, in telligence was received from members of the Manchester Commercial Association, then at Canton, of the murder of a number of their employee, whilst on an excursion into the country. An important feature in the case was, that, on search being made for the missing parties, by a few of their friends, it was ascertained that several of them were probably alive, not having up to that time been murdered, but only placed in confinement in a small village ; and limier these circumstances a number of British merchants, formed into a volunteer association for the protection of property (there !King then no military force at Canton), prepared to rescue the prisoners, but were restrained by the orders of the British consul, who required that they should wait till troops arrived. On the arrival of troops it was found thtt the prisoners, though then murdered, might, it was fully believed, have been saved, had there been no interference with their friends. The punishment of the offenders was demanded by the British authorities, and four Chinese, said to be the murderers, were put to death without trial, for the offend, a British military niece hang presort to witness the carrying into effect of the sentence. It is, unhappily, an established fact that in China substitutes for the gallows can be bought as readily as substitutes here can be had for the militia, and there being reason to believe that, in this case, several of the real murderers were escaping punishment by that means, a deputation from the merchants of Canton was sent to Sir John Davis to represent this suspicion, and to request that he would not allow the military to be present, because it would be acknowledging as a substantial measure of justice what in reality was only a sham. The Manchester Commercial Association have letters from Canton to show that at this interview the conduct of Sir John Davis was of a very remarkable character; and the following correspondence, which has taken place betweenithe president of the association and Lord Palmerston, in their endeavours torepresent the facto of the ease and bobteeain better protection for life and property at Canton, has n publis Manchester Commercial Association, ire Sept. 25, 1846. To Lord Palinerston.—My Lord,—The directors of this association, by letters received from China per the last mail, have been solicited to co-operate in calling the attention of her Majesty's government to the serious outrages which have been recently committed against the persons and property of British subjects in Canton by the native population, and to point out the necessity which exists of guarding against a recurrence of similar di edi b the prence of a British ship of war in the immatesturbances neighbourhood. The association, however, judging from what has already transpired in the' public prints, doubt not that your lordship is in possession of full eetails, and that the matter receives your careful consideration. They therefore only deem it necessary, as parties having a deep personal interest in the subject, to express their anxious hope that her Majesty's government will adopt immediate British to afford greater security to the lives and property of subjects m the Chinese empire.-1 have, &c. (Signed) J. ASPINALL TC ItX Ell, President. Foreign-office, October 1, 1846.—T0 J. A. Turner, Esq.— Sir,—l am directed by Viscount Palmerston to acknowledge