On this page

• Text (2)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    ^S IIE jj^^^J^- ^* ¦ " ¦ [No. 85R, Sa^j;...

  • 

    MINISTERS IN YACATION. A new fashion has...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    Br1tish Policy In China. An Impartial Ac...

    Pa-Ekes , repaired on ...-board'the war-boat , and , treating the affair as an unfortunate mistake , explained to the officers in charge that they had violated a treaty , offered an insult to the English flag , and incurred a grave responsibility . He then requested them , if they had any charge to prefer against the captured crew , to bring them to the Consulate , where the case would he fully investigated . They declined this offer , and intimated that they would employ force if Mr . Pabkes attempted to take the men under

    his protection . The affair therefore , unhappily , went further . Mr . Paekes complained to Teh , the Imperial High Commissioner , Btating in . courteous terms the details of the day ' s occurrence , and requesting him to restore the men to their vessel , when , if accused of any crime , they would be arrested , conveyed to the-Consulate , and submitted to a legal examination . At the same time , he represented the claim of the captured vessel to compensation . The Commissioner's reply accused three of the prisoners of piracy , but exonerated the other nine . In the

    correspondence that ensued it was first alleged that the vessel was Chinese , and not foreign , though , ultimately ( sixteen days after ) Teh admitted the untruth of this assertion ; " when she was boarded by the Chinese soldiers they ¦ were not aware that she was a foreign lorcha ; she was originally a Chinese Teasel . " It was shown , we think satisfactorily , that the British flag was flying at the time of the capture ; although the owners of the vessel , by neglectang to renew her certificate , had forfeited

    lier right to protection . Her forfeiture of British eights , however , conferred no new lights on the' Chinese , it being clearly a question for the British authorities whether they would protect a shipowner who had not paid up his taxes . The Chinese Itad no knowledge of the lapse , and therefore acted as -though no lapse had occurred . The lorcha ,

    to all intents and purposes , was a British vessel , carried the British ensign , and was attacked by the imperial war-boat with a piratical disregard , not only of the general law of nations , hut of a special clause in the Treaty of 1848 , which stipulates that Chinese malfaisants taking refuge -under the British flag shall invariably be claimed through British authorities . Instances are on record

    of Chinese criminals escaping from Canton , seeking sanctuary on board English merchantmen , and being delivered up , on the formal demand of the Imperial police . "Wh y was not this course pursued by Teh in October last ? or , when an error had been committed and explained , why did he refuse to set' 'himself right , and confide the prisoners . to the Consulate , in the keeping of the law ? "We have now to examine the conduct of

    Admiral Seymoub . The affair took place on the 8 th of October . Three days elapsed before he interfered . He then seized a warjunk , and for twelve days contented himself with having . made that demonstration , and with showing his ships of war within range of the Commissioner's eye . He then took possession of some of the outer forts , the Chinese firing the first shot . Little blood was shed , and a number of important worlcs were captured . Meanwhile , 'the Chinetj ©

    were continually importuned to negotiate , but refused . Two days after , the Chinese attempted to repossess themselves of their fortifications , but , of course , failed . Two more 4 ays elapsed , when Mr . Pabkes , in . addition to his original demands , required for all ( foreign representatives the same free access to the authorities and city of Cawton ' as is enjoyed tinder treaty at -the other freo ports . To this no reply was made , whereupon the Government buildings were bombarded with one gun , while the Barracouta

    shelled the troops on a neighbouring hill . ; The politest people in the world immediately proeainied a reward of thirty dollars for the head of every Englisman . By slow degrees the city was placed at the mercy of the . vessels in the river . The Imperial fleet—not ' more effective in war than so many Swiss cottages afloat— -was also battered to ruins , or towed down the river .

    There the quarrel stood when the despatches left Canton . It seems undeniable that an act of offence was committed by the- Chinese , the only question being , whether the British authorities did not proceed to unjustifiable extremities . for the sake of exacting reparation . "Was it proper to bombard a great city and attack an imperial flotilla on account of a dispute with , a local governor ? "We think that Sir John Bowrih g and Admiral Seymottb

    might have made their ground more tenable by waiting until the case had been laid before the Central Grovernment . But in that case , would it ever have been laid before the Central Government ? Might not the twelve prisoners have lost their heads in the meantime ? Did the Chinese ever admit themselves in the wrong , or yield a point , except under compulsion ? It would be a mere burlesque to negotiate with them , as with Russians or Turks , or other half-educated

    nations . They are incapable of diplomacy . They entered into a solemn engagement , in ; 1847 , to admit British " officers and people " freely into Canton at the expiration of two years , and when reminded of their agreement , appear as insensible as Kaffirs to the meaning and value of a treaty . It is difficult to deal with such a nation

    but it would be impossible to maintain any intercourse with them at all if they wexe to be allowed to appeal to the barbarous principles of their polity , their antipathies , and their jealousies , to justify the direct and systematic infringement of a treaty , "while tne English , on their part , were satisfied with a protest and a rupture of relations . The Chinese Government does not care for *

    relations . ' It would rejoice if every ( foreign vessel in the waters of the empire were to weigh anchor , sail to the "West , aud disappear for ever from the sight of the Yellow People .

    ^S Iie Jj^^^J^- ^* ¦ " ¦ [No. 85r, Sa^J;...

    ^ S IIE jj ^^^ J ^ - ^* ¦ " ¦ [ No . 85 R , Sa ^ j ; KPAir

    Ministers In Yacation. A New Fashion Has...

    MINISTERS IN YACATION . A new fashion has been set in the manners and customs of our Cabinet Ministers . It is one that , if carried forward , may be extremely advantageous to the country . They have assumed a much more free and easy position towards political society . Even ' out of the House / they talk politics ,. make no reserve of their opinions , and converse de relics , as if they were in an omnibus . At the dinnertable in ! Forfarshire , the other day , amongst his tenantry and neighbours , Lord Panmtjbe

    discussed the forthcoming military estimates , and pledged himself to bring in a demand twenty millions less than last year . In conversation with Mr . OLANicESTEit , an active mover in Southampton election matters , Lord Palmerston critically discussed the comparative merits of the Liberal candidates ; and being in a friendly fashion challenged by Mr . Andhewb to repeat what ho had said , Lord Paxmebston cheerfully obeyed , with an advice to the electors of Southampton not

    to elect Mr . Andrews . The advice was obliquely and amusingly addressed to the said electors through the said Andrdws ! I have a great respect and regard for you , says Loi-d Palmebstow , but if you leave Southampton you will neglect your business ; and you have not shown the requisite ability to consider and weigh the important matters that come before the House of Commons . This is frank ' and friendly ; mid , what is worse for Mr . Andbews , it may be true !

    Now there is , probably , no man in the country that could enlighten , us more-on . the state of public affairs , "the condition of the public offices , the prospects of the future , than Lord Pax . meb . ston , if he would only come forth . and converse with us upon the subject in . this friendly after-dinner fashion . For instance , he might tell us the history , of the North-East American boundary question ; tell us all about those Nesselbode conspiracies in which he is said to be engaged ;

    explain his former anti-Austrian tendencies ; give us the secret history of the coup d ' etat in Paris ; inform us why he favoured the absorption of Schleswig-Holstein into the Danish kingdom , against all German light and European expediency- ; explain how it is tliat having undertaken to support the claims of Sardinia before the European Congress , the disposal pf that matter was left to Count wa : dewsb ; i . In fact , he

    might tell us a good deal about Count Walewski , and the present French 0 ourt ; elucidating the mystery of our having called Naples to account , with no results . Jf Lord Paimekston would only be as fraufe and explicit on these important topics , as he has been on Mr . Andubws ' s qualifications for coach-building in Southampton rather ; than law-making in Westminster , it would be very amusing , and very useful to the nation .

    One of Lord Pataeerston ' s colleagu = es has gone a little further than himself . Sir Rdbebt Peel has , to a certain extent , done ithe very thing that we desiderate from . the Premier . He has turned . Russia inside out , and exposed to us all the hollowness , the humbug , the brutality , the low , vulgar ostentation and coarse barbarity of that great empire .

    Sir Robert Peel had peculiar opportunities for collecting the materials of his exposed He accompanied Lord GrantilIiE's extraordinary mission to assist at the coronationof the Emperor Alexander , ; and his diplomatic position secured him introductions . He had the pleasure of seeing the Archduke Constaittine , and is thus enabled to report to us that the man whom Sir Chaules Jnapiee

    described as a frank sailor iis . a . cunning Russian , his friendly language being all' soft sawder . ' Sir Robeiit went inside . the white palaces of St . Petersburg , ' all outside paint and stucco . ' He saw the * marble palace , ' which is only granite . There never were such cheats as the Russians ; it is not only the innkeepers , wlio charge you 601 . for a dinner , bat a General Officer , Stjbocbiokofi :, trades as postmaster , and charges you 100 ? . a horse for a carriage to go four hundred miles on a road where you travel ^ at the rate of fifteen , sixteen , or seventeen miles an houc . Sir Robiibt discovered the truth of Mr .

    Ubqtjiiabt ' q representations , 'that ihe Czar has constant and hereditary * designs on the liberties of Europe , * because , so . long as two years ago , the Einperor removed . a collection of pictures from Kerteh ; proving that he expected the British there . And having been inside ithe formidable works at Oronetadt , Sir Robebt PeeJj is able to report that Admiral Names might easily have entered . Ho does not aay » whether the failure is aacriboble to want of resolution , to want

    of capacity , or to politeness i . towaands the Russians . Sir Robbbt Pjbbii leompletely tfhowB up Russia and her ' . system , < and in doing so lie necessarily shows up 'the British Admiral and Admiralty , of which ho is . a junior Lord ; the Paris Conference and tho British diplomacy , —at tho head of . which is Lord OiiABENDOir ; and tho conduct towards Russia of our whole Governmont , — : at the head of which is Lord Palmhrsitok , Sir Robert ' s colleague and . oluef . Members ' . move for roturjis' in . tho House of Commons , with a view of getting at eaaxo

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 10, 1857, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10011857/page/14/