special responsibility of making inquiry and adopting measures, to arrest the importation of opium and the exportation of pure silver, be also laid on him, it may be feared, that, in giving attention to one duty, he may be distracted from others, and that he will thus be prevented from applying his whole mind and strength to the extirpation of this evil. It is for this reason We have commissioned Lin T'sihseu to go and take on him the special management of the matter. It will be the duty of all to apply their efforts with increasing diligence and ardor, to cast down every wall of separation, fulfilling with earnestness each his own particular duties, and uniting together in whatever requires combination of counsel and action, reporting conjointly to Us. Let them henceforth embrace every practicable measure, vigorously to redeem their foregone negligence. It is our full hope, that the longindulged habit will be forever laid aside, and every root and germ of it entirely eradicated. We would fain think that our ministers will be enabled to substantiate our wishes, and so to remove from China the dire calamity. Let these cur commands be made known to those concerned. Respect this.'

'In obedience to these imperial desires, we, the ministers of the council, address to you this communication."

The above documents having been received by us, the governor and lieut.-governor,- while, on the one hand, we forward copies of them to the several commanders of divisions of the naval forces, to be made known by them to the commanders of squadrons, and of vessels, subordinate to them,— while also we direct the hong merchants, Woo Shaouyung and his fellows, to pay respectful obedience,— and while further we instruct the colonels in command of the central regiments of our own respective battalions, to consult together immediately, and within three days, without fail, to present to us lists of the number of military seunpoo (or aids-de-camp) and koshiha (or orderlies), who shall be appointed to attend (on the imperial commissioner), together with their names,-while effecting these several objects, we, at the same time, forward a copy to the territorial and financial commissioner, that he may act in accordance with the sovereign commands, and may, in concert with the judicial commissioner, the commissioner of the gabel, and the commissary, make the same generally known, for the obedience of all. And in reference to the approaching visit of the high imperial commissioner to Canton, to make inquiry and act in regard to the affairs of the sea-ports, let these officers give their immediate attention to the following questions, viz-What shall be the place allotted for his public residence 76

VOL. VII. NO. XI.

at Canton? In case he should require to go in person to view the three divisions-central, eastern, and western-of the naval force on the coast, What portions are of most importance? And in what naval vessels will it be fitting for him to embark? What number of attendant officers, civil seunpoo, and clerks, should be appointed to form his suite, and from what offices should they be chosen? Let them consider these questions jointly, and within three days present, for our revisal, lists, comprising the names of such officers as should be so appointed. M

ART. VI.

Proclamation from the governor and lieut.-governor to foreigners in relation to opium and the coming of the imperia

commissioner.

TANG, governor of Kwangtung and Kwangse, &c., and E, lieut.governor of Kwangtung, &c., conjointly issue these orders to the foreign merchants of the several nations, for their full information.

It is well known, that th celestial court, during the period of two hundred years that it has granted to every nation the privileges of commercial intercourse, has deeply imbued you with its rich benefits, yielding you excellent advantages, and without limit. Nor is it possible you can yourselves be ignorant, how much your life or death, is herein involved, seeing that the tea and rhubarb of this inner land are things absolutely necessary to you outer foreigners. Is it not then manifest, that to the celestial empire no need existed for a commercial intercourse, while to your several nations, could one day's cessation of such intercourse be sustained? Yet during tens of years past, you have inconsiderately regarded opium as the special means of gaining sure profits, and have without interruption continued to bring it hither and to store it up in your warehousing vessels; causing depraved Chinese to combine with you in disposing of it; and creating a taste for it among the simple clownish folk,-till habitual use has rendered it a constant indulgence, spreading with a rank growth along the borders of the coast, and so pervading every pro

vince.

Some, in their animadversions on these things, have supposed that your object and desire are, to exhaust the resources of the central land, and to do hurt to the lives of the Chinese people. Ha! It is forgotten that the celestial empire bears in its womb each precious metal, that its coffers are full to overflowing! How can they, by such feeble means, be ever emptied or exhausted!-But be it, that in bringing with you hither this vile thing, you are actuated solely by the desire of amassing gain, yet what feud have the people of this

land with you, that you should so be willing to do them mortal injury? Though even gain-seeking desires have cauterized your souls, so that you have given them the rein, fearless and without restraint, yet should you know, that things pushed to extremes must surely meet with a recoil. Thus, that the celestial court should one day be roused to fierce indignation, and should, with the utter extirpation of the ingrowing opium, strictly stay also the outgoing of the tea and rhubarb,- such is what the laws must surely require what matters cannot but eventually come to. On no account should you close your eyes to the anxious contemplation of such a contingency.

In the time past, edict after edict has been directed against opium; and we the governor and lieut.-governor have often reiterated our commands, and our monitions, to a third, yea even to a fifth time. But even to the last, gain alone has been your aim, and our words have but filled your ears as the empty wind.

When you would come to Canton to trade, you all assumne to yourselves the name of good foreigners.' Could any then have conceived of the recent entrance of boats with opium into the river, which has been discovered by repeated seizures, exposing to view all your impish trickery? Can you now yet style yourselves good foreigners, or say that you are pursuing each an honest calling?

At this time, the great emperor, in his bitter detestation of the evil habit, has his thoughts hourly bent on washing it clean away. In the capital, he has commanded the ministers of his court to deliberate and with severity to draw up plans for procedure. In the provinces, he has commanded the administrators over his dominions to enforce rigorously the penalties prescribed by the laws. His heavenderived firmness will form its own resolves, and what his Will determines, that surely shall be done.

We the governor and lieut.-governor have already, in respectful obedience to the imperial commands, strictly required of each naval fleet, division, and squadron, to draw together their forces, to complete their armaments, and along the central, eastern, and western, lines, severally, to array themselves in close connection, for the purpose of secure prevention, so that they may pursue and take every lawless boat engaging in the clandestine traffic, and may drive forth all foreign vessels cruizing about. We have also given instructions to each general and regimental division of the land force, that the commanding officers should, at the head of all their subordinates, make search after and take possession of every building for the preparation, or for the smoking, of opium, as well as seize all criminal parties found selling or inhaling the drug. Thus, having set in operation both the naval and the land forces, and having inspired severity into all from the head even to the tail, consecutive reports of seizures have been the result, to the number of many hundreds. probates who, by long habituation to the seeking of their purely selfish ends, have acquired a conscience fearless of death, having been severally subjected to a severe trial, have been adjudged and punished. The plain evidence hereof is to be found in the cases of the afore

Those re

executed criminals Kwŏ Aping, and Ho Laoukin. Others have been variously subjected to correction. And in consequence of such measures, the minds of all have been greatly affected with a wholesome alarm; and those who have restrained themselves from smoking, and have delivered up their opium pipes, may now be numbered by tens of thousands. Still more numerous too are they, who, dreading the laws, have of their own act, cast away their opium and the instruments for smoking it, as also they depraved reprobates-who with ruined fortunes have fled far away for safety.

Such are the measures now in operation in Kwangtung, and such the existing visible effects on the popular mind. We have thus carefully and minutely laid them open to you, that you may strive to reflect thereon, that you may consider What a time is this? And what sort of proceedings are these? If they leave you any longer room for hope? Or any further prospect of aggression? And if the very people of the land, when they offend, are thus subjected to instant and severe punishment, shall you, giving yourselves up, with open eyes and daring presumption, to follow the depraved suggestions of your own minds, be yet made the recipients of a perverted and partial forbearance and leniency? Nay, but you shall surely receive in like manner the corrective penalties of the law, and so be made to know the celestial terrors.

You have worked your vessels hither over a vasty deep, with no other object than that of seeking a gain upon your outlay. Ah! Why will you, for gain merely, lose your own selves! And at this moment, when the people have as one man abandoned the use of opium,when even the traces of the clandestine dealers are ceasing to appear, when, the officers having taken in hand the stern enforcement of the laws, the people too, in fear of their penalties, pay implicit obedience, not only are all avenues for disposing of it entirely shut up, even the gain you seek for is no longer to be found. The people of China have many of them lost their lives in consequence of this thing, and all now regard it as an enemy most hateful; they throw it away on every road, and view it just as filthy dung. In truth, then, what have you yet to hope for? And can repentance still find no place within your hearts?

We proceed hereon to issue, with intense earnestness, our commands. Upon their reaching the said foreign merchants, let them immediately wash out their past defilements; and let them speedily send away to their countries one and all of the warehousing vessels now anchored in the outer seas. Those ships, too, which, though they be not warehousing vessels, yet neither are they laden with merchandise for importation, must not pass at random to and from the various offings, anchoring wherever it may please them. It must be the business of all to rest in the pursuit of an honest commercial calling, that they may enjoy together happy gains, attended with peace and tranquility. But if, as you have begun, so you continue, obstinately blind, and refusing to awake, still retaining covetous and avaricious expectations, in that case you will be alienating yourselves from the nurture and protection of the laws. We the governor and lieut.-governor

will not then deem it worth our while to bestow labor and toil, to be continually exercising measures for prevention, discovery, and apprehension; but will simply have to lay before the throne our request, that the ports may be closed, and the trade brought for ever to an end. And when once the ports are thus closed, it will no longer be a question, whether opium is brought or not, but even the tea and the rhubarb of the inner land will be withheld from exportation. Thus are the lives of all you foreigners held within our grasp.

It will be found that all the sovereigns of the nations aforesaid have been habitually reverent and dutiful, and that their laws for the rule of the foreigners are severe and rigorous. Should the occurrence of such an entire stoppage of the export of tea and rhubarb lead them to search back to find the cause, it is to be apprehended that even though you slip through the meshes of the law of the celestial empire, it will yet be hard for you to escape the laws of your own lands.

Besides all this, the great emperor has just now appointed a high officer as his special commissioner, to repair to Canton, in order to examine and adopt measures in reference to the affairs of the seaports. From morn to eve, his arrival may hourly be looked for. His purpose is, to cut off utterly the source of this noxious abuse, to strip bare and root up this enormous evil and though the axe should break in his hand, or the boat should sink from beneath him, yet will he not stay his efforts, till the work of purification be accomplished.

If then you will blindly rush upon sharp weapons and will not be induced to turn again your faces, you will bring on yourselves grief and sorrow, exceeding in severity even what in this proclamation we have pointed out to you. We the governor and lieutenant-governor are indeed roused by your blind perversity and lack of intelligence to a sense of deep pain and abhorrence. But still cherishing thoughts and feelings of kindness, we cannot forbear from warning you yet again, with intense earnestness, and in our partiality calling upon you to save yourselves. Would that you might each regard and attend to us! Oh! lay not up for yourselves a store of after repentance. A special edict.

Taoukwang 18th year, 12th month, day. (January

1839.) M.

ART. VII. The opium question: execution of a dealer in the drug before the foreign factories, the lowering of the flags, and correspondence in reference thereto.

MORE than two years have elapsed since a premium of £100 was offered for the best essay on the opium trade - showing its effects on the commercial, political, and moral interests of the nations and individuals, connected therewith, and pointing out the course they ought to pursue in regard to it. With the 25th instant will close the period fixed for receiving such essays in London, when and where they