Southern Christian Advocate

GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.

FOREIGN.

From the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser, April 13.—

Later from Canton.—The Baltimore clipper built ship Splendid, Capt. Land, owned by N. L. & G. Griswold, of this city, arrived this morning, in the remarkably short passage of 102 days from Whampoa, having left on the 30th Dec. Her dates are ten days later than those received by the Delhi.

The Splendid brings a full cargo of teas, silks, cassia, &c., consigned to N. L. & G. Griswold.

The Register of December contains two imperial edicts relating to the treaty, and the duties consequent upon it, but they present nothing of importance unless it be an indication, which certainly may be drawn from them, that his Imperial Majesty intends in good faith to fulfil all that has been stipulated.

The riot is said to have been foreseen and foretold by the compradors a week at least before it occurred. Many of the rioters wore a white sash, supposed to indicate membership in some organized body or society.

We mentioned on the last arrival but one from China, that the villagers and gentry about Canton had circulated a manifesto protesting against foreigners being allowed to reside at Honan with their families. A reply to this, in the shape of a proclamation, was issued by the Kwanghowfoo, or prefect of Canton, rebuking the protesters for departing from their usual course of respectful petition to the authorities, &c. The Register says, however, that this proclamation caused so much excitement that it was speedily withdrawn.

The Register of the 27th contains a correspondence between the British merchants of Canton on the one side, and Sir Hugh Gough and Sir Henry Pottinger on the other, on the subject of the riot. The first letter from the merchants, represented that the attack on the factories was undoubtedly preconcerted, and would probably be renewed, and asked that the steamer Proserpine might be allowed to remain in front of the factories for their protection. This request was acceded to by Sir Hugh Gough, who promised also to delay his departure as long as possible, that he might hear from the plenipotentiary before he left Canton.

The merchants then wrote to Sir Henry Pottinger, on the 13th, giving him a brief history of the riot, with expressions of their firm conviction that it was not unpremeditated—representing that it was all important for the British merchants to remain at Canton, as their absence would throw all business into the hands of the Americans—and soliciting the permanent establishment of a sufficient naval force for their defence.

The reply of Sir Henry is dated at Hong Kong, December 16, and declares his dissent from the opinion advanced by the merchants, that the riot was got up by the Chinese, he ascribes it wholly to the misconduct of a large body of Lascars, who went up from the British vessels and engaged in fighting with the Chinese; and that the attack on the factories was caused directly by the Lascars being permitted to take refuge in one of them, when they were overpowered by the Chinese. He adds that before he could make any demand for repayment of the losses sustained he must be satisfied that some attempt was made to control the Lascars; and that if merchants will not enforce order in their ships they must take the consequences.

He goes on to deny the alleged unwillingness of the Chinese authorities to afford protection—declaring it to be at total variance with the information and opinions that had reached him. Of their alleged inability to afford protection he also expresses his doubt, and more than intimates his belief that timely and proper application was not made to them—very fairly citing numerous instances of mobs and riots in England and other civilized countries, to show that an exasperated mob is the most unmanageable thing in the world, and that the temporary triumph of a mob is not to be regarded as proof either of unwillingness or inability on the part of magistrates.

Sir Henry then goes on to refer, in very plain language, to events that occurred before he arrived in China, as accounting for the ill-will and hostile feelings of the Chinese toward the English—distinctly averring that up to a certain time the Chinese were civil and well behaved, and that the change "must have been brought about by ourselves—partly by mismanagement and partly by ill treatment."

He then puts it to the merchants whether they can conscientiously, as individuals, and as a collective body, assert that they had studied the complexion of the times, or had "in any single circumstance striven to aid him in his arrangements, by endeavoring to dissipate and soothe the excitement and irritation of which they so loudly complained." Whether they had not 'thrown obstacles and difficulties in the way of those very arrangements which had been the leading object of his public actions for the last 18 months."

After going on in this strain at some length, administering at least a very sharp if not a very well deserved rebuke, Sir Henry concludes as follows:-

I have now arrived at the consideration of your present position and future prospects and wishes, as set forth in your letter, and with respect to the advantages, if not necessity, of actual residence at Canton, as well as the probable consequences that would attend on your being forced to withdraw from that place. I need only remark that I am fully apprized of those facts, and that I should and shall very truly regret the loss and inconvenience to which you would be exposed by the latter step becoming indispensable. I trust, however, that it will yet be averted through the measures which I have in view; but adverting to the closing request of your communication, I must at once, finally, most explicitly and candidly acquaint you, that no conceivable circumstances should induce me to place her majesty's government in so false and undignified a posture, as I should consider it to be placed in, were I to send troops and ships of war to Canton in opposition to the request and wishes of the local government, in order that you might carry on your trade under the protection of such troops and ships of war. Such an arrangement, irrespectively of the conclusive objection to it which I adduce above, would inevitably lead to farther ill will, heart burning, and violence, and its only result must be disappointment, and in all likelihood, a renewal of hostilities between the governments of England and China,—a calamity which I feel certain you will one and all cordially unite with me in earnestly deprecating.

Ending with an explicit declaration that he had given his ready assent to the suggestion of Admiral Cochrane, that the Proserpine should be re-called to Hong Kong as her presence at Canton would only be a source of irritation to the Chinese.

The merchants replied at length on the 23d, temperately but firmly repelling the accusations of Sir Henry, re-affirming what they had said respecting the origin and cause of the riot, and the inability or unwillingness of the Chinese authorities to afford protection—asserting that repeated applications were made to them through the Hong merchants—and vindicating themselves from the charge of throwing difficulties in his (Sir Henry's) way, with a courteous though sufficiently pungent reminding of his Excellency that he had never thought it desirable to seek for their opinion or co-operation in any way.

They concluded by requesting that their reply might be laid before the Home Government, together with his Excellency's letter.

A brief answer from Sir Henry's secretary closes the correspondence—informing the merchants that their reply should be laid before the Home Government, together with his Excellency's letter.

A brief answer from Sir Henry's secretary closes the correspondence, informing the merchants that their reply should be laid before the Home Government, and that Sir Henry has received assurance from the Viceroy of Canton of his anxiety as well as ability to protect all foreigners, and of his willingness to repay all losses incurred during the riot, after they should have been correctly ascertained and submitted through her majesty's Government.

The ground taken and opinions advanced by Sir Henry are of course extensively discussed in the Register. It adds that Mr. Thom had been several days collecting evidence to establish the position of the merchants, and cites a number of alleged facts as proof that the scuffle with the Lascars was not the real origin of the riot, but only a pretext.

The Register of the 27th expresses apprehensions that the treaty will be broken—founding them upon the substitution of Elepoo for Keying as imperial commissioner to complete the arrangements, and upon the little probability that the authorities of Formosa will be "condignly punished," as demanded by Sir Henry Pottinger, for their treatment of the Ann and Nerbudda captives.

The same Register contains an Imperial edict, dated November 13, and mentions another dated November 21, respecting the misconduct of the generals to whom was entrusted the conduct of the war. The second of these edicts gives the sentence of Yishan, Yihking and Wanwei—to be degraded and dismissed and have their heads cut off. The tone of these edicts certainly is not of the most friendly character to the barbarians.

From the Canton Register, December 27.—The Chinese Navy.—From the latest Peking gazettes, we perceive that much interest exists in the imperial cabinet on the subject of constructing ships of war after foreign models. It appears that Kin Yinglin, one of the ministers, laid drawings of ships of sundry forms before his majesty, accompanied by strong recommendations for an increased number of efficient fighting ships. Upon this the Emperor sends all the drawings to Yihshan, at Canton, ordering him to have vessels constructed, if he considered Kin Yinglin's plans the most feasible. Yihshan, in a very long memorial, shows that no kinds of vessels are at all proper for fighting, except those constructed after foreign models.

He speaks of the wonderful reports of the high officers of the United States ships Constellation and Boston, during their visit at Whampoa, and proposes that they be the models of all Chinese ships of war hereafter to be built. The Emperor therefore orders ships to be built of the kind recommended, and of the best materials. His majesty also states, that as the ships are now needed there will not be time to wait for them to be built, but orders Yihshan to send the hong merchants to buy the ships which the barbarians may have for sale, and at the same time, to dispatch proper officers to purchase the strongest materials possible for ship building.

Yihshan states in his memorial that one ship after the foreign model has been built at Canton, and which is able to go to sea, and that two more are on the stocks.