endured now 200 years, has become the rich and flourishing kingdom that it is said to be.

But, during the commercial intercourse which has existed so long among the numerous foreign merchants resorting hither, are wheat and tares, good and bad; and of these latter are some who, by means of introducing opium by stealth, have seduced our Chinese people, and caused every province of the land to overflow with that poison. These, then, know merely to advantage themselves, they care not about injuring others. This is a principle which Heaven's Providence repugnates, and mankind conjointly look upon with abhorrence. Moreover, the great emperor, hearing of it, actually quivered with indignation, and especially despatched me, the commissioner, to Canton, that in conjunction with the viceroy and lieutenantgovernor of the province, means might be taken for its suppression. Every native of the inner land who sells opium, as also all who smoke it, are all alike adjudged to death. Were we then to go back and rake up the crimes of the foreigners, who by selling it for many years have induced dreadful calamity, and robbed us of enormous wealth, and punished them with equal severity, our laws could not but award to them absolute annihilation! But, considering that these said foreigners did yet repent of their crime, and with a sincere heart beg for mercy; that they took 20,283 chests of opium piled up in their store-ships, and through Elliot, the superintendent of the trade of your said country, petitioned that they might be delivered up to us, when the same were all utterly destroyed, of which we, the imperial commis

sioners and colleagues, made a duly prepared memorial to his majesty ; -considering these circumstances, we have happily received a fresh proof of the extraordinary goodness of the great emperor, inasmuch as he who voluntarily comes forward may yet be deemed a fit subject for mercy, and his crimes be graciously remitted him! But as for him who again knowingly violates the laws, difficult indeed will it be thus to go on repeatedly pardoning! He or they shall alike be doomed to the penalties of the new statute ! We presume that you, the sovereign of your honourable nation, on pouring out your heart before the altar of eternal justice, cannot but command all foreigners with the deepest respect to reverence our laws. If we only lay clearly before your eyes what is profitable and what is destruc. tive, you will then know that the statutes of the heavenly dynasty cannot but be obeyed with fear and trembling.

We find that your country is distant from us about 60,000 or 70,000 miles*, that your foreign country ships come hither striving the one with the other for our trade, and for the simple reason of their strong desire to reap a profit. Now, out of the wealth of our inner land, if we take a part to bestow upon foreigners from afar, it follows that the immense wealth which the said foreigners

• That is, Chinese miles, 20,000 or

23,000 British statute miles.

+ The commissioner has not studied

Adam Smith. Still we ought not to marvel at the ignorance of a Chinese mandarin in matters of trade, which he is taught from his infancy to despise ; 200 or 300 years ago how far were we ourselves advanced in the science of political economy?

amass ought, properly speaking, to be the portion of our own native Chinese people. By what principle of reason, then, should these foreigners send in return a poisonous drug, which involves in destruction those very natives of China? Without meaning to say that the foreigners harbour such destructive intentions in their hearts, we yet positively assert, that from their inordinate thirst after gain, they are perfectly care less about the injuries they inflict upon us; and such being the case, we should like to see what has become of that conscience which Heaven has implanted in the breasts of all men.

We have heard that in your own country opium is prohibited with the utmost strictness and severity; this is a strong proof that you know full well how hurtful it is to mankind. Since, then, you do not permit it to injure your own country, you ought not to have the injurious drug transferred to another country; and, above all others, how much less to the central land! Of the products which China exports to your foreign countries there is not one which is not beneficial to mankind in some shape or other. There are those which serve for food, those which are useful, and those which are calculated for re-sale; but all are beneficial. Has China ever yet sent forth a noxious article from its soil-not to speak of our tea and rhubarb, things which your foreign countries could not exist a single day without? If we of the central land were to grudge you what is beneficial, and not to compassionate your wants, then wherewithal could you foreigners manage to exist? And, further, as regards your woollens, camlets, and long ells, were it not

that you get supplied with our native raw silk, you could not get these manufactured! If China were to grudge you those things which yield a profit, how could you foreigners scheme for any profit at all? Our other articles of food

such as sugar, ginger, cinnamon, &c., and our other articles for use, such as silk piece goods, chinaware, &c., are all so many necessaries of life to you-how can we reckon up their number? On the other hand, the things that come from your foreign countries are only calculated to make presents of, or serve for mere amusement. It is quite the same to use if we have them, or if we have them not. If, then, these are of no material consequence to us of the inner land, what difficulty would there be in prohibiting and shutting our market against them? It is only that our heavenly dynasty mast freely permits you to take of her tea, silk, and other commodities, and convey them for consumption everywhere without the slightest stint or grudge, for no other reason but that wherever a profit exists, we wish that it be diffused abroad for the benefit of all the earth!

Your honourable nation takes away the products of our central land, and not only do you thereby obtain food and support for yourselves, but, moreover, by re-selling these products to other countries, you reap a threefold profit. Now, if you would only not sell opium, this threefold profit would be secured to you; how can you possibly consent to forego it for a drug that is hurtful to man, and an unbridled craving after gain that seems to know no bounds? Let us suppose that foreigners came from another country and

brought opium into England, and seduced the people of your country to smoke it, would not you, the sovereign of the said honourable country, look upon such a procedure with anger, and in your just indignation endeavour to get rid of it?

Now we have always heard that your Highness possesses a most kind and benevolent heart; surely, then, you are incapable of doing, or causing to be done, unto another, that which you would not wish another to do unto you. We have, at the same time, heard, that your ships which come to Canton do each and every of them carry a document granted by your Highness's self, on which are written these words:" You shall not be

permitted to carry contraband goods" (is this the ship's register)? this shows that the laws of your Highness are in their origin both distinct and severe, and we can only suppose that because the ships coming here have been very numerous, due attention has not been given to search and examine; and for this reason it is that we now address you this public document, that you may clearly know how stern and severe are the laws of the celestial dynasty, and most certainly you will cause that they be not again rashly violated!

Moreover, we have heard that in London, the metropolis where you dwell, as also in Scotland, Ireland, and other such places, no opium whatever is produced. It is only in sundry parts of your subject kingdom of Hindostan, such as Bengal, Madras, Bombay, Patna, Malwa, Benares, Malacca, and other places, where the very hills are covered with the opium plant, where tanks are made for the preparing of the drug, month by month, and year by year, the vo

lume of the poison increases, its unclean stench ascends upwards, unțil heaven itself grows angry, and the very gods thereat get indignant. You, the queen of the said honourable nation, ought immediately to have the plant in those parts plucked up by the very roots. Cause the land there to be hoed up afresh, sow in its stead the five grains, and if any man dare again to plant in these grounds a single poppy, visit his crime with the most severe punishment. truly benevolent system of government such as this will you indeed reap advantage, and do away with a source of evil. Heaven must support you, and the gods will crown you with felicity. This will get for yourself the blessing of long life, and from this will proceed the security and stability of your descendants.

By

In reference to the foreign merchants who come to this our central land, the food that they eat, and the dwellings that they abide in, proceed entirely from the goodness of our heavenly dynasty; the profits which they reap, and the fortunes which they amass, have their origin only in that portion of benefit which our heavenly dynasty kindly allots them; and as these pass but little of their time in your country, and the greater part of their time in ours, it is a generally received maxim of old and modern times, that we should conjointly admonish and clearly make known the punishment that awaits them.

We further find that during the second moon of this present year (ie. 9th of April, 1839), the superintendent of your honourable country, Elliot, viewing the law in relation to the prohibiting of opium as excessively severe, duly petitioned us, begging for “an ex

tention of the term already limited," say five months for Hindostan and the different parts of India, and ten months for England, "after which they would obey and act in conformity with the new statute," and other words to the same effect. Now we, the high commissioner and colleagues, upon making a duly prepared memorial to the great emperor, have to feel grateful for his extraordinary goodness, for his redoubled compassion. Any one who within the next year and a half may by mistake bring opium to this country, if he will but voluntarily come forward, and deliver up the entire quantity, he shall be absolved from all punishment for his crime. If, however, the appointed term shall have expired, and there are still persons who continue to bring it, then such shall be accounted as knowingly violating the laws, and shall most assuredly be put to death; on no account shall we show mercy or clemency. This, then, may be called truly the extreme of benevolence and the very perfection of justice.

Our celestial empire rules over ten thousand kingdoms. Most surely we do possess a measure of godlike majesty which ye cannot fathom. Still we cannot bear to slay or exterminate without previous warning, and it is for this reason that we now clearly make known to you the fixed laws of our land. If the foreign merchants of your said honourable nation desire to continue their commercial intercourse, they must tremblingly obey our recorded statutes, they must cut off for ever the source from which the opium flows, and on no account make an experiment of our laws in their own persons. Let, then, your

highness punish those of your subjects who may be criminal. Do not endeavour to screen or conceal them, and thus you will secure peace and quietness to your possessions thus will you more than ever display a proper sense of respect and obedience, and thus may we ultimately enjoy the common blessings of peace and happiness! What greater joy, what more complete felicity than this!

Let your highness immediately upon the receipt of this communication inform us promptly of the state of matters, and of the measures you are pursuing utterly to put a stop to the opium evil. Let your reply be speedy! Do not on any account make excuses or procrastinate.

A most important communica

tion.

"Any foreigner or foreigners bringing opium to the central land with design to sell the same, the principals shall most assuredly be decapitated, and the accessories strangled; and all property found on board same ship shall be confiscated. The space of a year and a half is granted, within the which if any one bringing opium by mistake shall voluntarily step forward and deliver it up, he shall be absolved from all consequences of his crime."

This imperial edict was received on the 9th day of the 6th moon of the 19th year of Taoukwang (19th July, 1839), at which the period of grace begins, and runs on to the 9th day of the 12th moon of the 20th year of Taoukwang (15th January, 1840), when it is completed.