ra: iciaw jjmcct-ijl
th*? depths of poverty ami despair.?Merchants'
Magazine.
From The .National Intelligencer.
THE POWER OF THE VETO.
We took occasion in a recent number
rS our paper to go somewhat at large int?
*n examination of that anomalous feature.
engrafted into our Constitution
from monarchical Corns of Government,
which confers upon the Executive Magistrate
of this free Republic the power of
negativing and forbidding laws solemnly
and deliberately enacted by the Ropre.
aentntives of the People and of the Slates
in Congress assembled.
Wp. do not recur to the subject now for
T . '
the pnrpose of submitting anv further
suggestions of our own on this mischevous
principle of the Constitution; but it
is for the purpose of introducing, in supj>ort
of the views which we have tak^n
of it, an authority of which we were then
unapprised, hut one for which we entertain
great respect, and consider entitled
to'much weight with our readers.
It was remarked hy E Imund Burke
that "when popular discontents are verv
prevalent, it may well he affirmed and
supported that there is generally something
found amiss in the constitution 01
in the conduct of government. This re.
mark, philosophically true, is practically
applicable to the present circumstances ol
this country, and precisdv descriptive of
.its condition. Never was popular , discontent
more prevalent, and nothing can
be more certain than that this discontent
has its origin it? "something amiss in the
~ O
' onstitution," and in the conduct ol
Government." That something is he
power of the Veto conferred on our Executive,
and its unwise exercise. Thisi>
the position which we assumed in our
late <rgunient on the subject, and it is Ic
strengthen this position that we usk flt.
" tention for the authority which we now
present. It may he found in a volume
published during the lust year, from the
juinmous|>en of the present distinguished
. Secretary of the Navv, entitled "A brief
Enquiry into the trne nature and character
of our Federal GovernmentFor the
extract from this volume, which we subjoin,
we are indebted to the Virginia papers.
Our readers will he struck, as we
have been with the forcible and truly
Republican views which it presents in
.regard to the powers of the Executive.
We confess our satisfaction at finding
-our own humble opinions sustained bv
such distinguished authority.
THE EXTRACT.
Another striking imperfection of the
"Constitution, as respects the Executive
~ ^ J *1. r
Kepartnienf, is jouno m iuc ?<;*?# ....
The right to forbid the p?ople to pas?
whatever laws they please is the right te
deprive thorn of self-government. It is a
power which can never he entrusted t<;
one mm, or any number of men, slrnr
of the people themselves, without the cerium
destruction of puMic liliertv. It i>
irue that each department of the Govern
inent should be armed with a certain pow er
of self protection against the assaults
of the other departments; and the E\e
cutive prohablv stands most in need ot
such protection, liut the veto power, a>
it SHinds in the Constitution, goes far Iw yond
this object. It is, in effect, a power
in the Executive Department to forbio
all action in anv other. It is true that,
notwithstanding the veto of the President
a law may still lie passed, provided twothirds
ot each House of Congress ngre<
therein; hut it is obvious that the cases
areverv rare in which such concurrent
*
could he expected. In oases ?>l plair
necessity or policy the veto would not Ik
applied ; and those of doubtful necessity
or policy would rarely be carried bv a ma
joritv so large as two-thirds of ear!
House. And yet in these it may be jus!
as important that the public will s!H?ul(
l*j carried out as in cases of less c.'ojibl
and difficulty. It may be, also, that f
President mav oppose the passage of law *
of the plainest ar.d most pressing necessi.
tv. And if he should do so, it woulc
certainly give him a most improper povvei
over the people, to enable him lo preveni
the most necessary legislation, with only
one-third of each House of Congress ir
his favor. There is something incon.
gruons in this union of Legislative am
Executive powers in the same man.?
Perhaps it is proper that there should hen
nou-pr somewhere, to check hnstv and ill
fonsidered legislation, and that thai
power may he as well entrusted to tto
President as to any. other authority.?
Hut it is not necessary that it should to
great enough to prevent all legislation
nor to control in aoy respsct the free ex
ereise of the legislative will. It would tx
quite enoughJ for the security of tlx
rights of the Executive, and qt.'ite enong!
to ensure temperate and wise legislation
to authorize the President merely' tosenc
^ack to the Legislature for reconsidera
t?on any law which ho disapproved. B)
thus a fiord i no to that hody time and ?l>
nnrtunitv for refection, with ai! the ad."*
I V
Uonal lights which the President hiinseh
could throw upon the subject, we should
have very reasonable security for the d:tc
exercise of the legislative wisdom and a
fair expression of the public will. But if
alter all this, ine Legislature, in hoth its
branches, should still adhere to their
(opinion, the theory and the sound practice
of all our institutions require that
tlieir decision should be binding and final."
Cforgia Election ?Our correspondent
"Curtius.'' furni.hcs be lew a fcny to I he
umw .wif qg???????ggg
recent democratic victory in our sister.
State. The Whigs have been defeated
because they taxed the people to preserve
; the faith and credi't of the Suite?the
1 Democrats have* beeen victorious because
they promise relief from taxation, in dis.
regard ofthe' faith and credit of the State.
! W? fear we liave indeed fallen on evil
I times, and that democratic ascendency
i will he attended with faithless misrule,
j It is remarkable, too, that it is thesostyl;
ed hard-monev party which has succeedj
ed in Georgia; and yet relief laws, state
bonds, and the worst of paper currency
j are likely to be the fruits of its victory/
" It is much to be apprehended that we
i are on the eve of beholding the wreck of
Slate credit. The test applied in many
; of the elections now in progress, is whether
the candidate for favor is or is not friondj
lv to direct taxation, to sustain the faith
of the States. In Maryland, in the re.
cent canvass, tho people have given their
suffrages for none of the candidates who
fQD.iraliln trt ir,s*rpsiQf>rl taction. We
i fear that such will he the case also in
j Pennsylvania. Now there is but one esrj?oe
from the disgrace of a deliberate in;
fraction of State engagements, and that
j is the voluntary assumption of those burj
lhens by the people, that they seem wil1
ling to avoid by a sacrifice of honor in
, all lime to come for present ease. Noth1
ing else can restore confidence in State
'obligations.?can give them any value in
' the eyes<?f foreign or domestic capitalists.
Biit unfortunately the faith, as well as the
| credit of several of the States, appears
on the verge of ruin, fro n the prevalence
I of counsels that dread | popular disfavor
and truckle to democracy."?Patriot 9ih
insf.
j There is startling truth in this. Whether
the direct its'ie has been any where
J m ifie?whether the people have fairly
1. understood that the faith of their State
was involved in the question of increased
; taxation, we are not prepared to say. But
this much we do know?that in several
! of tile recent elections, whenever the dei
inorratio ticket has been signally triumj
pnant, all measures based upon an in,
crease of taxes as the onlv honest and efj
factual means of liquidating the debts
i and sustaining the credit of the States?
j measures which should have consolidated
j the integrity and patriotism of all parties
j have been pro-tituted to electioneering j
i purposes, and rendered odious to the people
as tyrrauy and misrule. '*
I This is especially applicable to the re:
cent Gubernatorial contest in Georgia. !
J I
! file indebtedness of that State has grown J
j out of a system of Internal Improvement,
originated and prosecuted during the supre.nacv
of what is now known as the
| Demooratic Party. The Legislature of j
j 1840, in which there was a decided Whig
; majority, lest the permanent stigma of a
.dishonored credit should attach to the J
State, made provision for the extinguish- I
ment of her obligation by direct taxation, !
i as the proper mode, and that to which she J
would sooner or later be obliged to revort.
This honorable nv asure, the only earnest
of good faith, which the State could give
!o her creditors, and the burthen of
w hich is so lightly borne, that it would not
have been sufficient to have attracted
puldic attention, but for the clamor of de dirninir
nnliticians. has been stamped as
r ,
Whig, hold ii{> to the people as the first
fruits of Wlrg administration, and, with
all the eloquence of partizan malice, exlibitcd
as fastening upon the party and
heir candidate a system of policy, grind.
:ng and crushing in its operation. That j
;t was hrouglil to hear powerfully unon the
popular inind during the contest was evi- i
dent to the most superficial observer. Ifj
the honest payment of State debts by di- |
rcct taxation is a financial expedient, pe- |
cu.iarly Whig, and repudiated as such 1
l?y ihe Democracy, let it be proclaimed
.ar and wuie. If the party is to he over- ]
a helmed under the ruins of Slate credit, '
let it not he without a desperate struggle;
to av?-rt the evil destiny which threatens j
the country. CURT1US. [
PRINCE DK JOIN VILLK.
Prince de Joinville is 011 a visit to the
^ivifhuftp lias It?ft Buffalo on his i
1 way to Cleveland, tl?once to Detroit and
i and along Lake St. Clair and Lake Flu-1
roil to (*roen Bay. At the town of
Crcen Bnv at the mouth of Fox, sometimes
railed Nenah River, he will doubtless
cross the stream and visit Fort Howard,
in mediately opposite to the village,
j From thence he will pass, if he goes by
I water up Fox river, to Lake Winnebago
and Bond d ie Lac. He will then go to
Fort Winnebago, where he will stop and ,
receive the civilities of our officers sta- j
turned at that outpost of defence. Here!
j iie may be able to reach Prairie due Chi- !
on. by going down the Wiskonsin River
if there should be a st laruboat at Winne. j
bugo, at the time of his arrival. j
We passed down that river from the i
_i 4 .. nnH found the !
I roil n.HJUi ~t y ;? lit I
country bordering on it magnificently
I picturesque and fertile. On our journey
we tarried a day at Prairie du Chien.
where the Prince proposes to stop a short
1 time on his way to St. Louis. Fort Craw !
lord is located at Prairie due Chien. The
I j route he takes from Green Bay, through |
j Wiskonsin Territory, is one of great I
-'.beauty. It is over the same region of
. I country tout Capt- Marryatt travelled,!
. and uhicn he dosci ibos to bo of unsur-1
passing beauty. He will go trough fifty |
ui e*; of a reach, of the most enchanting
j P tik scenery, with deer and prairie fowls, i
a spC' ies ft grouse, frequently crossing
?iiis p-. th, in Xhis land rich in its native j
grandeur.
! Jlis father wu'l be delighted to hear the j
1 details of his journey alonsj the distant
boundaries of our extensive Republic; next
to .us own France, America in our juj^e- j
I nient. stands m the kin i recollections of
Louis Fmihppe. Ihs early life here j
! planted a number ol pleasant remmiveiic- I
e.-> in his memory, noi rw^otteo even up |
e- If- ?Ch.i. Centincl.
IJ-MI1 I 11 iLUEJMI?W?l
JVcLeod in Montual.?The Mon.
treal Herald of Monday announces McLeod's
arrival there on the previous Saturday
forenoon in the steamer Princess
Victoria, and gives the following account
of his reception :
% On the arrival of the steamer at the
wharf, the anxiety to get a peep at the
lion" was intense, notwithstanding the
presence of a body of police stationed at
the landing place to prevent confusion
and overcrowding. The great feeling
seemed to he who could soonest shake
hands with the political and national martyr,
and congratulate him on again re.
turning to the ark of safety and freedom.
As he proceeded from the boat to a cab,
he was loudly cheered amid the waving
of hats and handkerchiefs, and his progress
to Rasco's hotel was marked like a
triumphal procession. Mr. McLeod is
verv unassuming in his manner and ad
dress, and appeared to fuel a diffidence
and distress at the attention and in some
cases rough courtesy shown him, which
were the outbreaks of the warm hearts
of his fellow countrymen. He looked
pale and sallow, which his "long confinementsufficiently
accounts for."
Taxgo Wa>tgo.?The Philadelphia
U. S. Gazette gives the following account
of a new practitioner in the healing art.
" A colored doctor named John Claws,
was yesterday brought before Alderman
Redmin, under the following circumstances:
It appears tnut he had visited unsolicted,
the complainant, a colored wo.
inan, who was seriously ill, and had told
her that he could cure her quickly, and
without doubt, hut that it was necessary
for the success of his practice, which he
termed the " Yango Wango" school, that
he should have four silver haff (' -..s.
These were obtained for him, and these
he placed with a number of herbs, in an
iron pot, and boiled them ; but after this
ceremony he took care to put them in
his pocket, and in addition to them, five
dollars in silver, which he found in a bureau
The patient getting no better,
and thinking the taking of the seven dollars
a very had practice, determined to
have the professor of the " Tango Wango"
school before Alderman Redman, wiio,
after a hearing, committed to prison the
doctor to answer for the misdemeanor at
I the General Sessions."?N. Y. Sun.
Highway Robwery.?Mr. G. Rates,
a drover, of Ohio, who had just completed
i the sale of a large drove of between three
I "
1 orwl Pmir tnitislrcrl hpnd of Cattle. for
I which no had received the money, and
i was en his way to Philadelphia to pur'
chase goods, was waylaid and robhed of
O *
between seven and eight thousand dollars
on Sunday night on the Strasburgh road,
a short distance above Marshallton, some
twenly-sevcn miles from Philadelphia.
Ibid.
war steoiers.
Instructions have been issued for build,
ing at our Navy Yards the following
staam vessels :
At Norfolk, one of medium size, say
between six hundred and seven hundred
tons; and one of three hundred tons,
to be propelled by L'eutenant Hunter's
paddle wheels. The engine for the latter
is to bo made at the Washington Narv
c>
Yard, where it is understool work equal
to any in the country has. been turned
i out.
At Philadelphia, one of six hundred
tons, to be propelled on Captain Stockton's
plan ; and one of medium size.
At New York, one of medium size, six
hundred to seven hundred tons.
The description of engines for themeI
dium steamers has not vet been determined
upon. The Commissioners of the
I Navy have opened a correspondence with
i the most experienced and scientific gen
I tlemen in the country, as to the best moj
dels, and have collected a large amount
of information upon the subject, which
] will be increased by further communica|
tions before the tirre arrives for making a
! decision. They will by these means have
the aid of the best experience the country
can afford.
Captain Stockton and Lieutenant Hunter
will each have, as a matter of course,
a general superintendence of the building
of the vessels on their respective plans.
Army and Nacy Chron.
:
! A MOVEMENT IN THE WEST.
j It is in contemplation in many of the
Western States to hold a Convention this
! fall ilt Uincinnau. 10 uikc: iiiiu c-iiisiuera:
tion the subject of the Currency and the
present disordered condition of the ox*
j changes. The following resolution,
among others, was adopted not long since
by a meeting of citizens at Columbus.
Ohio:
Resolved, That it be recommended to
the several Western and South Western
States to appoint delegates, equal in number
to their representatives in Congress,
to meet at Cincinnati, or some other cenI
tral point, at such time during the present
fall as shall bo thought best, and take into
consideration the present deranged
state of the currency and of exchanges
between different parts of the Union, and
I to devise and recommend the best means
1 ^ - ? ? - f. ?/? ^Koan isnrlailo oirilc
j ior cnrrecim^ mr^<3 i
It has been elsewhere proposed that the
Convention meet on the 25th November
next, and that it be composed of delegates
from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois,
Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky.
The proposal for a Convention, ns intimated
above, is urged by the leading
presses in Ohio. Kentucky, Indiana and
Missouri, it will he favorably regarded
throughout the whole region of the West
H m.
and Suuth West, and it wJj be remarked
??MM-gjm.jji?iiwm JJImmm
! generally in t le'anguage of one of the
journals: " We wonder why the West
hare not heret ifce held such a Convention."?Pha.
Sentinel.
The Commission which sat some time
during the last summer in New York, by
appointment of the Executive, in exatnining
the affait* of the New York Customhouse,
is, we i nderstand, about to resume
that investigation. There will be one
change in the composition of the Commission,
name y, William A. Bradly, Esq.
of this city, in place of Mr. Kelley, of
Ohio. The hitter gentleman returned to
Ohio, we believe, soon after the Commission
closed its examination in Septen^rf.
-fiat. Intctt.
jfr
The Statue^ of Washington was
yesterday renroved from the Navv Yard,
and such progress had been made in the
course of the day that at sunset a^nrt of
the difficult ascent of the Capital htfl had
been overcome. The Statue is very massive?weighing,
with its casings, it is said,
"HIP turanhr tnna If u/aa hrnnirht frnm I
???'?*! ?? VIIIT ilill.li XV " ? i wv4?..?
n
the Navy Yard to Maryland avenue
through the canal, and thence on moveable
ways, bv means of capstans, &c. '
along Maryland avenue to the Capitol
The removal of the Statue is under the
direction of our enterprising fellow.citizen,
Mr. William Easbv; and, so far,
his delicate task has been accomplished
without accident. Ibid.
disaster by tiie storm.
A young friend of ours, observes the
Salem Gazette, who is master of more
leisure than we can find, has examined
the shipping lists, since (he late storm, and
finds one hundred and ninety-tiro vessels
reported as injured by that disastrous
tempest. Doubtless there are some which
have not yet been reported, and others
which will nevelr come to light?all vestiges
thereof being " m the deep bosom of
the ocean buried."
EFFECT OF RAIL ROADS.
That our [tail Road has exerted a most
beneficial effect in stirring the people np
to greater exertions in fanning matters,
is plainly perceptible to all who have occasion
to visit a iy of the counties, within
its influence, eit ler direct or indirect. For
instance, we learn that in several counties,
quite distant from the Road, many,
very many, are raising Tobacco and Grain
this year, for Market, and in the counties
of Person and Granville, it is said, more
Tobacco has been planted than ever before.
and crops fair. The simple fact that
a Rail Road exerts a direct influence on
the energies of the people for nearly fifty
miles on either side of it. should convince
the most skeptical of the advantages of
such arteries through the country.
Raleigh Register, j
Correspondence of thz Savannah Gzorgian.
E\st Florida. 20i/i Oct. 1311.
Dear Sir.?The glad tidings has come
to hand that Tiger Tail's brother, E-noc|
tho-la-math-la, has come in to Tampa
Bay, and re jorts that Tiger Tail is on his
way in, with the most of his people or
band. Should he com6 in, and there cannot
now be a possibility of a doubt, but
he will, it will be glorious indeed, for the
| settlements will be immediately relieved
! from these infernal savages and narrows
I
I down the line of operation, to but a short
| space, comparatively the Everglades.
J Six Companies of Dragoons are to
| leave Florida for Fort Je.su p and Towson, i
I on the Arkansas Frontier. Their move j
will be immediately. A Company of the j
2d Infantry relieves the Company of Dra ]
goons at T.ader's Htll; another Company
^ i "
of the same Regiment, relieves the Company
of Dragoons stationed at Fort il/oiliac.
\ours,
U. S. Bank notes are selling in New1
York at 50 per cent, discount.
,
A NATIONAL BANK.
Bicknsll s Kcporter, ot tnis morning, a
neutml paper in politics, in noticing the
seheme of a Bank or Fiscal Agent, presented
in thff JNIadisoniun, says: " We j
begin to be of the opinion, however, that
we shall have no National Bank. The
results of the recent elections may be regarded
as anti-bank, and although we are
of those who think that some institution
calculated to facilitate exchanges and to
regulate the currency, would be found exceedingly*
useful in a commercial sense, j
the popular prejudice seems so strong
now, that we much doubt the ability of
Congress to agree upon a measure likely
to be enacted into law. Every scheme
will find opponents."
THE SABBATH.
The ne v Postmaster General has entered
on the discharge of the duties of his
office. We h^irn from the Washington
eorresponccnue of the New York Commercial
A Jvertiser, that he has ,4 directed
the doors of his departments to be closed j
on the Sabbath day, in respect to both
the public sense of propriety, and to the
higher ob igntions of the day itself, and
not in any spir t of fanaticism."
A TIGER AT LARGE.
At Louisville, on Thursday week, a
tiger at th 3 ilfenagerie and Circus got out
of his cage, snt some time upon the top
of it, and finally entered the ring of the
Circus, where ho was shot, without having
J
irtjureu any unu.
RAILROAD FARES.
A committee was appointed some time
since, by the Government in England,
to make inquiries in different parts of Europe
concerning the comparative ndvan.
tage of high and low fares on railroads.
The result of these inquiries, with ail the
details, containing the answers to upwards
of eleven thousand questions put
by the committee, has been published by
the British Parliament, and has uniformly
presented, in everv case, the conclusion |
that a low rate of freight creates great j
quantities of goods to be carried, and
thereby becomes 'he most profitable; that
great masses of passengers are created by
the low fare ; and that a rise of fare has
invariably diminished the nett income,
and a reduction of fare has invariably increased
it.?Phil. American.
1
CHERAW GAZETTE.
'VEDNESDAV, November 3, 1841.
Owing to the carelessness of a hand in
the office, last week some of the papers
sent by the mails were so badly printed as
to be in part illegible.
The Camden Journal records the
weight of a pair of Berkshire pigs, owned
by Maj# A. H. Boykin, of that vicinity,
at 5 months old ; which exceeds any
thing we recollect to have seen in shote
line, unless there was some mistake. The
two^ngs weighed/our hundred and Le^ve
pounds, or 206 a pi^ce, being about one
pound and one third for every day of their
age.
Ohio.?The Democrats have a major,
ity of 2 .n the Senate of Ohio, and 0 or S
in the House.
The Hon. John Forsyth, late Secretary.of
State, died in Washington on the
21st. October, after a protracted illness j
from an attack of Congestive fever.
We subscribe to the following para- j
graph from the Southern Chronicle :
chivalry.
We never knew a nation or State grow j
vain of its character for Chivalry that did !
not experience an early decline of every
manly virtue. See Spain for example.
When men begin to blow their own
trumpets it is strong evidence that their
wind is better than their credit. Chivalry,
by tho bye, is but a windy sort of a
virtue at best.
From tho Southern Patriot.
GEORGETOWN. (S. C.) Oct. 19.
Gentlemen:?Our town was visited
with a dreadfull fire last night, su pposed
and I have no doubt correctly, the work
of an incendiary. The fire commenced
near Mr. Benjamin King's wharf. All
the buildings from the Market to J. G.
Henings & Co.'s wharf, are distroved ?>n
tho water side of the street. The principle
sufferers are Est W. Chapman. B.
King, R. Frisbie, J. C. Porter, John Ralston.
S. Kirton, Col well 6c Lathers, G.
C. 6c W. J. Munro. Jacob Wayne, J. Farrow
6c Son, C. A. MagiII, B. J. C'utino,
VlcKcnzie..
It is impossible to say who are and who
are not insured, nor what amount of loss,
as all was in confusion to-da v.
You will be be pleased to learn that tho
Bank is in no way . implicated. Yours,
&c.
j
The Committee appointed by the town
held on the 10th inst. to investigate the
orgin of the event full fire of that mornin g
discharged the duty the day following and
were unanimously of opinion that the fire
was accidental and that it had its origin
most probably from a stove used in one
of tho stores.
Tlio losses by the fire, though severe,
are not so great in the way of merchandize,
as was supoos.id. The loss in the
- i .
way ol" cotton, did not exceed thiriv-nve
0
bales in nil.
Col well Jy Lathers, we are happy to
sav, are not heavy losses, as they had
received hot a portion of their fall supply
and had insurance on I heir stock. They
will resume business as soon as they can
lit up anotiier store.
We are advised that we have greatly j
exaggerated the losses of the merchants.
?Messrs. 5 Farrow & Son are said not
to have lost more than $14 or $15000? \
and so in proportion to others?and indeed
one merchant yesterday said to us
that he was satisfied that 840,000 would
coverall the loss of merchandize.? Winyaw
Observer.
FROM TIIE NEW YORK AMERICAN OF
SATURDAY.
THE BRITISH AND THE CHINESE.
I Vt PORT AN f PARTICULARS.
Macao, May 29, 1841.
We stated last week that every thing
at Canton bore so warlike an aspect that
we should probably have to report the
commencement of hostilities in this day's
issue. We shall relate seriatim the occur- i
rences at Canton since Friday, the 21st, j
premising that up to the moment of our i
writing this, no lator accounts than of:
r* * |
the 23lh have been received from Canton,
and of the 26th from Whampoa, but
it is probable that we shall have to add
later intelligence before our paper goes to
press.
On the 21st. Captain Elliot issued at |
Canton the following circular:
" In the present situation of circumstances
Her Britannic Majesty's Plenipotentiary
feels it his duty to recommend
that the British and other foreigners now
remaining in the factories should retire
" 'I I L'
trom t/amon uentrc suiwri.
CHARLES ELLIOT,
Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary.
British Factory, May 21, 1841."
Even without this notice the warlike
preparations made by the Chinese in everv
direction were so apparent that it had
become but too palpable that the Chinese
contemplated commencing hostilities probably
on that very day. In many of the
packhouses, and even on their roofs, guns
had been planted ; every street leading to
the river's edge had become a masked
battery, and pennons and flags were flying
over every one of them ; soldiers were
seen everywhere, and even in the Hong
merchants' warehouses while teas were be
giMniiapw? ?
ing weighed. A party returning 00 Friday
from one of these Hong* saw, Whilst
passing to the foreign factories in a boat,^
many of the batteries, the soldiers ine
which, for amusement'* sake, pointed
their guns at them, without, however, molesting
them.
The whole river from the French Folly
to the most northern end of Canton presented
one continued line of fortification,
and a large number of guns were planted
on Dutch and French Follies. A new
fort had been built at Shaming, and it
was known that an immense numbef of
ftre-rafts had been prepared in many
creeks in different parts cf the river, in*
fact the magnitude of the Chinese preparations
prove that they weie now bent otr
most determined resistance, and to drive
the English out of the rive * without much
greater loss of time, and that to effect this
a simultaneous attack on the different
positions of the English was ihteqgled.
How far the late arrangement, in providibg
the Chinese Goverrrtnent with
large sums of money, may have enabled
them to prepare thus formidably, it would
be a somewhat curious calculation to
make. Her Majesty'* Plenipotentiary
will probably bc^ble to throw *ome light
upon this subject; bo has, indeed, proved
himself a most generous enemy, and the
Chinese have no reason to complain that
fair play has not been given them.
Pursuant to the above notice of Cant.
Elliot, all foreign merchants then at Canton.
with the exception of two, left their
factories, the last embarking at about stx
o''Sck in the afternoon ; and, from what
occurred after, we have little doubt that
it was intended to have surprised all the
foreign merchants that very night, and
to have carried them off prisoners, had
they escaped deaths at the hands of the
infuriated mob. They have iudeed had amost
providential escape. ^
Owing to its being nearly calm, and to w
a strong ebb tide, the schoonor Aurora,
with several British merchants on board,
and Her Majesty's cutter Louisa- remained
anchored right opposite theFactories.
and it was observed that the suburb*
of Canton presented an appearance of
more than usual quiet. All the innumerable
boats which are in peaceful time*
seen on the river, gaily lighted up, were
no longer there, and the foreign factories
were, with the exception of two, dark and
silent. Soon after six, Her Majesty's
ships Modesto and Algerine movedfroin
their anchorage, in the Macao passage,
and anchored as close to the town as the
water would permit, nor did this seem for
the tone to attract much attention.
At a little past ten, however, a blaze
of light in the direction of Fatee was oh.
served, and was soon found to proceed
from several fire rafts or junks, floating
down fast with the tide upon the cuttpr
and schooner, which were in considerable
danger, the tide still ebbing, and weighing
anchor would have brought them
nearer to the range of the guns from-the
Company's garden, and others which had
by this time opened upon them, and kept
u,? a smart fire, by which the cutter wis bit
twice and the schooner once.
1'he two small vessels were therefore
obliged to remain at anchor, exposed to
the fire from the battery at Shaming, the
cutter returning the fire gallantly, and
forcing by her fire mx large cargo boata,
that bore down on her in the wnko of
\ v i. .
the fire ships, and probably filled with
soldiers to board her, to sheer off, when
the steamer Nemesis came down upon the
fire ships and towed them out cf harm's
way, opening at the same time a tremen- .
dons fire from her two 3*2 pounder*. *
Her Majesty's ships Modeste, Algerine,
and Pvlades, had meanwhile also opened
their fire, and a brisk cannonade ensued,
maintained chiefly against the new fortat
Shaming. The firing was kept up duing
part of the night, and the cutter and
schooner were at last, hy the tide's turning,
enabled to move out of the range of
the shot in the Macao passage.
Her Majesty's ships Alligator and Pylades
were at one time, we learn, in imminent
danger from the fire ships, but the
opportune arrival of the boats of her Majesty's
ship Herald, which towed them
on shore, saved them. In the morning
early of the 22d, the work of destruction
at Shaming was recommenced by .Her
Majesty's ships Modeste, Pylades, and Algerine,
and steamer Nemesis. The fort,
was, after a heavy cannonade, silenced
and destroyed, and eight very fine new
brass guns found in it. Meanwhile a number
of war junks were seen issuing from a
creek opposite Fa tee, and the steamer
Nemesis went to meet them; but they,,
unwilling to have any thing to say to so
formidable an antagonist, retreated again
to the creek, and the steamer again gave
her assistance nt Shaming, which no sooner
being perceived by the junks, than
they came out a second time.
This time, however, the steamer was
not content with merely driving them
back, but followed them into the creek;
what passed there was, from the position
of our informant, hid from his view ; but
loud reports and volumes of white andblack
smoke rising into the air at intervals,
but too plainly told that the work of
destruction was actively going on there.
In less than three hours upwards of 40junks
were set fire to and blown up, a
sight which can have been any thing
hut pleasing to Yikshara, the rebel.queU
ling general.
The return of the Nemesis from thif
successfull expedition, followed by the
Herald's and her own boats, is described
as affording a sight in the highest degree
cheering, and yet comical at the same
time. The steamer was covered all over
with the flags and pennants captured from
the junks; the boats crews were allarayed
in handsome mandarin dresses and caps,
and the crew of one boat, in order to be
perfectin their new costume had each man
of them a tail, more sinico,.daogling..f/om.
under their caps, which we hope w$re
spoils from living Chinese, who saved
t
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