656 A. D. 1780. 



but without any intereft. The funds for the payments were not drawn 

 from the efFeds of the two hongs, who were the defaulters, nor from 

 the exchequer of Chhia, nor from any pubHc or private Chinefe pro- 

 perty ; but from a new tax, laid, for the purpofe, upon the European 

 trade with China. The Chinefe government, I believe, juftified the 

 meafure by a law of the empire forbidding foreigners to make any loans 

 (which might perhaps be extended to giving credit in commercial 

 tranfadions) to any fubjed of China : and thence they even claimed a 

 merit of generofity to the individual fufferers in doing what they did. 

 With refped to the debts due by another of the hongs, amounting to 

 near ^^400, 000, a promife was made, that they iliould be put in a train 

 of fettlement, after the others fhould be paid off. But as to the debts 

 due by the reft of the bongs, no kind of promife of any fatisfadion 

 whatever could be obtained. 



Upon this tranfadion a committee of the Eaft-Tndia company re- 

 marked, that, ' It may appear extraordinary, but it is no lefs true, that 

 ' the company have fuftained great injury from individuals having be- 

 ' come the creditors of the Chinefe.' It may be added, that it was at 

 leaft as extraordinary, that the Europeans fhould have been better ufed 

 in their commercial concerns by a company polTeiling an exclufive 

 monopoly, than by the partners of that company competing individually 

 for the advantages of their trade. 



April 17'h — ^The king publilhed a declaration announcing, that the 

 Dutch, by their negled or refufal of furnilliing the fuccours ftipulated 

 by treaty, had deferted the alliance between Great Britain and the 

 republic ; and that thenceforth they Ihould be confidered as in the 

 fituation of a neutral power, not privileged by treaty, .and all the 

 advantages granted to their navigation and commerce in time of war 

 by the marine treaty of the year 1674 fhould be fufpended till further 

 orders *. 



* The truth is, that the marine treaty of 1674 ' ^^''^ States to places under the obedience of the 



appears to have been very loofely drawn up. The ' enemies of his faid Majcfty.' It was upon 



third article, which declares what goods are to be this article that the Dutch founded their claim to 



efteemed contraband, includes only artillery, am- an ahfolute freedom of commerce. But there was 



munition, arms, armour, foldicrs, horfcs, and their a fccrct article, which exprefsly prohibited the 



furniture : and the fourth article fays, that ' all fubjefts of either povej- from furnifhing any fliips, 



« provifion vvhicli ferves for the nourifhment and foldiers, feamen, -vlduals, money, injlruments of 



' fufttnaiice of life ; likewife all kind of cotton, luar, &c. to the ene;nies of either party. And 



' hemp, flax, and pitch ; aid rrpcs, faih, and this article, fo contradiftory to the other, was 



' anchors ; alfo marts and pla.iks, boards and what the Britidi ambaflador infifted on in his re- 



« beams of what fort of wood foever, and ail uther monftrancc to tlie States-general, and was made 



' materials requifite for the building or repairing the rule of conduA for our naval commanders, who 



» (hips' ♦ (hall be wholly reputed amongft free would, no d>^ubt, conlider the materials of (hips as 



' goods, even as all other wares and commodities, the moft important injlrumenti of war. See Chal- 



' which are not comprehended in tl.e next pre- mers's ColleBion of Ircattcs, V. i, pp. 178, 179, or 



* cedent article ; fo diat the lame may be freely Anderfon's brier account of this treaty under the 



• tranfported and carried' ' by the fubjefts of the year 1674. a 



