426 



RiaHT OF ENTRANCE INTO Chap. XXTI. 



to commit all sorts of offences against their own 

 government and people and then point to the flag 

 of England — that flag which as Englishmen we 

 proudly look up to as the emblem of liberty and 

 justice — as their protection and as their warrant ? 

 This may be in accordance with treaty rights — it 

 may be the law of the case — but it scarcely ac- 

 cords with what reason suggests or common sense. 

 It therefore appears to me to be bad policy on the 

 part of the local government of Hongkong to 

 grant permission to fly the English flag to lorchas 

 or native boats manned by Chinese over whose 

 actions, when away from that port, it has no 

 control. 



But as we watch the dispute in question the 

 scene suddenly changes, another act commences, 

 and the lorcha falls into the back-ground. It is 

 no longer satisfaction for the insult offered by the 

 government of China, or rather Commissioner 

 Yeh, to the English flag only which is demanded. 

 It is now discovered that this is a good opportu- 

 nity for insisting upon our treaty-right of entering 

 the city of Canton. There can be no doubt that 

 we are fully entitled to this privilege, and have 

 been so since the Treaty of Nankin was signed, 

 at the close of the last China war, but it is 

 extremely doubtful that his Excellency Yeh had 

 the power to grant a right, without a reference 

 to the Court of Pekin, which had been allowed to 

 stand so long in abeyance. 



It has pften been remarked that in everything 



