I have received a communication from his excellency the governor, which is as follows:

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Regarding the outside barbarian ships which trade at Canton, under what circumstances they should be allowed to pass, and under what stopped, in entering and leaving the port, and regarding the residence of barbarians in factories, there have throughout past times been regulations, established by report to the emperor; and to which obedience has been directed by official communications, as is on record. Of late, the foreign ships have daily increased. The English company is dissolved and terminated, and now a barbarian eye (or chief) has come to Canton. The departure and the entrance of vessels and all other things must continue to be in conformity with the old regulations.

1. "Heretofore it has been allowed to the English barbarian eyes and ship masters to go about in ship's boats bearing flags; but except barbarian eyes and ship masters, none can irregularly travel in flag-bearing boats. For sending letters out and in, they are only permitted to use small sampans (boats). Those proceeding from within outward, must report and be examined at the Tsungseun customhouse (below Dutch folly, near Canton); and those proceeding from without inward, must report and be examined at the Wongtong custom-house, at the Bogue. If those custom-houses on examination find no arms or contraband goods, they must give them a permit, to be shown to the war vessels and forts, that they may allow them to pass. Vessels with passports to Whampoa, must give them up at the Whampoa custom-house; those with passports to the cruisers must give them up at the Wongtong custom-house, at the Bogue; and those which come to the city, must deliver up their passports at the Tsungseun custom-house. If, on examination, arms and contraband goods be found, the custom-houses are not permitted to give them passports; nor are the war vessels allowed to let them pass.

2. The barbarian merchants at Canton are not permitted to bring up musketry or cannon. Hitherto the custom-house people have been held responsible for making search and examination, and the military for inquiring and investigating : and if they should fall in with a barbarian clandestinely moving guns or military weapons, with the intention of bringing them to Canton, they are required to unite their utmost efforts to prevent and stop him, and must not suffer him to proceed. Should the military fail to make discovery or go to the extreme of knowingly conniving, so as to allow of a barbarian clandestinely bringing guns and cannon to the city, such military officers and privates shall be brought up immediately to trial and punishment.

3. "The barbarians are not permitted to bring foreign women clandestinely up to Canton; if they dare willfully to oppose, their traffic shall be immediately stopped; and (the women) sent back by force to Macao. At the same time the examining military patrol attached to the custom-houses are made responsible, if they should find barbarians bringing foreign women to the city, immediately to stop them, send them back, and give notice to the forts not to allow them to pass inwards.

4. "When the barbarian merchants are lodging in the factories of the hong merchants, the latter are to be held resposible for keeping up a diligent control and restraint upon them; not allowing them to go out and in at their own pleasure, lest they should have intercourse or clandestine arrangements with traitorous natives. 5. "When the barbarians wish to petition on any affair, if the affair be not of importance, they should deliver their petition to the security merchants to present for them; the barbarians are not permitted to presume to go to the city gate and present petitions themselves. On all the ordinary affairs of trade, their petitions should be presented at the hoppo's office.

"On further examination I find, that in the 21st year of the reign of Keäking [1816], the then governor Tseang, established a regulation of the following import: That the barbarians being closely confined to the barbarian factories, it is apprehended that sickness and disease may arise among them; they are therefore permitted, as formerly, to go to the Haechwang sze [Honan temple], and to the flower gardens [Fah te], to saunter about and obtain relaxation. Each month they are permitted to go but thrice, viz. on the 8th, 18th, and 28th days; on each occasion, the number of individuals must not exceed ten. The linguists are required to take them past the custom-houses at the back [i. e. front] of the factories and

to the west fort, and there report respecting them. And they are required again by sunset to be at the custom-houses and report their return to the factories. They are not allowed to drink wine and create disturbance, nor to remain out over night. Besides they are not allowed to saunter about at pleasure in the villages and market places near the city; in this way the causes of disturbances will be avoided.' This is on record.

The above are all old established regulations, which will not bear irregularly to be transgressed. If the custom-houses, with the naval officers and men of the port, do indeed truly and conscientiously examine and investigate, how can the barbarian vessels enter and depart, wandering about at their own pleasure! With regard to the barbarians' dwelling in the merchants' factories, it devolves entirely on the local officers to govern and direct the hong merchants that they may instruct them in the established laws, and from time to time restrict and restrain them: not suffering the laws, in length of time, to become slow of operation.

"I have sent a communication to the naval commander-in-chief, that he may transmit to all the naval commanders of the port, and to the officers and men of the forts, orders to this effect: that they act in obedience to the old regulations. and if any barbarian ship be entering the port, not having stopped to be examined at the custom-house, and having asked and received a red permit, or having on board foreign women, guns, or other military weapons, they shall immediately stop her, and not suffer her to enter: and that if any dare secretly to connive, the military of the stations passed by the vessel shall assuredly be by name reported against, tried and punished: but that the common small boats carrying letters, and barbarian trading ships other than these, having obtained their passports, must accord ing to the regulations, be permitted to go in and out, receiving their passes as they arrive, and must not be irregularly stopped.

"Besides this, I do also, as is incumbent on me, forward this communication to you (the hoppo), hoping you will immediately give orders to the writers and tide-waiters of all the custom-house stations to examine and act up to the old regulations;-to search and investigate carefully, closely, and minutely; looking after the entrance and departure of barbarian vessels, and not suffering them to go in and out at pleasure. Hoping, also, that you will give orders to the hong merchants to explain authoritatively to the barbarians the old regulations, that except on the 8th (i. e. 8th, 18th, and 28th,) day they are not permitted to go out to ramble; and that you will at the same time command the linguists, that except at the fixed periods, they are not confusedly to take them out to ramble, thereby bringing on themselves inquiry, &c." This coming before me the hoppo, I, * * [he merely reiterates the orders of the governor and closes in the favorite language,] oppose not. A special edict. Taoukwang, 14th year, 6th moon, 28th day [July 4th, 1834].

Immediately after the receipt of these edicts by the hong merchants, no slight sensation was felt among all the natives in any way connected with foreigners. The sampans belonging to the residents were stopped, and their keepers absconded; some of the compradors were also missing; the hong merchants and linguists were summoned before the Kwangchow foo; and the British trade was soon suspended. On the 22d, three officers were sent by the governor to visit lord Napier; others, we hear, are to visit him to-day (the 30th). Our limits will allow us only to remark further, that two British ships of war have anchored at the Bogue, and that notwithstanding all these movements another calm (it may be momentary,) has ensued. We omit here to say a word concerning the abusive epithets with which the edicts are filled; every thing on this point will be ineffectual, until the Chinese are convinced that they have their equals.

Saturday, 30th. Two imperial commissioners, Shing and Sae, are daily expected at Canton; the latter is accompanied by Yang, an officer of high rank. Pang Neen, a slave of the emperor's is also coming down from the capital to take the place of hoppo Chung. Literati, about 10,000 in number, have collected in the city, for the triennial examination which commences in a few days. There are also here Siamese and Cochinchinese tribute bearers.

THE

CHINESE REPOSITORY,

VOL. III. SEPTEMBER, 1834.-No. 5.

ART. I. Japan: its government, laws, manners, customs, religion; literature, together with brief notices of its intercourse with foreign nations. Continued from page 160.

"With respect to the Japanese government," says Mr. I isscher; "a very false idea of it is commonly formed in Europe, were it is looked upon as an absolute despotism, which prevents its subjects from living contented and happy. It is undoubtedly a despotism; but one which does not degenerate into arbitrary power. The laws are severe, it is true, but every individual knows what they are, what they permit, and what they prohibit. No one, whatever be his rank, can by illegal acts intimidate an inferior and force him to comply with his desires. The laws of Japan like those of every other country, are not perfect, but they are put in execution, and he who conducts himself. well, and whose conscience cannot reproach him, has no reason to fear them. No individual in Japan is above the law, and all its institutions tend to secure person and property, to a degree which is rarely found in Europe. The Japanese are perfectly free and independent; slavery is a term unknown in the country, and they are not compelled to perform any labor without remuneration. An active workman enjoys a high degree of esteem; the inferior, classes of people have few wants. The mildness of the climate and the fertility of the soil give to Japan the advantage of having all the. necessaries of life in such profusion, that they would suffice for double its present population; so that indigence and pauperism are unknown there; and the relations between superiors and inferiors; founded on mutual harmony, produce real content and universal confidence. Each individual is happy in his position; the servant does not seek to elevate himself above his master, and the youth does not study to abuse his talents, in order to undermine the authority of the aged. That country is surely well governed, in which we recognize no other authority than the law, before which all are equal where every thing conspires to guaranty the security of person an,

CH: REP? VOL. III:

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property, and the superior treats the inferior with that deference which makes the latter forget the distance that separates them."

That very erroneous ideas concerning the Japanese government have been current in Europe we do not doubt; we fear, however, that Mr. Fisscher's account does not put the subject in its true light. If the Japanese government is what he represents it to be, it differs wholly from that of the Chinese, particularly in the execution of its laws and the treatment of its subjects. One might maintain that there are no slaves in China, arguing that all those who are bought and soid are merely servants; but he might with more truth affirm, that all the 'people' of the land are slaves. So it is, we apprehend, in regard to the Japanese; and in this opinion we are supported by Golownin, who makes the slaves a distinct class, and says they are entirely in the hands of their masters. These slaves, he adds," are descended from the prisoners taken in ancient times in China, Coren, &c., and from children who were sold by their parents on account of poverty and inability to bring them up." This traffic corresponds exactly with what exists in China.-A view of the several branches of the government will enable us to form a more correct idea of the condition of the Japanese.

The government is monarchical, despotic, and feudal. According to the ancient laws of the land, the supreme authority ought to rest in the hands of the daïri, or emperor. But in the twelfth century of our era, a strong check was placed over the power of the emperor, in the person of the seogun or generalissimo of Japan, an office which was established by the emperor Sewsin in the year B. c. 85.

The daïri and his whole family lay claim to a celestial origin; and like the members of the reigning dynasty of China, regard themselves as entitled to the highest degree of respect and deference. Through the long lapse of twenty-four centuries, the branches of the family have become numerous, amounting to some thousands in number. The functions of the daïri are peculiar. In the management of ordinary affairs of state, he has no share; and knows but little of what transpires in the empire; but in cases of extraordinary importance, such as the change or introduction of a law, negotiations with foreign powers, declarations of war, &c., he must be consulted by the seogun. His chief support is derived from the imperial domain-the province of Gokinaï; but even in that province he has no absolute jurisdiction, and the soldiers required to preserve its tranquillity are maintained at the expense of the seogun, on whom they are dependent. This measure gives the generalissimo entire power over the emperor; externally, however, he shows him great respect. Personal interviews between these two personages take place very rarely; the seogun visits the emperor only once in seven years; but they frequently send embassies to each other, on which occasions the former always sends rich presents, which the latter returns by his blessing.' Among the marks of respect which the seogun shows the emperor, one is very remarkable; "at new year, he is bound to send him an embassy with presents, among which there must absolutely

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be a white crane with a black head, which he has taken with his own hand in hunting; no business can release him from this obligation, or ought else except sickness, and even iu that case his son and successor must take this obligation on himself."

Several of the writers on Japan have compared the emperor of that country with the popes of Rome in former times. In some respects, says Golowuin, this comparison will hold good, in others, not. "The popes were elected; the daïri are hereditary, and ou that account they have twelve wives, that their race may not become extinct. The popes governed in their dominions as independent sovereigns; but the domain of the emperors, makes a constituent part of Japan, and like all other parts of the empire is subject to the general laws of the land. The popes were the head of the only religion that was tolerated in all countries subject to papal jurisdiction; but the power of the emperors extends over every sect of religionists, though they are in fact, the head of only one, which includes only a part of the whole nation." It is no doubt, in consequence of their resemblance to the pontiffs of Rome, that the daïri of Japan have frequently but erroneously been called ecclesiastical emperors.

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Concerning the several eminent dignities' which belong to the emperors and compose their court, we know but little. They are divided into six classes, each having a distinctive and appropriate title. By their dress also they are distinguished not only from each other, but from all the common people, whom they scorn and despise as being of mean extraction. The dress of the ladies of the court, particularly that of the wives of the daïri, is different from that of all other women. In the times of Kampfer, studies and learning were the chief amusements of the imperial household, and not only the courtiers, but many of the fair sex acquired great reputation by their poetical, historical, and other writings. They are great lovers of music," adds the learned Hollander, "particularly the ladies, who play with great dexterity upon all sorts of instruments. Young noblemen divert themselves with reading, running races, dancing, fighting, and such other exercises as are befitting their quality. I did not inquire whether they act tragedies and comedies at court; but as the Japanese in general are very fond of plays, and will spend a great deal of money upon them, I am inclined to believe, these ecclesiastical persons, their gravity and holiness notwithstanding, would not be willingly wanting so agreeable and entertaining and withal so innocent a diversion."

Since the time of Joritomo, the seoguns, or generalissimos of the army, have engrossed nearly the whole authority of the state, and are in fact the regents of Japan. Of the origin of this branch of government we have already spoken sufficiently in detail. The etiquette which prevails between the seogun and emperor, is maintained by both parties with exactness; and the former, though quite free from. the control, is not beyond the inspection of the latter; for he always keeps some persons of his own choice at the court of the seogun, to watch over his conduct, and to remind him of his duties in case he