§ The Speakerinformed the House, that he had received letters from Lord Saltoun, Major-general Schoedde, and Sir W. Parker, expressing their grateful acknowledgements for the vote of thanks passed to them by the House for their services in China, which were read as follows:—
Head-quarters, Hongkong, June 8, 1843.Sir,—I have the honour to state, that I have the gratification of receiving your letter of the 28th of February last, enclosing certain resolutions from the honourable the House of Commons, expressive of their thanks to the naval and military forces in China for their conduct in the late successful operations, which I beg to state I have had the pleasure of making known to the force under my command.I further beg to acquaint you that the two letters, addressed, under cover from die War-office, to Major-general George Burrell, C.B., and Major-general Sir Robert Bartley, K.C.B., respectively, have been returned to England by the mail of this day, those officers having proceeded home.I have the honour to be, Sir,Your most obedient humble Servant,SALTOUN, Major-general.Commanding the Land Forces in China.The right hon. the Speaker of the House of Commons.42Chusan, July 11, 1843.Sir,—I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th of February, 1843, conveying to me, and the officers and men serving under me, the very gratifying and flattering vote Of the House of Commons, and which I had the pleasure to inform them of. And I beg to offer you, Mr. Speaker, my sincere thanks, for the kind manner in which you communicated to me the high and distinguished (and by me quite unexpected) honour conferred on me by the House of Commons.I have the honour to be, Sir,Your most obedient humble servant,J. H. SCHOEDDE, Major-general.To the Right hon. Charles Shaw Lefevre, Speaker of the House of Commons.Her Majesty's ship Cornwallis, at Hongkong, June 15, 1843.Sir—I have received with the proudest feelings of gratification the distinguished honour of the thanks of the House of Commons transmitted in your letter of the 28th of February last, and have lost no time in communicating, in the terms of the resolutions, to the officers and men of the navy and Royal Marines, including those of the East India Company under my command, the sense entertained by the House of the various services which have been successfully achieved by the combined forces on the coasts and inland waters of China.To a British subject the approbation of the representatives of his countrymen must ever be one of his brightest rewards; and I very respectfully request you will have the goodness to express to the House, that by myself and the force I have had the honour to command, their encomiums are deeply and gratefully appreciated.Allow me further to convey to you, Sir, my acknowledgments for the courtesy with which they have been imparted, and to have the honour of remaining,Your most obedient servant,W. PARKER, Vice-Admiral.To the Right hon. Charles Shaw Lefevre, Speaker of the House of Commons.Letters to be entered on the journals.