§ Earl Stanhopepresented a petition denouncing the Opium trade, and deprecating the war with China, from a large meeting lately assembled at the Freemasons' Tavern, at which he had himself presided. In the prayer of the petitions he most cordially and entirely concurred; and he begged to take that opportunity of giving notice that it was his intention on the 12th instant to bring forward a motion upon the subject of the opium trade; and as it might tend to their Lordships' convenience to know the precise terms of his motion, he would state them at once.
That an humble address be presented to her Majesty, to express to her Majesty the deep and fervent regret of this House on learning that an interruption had occurred in the friendly relations and commercial intercourse which have so long subsisted with the Chinese empire; and to represent to her Majesty that these calamities have, in the opinion of this House, been occasioned by British subjects having persevered in bringing opium to China in direct and known violation of the laws of that country; and to request that her Majesty will be generously pleased to take immediate measures for the prevention of such proceedings, which are so dishonourable to the character and so detrimental to the interests of this country; and to assure her Majesty, that if any additional powers be felt necessary for that purpose, this House will cordially concur in granting them.
The Earl of Roseberywished to say a few words in reference to the petition which the noble Earl had just presented from the meeting at Freemasons' Hall. Having been present at that meeting, at which the noble Earl presided, he could not help adverting to some of the resolutions which were adopted at it. The resolutions started with disclaiming any wish to introduce party or political feelings into the questions brought before the meeting; but they prejudged from the outset the whole question at issue between the Government of this country and 1159 the government of China. They went on to upbraid her Majesty's Ministers for their conduct in the negotiations which were subsisting between China and this country; rather praised than otherwise the proceedings of the Chinese authorities, and concluded with, he thought, one of the most singular, and he would not hesitate in his place in Parliament to say, one of the most unjustifiable, resolutions, ever adopted at a public meeting in this country—a resolution which neither his loyalty to his Sovereign, nor his sense of duty to his country, would allow him to pass unnoticed. He was alluding, he believed, to the last of the resolutions adopted at the meeting, wherein the persons assembled, and amongst them of course the noble Earl was chairman, declared that the resolutions which had been passed (many of them couched in violent and inflammatory language) ought to be translated into the Chinese tongue, and to be transmitted from this country to be presented to the emperor of China through the chief commissioner Lin. [a laugh.] He could assure their Lordships that this was no laughing matter. He held that the same rule should be observed in conducting negotiations between this country and China, as would most undoubtedly be observed in any negotiations between England and any other European country. He could not omit to protest against the line of conduct adopted by the meeting in question; and by the noble chairman and signer of the petition. Before he sat down, he wished to advert to the fact that the petition could only be received as the petition of the chairman who signed it; so that the noble Earl had merely presented his own petition.
§ Earl Stanhope, in reply, would confine himself to a single observation, as there was not a single argument in the speech of the noble Earl opposite, nor anything but idle declamation. The noble Earl had stated, that the meeting prejudged the question; whereas the resolutions were not adopted without full discussion and controversy with the advocates of the opium smugglers, for he would not disgrace the name of merchants by applying it to those persons. He was willing to take his full share of the responsibility of the resolutions, in which there was nothing illegal or reprehensible. No time was specified when they should be communicated to the emperor of China, and that 1160 communication might not take place until the whole matter was concluded.
§ Petition laid on the table.