Page 258 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

244.

English to return hugh profits to their country. Furthermore,

the sale of opium had become indispensable to the economy of

British India. So, while the Americans might be willing to

await the consequences, the English merchants could not

afford to be so complacent.

III

Throughout 1838 local Chinese officials, prodded by
the Imperial Court at Peking, continued their attempts to

destroy the opium trade. Although they were able to clamp

down on Chinese involved in the trade through arrests and exe­

cutions, the authorities observed that the major threat to the

success of their enforcement policies was the foreign receiv­

ing ships anchored at Lintin. Opium still seeped into Canton
58
through these vessels. Most of the foreign merchants per-

sisted in their belief that Chinese enforcement of the restric­

tions was only temporary. But by the end of the year many had

become convinced that the Chinese did indeed mean to stop the

trade. In December the authorities made a show of force, first

by expelling another foreign merchant for trading in opium and

then by trying to execute an opium-dealer in the Factory Square.

To emphasize their intentions the Chinese suspended the entire

foreign trade during the month.

58
In early 1838 the British government had opened India
to all foreign vessels. Such news pleased Russell & Co�, which
could now despatch vessels directly to Bengal for Indian opium.
The house was still counting on profits in opium despite recent
stronger attempts to restrict it. Letter, Russell & Co. to J.M.
Forbes, Mar. 7, 1838, Forbes MSS.