Page 368 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

354.

and the Chinese. Both groups recognized the consul only as a

representative of American residents in China. In reality,

the Americans did not allow their consul any more authority

as a governmental official than did the Chinese. The latter

would not acknowledge any type of foreign relations with for­

eign countries or with officials of these states. Out of

necessity local Chinese had to communicate with the foreign
merchants. They preferred one chief or taipan as intermediary.

The consul usually fulfilled this role.

Likewise the Americans utilized the consul as their

delegate in dealing with the Chinese. They did not regard

his official duties seriously. Since the consul also engaged

in trade at Canton, American merchants regarded him more as

a competitor than as a representative of the American govern­

m2nt. As a result, the consuls consistently had trouble col­

lecting commercial statistics. The residents did not wish to

give anyone else knowledge of their business. As early as

1800 Consul Samuel Snow had complained to the Secretary of

State: 11The secret manner of transacting business at Canton,

made it almost impossible to obtain any accurate knowledge

of the cargoes in the common way. • 1 1 Snow solved the prob-
32
lem by collecting the statistics from the shipmasters instead.

32
Snow acknowledged: "I know there was no express law
that could oblige the Masters of American vessels to give in
such a report. . 11 But he concluded that there was no other
way to collect the commercial statistics. Consular Despatches:
Canton, S. Snow, Nov. 9, 1800.