Correspondence Respecting Insults in China.

second opium war

Scarce parliamentary paper detailing the diplomatic incidents between 1842 and 1856 that precipitated the Second Opium War.

After the first 'unequal treaty' was signed between China and Britain following the First Opium War, the British continued to exploit the still illicit opium trade and were often targets of hostility from local Chinese inhabitants. The Qing government, already highly insulted by the Treaty of Nanking, were repeatedly affronted by British officers who would overstep their authority and diplomatic parameters when seeking justice. A large section of the paper is concerned with the attack on the missionaries of the London Missionary Society Press (Walter Medhurst, William Muirhead, and William Lockhart) in 1848. Rutherford Alcock (1809-1897), then consul at Shanghai, used the diplomatic incident to push for greater protection of missionaries as well as securing trade access to Nanking and diplomatic access to the Viceroy of the region.

Some of the other incidents described are: disturbances at Canton and the burning of factories; persecution of Chinese in British employ at Amoy; attacks on British at Foo-chow; and an affray between Americans and Chinese at Whampoa.

First edition; 4to (32 x 20 cm); original printed blue wrappers, rebacked with a few small tears to spine, light stains to covers, corner wear, internally a very good copy; viii, 228 pp.