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11. The importance of Macau for the British China trade
- Hong Kong University Press, HKU
- Chapter
- Additional Information
117 As shown, throughout the second half of the eighteenth century EIC officials clashed with the enclave’s authorities. The former were, however, forced to abide by the decisions issuing both from the Chinese and the Portuguese and acknowledge the fragility of their position in China. Following the clashes between the British and the governor analysed above, Fort William wrote to the Select Committee in 1783 and acknowledged the importance of that port for the EIC trade in China.1 On the other hand, the fact that the Chinese exerted ever increasing control over Macau was stressed by several British visitors, for instance the captain of the Charlotte, which arrived in Southern China in 1788, carrying new orders from London for the Select Committee: the city of Macau, which is situated on an island, at the entrance of the river Canton, belongs to the Portuguese. It was formerly richer, and more populous than it is at present, and totally independent of the Chinese; but it has lost much of its ancient consequence; for though inhabited chiefly by the Portuguese, under a governor appointed by the king of Portugal, it is entirely in the power of the Chinese, who can starve or dispossess the inhabitants whenever they please.2 The image of the city’s dependence with regard to the growing control of the Mandarins, also due to the presence of other foreigners, was an argument repeatedly used by the British when referring to the increasing room for manoeuvre enjoyed by them, an issue which was also engaged by the Senate Procurator, António José de Gamboa, in a chop sent to the Heungshan Mandarin in 1793, informing him that the Chinese hopu could not supersede Portuguese law in the matter of the other foreigners: 11 The importance of Macau for the British China trade The British Presence in Macau, 1635–1793 118 we complained that the hopu proceeds to attack our Laws, which are those which govern all Christians here, who are subject to our Government, and our Justice, and we have used all our authority for more than two hundred and fifty years because this city was founded by us, and the privilege of living in it belongs to the Portuguese, and not to other foreigners from Europe, who are only here while we find it useful to allow their entry.3 The Senate Procurator developed this idea in another chop addressed to the hopu himself: it [Macau] having been founded by the Portuguese almost three centuries ago in houses, walls and fortresses we have always been governed by our Laws in every matter and they govern every other foreign Europeans while they are residents here […]. For the other Europeans reside in Macau with permission and our authorisation we being free to receive them here or make them leave this city, and we have full authority to punish them when they disturb us, and do not live according to our Laws, and so we send away those same foreigners.4 In June 1807, the Senate’s procurator answered the Mandarin of Heungshan’s chop, stating: “You know that if any British, or any foreigner, are admitted in Macau it is because they were allowed to live here between the trading seasons by your own Government, and they are there treated as guests, without any suspicion ”.5 The numerous British who flocked to the territory at times became involved in clashes with the Chinese,6 and these matters were resolved not just by the Portuguese administration but also by the Mandarin of the White House who, when a native Chinese died, and in keeping with the precepts of imperial law, demanded a guilty party for execution. This was the case in 1773, when the Mandarin asked the Portuguese to hand over Francis Scott, who had allegedly murdered a Chinese man. Scott had already been judged under European law7 and had been found not guilty by the Senate,8 a body which was accused by Goa and Lisbon of not defending Portugal’s honour and of easily bowing to the orders of the Chinese authorities.9 Faced with Macau’s refusal to hand over the accused man, the Mandarin once again issued an order for the Chinese residents to abandon the city and banned provision of victuals through the Barrier Gate until the British man was executed. Confined to Macau and Canton and totally dependent on the Mandarinate, the Europeans were forced to meet [18.206.13.112] Project MUSE (2024...