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Involved in fighting the Chinese, in Hong Kong, during the Opium Wars, August
1839
Source: http://home.pi.net/~pbdavis/China.htm [Broken
link]
• Captain Elliot removed from Macao to Hong Kong on August
23rd, and, though the town was not formally ceded until 1841, ... the
transit of provisions across the harbour obliged Captain Smith, in
concert with Mr. James Douglas, of the Cambridge, ...
• On September 4th, the refusal of the Chinese at Kowloon to
permit the transit of provisions across the harbour obliged Captain
Smith, in concert with Mr. James Douglas, of the Cambridge, formerly of
the H.E.I. Co.'s marine...
• Sir James Douglas — The Cambridge.
Captain Plumridge wished to ask the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, whether it were the intention of her Majesty's
Government to give any further remuneration to Sir Jas. Douglas, for his
services in the ship Cambridge, in the Chinese war.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that in order to make the case
understood, it would be necessary for him to state the history of the
transaction. It appeared, that whilst commanding the ship Cambridge, a
merchantman on her passage to China, Captain Douglas heard of the
disturbances which had occurred. He immediately armed the vessel as a
ship of war, and offered his services to the English authorities. That
offer was accepted, and he entered into an engagement with Captain
Elliot, by which it was settled that he should receive at the rate of
700/. per month during the time that the vessel was engaged. He
afterwards sold the Cambridge in China to an American ; but instead of
selling the guns with the vessel, he sold them to Captain Elliot, at the
price which he stated the American was willing to give for them, that
price being an advance of 60 per cent, upon the price which he paid for
them in the first instance. Sir James (then Captain Douglas) afterwards
made application to the Government for compensation for his personal
services, and for the expenses which he had incurred. The Government,
besides paying the expenses which he had incurred, gave Captain Douglas
2,000l. for his personal services, and 850/. to the crew; this payment
being made in Feb. 1841. In addition to this pecuniary payment, they
recommended her Majesty to confer upon him the order of knighthood. From
that period the matter was considered to be concluded; but in September,
1842, after eighteen months had elapsed, Sir James Douglas presented to
the Treasury an entirely new set of claims, amounting to 30,000/., and
arising out of the same transactions.
To those claims the Government could not accede, considering that
they had already satisfied every just demand which Sir James Douglas
could make for his services.
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