CHINA AND JAPAN.

Press, Volume X, Issue 1215, 28 September 1866, Page 2

CHINA AND JAPAN.

The " Sydney Morning Herald" gives the following extracts from late files of Hong Kong papers: — The " Overland China Mail" states that:.—The age of romance is not yet; over in China—>if indeed the tales of secret intrigues and violent deaths which so abound in the past annsla of Eastern nations come under that de* nomination. When, as children, we read of the great Caliph walking i» disguise through the highways .■...and byways of his capital, accompanied by that grim-looking, ill-favored eiecutioner Mesrour, and learnt with a-sort. of delicious horror how the wicked lost their heads in less than no. tipae* while the good were rewarded vim handsful of gold, we little suspected that doings not very unlike the fictitious acts described in the well-kaowa " tales" were being actuallyenaGtea at that very time in distant, and then almost unknown China. W ej * 5 6 read of the unfortunate Pacha being presented with a bowstring wherewith, to strangle himself, neither ws n» many of our present readers knes* that such presents were ewn: # t?*J occasionally made in the uwnam capital of China. The following jamgraph taken almost verbatim horn tw "Shanghai N. C. Daily News describes a recent act which, -■■ thougo perhaps a hard necessity, is worthy oi the man who perpetrated it , It appeare that the Viceroy h&d reason to suspect two of tho commanders of the Yangchow forces or carrying on intercourse with we Nienfei leaders, so he determined, W decapitate them as an example; out as an understanding appeared to e»» between them and their troops, it w». desirable to carry out" the senteßCelsewhere than in their camps, to awiu disturbance. A messenger was accoraingly sent to iutbrra them that tw Viceroy was so pleased with * . reputed efficiency of their meaand «• cellent arrangement of their camp, tim he was coming down in p#r4?n .w inspect them. Accordingly, on tae«M» ultimo, Li made a rapid journey to Yangchow, was received of course »k» all honors, expressed himueU a*lighted, and requested the two genei«» to return with him to Nanking, W receive more at leisure his afsucancra of esteem. They obeyed, of cooftj and were probably surprised to nua Court improvised *« route, themmUj* brought before it as prisoners, accuse* of trlachery, and ordered to he decapi tated. The sentence earned out, a»

Excellency returned to Nanking with fhe same expedition which had characSed r whole proceedings There n ears ground for suspicion that the S&affection has not been completely in the persons of these fl olficers ; though their deaths may, Irhaos prove a wholesome warnmg Jo others similarly deposed. A partial explanation of the extraordinary access by the Nienfei, which we have already reported, may perhaps be fmind in the suspected sympathy of a portion of the troops with their opP °Such an act is worthy of the famous Ti and recalls to one's mind the Slighter of the Wangs at Soochow hv the same hand. " The successes of ?L Kienfei are thus alluded to by ;£e"N C Herald." With the single exception of Pan, a general who formerly held command of the bung Sang district, every leader who has come into collision with, these much despised robbers has met with defeat anddisaster. One of Li-hung-chung's especial friends and proteges, Liv, who W as associated in command with a Frenchman named Pinel, has lost all his e uns and a large portion of his men; while Li-lon-ta-jen, a younger brother of the Ticeroy, whose name will be jemembered as that of the most successful G-eneral in this province during $c Taeping struggle, has been completely touted. He succeeded in ingeniously inclosing his men by a circle Iflfienfei and losing nine-tenths of them killed or made prisoners, besides 200o' stand of Enfield rifles. What became of the owners of the latter our information does not explain; but, seeing that out of 1000 cavalry only 100 escaped, we may infer the fate of the infantry cannot have been much better." Prom Ningpo we have news or a serious riot which occurred at Chinhai, between some 200 Foochow fishermen and the natives of that town. The garrison came to the assistance of the townsmen and drove the. fishermen back to their boats ; but the latter, having armed themselves, rallied and wpulsed the troops in their turn. Several persons on either side were Mled or severely wounded in the affray, and the authorities have sent to $ingpo for reinforcements. • The island of Paksui was, after having been taken from the pirates about a month since, and garrisoned by Imperialist soldiers, deserted by them. They are, we hear, to be severely punished, and the mandarins commandin^them will be degraded, or worse. From Manila some curious stories reach us respecting the Grovernment officials. The present Captain- General has, it is said, been superseded, in consequence of oppressive acts towards the Chinese. The Government are negotiating a fresh loan, the last attempt having been a failure. The weather here is warm, but the health of the colony remains pretty good. The height of the thermometer during the past week has varied between 84- and 9005. There has been no lack of news, both ■Golitical and social, to afford material te«fternoon gossip during the past ireek. The Ganges brought us intelMnce of the massacre of two French Bishops and seven priests in Corea, ft general persecution of the Christians in that out of the way corner of the wprld having been inaugurated by order 6f the father of the youthful prince who, nominally under China, exercises tile functions of King. The unfortunate gentlemen were, it is stated, first cruelly tortured and then beheaded. From, Japan we learn that Chosiu 'anxlhis son are said to have yielded to the authority of the Tycoon. Hiogo is also said to be in a fair way of being opened, but aa our Japanese friends are no fools, they will probably contimieto put off the evil day as long as possible. The following paragraphs are from the "Japan Times Overland Mail " : — "The Belgan treaty was to have been concluded within a few days of the man's departure, and the Italians have Bent a frigate, whose captain is also Envoy Extraordinary, to form a treaty on behalf of that country. There has been a ' rice riot' in the suburbs of Yeddo, but altogether Japanese news may be considered satisfactory." " In continuation of our account of the situation in the Inland Sea, wo are now in a position to give fuller particulars. First, is a confirmation of what we have already told our readers respecting the ambassadors of the Shogoon sending for Chiosiu, and ws Tefusal to come. His representatives have finally refused, in name, the proffered terms *pma own and his son's retirement from public life, and the cession of about a third of his territory. The envoys of Chiosiu having been sent to refuse the Shogoon's terms, but at the same time to negotiate an houorwjs peace, waited for some time at juroshima, in Geyshu, where the conference took place, in the hopes of ultimate success. This is now out of pc question. An official report has fo»n ftent up by the Daimio of the province from Matzyama, the capital, to the effect that, after the attack had «**« repulsed, a lew of Chiosu's Jjfopfe, who could not get back to weir boats, were taken. They are mostly young men, under twenty, as indeed it appears were the whole of lhe Party, and commanded by three J°uß of officers of rank in Chiosiu's «! mrt '. lt is reported that some of toe prisoners captured are to be exbanged for some of the Shogoon's People whom Chiosiu had taken ; this the first instance of the Japaaese tbu g conforming to the customs of «vihs e d warfare. Auother raid had *»? been made by a party from otnmonoßeki, who crossed the Straits sua burnt some barracks belonging ® the. Shogoon at Tanahoura in "The position of affairs, then, at this:—Chioau and Satsuma ar e m arms against the Shogoon, and w »r has begun. Satsuma will hold his OWn troops in reserve. The Shogoon *«st fight, compelled thereto by DaiHiois hostile to him in the Mikado's % urt, and will probably be worsted. If

Aidzee, the officer specially intrusted with the care of the metropolis, and who is understood to be favorable to the Shogoon, can be induced to weaken his garrison by detaching reinforcements to his friend, an excellent opportunity will be afforded to Satsuma of possessing himself of Maiko and the person of the Mikado, and of taking that lead in Japanese politics to which his rank, wealth and very superior intelligence most undeniably entitle him. It is well understood by those conversant with the politics of the Southern States of Japan, and particularly, latterly, to European friends of Satsuma, to whom he and his agents are very freely communicative, that he is strongly in favor of a sweeping reform in the present system of government in this country. Should he ever arrive at the head of affairs, he will undoubtedly initiate a form of government very similar to that of our own, including representation of all classes of Japanese. He is a most intelligent and able young man, and well-wishers to Japan cannot but hope soon to see him assert his proper position, a consummation which the present course of affairs would seem to place among the possibilities of a not distant future."