CHINA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XIII, Issue 762, 25 February 1860, Page 5

CHINA.

; LATEST INTEDLiGENCE. By way of Sydney, we have news from Hong- : kpng to the2nd; of-December, being thirty-four '• days later than previous advices. . • : ' '.',' A Portugese steamer (the Shamrock) had been I seized by the foreign inspectors of ;the : Canton . Customs, at a place called1 Loprikong, about fifty miles from Canton, whilst she was receiving silks : for Macao. This seizure, it is stated, was effected ,in direct: opposition to ''.••the.- .wishes of; the hoppo, under whom; they pretend to act;; Smuggling is the-alleged crime. The vessel was brought to Canton and; confiscated. Allcbnfidence in. the trade has been shaken by this event. Adverting .to this .occurrence, the Hongkong ,' Daily Press' of the 2nd December remarks: " We are enabled to state that the Macao authorities have opened a; correspondence with the Canton • mandarins, relative tothe seizure of the Shamrock. The last dispatch from Canton was to the effect that the steamer would-be givenup*to herowner if:he Fouldappear before the Customs tribunal/and pay the mulct which wouulh^a^ it was stated, would riot resu.lt:in total detentibn^ofi the vessel, upon; this because it was5 the first offence;sirice ■■ the new older; of things ;;had come into operation, although it 1 intimated that the vessel had been, notoriouslylerripipyed in smuggling for some t?me. As for; the alleged insult to the Portuguese flag, nothing of • the; kind was intended, the flag, having been towered gently,. and carefully put away." - ;m; r The Hongkong'Overland.Trade Report/in its fortnightly-summary of the' 29th November, states (that, apparently under the apprehension of further acts of perfidy on the part of the Ghiriese Government, detachments of troops were being sent to .Shanghai and Foochow for the protection of foreign life and property; that the intelligence from Japan, politically and commercially, was of a highly satisfactory nature; and that; the seizure of the Canton Customs by foreign inspectors,with: the connivance arid under the support of tlie British authorities, tended again to destroy.confiderice in the trade of that unfortunate city; that the United States Minister had obtained an .interview with the Imperial for Foreign Affairs, with the view of inducing the Chinese authorities to allow' the ratified'treaty tocome into force; that the coolie slave trade continued to be carried on under circumstances which involved the utmost disgrace upon the British name.; that anAmerican slnp; called '■•■'the Flora Temple,- had been lost, with 850 of the victims' on board, who perished to a man. Since then, nothing worthy' of especial remark, in a, political point of view, has occurred to enlighten the public as to the ultimate solution of: existing difficulties.. .Commercial matters were as satisfactory: as could I'be looked for under the .circumstances.'.

Alluding to ithe.'''determination of .the; British and French, to bring the. Pekiri: .Cabinet A to.terras," by' force of arms, the samejournal observes:-—No; reasonable, doubt can be entertained of the intentions; of;,the .Chinese(Government to resist to the utmost! of'their power, the performance of the treaties, of: Teeritsiri; and a decided appreliensibri.existson the: part of both the foreign arid native" mercantile com-; munities,,that measures of such a retaliatory nature may be, adopted:by the Chinese Government as may: cause1 a temporary suspension of trade. It derives corroboration from the circumstance of a report: being current, '■",. based oh fair authority^ that the Cantonese, are being turned put .of : the northern provinces. It is averred that sonic Canton trier-;' chants have .returned Vwho, have been compelled to leave, arid further; that officers of Government who: are natives of and who held posts in the northern provinces, have been dismissed; " This step may indicate a natural desire on the part of the Chinese Goyernmentto keep, their proceedings secret'; W it may indicate' treacherous' intentions.' The British force, however, at present in China is so large, and efficient, that, foreign life arid property may be considered'tolerably safe. \

XZ- —itei3 States Minister had arranged with the. Chinese. Commissioner ma pacific and satisfactory- manner. .The treaty, which came into force on. the 24th November, has been published by his Excellency inextenso.^ ; v; ; y The'new tariff" ''ofduties will riot come into effect until the difficulties with: the British arid French .arearrarig'ed;,-..;,;;:'■ ■,:-.'vi'>;-v,.;■:■-...;.., :-\..,..v

-i The Japan ytrade; has attained a: most; extraordinary impetus..:. ..The, profits: said, with any degree of probability, to have been derived by those who have embarked in it appear fabulous. The worst feature of it is that it absorbs such large sums of .silver, ;the, balance of! trade rbeingV very much against foreigners. i ; -; Large sums>in Mexican dollars;continue.-to--, be.';;.sh'i'pped,:;fTOnl-.',-Shan'gbai'.''.tb a Pau; but so;;hi«ch. secrecy.;.:-is :attached; to. the dealings of the 'parties; engaged in thetrade thaino conjecture can .be'h;a2arded as to the nature of tlieiiv operations., Gold iskriowri to be incredibly cheap, an<* large sums aire said tb' :ihave"beeri realised by

it to Shanghai, Silk is"likowise known tOj oe f abundant and ; cheap, and. a considerable amount of foreign tonnage is engaged in tho trade. Everyfhingappears to have settled down upon a satisfactory basisj-owing mainly, lo; the rare tact, andindoiriitable perseverance of Mr; Coiiaiil-General AlcOOk.: ;, .' r■ ;, .' ;••■•/,.:;.; > _■. ■■■; .:'.': '■ ; Concerning the Coolio slave trade, the "' Trade Report 'says :•—The Chinese authorities had full power to stop it"whenthey pi eased,but for the purpose of promoting ill-will against the Allioa,; they have clearly permitted it to continue; This is abundently1 proved by the recent capture of the kidnapping fleet at Whampoa. ;it is true that(the; English have most "scrupulously kept themselves 1 aloof until.the. present time from any participation in this revolting traffic, but the French- authorities have been deeply criminated ■;.>■ so; much so,- indeed that when: the affair of the Gertrude occurred at Shanghai, the.French Minister,.(instead ,of punishing those concerned fori kidnapping - and;: murder, actually connived 'a^'.-.t^e'^Qaputaiim^hushing: the ;matter up, causingthesurn of 20,000 dollars to be paid to the master of that vessel (or sanctioning it, which is the same thing); as compensation for giving upthe voyage arid releasing tlie Chinese still held in durance, - Furthermore,; the ; French authorities at Cantonhave hushed up"the most revolting; barr Parities committed under their' flag- at Wliampba: To make bad things worse, coolie establishments •have been opened ;up at; Canton, under the sanction of Chinese authorities; I^at the instigation of the British, for the purpose of obtaining labourersJfor iDemerava.v The. trade being-stopped at Whampoa, jthe French have,;as ; a matter y pryc6urse,'asked for land obtained the-same privilege;; and; it is said, the 'Spanish also.; '> / :;.V- <!</';:''\" ;';-' -y}y. y\;.-;]r ■..

• The business; of the' colony of Hongkong continues to progress in the most satisfactory manner. The state of its finances also affords a subject of congratulation.; The hew .Governor is earning popularity .and confidence slowly, but surely.••'■> The, weather has set, in fine and: salubrious, arid, in! point of fact, considering. the; state of anarchy, and confusion 'which; exists in the. immediate1 neighbourhood, the present state; of Hongkohg: is;de-. cidedly:gratifying. The''town: contains about-a hundred thousand inhabitants, including; the: boat population; and \vhilst,:vvithin a distance bitwo'or three ; miles, beautiful streams are running down the hill 'intoI'the' bay, still no means can be 'devised to divert them into the town, although tlie Sur-veyor-Genera^ is continually; making absurd, expensive,l arid ineffectual,'attempts. The; want of water is sometimes, really distressing, the inconve* nience of carrying it from a distance in buckets in such a climate. as Hongkong is in summer, may readily be conceived; ; : ; ; f ;■

, The China Mail' of '30th November, publishes a resumeof some documents of the highest import; passed between the Hon. Mr. Bruce, U. S. Minister, and the Imperial Commissioners at Shanghai, relative to the'previous disaster of Taku. It throws a flood of light on the actual state of mat- ; ters between us arid the Chinese. ..'' Concerning this correspondence the 'Mail' remarks :—" If .the truth of the statements therein .contained: should afterwards be established beyond a doubt—if it should appear that the haughty violence' arid haste of our plenipotentiaries alone caused the difficulty—-and that, as is now generally admitted,'the deaths of the brave men who are buried in the mud-at Taku was not caused by any treachery, or even extraordinary valour on the part of the Chinese, but by the mistake of Admiral Hope, who was new to Chinese'warfare— then it will be impossible for usy iri-the face of our own professions and the moral sense;of mankind/to avenge the errors of our own servants orimultitudes of hapless^Chinamen.., In the name of humanity,, of civilization, and of that Christianity which England .professes to reverence;: we ; solemnly■> protest against the firing of a single gun ifl;this dubious and unrighteous cause."-: ''v ; ;