CHINA AND JAPAN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1235, 12 May 1864, Page 5

CHINA AND JAPAN.

Our dates are to the Ist of March from Hongkong. We give the summary of the Overland China Mail of that date, as follows The chief event of the fortnight lias been the return of Major Gordon to active service, an event which was at first viewed by the press of China with an unfavorable eye. , The direction in tfrhich he has moved is to the south-west of the Tue-hoo Lake, against a town named Yih-shing-hsieu not far from Chang-chow-too. At first, this step on the part of Major Gordon took both his friends and his enemies by surprise, the former being astonished and the latter dismayed. There cannot, however, be the slightest doubt but that he has done right, and taken a step which will effectually carry out the policy of Knglnnd, which has been to pacify China and pave the way tor the spread of trade and commerce. The probable plain of the campaign will be to proceed westward from the Tae-hoo Lake, then, turning to the north, to unite the forces of Mnjoi Gordon with those of Tseug-Ivuofan and thereupon, make a combined advance upon Nanking, which, being at present very closely pressed, would, in all likelihood, surrender on mild conditions. I his course is all the more necessary, as foreigners have taken the opportunity of Gordon s inactivity to recommence operation* m favour of the Taepings. It is well enough understood that this step on the part of a number of unemployed foreigners has no connection with the meats of the question at issue between Taeping and Imperialist, bit is solely prompted by the want of something to do on the part of those embarking in the fresh undertaking It is therefore clearly the policy of England —■despite anything that Lord Russell may say m h.s

i;ii|'Ci'li.v;!_v "con-Llion— to give checkmate to llie vagrant foreign element which would keep China in a, slate of ferment.

People are keeping very quiet upon the state of affairs. The prospects at present in view are the signs of access to Sooehow, promoted as it will probably be by railway communication with Shanghae, and the opening up of the Yang-tse generally by the suppression of rebellion everywhere on its banks, chieflv the southern. Our hopes are all centred on the mild suppression of this Taeping business, after which, it is trusted, the country will be opened up to foreign enterprise. The city of Kia-shing-fu has surrendered to the imperialists.

The siege of Ilangchau is progressing favourably; six or seven stockades are in the hands of the FrancoChinese forces, and the city is likely to fall soon. Should this expectation be realised, the rebellion may be considered at an end. The English officers in the Franco-Chinese contingent have been dismissed owing to an ebullition of ill-temper on the part of General d'Aigabelle's second in command; the troops have expressed disgust at. this event.

The Anglo-Chinese contingent remains at Ningpo, whence a small detachment is frequently sent to scour the country within the thirty mile radius round the port. Colonel Cooke has also sent one hundred men into the interior to various stations on the principal creeks, to check piracy on a small scale, which has for some time been carried on by foreign and Chinese vagabonds. He i 3 also likely to send a small detachment into the Compo, to be used in case of need against the rowdies, who are again becoming troublesome in that quarter.

From Japan we have no news of importance. The Ambassadors to Europe are at present in the colony en route to France. A rumour is current that they are men of low extraction put forward under false pretences. It can make very little difference who they are, so long as they are duly accredited to the various Courts they mean to visit; and it is to be hoped that advantage will be taken of their visit to Europe to impress upon the country they represent that the time has gone by for nations remaining in a state of isolation. As for the evacuation of Yokohama, it would be a grave mistake on the part of the English Government to concede so much. The time was when the concession might have been made, but it is too late now.

From Peking and the different coast and river ports there is no news of importance.

In Hongkong the weather is colder than it has been for the last twenty years, the thermometer being so low as 37 degrees.