LATEST NEWS. (Abridged from the Leader.)

Otago Witness, Issue 556, 26 July 1862, Page 3

LATEST NEWS. (Abridged from the Leader.)

CHINA

IMPORTAFT DEFEAT OF THE REBELS.

CAPTURE OF NINGPO AND TSINGPOO BY THE ALLIED TROOPS.

DEATH OF THE FRENCH ADMIRAL.

We have our dates from Hong Kong by the Mudras to the 3rd ult.

The intelligence i« of an unusually important character. In consequence of the repeated insults and attacks of the rebels, the allied troops had been obliged to interfere, and had beaten the former, and recaptured Ningpo and Tsingpoo, and restored them to the Imperialists. The French admiral, Protet, was killed in an attack upon Shanghai, and Lieutenant Cornewall, of 81.M.5. Encounter, fell in storming Ningpo. Matters look very serious at Shanghai, and the Colombo Observer thinks it probable that a requisition has been made on Indai for troops. The China Mail of the 27th of May, says : — "The principal event during the last fortnight ha 1 * been the fall of Ningpo to the Allied arms, nfter an occupation of five months by the Taeping rebels. Apart from the immediate provocation which, led to the city of Ningpo being taken by the Allies, its existence as a rebel port was threatening to counteract the operations going on against the Taepinga in the vicinity of Shanghai. Considerable quantities of aims and ammunition were being consigned to an English firm there for the use of the rebels, a fact not to be contemplated without regret by our authorities in the Yang-tsze river. The firm of Davidson and Co., represented at Ningpo by Mr. William Davidson, may possibly have viewed the present political crisis in China as demanding the most active measures in support rtf the rebels; and, without any ulterior viewto gain, may have procured the large cargoes of arms and ammunition for their use, one of which has just been seized and sent to Shanghai. This was a cargo which arrived in the Paragon, from Singapore, under British colors, with a manifest that described her cargo as ' general.' Desirous that the word used in the manifest should be properly interpreted, the Paragon was searched, and found to be nearly filled with guns, powder, and shot, amounting to, it is said, 300 cannon, 100 cases of small arms, and 50 tons of ammunition, the whole valued at 80,000 dols."

Commencement of Hostilities and I'all of Ningpo.- -The train of incidents which immediately led to the late hostilities was this :— Some of these blackguard Europeans sent into the country for the rebel chief. Fan, to" return to his post at Ningpo, despatching for his use, a house-boat, replete' with European comforts. Fan duly arrived to the delight of bis people, who gave him a salute of honor; but their guns were shotted, and some people on our side of the river were killed. At the same time the rebels continued to amuse their leisure by tiring: in the direction of H.M.S. Ringdove. Mr. Consul Frederick Harvey, whose energy and discretion at .Ningpo from first to last are beyond all praise, took steps to put a stop to this, in consequence of which, 'the Encounter arrived with demands from the Admirals for an ample apology, and the removal of the offending battery. These demands were sneered at. The rebels said they did not fear us ; we might come on when -we liked*' we should soon find out which was the cock and which was the hen. Meantime a body of Imperialists after taking Chin-hae, advanced up to Ningpo with the view of besieging and assaulting it. The rebels were told that we should certainly not interfere, so long as they did not fire on us. On Saturday, the 10th instant, at ten a.m., without the slightest provocation they sent a volley of musketry Into the EnCQimter, SJus.was the Bisa&i for » general action,

and shot and shell were poured into the city for five hours. Afterthis the walls were scaled and the city taken. So Ningpo becomes again a Consular port, to the great sorrow of dealers in arms, and, it is said, of foreign missionaries. Poor Lieutenant Cornewall of the Encounter, who was first to scale the walls, was shot dead by English arms and bullets ; and at his funeral one of the rebel chiefs called Luh-sin-La«, ■who was rescued by the missionaries, came to the ceremony under their auspices. Mr. Consul Harvey, on seeing this worthy h the cemetery at the funeral of one of her Majesty's officers just killed by the rebels, said, " Why I What is this I That scoundrel Luh-sin-lan at this funeral !'' " Ye*, poor dear fellow !" said a inissiunai-y in reply. Captain Dew, on his attention being called to Luh-sin-lan's presence, under the chaperouage 01 his friends, the mi&sion.iries, was disgusted beyond speech. Attack on Shanghai.— From Shanghai, we learn that Admiral Protet died on Sunday morning the 18th inst., from the effects of wounds received the previous day. This seems to imply an < ncountor with the rebels on the 17th, of which only rumors have readied usj the Admiral is said to have attacked a stronghold of rebels on the Pootung hide of the river, and received the fatal wound as he was leading- a bo' : y of four hundred marines. The place was ultimately taken. The Adtr.iial died shortly after being shot ; his body was brought to Shanghai in the Feeloong, H. I. ?.f. despatch steamer. The last fight with the rebols of which we have accounts, was at Tsingpoo, a wailel city twenty-five miles from Shanghai, which (ho Allies took before breakfast on the morning of the 12th instant, after two hours' hard firing with various descriptions of artilleiy, including Armstrong trims. The quality of loot has been kept a secret this time, owing, no doubt, to our remarks of last fortnight, but we understand it has been taken in charge in the usual manner by a committee appointed for the purpose. The loss, as usual, has been trifling, not worth enumerating, evidently, for it is not alluded to in the accounts of the affair. The usual gaiety prevailed among those engaged in the capture; the chief difficulty appears to have consisted in movin" ordnance up to the scene of action, but it Avaa most creditably surmounted by the exertions of all concerned. Captain Bradshaw, of the lloyal Artillery, died, we are sorry to report, on his way b.i.'-k to Shanghai ; he had previously been icported sick. The Admiral accompanied the expedition, having recovered from tiie effects of a wound received at Lukakong. It must be confessed that omoperations against the Taepings are being conducted with eminent vigour and success. As -<7e feared, and deprecated a fortnight ago, a suggestion Ins been made by the press in Shanghai that these proceeding's should be made the ground for new demands cm the Imperial Government. The only demands likely to be made at present are that the great body of pconlo who have been seduced or compelled into this rovott should be invited to return to their allegiance by oft'ers of a general pardon.