CHINA.

Wellington Independent, Volume I, Issue 13, 14 May 1845, Page 3

CHINA.

The numerous arrivals from China duiin* the week have brought accounts of the serious illness of the Emperor of China, and by one of the latest arrivals a letter was received mentioning that a report had reached Canton

of his death, which was generally believei. The Emperor, we believe, was been 60 and 70 years of age, and had reigned 24 years, having ascended the throne in the year 1820. Should the report of the Emperor's decease turn out to be true, we may look to see great changes in China ere long—one of the most important, as regards commercial interests, will be the legalization of the trade in opium, which everything has shown to be inevitable sooner or later, and which has only been hitherto delayed by the Emperor being too : far committed in his opposition to it to give way. With the authorised introduction of opium into China will end those large profits which have occassionally rewarded the adventurer in the illegal fraffic which has hiterto been carried on in China. Opium, like any other article of merchandise, will find its real value, and yield only legimate profit. Independent of this particular question which is a particular interest it is likely that China will be the scene of much civil commotion—the Government, though despotic, is weak, and the elements of which the Empire is composed are discordant and antagonistic. The heir, moreover, is said to be a minor, which will of course tend to make ' confusion worse confounded, , —there will in that case be a regency and consequently a faction—a feeble Government having little if any controul over the more distant parts of the Empire—there are many discontented spirits, who have hitherto been with difficulty kept quiet, who will be forward to promote and foment dissatisfaction—Anarchy will in all likelihood ensue and civil convulsions will agitate this Empire, which has not yet recovered from the effects of foreign invasion. Foreign intervention will be necessary to compose the strife, and may end in larger settlements being formed, and more important concessions being wrung from the Chinese, than have yet taken place.— Singapore Free Press. •