THE CHINA WAR.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIV, Issue 1444, 7 August 1860, Page 3

THE CHINA WAR.

fFsom tho Syiney Herald.)

To tha hows from Hongkong, wo are now enabled to add sixteen days later, viz., to the 23rd of May.

Tli o Overland China Mail of that date supplies us with the following summary of events for the previous fortnight: —

hsir Mope Grant still remains in Hongkong, but preparations are making for hid departure northward on the 30th inst. General !S : r R/oert Napier has already lelt.

Tha eoutiuujd delay of Lord Elgin exeiiea disappoinun jni; and it seems doubtful whether military operations can effact much, or almost anything, this year. A groat part of the Uriiish force is ia movement for Chusan, where it is supposed that it is to rendezvous." r^he French force is reported to he about to rendezvous at Che-foo, on t!io eoust of Shangtung, in the Gulf of Peehlae ; and there will also ba a atacioa t'ov British stores and troops on th-j opposite side of the Gulf. It is whispered that Sir Hope Grant may perhaps occupy Tien-tsin bei'.jra he ai tempts to taku (he Taku forts.

No apparent change has occurred in the position of diplomatic affairs, except that Kweiliang has been made Senior Guardian to the iieir apparent, and it is rumoured that another Muntcbu of high rank has boon appointed to deal with foreign affairs. A onfltlential correspondent, in a position to obtain good information, writes to vs — " The reports thai I get from Peking are lh.il tho defences of the Tuku forts aro vorv substantial, and that the Chinese have beau practising in gunnery till they fire with grou precision." Tnis is borne out by a visit of HI. M.S. For bin to the Gulf of Poahelee, which has reported that an extensive line of forufi..:auona has been orootuil on tho bank* of lho Puiho from its m juth upwards. It a.so ajpdars from lho Peking Gazelle that trenches or rifle pits are to he used by »hd Chinese, ami f.orn (hair own invention. If an attempt n to be ma le (o tako ilia Taka forts there will doubtless bo s:>;n« hard fight ing ; an Iwo aro u>t t i ; t >g >i')or oouvitiuod that ovou th-a pio.'smt force will be able to lake them. What tho edicts o!' another effectual resist inco at Tuk i would bo ut tho ports, cannot be surmise I. A' present tho prevailing sentiment at Can ton is clearly in favour of peace, ammg

p h'cers and people, residents o f the city and country. There is no thought of attempting' to retake (he city; but .sill another serious repulse of the Allies might a/aiu evok-i tho war spirit i i t'lo S >uih. [(. would certninly destr >y the Foreigner^ in Ja;ian. Nay more, it might convulse tho whole East.

The isluu I of Clrisan has boon pla-ed iw e : iargo '>f an \\ io>l Com nission, com* postsd of Mr. il'itf'ues, of 11, M "s C-ni-pillar Sdi-vica, VI. *!.> Vlcriieus, At'.udie to tin-* K«-Hnoh Le«:uion, „n 1 Captum Gn'tlou, ii.M They iiavo publishiMl prodiitnationa, intimating their amhoritv, and forbidding any oti« to establish himself at Ting-hai without their permission.

Concerning the expeditionary force, the same journal remarks : — " In ths absence of diplomatic intelligence the nub. ject of greatest interest here at present is the arrangement and movements of iha Expeditionary Force. As the details we have to give on the suhjout have all been obtained from authentic sources they may be relied upon as correct. While w.'» write a considerable portion of ihe force is oj| the move northwards, in transports which were to rendezvous at Tuihun B:»y, on the other sido of this is!u id, from whence, after thoy were collected and n fair wind urjso, they were to s* I nurihward under the envoy of [-1..V1.T. '<am->---sort. Ti)e troops thus starting nvn 13 ditj^fiold'd hV.tery, I'ennyc liks h:it.:r.-, the a.-id battalion of the 60Lh K/ilis, ttio 3rd ,Hu.'ih, tho 2nd battalion of 'lie Ist itoy-ils, the Ut battalion of tho 31st R-;---gi:ne:»t, the 44 th Regiment, wit!) iho S h ami 19 t h Puujmb Infantry. Their deatinalion is we think Chusan, for ihe prosent. The troops armed with riflos carry in iheir pouches forty rounds of ordinary ainmuniii>.n and sixteen of metallic cartridges. Tne latter are waterproof, an I would bo serviceable in the mud of tha l J eiho, but doubtless no such affair as ill v of the last yoar will l)e repeated now. Mi eh vessel als ) carries a reserve of ammunition, sufficient to supply 200 diui;ls fui Infantry, and 100 for Artillery a. id Engineers. But the men are provided to meet, as well as to give, wounds, for each of them is supplied wiih a linen bandage, which wo trust they may have little to use. The Expedition is not with - out its artists, for it is to be accompanied by Mr. Wirgman, of the Illustrated London Newt, whoso truthful and clever sketches of the Chinese are already so well known ; and Signor Beato, the photographer ; who has taken so many scones in the Crimea aud in India. The camp equipage and baggage is closely lirritod, in order that it may be \i nled as soon, and carried a3 easily, as possible, so that every officer and soldier may havo suras shelter on landing. As the Indian, tents have been found too hoaw, there ara reserved for a standing camp, should such b.) Conned, and the Bell is to be used at first by officers, and one for every fourteen rank and file of Europeans. Ball tents are to be. used for Indian troops,, and tentes d' abri for picquets. O.iicers boiow the rank of Brigadiers are allowed Coolie labour to the extent of 150lbs in addition to the carriage of their tents. The soldiers have embarked wiih their kit containing both summer and winter clothing. Of tho liaorioj Rifle or Chihosa Coolie Corps, about 400 will be attached to each regiment. Both officers and soldiers have been reminded by the Corn-mander-iu.Chief that these cooiies must bo well treated. Hitherto they have been m jst willing and useful in omr opera-Muni in China. "Thayiare chiefly fltldcus from the neighbouring districts of Su-nou an I Kwei-shin. Being rather a miraudin.? people, they will require to ba closely lookod after, as tho Commauder-in Chief wishes to presorvo friendly rotations with the Chinasa, among whom tho force may be stationed.

Tuo Overland Trade Report, of 22a 1 May, states that sinca its lust Hiirasnury nothing bus transpired which w mid justify any hope of hostilities beinjf averted. A Manchu of high rank has been depuled from Peking to settle the " Btrharian affairs," and it was said ha 1 aomaHv armed at Soochovv, (a short distunes from Shanghae.) but it is itn.> >ssib!e l<> oouceivQ that, whoa time is 8) prdcsious, the Allied Plenipotentiaries will r-m the imtnineut risk of being triflaJ with at s » great a distance from the <v mal. It was also stated that a comtnutiiciU'Hi ha I been received from Peking by tha French and British Ministers, but this iiii'hoea contradicted.

The British force has naar'y all arrived, uot a single casualty h Kin" occurred. For some tiaae after l i^ djparlure of last mail, so little \vn d)iig towards moving on this fore i to the North, that an impression g>t a'livad that a strong attempt would be made to hring about a settlement by conciliatory negociations before resorting to hostile ties — but since the arrival of later iniej.ligenoe from Europe, the British ailajira.l has adopted vigorous measures, inyolying great outlay, (such as the purchase ancj hire of steamers,) which make it apparent that the demands of the allies will he? enforced if need be, The plan of oper^ ti lit deierminsd on is of course a py])-* found secret but jt wojjld appear »j* if satjs f aelion for tne Takow .defeat woi)).| l>« lek in the \m\\d9 of Adt»iral tjop 3 who sustained the reverse, Nj«r'y »fj the British force has been huniad Worth witl.i i the last few days. Then r Jinilin the ariilUsry, oava 1 ry, .aiicj transport qoyp^ thcri being a large fleet re^cjy io convey them. These yy ill leiyo in fe\y duys, and as tljo garl of Rtgjjj is 11^9^ peotoii fora fortniglji, the iw-oo w.iii parlainly be oil (.tie l*eiho beioro lm hrdaftlp arrives, if it shftll jjot b ft y^- ■(!)<?& mniy j&

demonstration and obtained satisfaction fej the redaction of the Takow forts.

The British force will rendezvous at a bay called Talieu-whan, and the French at Cheefoo in the immediate vicinity. Both these places are on the promontory of Shantung, and situated within two hundred miles from the Peiho, The French foroe is much behindhand — a portion is still here, and a portion has •till to airive. To increase the delay one of their large transports has been lost in the harbour of Amoy. It is said that tbeir foroe will not be ready for two months, wbioh, if true, would eviuce a wise determination to see the treaty carried out as well as ratified.

The preparations for resistance on the part of the Chinese are doubtless upon » gigantio arid formidable scale. So jealous are they of their movements being known, that all Cantonese have been sent away from the neighbourhood of the Peiho. A French war steamer reconnoitred the mouth of that river, and reports having seen immense fortifications. The Cantonese state that eigh teen Manchu chiefs have arrived at the •eeue ef action, with considerable levies and abundanoe of treasure. A perusal, however, of the Pekin Gazettes, and the f»ct of a Commissioner having been despatched to Soochow, would lead to a very different conclusion.

Regarding the rebellion—the Imperial Government are certainly evincing signs of vitality to suppress it about tbe Yangtszp, which they were hardly considered capable of exhibiting. How far they have been successful it is difficult to ascertain from the official reports, but aertain it is that confidence at Shanghai has beoome wonderfully restored, and trade resumed in a corresponding and Mnmisfakeable manner.

As for the insurgents in the neighbourhood of Canton, we may state that the negociations to subsidise the marauders has entirely failed, and a sudden attack made by them upon the Imperial force sent to give weight to the negociations, ended in the total discomfiture of the latter. Great exertions are now being made to repair this disaster, and a force has been raised which will doubtless effeot the object. This force contaius all the patriotic ingredients whicb the late war called into existence, most of its chiefs being the men who mads themselves conspicuous by the cowardly assassinations they committed on foreigners. Such a force, flushed with the victory they are sure to gain over these marauders, will be a most dangerous element lo the ioreign occupation of Canton, after the force shall have left for the North, and the circumstance can hardly be viewed without misgivings The fact is, that the policy pursued by (he allies with respect to the province of Canton has^ been most suicidal and cruel. The occupation of the provincial oity and tbe appropriation o<" a portion of its prinoipal resources, has naturally Happed the power and the province has become a prey to anarchy. Had the whole province been quelled aud relieved from these marauders, who have not the most remote pretence to any political grievance, its resources would have been easily effected, as navigable streams intersect the country in every direction, rendering tbe movements of gran-boats feasible aud effective. As matters now stand, the smallest interference is care fully eschewed. So that what with the setion of the marauders, and the scarcity of food, matters are in a most deplorable condition.

In the North ulso the rebels have obtained some success. They lave forced the Imperialists to raise tho siege of Nanking, have captuied much of their arms, aud have compelled them to disperse. Between Nanking and HangChow the Imperialists are at a great discount ; but between Peking and the Yangtsze the rebellion has been put down for the present. In Cheh-kiang the Taipings have had great success, under a celebrated leader who overrun Kiaug-si a few years ago. Some parts of the country where these rebels have been are described as changed into a complete desert, entire towns being annihilated.

In Japan doubts have ceased in regard to the death of the Regent. In Yedo ihe houses of the Foreign Ministers are examined every night, lest any persons intending mischief should he concealed in them. The British Commissariat is trying very hard to procure 1000 horses there for service in China ; and the Governor of. YoKehama is said to have applied to the Foreigners in order to purchase all the fire-arms they can spare tor the services of Government.

In fact the present posture of affairs in China is in every way disastrous to British •interests, and the sooner an arrangement is come to the better. It is clear that the Imperial Government is impotent to Ruppiess internal troubles and cope with the allies also. The result is that anarchy prevails in every direction, the communication with the interior is interrupted, black mail is levied by the marauders, and heuvy iratihii dues by the Imperialists. The^e annihilate the trade in manufactured imports, and, inasmuch as they enhance greatly the cost price «>/ exports, the palpable effect is, that not mily is the Biitish import trade cut up and exchange made adverse, but the txpurt trude is saddled with the expenses of the Chinese in ilie war with the allies ps well as in their attempts tv suppress the insurgents. The present state of ihe import trade, and the enormous prices current for teas*, are abundantly iilubtraiive of this point, in this view of the case, the foreign interference with the China customs was a most

pernicious act of diplomacy, for not only were the duties levied considered as bo much surplusage, but the people were taught to believe they were colleoted on foreign account, whioh indeed they have qartly been.