The Sun. — London, England, 1860-12-29 00:00:00

LATEST NEWS. (REUTER'S TELEGRAMS•) VIENNA, DEC. 28 (EVENING). An autograph letter of the Emperor, dated the i lS t inst., and addressed to the President of the th ln Perial Chancery Court for Transylvania , ord ers e immediate organisation of the Chancery and E L of the , s Gubermum" for the same province. T he same letter also orders the assembling of a conference of the most eminent persons from the 1411 ° 11 8 classes of the different nationalities and r eligiou s confessions to deliberate on the early rnise or ation of the Transylvania Diet. The privi -08, of this Diet are to be determined according to t he ancient public rights of the citizens, but within the limits prescribed by the imperial diploma of the 23d Oct. The said conference will also make propositions 11 r eference to the re-establishment of the former adm inistrative divisions of Transylvannia and of the officers of lords lieutenants 6 Obergespane) and eh le f Captains ( Obercapstane) of the counties. I t ;lu also discuss the re-establishment of the offices f superior royal judges ( Oberkonigsrichter) of the `enkler, and of the Saxon legal and administrative authorities ( Sachsen-6trale). PESTH, DEC. 27. h The General Congregation of the city of Pesth as resolved upon making representations to the c L adislaus Chancellor to obtain the release of Count Teleki, or, if this be not possible, to al e /dna tried by the Hungarian tribunals. CONSTANTINOPLE, DEC. 22. The lead ill claims have been definitively set ti e(1 . They are to be paid in full in Turkish Con -els at 53. The Grand Vizier's report on the Roumelian mission has been published. The Vizier declares that the complaints were ela ggerated. The Christians, he says, are not t l eeptionally oppressed, but the Greek clergy are 111110 h to blame. FRANCE. r rhe Mi n i s t er o f th e I n t e rior has addressed the , followingM circular to the Prefects : 4 ‘- onsieur le Prefet,—The Emperor, as made known by t t t le° inserted in the .3foniteur of the 16th inst., has de th ' 4 that from the Ist January next, and by reciprocity, e s ubjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, t t: ll .. , i ng into France, will be admitted to circulate on the - 'tcry of the Empire without passports. I request you co nsequence, to give the necessary instructions that deer subjects may be received in France on the simple et aration of their nationality. Such among them as shal des ire to b e p rov id e d w ith a voucher which will allow them P el airil the advantages which are accorded to foreigners I , 4 ° l : 4 ded with passports for visiting the public buildings I , 2, only have to present to the special agent at the frontier vis iting card, on which that agent will affix the stamp of a dministration ; or they may provide themselves with s P e cial card which will be delivered to them, on applica tiO4) by th e P re f ec t o f Police. I request you, M. le Prefet, to c al/se these instructions to be published in the form of the 4_annexed notice, which you will take car 3 to have posted up tor a ports and the different points of entry on the terri .----Aecept, &c., " F. DE PERSIGNY." BOURSE, Dec. 28.—The market has been heavy, ' l id the business dons has been at prices below the el°si llg rates of Saturday. For the Account, Th rees are now at 67f 75c ; Mobilier, ' 740 f ; Or -9obBl 1,370 f ; Northern, 985 f 25c ; Mediterranean, 1 ; Austrian, 490 f ; Lombard, 450 f. The fol lev,,m• 4 , " g are the last quotations : if Per per Centft.• • 96 80 j Credit Folder 940 a ° "id rnonthr.... ! Belgian 4} 9B 50 De e r Cents . 67 75 j Piedmontese Fivea 79 50 B °' NM raonfh.,.. 67 75! Roman • Shares 2852 50 I Austrian Do 'Llt MoWi er .... 740 Spanish Threes — out 740 Home Debt P I 7.AILWATS. o i Cash. Account. Oxca ns 1375 .. 1371 25 N them W ditt o 892 50 .. 890 ~,,10113 and Mediterranean 905 .. 902 50 penev a .. 367 50 .. 367 50 ;Southern S Western Lantern Sardinian w- Austrian Lombard , 463 75 .. 462 50 I .a AMERICA. R ESIGNATION OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. LONDONDERRY, FRIDAY EVENING. . The M on t rea l O ce an Company's steamer Cana than, Captain Graham, from Portland (Maine) on 16th inst., has arrived, and landed all her mails. Mr. Cass had resigned the Secretaryship of State. The event created a profound sensation. %mural Scott had expressed his opinion that it t l a necessary to send reinforcements to Carolina, : t the protection of public property. The Pres ident, for prudential reasons, was opposed to such a , - "ettlittre. . 1 4 Was understood that Kansas would shortly be ad mitted into the Union. was rumoured that Senator Douglas would de clare in the Senate that it was the duty of the 1, eFildent to resist secession by force. kr. Daniel S. Dickenson, of New York, will p r obably succeed Mr. Cass as Secretary of State. Many of the Southern members of Congress have ai ~4 11 ed a manifesto declaring that the day of com promise has passed, and that nothing can avert ee ession. Presid en t Buchanan has issued a proclamation b l3 Pointing the 4th of January next as a day of 4e liliation and prayer. OUR WHEAT IMPORTATIONS'. The sources of our supply of wheat du r ing the ` o i e sut year present remarkable changes from those 1i (859 and 1858, owing to the splendid har v ests in " 84 ja and America. In 1858 Prussia took the lead, but Russia is now largely at the head of the list, and Prussia and the United States follow. Last ?ear there was scarcely any importation from the atter country, but we have now drawn from her Prussia than one-fifth of our total receipts, while r,russia has contributed exactly the same quantity. . 411 e Russian arrivals have constituted lourth of our entire imports. Although rrussia is no nearly one fourth at the top, her capacity steadily increases, and rapidchange of place is swing merely to the much more 4 ,.Pid advance of Russia. The United States' sup ties are at present likewise increasing month by De cember, with great quickness, and the return for which will complete the year, will pro ,u w ". 1 ?, 1 :9 - put that country above Prussia, whose place ill then be third. France this year exhibits a gr eat falling off, but we have still taken from that e' l ntry much more than might have been expected 4 ° 4 1 the general account of• the French harvest. lli c' e ing the minor sources Egypt presents the prin 4al falling off. Annexed is a statement of the va l tet proportion per cent. contributed from the y e t lous countries of the world during the last three t i o ars• In estimating the effect of the several varia h n 8) the great difference in present prices torn- Ztl'ed with those of 1858 and 1859 must be parti -"rly borne in mind 858 WHEAT—TOTAL IMPORTATION. 1858. 1859. 1890. Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. 3,988,528 3,729,316 5,016,236 lII Is • Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. pma l3 .. 21 1 1 24 1- 1 b ari a k ell tnarli i i eekle n b urg • • c't 3 .. 3/ l'1• 4118e Towns 1' "ce iv, 19 .. 29i .. 9 i, Y and - Wallachia and E Old • -e, aria 117• 14 lOl _ 10 _ 31 Oti te a States tr cc4ntries Bl .. 61 .. 61 A 100 100 100 re As regards flour the changes have been yet more h a tll4 rkable, nearly the whole of our supply last year 1, ° trig been obtained from France, while on the rresent occasion that country figures for a smaller 4,, th an the United States, whence in 1859 the - ' v als were insignificant : FLOUR—TOTAL IMPORTATION. 1858. 1839. 1860. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. 3,652,725 3,130,937 4,327,639 lia, Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Pr ' se Tcmns ... . IT tte e orod States e r Countries - - - 100 100 100 \ ~'`mes, AUSTRIA. FIENNA, DEC. 26. The posts of Minister of Commerce and Minister of Public Instruction are still vacant, because fitting men cannot be found. There is no dearth of talent, but it is extremely difficult to find high intelligence and perfect rectitude united in one and the same person. M. Maager has come here from Cronstadt, and it is rumoured that he is about to take office, but persons who know the " constitutional burgher" in timately, tell me that he has not the requisite know ledge for a Minister of Commerce. The Trieste Zettung is not inclined to believe that the position of affairs will be materially improved by the recent change in the Cabinet, " because the elements therein are too heterogeneous." Every dispassionate politician sees that M. von Schmerling and Count Rechberg cannot possibly pull well together, but the Minister-President is so fond of office that he tries to persuade himself and his Sovereign that there is no material difference be tween his own opinions and those of the Minister of State. TIES. lupines. done !mined' Done I.w~ +/ THIRD EDITION. SUN OFFICE, Six o'clock. TIIIS DA rs 1E ARKE2'S. COVENT GARDEN. Our market is acantily supplied with produce, which sells freely, as follows : FRUIT. s. d. s. d. Pine apples, perlb 4 0 to 8 0 Colonial do., each 1 0 to 1 6 , Grap . es,per lb.— 4 0 to 7 Oi Foreign do 1 0 to 2 0 &felons, each Peaches, perdoz 6 0 to 12 /), Nectarines, per dz 2 0 to 6 01 Apples, per hf. sv. 2 0 to 4 9 Pears, per do Oranges, per doz 4 0 to 10 0 Lemons, per 100 4 0 to 8 0 , Apricots. per doz 2 0 to 4 0 s. d. e. d Cherries, per lb 0 oto 0 0 Filberts, per lb 1 oto 1 6 Cobnuts, per lb 1 3to 1 6 Almonds, per bus 0 oto 0 0 Walnuts, per 100 1 oto 2 0 Figs, per doz 2 oto 4 6 Strawberries potl 0 0 to 0 0 Gooseberries hf sv 0 oto 0 0 Currants, per do. 0 oto 0 0 Plums, per do. Greengages, pr do. 0 oto 0 0 Raspberries,pr ptlo oto 0 0 VEGETABLES. Greens, dz bunch 6 0 to 7 0 Cabbages, pr doz. 0 10 to 1 8 Savoy do., pr do. 0 16 to 1 9 Cauliflowers, p dz 2 0 to 4 0 Brocoli, per dz 0 0 to 0 0 Potatoes, per ton 100 to 150 0 New ditto, per lb. 0 0 to 0 0 Peas, per sieve 1 6 to 1 9 Turnips, dz bunch 5 0 to 6 0 Carrots, pr do 5 6 to 6 0 Cucumbers Garlic, per lb Sorrel, per sieve 0 0 to 0 0 Spinach, hf.-sv 0 6 to 0 8 Brus. sprouts, b.s 1 9 to 2 9 Old onions, hf. sv. 0 0 to 0 0 Do., dz bun French beans, 100 9 to 2 0 Leeks, per bunch 0 0 to 0 0 Shallots, per lb .. 0 6to 0 8 Horseradish, pbn 1 oto 3 0 Parsley, per ditto 0 2to 0 0 Celery, per ditto 1 oto 1 9 Beet, per doz. .. 1 6to 2 0 Parsnips, per do. 0 oto 0 0 Small salad, p. pn, 0 2 toe 0 Mushrooms,p pun 2 oto 3 0 Artichokes, pr dz 4 oto 6 0 Cabbage lett,score 1 0 to 2 0 Endive, per score 1 oto 2 0 Radishes, dz buds 0 6to 0 0 Tomatoes, hf sye 4 oto 6 9 Walnuts, per 100 0 oto 0 0 Chillies, per ditto 0 oto 0 0 Capsicums, per do 0 oto 0 0 Rhubarb, per bun 0 4to 0 0 Asparagus, pr do. 2 oto 4 0 Seakale, per pun. 0 0 to 0 0 NEWGATE AND LEADENHALL. Turkeys, 5s Od to 25s Od ; poults, 4s Od to 7s Od each ; geese, 4s Od to 9s Od ; goslings, 4s Od to 9s Od ; ducklings, 2s Od to 3s 6d; rabbits, is Od to is 9d each ; wild do., 10d to ls 2d ; pigeons, 6d to Os 10d each ; large Surrey fowls, 9s Od to 158 Od ; chickens, Gs Od to 7s Od; barn-door fowls, 4s Od to 8s Od ; capons, 4s Od ; hares, 3s 6cl to 4s Gd ; grouse, is Gd to 2s Od each; pheasants, 4s Od to is Od; ptarmigan, Os toOs Od ; woodcocks, 3s 6d to 4s 6d; snipes, is Od to is Od; teal, Os 8d to Os is ; wild ducks, is 9d to 2s Od; widgeons, is 6d to Os Od ; plovers, Os 6d to Os 9d each ; guinea fowls, Os Od to Os Od; roasting pigs, 5s Od to 108 Od each; Ostend fresh butter, is ld to is 3d ; English, is 2d to is Gd per lb ; English eggs, 15s Od to 163 Od ; French do.. 12s Od to 14s Od per 120 ; leverets, 2s Od to 3s Od each. NEWPORT. Beef, from 2s Sd to 4s 2d ; mutton,. 3s 2d. to 4s 6d ; lamb, Os Od to Os Od ; veal, 3s 10d to 4s 8d ; and pork, 38 10d to 5s Od per Sibs. WHITECHAPEL. Beef, 2s 8d to 4s 2d ; mutton, 3s 2d to 4s 6d ; veal, 3s 10d o 4s 8d ; pork, 35 103 to 5s Od per 81bs. by the carcase. BILLINGSGATE. Salmon, 3s Od to Os Od ; trout, Os Od to Os ; eels, 8d to is ; prawns, 5s Od to Os; pike, skate, sturgeon, and halibut, 6 d pei lb. Turbots, 2s Gd to 15s ; cod, 2s Od to 12s Od ; brills, is Od to 7s Od; doreys, is Od to lOs Od; mullets, Os Gd to is Gd; lobsters, 6d to 2s 6d ; crabs, 6d to 2s 6d ; plaice and gurnets, 4d to is Od each; soles, 3d to 2s Gd per pair; common oysters, 12s to 16s ; natives, 44s to —s per bushel ; whitings. 3s Od to lOs Od ; haddocks, 4s to 12s Od ; smelts, is Od ; flounders, is Gd to 2s Gd per dozen; mackerel, 50s; fresh herrings, 4s ; bloaters, Ss to Os per 100 ; carp and tench, is Od to 3s per brace. BREAD. The prices of wheaten bread in the metropolis are from 81d to 9iel , of household do., 6id to 8d per 41b loaf, HIDES AND SKINS. Market hides, 561 b to 641 b, 2id to 3d ; 641 b to 721 b, 3d to 31d ; 721 b to 801 b, 3'd to 31d ; 801 b to 881 b, 3 1 d to 4d ; 881 b to 961 b, 3id to 41d ; 961 b to 1041 b, 41-d to 4;d. Horse hides, 8s Od to lOs Od; calf skins, light 2s Od to 4s Od; do. full, Os 6d to 7s Od ; polled sheep, 8s Od to lOs Od ; half-breds, 6s Od to 7s 8d ; Downs, 5s 3d to 63 3d ; lambs, Os Od to Os Od; shearlings, Os Od to Os Od. HAY MARKETS. SMITPTFIELD.—Meadow hay, £2 Os to £5 lOs Od ; clover do., £3 Os to £5 15s ; and straw, £1 lOs to £1 16s per load. Trade firm. CUMBERLAND.— Meadow hay, £2 lOs to £5 152 ; clover, £3 Os to £6 Os Od ; and straw, £1 10s to £1 18s per lead. A steady demand. WHITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, 12 03 to £5 103 Od ; clover, £3 lOs to £6 Os Od ; and straw, £1 10s to £1 18s per load. Both hay and straw were in limited supply and steady request, at full prices. ET—DEc. 28. the close of the market COAL MARK.. (rrfces of Coal per Ton at the ch., s. (1. s. d. Tanfield Moor Butes lB 0 ...... ....19 6 West Hartley 17 6 Howard's West Hart ley 17 6 Clark's West Hartley 17 6 Davison's West Hart ley l7 6 Ships at marks, Walls End. Hough Hall .......... 24 0 Cassop .. 25 0 Edon Main 18 0 Acorn Close 24 0 ;, 32'; gall, IG. TIII# DAIS SHIPPING. LONDON, Dec, 29.—Wind this day at noon—South- Easterly ; moderate breeze and hazy weather, with hard frost. Dec. 28.—Wind N.E.—Arrived—Celt, steamer, from the Cape of Good Hope. Sailed—Sussex, for Melbourne. SILLOTH, Dec. 28.—Wind SM.—Arrived—Thetis, from Quebec. FALMOUTH, Dec. 21.—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Centaur, from Aberdeen for Mauritius ; Sultana Reina, from Ma tanzas. QUEIENSTOWN, Dec. 28.—Wind N.E.—Arrived—City of Washington, screw steamer, from New York. DEAL, Dec. 28,—Wind S.E.—Arrilred—Wild Flower, from the River, and sailed for Adelaide ; Appleton, from the River, and sailed for Calcutta. EWPORT, Dec. 28.—Wind E.—Arrived—Charlotte Harrison, from Quebec. Sailed—Joseph Clark, for Alex andria. (Ix 11.17,CTRIC TELBORIPII.) SOLTHAMPTON, Saturday Morning. Wind SE. Arrived, Dec. 28—St. Petersburg., steamer, from Oporto; Lord Hawkesbury and New Hope, from Plymouth ; Alarm, from Newport; Celt, steamer, from Cape of Good Hope; Temora, steamer, from London; Wonder, steamer, from Jersey. Sailed—Number Pour, for Sunderland ; Avon, steamer, for Gambia ; Alliance, steamer, for Havre; Courier, steamer, for Jersey; Marquis of Bute, for Sunderland; Temora, steamer, for Dublin. MT Str'MARINE AND MAGNETIC TELEGRAPIL GRAVESEND, Saturday Morning, No arrivalm. Sailed—Dolphin, steamer, for Antwerp. DEAL, Saturday Morning.. Passed, Dee. 28—Aladd, for Bombay; Mana, for Per narabuco; Giovanni, for Cardiff—all from London. WIND AND WEATHER REPORT. THIS DAY, I; Ardrossan, S.W. ; freezing Ayr, N.E. ; snow Belfast, S. ; thaw, gloomy Bradford, N.W. ; fog Brighton, N.B.'', fine Bristol, N.B. ; Cambridge, S.; clear, fine, frosty frost Cardiff, S.W. ; unsettled Carlisle, S.E. ; frost Chatham easterly ; fine Cork,N.E.; very wet, stormy Deal, S.S.W., moderate Dublin, E. ; fine Dumfries, N.E. ; dull o F a Glasgow,l Dundee, Falmouth, t Edinburgh,h SE. S.E. ; E . • a. uw snow ;thaw S.E. ;' thaw Goole, N.E. ; fog Gravesend, E. ; fin e Harwich, N.W. ; h ar d frost 11:61ybead, S.S.W. ; breeze, clear Inc. 29, 9 A.M. Hartlepool, N.W.; hard frost Inverness, W, ; fine Kingstown, S. ; dull Leeds, N.E. ; fog Leith, S.W. ; frosty Limerick, S.E. ' • thawing Londonderry, S.E. ; fine Middlesborough, N.E. ; wet Milford Haven, S.E.; snow Newcastle oe. yne, W.S.W.; hard frost Newmarket, N. 8.; clear,very frosty Norwich, N. ; foggy, frosty Peterborough, S.W. ; hard frost Perth, E. ; frosty Southampton, S.E. ; frost Sunderland, N.W. ; dull Wakefield, N.E. ; fog Waterford, N.E. ; wet Weymouth, E. ; fine Whitehaven, S.E.; hard frost York, S. ; hard frost CONTINENTAL ST. Brest, N.; cloudy Brussels, N.N.E. ; cloudy C herbortro . ,. N.N.L. ; cloudy Dunkirk, E.; cloudy Havre, E.N.E. cloudy Leghorn, W,S.W. ; foggy Lisbon, W.S.W.; clwudy, rain Lyons, S.; cloudy .t+LTION g, DEC. 28. Madrid, W.S.W.; foggy Marseilles, E. ; cloudy Montpellier, N. ; cloudy, rain Paris, S.W. ; cloudy St. Petersburg, calm • foggy Strasbourg, S. ; cloudy , r ain Toulon, s . w . ; ra in Turin, Ar. • f ogg y Vienna, S.E. ; clear ZEPHYRINE TISSUE.—In Addison and Pope's day the ladies patched their faces with small pieces of black silk. A code of secret signals could be thus arranged for questionable flirtation. Court plaister has, in later times, made some amends for the hypocritical behests of its former mistresses. Yet it is a harsh and in many cases pernicious covering for a sore, apt to g et d r y and quit its duty at a time when no substitute is at hand. It has, nevertheless, been much in request in the absence o f a b etter protection for wounds. In a recent introduction, termed " Zephyrine Tissue," we find all that is needed. It is singularly trans parent, and carries a charm, not only in its appearance, but in its healing properties. A medical chest or housewife without the Zephyrine Tissue will is 'utur4 be an anomaly, THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBERTI29, 1860 THE PEACE WITH CHINA. (From a Supplement to the Gazette of last night.) FOREIGN-OFFICE, DEC. 27. Mr. Loch, private secretary to the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, arrived at the Foreign-office this evening, at 7 o'clock, with despatches from his lord ship, enclosing a convention putting an end to hos tilities with China, signed on the 24th of October last by his lordship with the Plenipotentiary of the Emperor of China. We select from the very voluminous papers herein published the following : British Embassy, Pekin, Oct. 25, 1860. My Lord—Prince Kung's communication to me, of which the translation was forwarded in my despatch to your lord shiy on the 13th inst., and of which I furnish a duplicate translation herewith, was by no means a satisfactory docu ment. Although we were receiving day by day fresh evi dence of the barbarous treatment which our fellow-country men, who had been illegally arrested, had experienced at the hands of the Chinese authorities, and although I had constantly stated in my letters to him that I could not en tertain proposals for the establishment of peace until they should have been restored, he makes in it no allusion to them at all; on the contrary, ho refers somewhat flippantly to peace as already existing, coniplains of the advance of the army to the Palace of Yuen-Ming-Yuen, and endea vours to make conditions respecting the cession of the gate of the city, with the manifest intention of giving to that act the appearance of an arrangement entered into for mutual convenience, rather than of an absolute surrender. To have accepted such a communication as satisfactory, and as the basis on which an agreement for the final set tlement of our differences with China might be built, would have been, in my judgment, to compromise the most important objects for which this costly ex pedition was undertaken. The people of China would have been ere long informed that we had been baffled by the defences of Pekin. In the more secret coun cils of the Imperial Court it would have been argued that the arrest of the prisoners had been a successful mea sure, as it had in some degree, at least, paralysed our movements, and gratified the resentment of the Emperor, without entailing any specific penalty. Low as is the standard of morals which now obtains in China on such points, we should, in my opinion, have still further lowered it if we had not treated the act in question as a high crime calling for severe retribution. Such being the convictions at which I had arrived, after a full and anxious consideration of all the circum stances of the case, and of the obligations which those cir cumstances imposed upon me, I had to determine how I could best give effect to them ; but here I found myself beset with difficulties of no common magnitude. Lieutenant-General Sir Hope Grant, as your lordship will perceive from my correspondence with him, of which a copy is'transmitted herewith, held the opinion that his army must commence its march towards Tien-tsin on or before the Ist of November, and, further, that any attack on Pekin, or on the public buildings contained therein, unless preceded by some fresh provocation on the part of the Chinese, would be inconsistent with the conditions on which he had accepted the surrender of the Anting-gate of the city. Baron Gros was, on the other hand, most desirous that we should take no step which might prevent us from obtaining the signature of the Convention and the ratification of the Treaties of 1858. On this point I en tirely agreed with his Excellency ; but I confess that I attached more importance to the impression which we might leave behind us on our departure from this place than to any formal stipulations by which the Chinese authorities might bind themselves. It was necessary, therefore, to discover some act of retribution and punish ment sufficiently severe to produce that required effect, and yet capable of such rapid execution that it would be possible after it had been accomplished to complete, before the Ist of November, the treaties of peace, and such fur ther measures as might be immediately necessary to put them into operation. This had to be done without attacking Pekin, or anything within Pekin, and in such a manner as to make the blow fall on the Emperor, who was clearly responsible for the crimes committed, without, how ever, so terrifying his brother, whom he had left behind him to represent him, as to drive him from the field. The destruction of the Yuen-Ming-Yuen Palace, coupled with the exaction, as a step preliminary to negotiations, and in name of compensationto the sufferers, of such a sum of money as could be raised on the spot by the Government, seemed to me to be the only combination which fulfilled all these conditions. I had also at one time resolved to require that a monument should be erected at the expense of the Chinese Government, stating the circumstances of the arrest and murder of the British subj sets illegally captured who had died from the effects of their ill •treatment in pri• son, and the penalty which had been inflicted for the deed ; but this proposal I finally abandoned, for reasons which I have explained elsewhere. As the destruction of Yuen-Ming-Yuen is, however, an act to which exception may, with great apparent reason, be taken, it is my duty before closing this despatch to say a few words respecting the only modes of inflicting a specific punishment for the crime in question which, limited as were my means of action, for the reasons above stated, 1 could have adopted as substitutes for that measure. I might perhaps have demanded a large sum of money, k not as compensation for the sufferers, but as a penalty k in flicted on the Chinese Government. But, independently of the objection in principle of making a high crime of this nature a mere money question, I hold on this point the opinion which is, I believe, entertained by all persons with out exception who have investigated the subject, that, in the present disorganised state of the Chinese Government, to obtain large pecuniary indemnities from it is simply im possible, and that all that can be done practically in the matter is to appropriate such a portion of the Customs' revenue as will still leave to it a sufficient interest in that revenue to induce it to allow the natives to continuo to trade with foreigners. It is calculated that it will be neces sary to take 40 per cent. of the gross Customs' revenue of China for about four years in order to procure payment of the indemnities already claimed by Baron Gros and me, under instructions from your lordship and the French Go vernment. Embarrassing questions respecting the occupation of Chinese territory are involved in this arrangement, and I do Rot think that it would be advisable to bind the Chinese Government by engagements which would cause the term of liquidation of these indemni t ties to be indefinitely ex tended. Or, I might have required that the persons guilty of cruelty to our countrymen, or of the violation of a flag of truce, should be surrendered. But if I had made this de mand in general terms, some miserable subordinates would probably have been given up, whom it w,,uld have been difficult to pardon and impossible to punish. And if I had specified San-ko•lin-sin, of whose guilt, in violating a flag of truce, evidence sufficient to insure his condemnation by a court martial could be furnished, I should have made demand which, it may be confidently affirmed, the Chinese Government would not have conceded, and mine could not have enforced. I must add, that throwing the responsi bility for the acts of Government in this way on individuals, resembles too closely the Chinese mode of conducting war to approve itself altogether to my judgment. Having, therefore, to the best of my judgment, examined the ques tion in all its bearings, I came to the conclusion that the destruction of Yuen-Ming-Yuen was the least objection able of the several courses open to me, unless I could have reconciled it to my sense of duty to suffer the crime which had been committed to pass practically unavenged. I had reason, moreover, to believe that it was an act which was calculated to produce a greater effect in China, and on the Emperor, than persons who look on from a distance may suppose. It was the Emperor's favourite residence, and its destruc tion could not fail to bo a blow to his pride as well as to his feelings. To this place : as appears from the depositions of the Sall troopers, copies of which wore enclosed in my despatch to your lordship of October 13, he brought our hapless countrymen, in order that they might undergo their severest tortures within its precincts. Here have been found the horses and accoutrements of the troopers seized, the decorations torn from the breast of a gallant French officer, and other effects belonging to the prisoners. As almost all the valuables had already been taken from the palace, the army would go there, not to pillage, but to mark, by a solemn act of retribution, the horror and indignation with which we were inspired by the pert etration of a great crime. The punishment was ono which would fall, not on the people, who may be comparatively innocent, but exclu sively on the Emperor, whose direct personal responsibility for the crime committed is established, not only by the treatment of the prisoners at Yuen-Ming-Yuen, but also by the edict, enclosed in my despatch 0f Oct, 22, in, which, he offers a pecuniary reward for the heads of the foreigners, adding, that he is ready to expend all his treasure in these wages of assassination. I have now submitted as full a statement as it is in my power to furnish, of the motives * Which determined the tenour of the despatch which I addressed to Prince Kung, in replying to his communication to me of the 12th inst. I conclude by enclosing a copy of it, and a translation of the rejoinder which it called forth.—l have, &c., ELGIN AND XINCARDINE. Lord John Russell, &c. Received Oct. 12, 1860. The Prince of Kung, Imperial Commissioner, makes a communication. The Prince haying repeatedly written to say that he had deputed officers to treat the British secretary, Mr. Parkes, with all honour, and that as soon as they and he had satis factorily settled together all questions relating to the seal ing and signature of the Convention (the rest of), the British subjects to be returned (as well)—conduct towards the British Government which was not illiberal—how cornea it that the British troops have carried their outrages into the garden palace of the Emperor, and have fired his Majesty's audience halls and dwellings. Is it rea sonable that the nation of the British Minister, being one acquainted with the obligations of man to man, with disci pline long established in its army, while its troops have wantonly fired and plundered the garden palace, the com manders of the two armies and the British Minister should affect ignorance of this ? The British Minister should by rights state plainly in his reply what steps are taken with regard to these proceedings (1); this day, however, to his surprise, the Prince has received a despatch from his Ex cellency General Grant, the British Commander-in-Chief, to the effect that he is about to take possession of the Ant g Gate, and to preface this by the erection of a battery, and that in the event of a refusal he will assault the city on the 22th inst. (October 13). That the soldiers the British Minister might bring with him, when he came to the capital to exchange the Treaties, should be distributed without the walls, and that his escort should accompany him into the city, were indeed considera tions inserted in the convention, and to which of course effect will be given, as (the convention) has been in tote assented to both by the former Commissioners and the Prince. The British Minister having also stated, in a de spatch which the Prince has received, that there should be no alteration whatever in the Treaty, this too can be at once exchanged ; that a good understanding may be esta blished to endure for ever. But the words of the conven tion had reference to the British Minister's entrance into Pekin for the purpose of exchanging the treaties ; the city gates have ever been under the surveillance of the high offi cers specially charged to see them opened and elesed ; if t hey be thrown open at this moment, before (peace be concluded) and the duty of inspection and search recklessly neglected, the disorderly of the place will probably seize the oppor tunity to commit all sorts of irregularities. It is indis pensable, therefore, that proper precautions should be taken. The letter received by the British Government (Sir Hope Grant's despatch) says that the Anting Gate will be occu pied by a body of troops, and the two nations being now at peace, this is an arrangement which, of course, can bemade; but the reply to this despatch should specify certain regula tions for the occupation of this gate, and when the British Minister's reply to this effect shall have been received a day can be named for the signature of the Convention and the exchange of the treaties, in order that before that day all necessary arrangements may be duly considered to the esta• blishment of a good understanding. The British officer (still detained) were seized by the late commissioners, a certain number were missing after the fight, or (have died) of their wounds or of sickness. The Prince gave orders to the officers whose business it was to find out where they were to make them comfortable, and to put them under medical treatment, and he now returns them as his former despatch promised that he would return them, keeping his word, without any abatement or modifi cation. The Prince's correspondence during the last few days has been all carried on with the British Minister, and he thinks it proper to continue to address himself to his Excellency although he has received the despatch from his Excellency the British General, as the good understanding has been restored. He therefore writes this despatch, a necessary communi cation, addressed to his Excellency the Earl of Elgin, &c. Hien-Fung, 10th year, Bth moon, 28th day (12th of October, 1860). Translated by T3/011.4.S WADE, Chinese Secretary. (1.) What punishment inflicted on the troops, what repa ration made for losses, &c. T. W. The undersigned has the honour to acknowledge receipt of a despatch from his Serene Highness the Prince Kung, under date the 12th inst. As that despatch was in its principal part a reply to a communication which has been addressed to Prince Kung by the Commander-in-Chief of Her Britannic Majesty's force, he transmitted a copy of it as soon as it reached him to his Excellency, in order that he might take such notice of it as might seem to him to be fitting. • It is unnecessary, therefore, for the undersigned to refer to those parts of the despatch in question which refer to the attack on Yuen-Ming-Yuen, and other military acts conse quent on the advance of British and French troops to tho neighbourhood of Pekin : he will only observe on this head that this advance took place because the Chinese Govern ment refused to accept the terms of peace offered to it by the undersigned, firstly at Tian-tsin, and agaia at Tung-Chow, and because in the latter case that refusal was accompanied by an act of barbarous treachery, for which it would be difficult in the annals of the world to find a parallel. The Commander-in-Chief has informed the undersigned that he took no notice whatsoever of that portion of the de spatch of the Prince in which his Highness requires that a letter should be written to him specifying the regulations under which the gate shall be held when surrendered to the allies. The gate has, nevertheless, been surrendered uncondi tionally ; this is well ; had the Prince adhered to the demand implied in that clause of his despatch, the city of Pekin would have been assaulted and taken. The undersigned has further to inform his Serene High ness that the letter of the Commander-in-Chief, stating the terms on which the city of Pekin would be spared, was written before he knew the treatment to which the British and French subjects, seized in violation of a flag of truce on the 18th ult., had been subjected, and when all the evi dence which he possessed on this point was contained in the despatties of the Prince to the undersigned, in which despatches the Prince repeatedly averred that the prisoners in question had suffered no mortal injury, were comfortably lodged, and treated with all proper attention. Information since received establishes the fact that at the time when these words were written several subjects of her Britannic Majesty, not taken in fight, but seized and bound while relying on the security that should have been af forded them by a flag of truce, and offering no resistance, had already died from the effects of the barbarous cruelty to which they and their companions had been subjected as prisoners. This flagrant misrepresentation of the facts of the case, for which the Prince is himself responsible, would fully justify tho Commander-in-Chief in setting at nought the conditions under which the gate of the city was surrendered into his hands ; but ho is still desirous to spare, if possible, the lives of the common people. The undersigned nowproceeds to advert to those portions of the despatch of his serene highness which concern him more immediately, and especially to that clause which speaks of peace as already established between Great Bri tain and China. The undersigned begs to remind his serene highness that in the first communication which he had the honour to ad- dress to him he informed him that suspension of hostilities and negotiation of peace would be impossible until the offi cers and subjects of her Britannic Majesty still missing had returned; to that declaration he has constantly adhered. How has this condition, which the undersigned has throughout declared to be indispensable to the resumption o p npg,otiations for the establishment of peace, been fulfilled by Prince Kung and the Government which ho represents? Of the total number of 26 British subjects sciz.l in defi ance of honour and of the law of nations, 13 only have been restored alive, all of whom carry on their persons evidence more or less distinctly marked of the indignities and ill treatment from which they have suffered, and 13 have been barbarously murdered, under circumstances on which the undersigned will not dwell, lest his indignation should find vent in welds which are not suitable to a communication of this nature. Until this foul deed shall have been expiated, peace be tween Great Britain and the existing dynasty of Chhia is impossible. The following, therefvre, are the conditions the ina)ge, diate acceptance of which will alone avert from it the doom impending on it : What remains of the palace of Yuen-Ming-Yuen, which appears to be the place at which several of the English cap tives were subjected to the grossest indignities, will be im mediately levelled with the ground ; this condition requires no assent on the part of his highness, because it will be at once carried into effect by the Commander-in-Chief. A sum of 300,000 taels must be paid down at once to the officers appointed by the undersigned to :receive it, which sum will be appropriated at the discretion of her Majesty's Government to those who have suffered, and to the fami lies of the murdered men. The immediate signature of the convention drawn up at Tiet-tsin, which will remain as it is withthe single change that it shall be competent for the armies of England and France to remain at Tien-tsin until the whole indemnities spoken of in the said convention are paid, if the Govern ments of England and France see fit to adopt this course. The demolition of Yuen-Ming -Yuen will take place im mediately. Unless before 10 a.m. on the 20th the Prince informs the undersigned in :writing that the sum demanded as compensation for the British subjects who have been mal treated or murdered will Le ready for payment on the 22d, and that he will be prepared to sign the convention and to exchange the ratifications of the Treaty of mi en _ t ,i n on the 23d, the undersigned will again call on the Com mander-in-Chief to seize the Imperial Palace in Pekin, and to take such other measures to compel the Chinese Govern ment to accede to the demands of that of Great Britain as may seem to him to be fitting. It is proper, however, that he should inform the Prince that, should the contumacy of the Chinese force him to adopt this course, he will address himself to the Commander-in-Chief of her Majesty's naval forces, as well as to the Commander-in-Chief of hor Majes ty's land forces. He begs to remind the Prince that the customs' revenue of Canton is being collected for the profit of the Supreme Government of China, although the city is in the military possession of the allies ; that it is the mili tary force of the allies which has for some time past pre vented Shanghai from falling into the hands of the rebels ; and that the junks carrying rice and tribute to Pekin have been allowed to pass and repass unmolested, although the fleets of the allies command both the seas and the rivers. If peace be not at once concluded this state of things will cease, and the undersigned will concert measures with her Majesty's naval Commander-in-Chief, with the view of ob taining from these and other sources indemnification for the expense whit her Majesty's Government is compelled to incur by the bad faith of that of China. ELGIN „AND KINCARDINE. (Received October 20th, 7 a.m.) The Prince of Kung, Imperial Commissioner, makes a communication in reply. Upon the 4th of the 9th moon (October 17) the Prince received the British Minister's reply of the 3d, and he now in evidence of his desire for friendly relations makes answer plainly and clearly that we positively agree to_everything (therein demanded). The despatch under acknowledgment states that of 26 persons seized but 13 have been sent back, and that to compensate these and (the families) of the 13 who are dead, for what they have suffered, the British Minister requires 300,000 taels. Feeling that his Excellency's requisition for the sum to be so appropriated is prompted by the best intentions on his part the Prince at once approves its payment. As regards the barbarous treatment of the officers and men of the (French and British) nations, the Prince has assented to the payment of the compensation money, that in the amends it makes (or the comfort it will afford) there might be proof (of the re-establishment) of friendly rela- ions. The day on which his Excellency the British Ambassador will exchange the ratifications can be satisfactorily arranged between whatever officers may be deputed (for this purpose) on either side. A. necessary reply, addressed to his Excellency the Eaxl of Elgin, Hien-Fong, 10th year, 9th moon, 6th dki„y (19th October, 18G0). Translated by TROMAS WADE, Chinese Secretary. THE RATIFICATION OF THE TREATY. British Embassy, Pekin, Oct. 26. My Lord,—ln my despatch of the 231 inst. I enclosed the copy of a letter from myself to the Prince of Kung, fix ing the 24th inst. for the signature of the convention of Pekin, and for the exchange of the ratifications of the Treaty of Tien-twin. I have now the honour to report that, on the day ap pointed, I went to the Hall of Ceremonies, which is near the southern wall of the Tartar city, accompanied by Sir Hope Grant and several officers of rank, and attended by an escort, furnished by order of the Commander-in-Chief, I found the Prince of Kung already there, surrounded by a large number of mandarins of distinction. • After the exhibition of our respective full powers, we pro ceeded to the signature of the convention, which does not materially differ from the draught transmitted to your lord ship from Tien-tsin in my despatch of the Bth Sept. Two Articles have, however, teen added to those contained in that draught, the one legalising emigration and the other ceding to her Majesty that portion of the township of Cowloon which is included in the lease granted to Harry Smith Parkes, Esq., C. 8., on behalf of the British Govern ment, by the Governor-General of the Two Kwang. The signature of the Convention was followed by the ex change of the ratifications of the Treaty of Tien-tsin, and, as the Chinese form of ratification is different from ours, I thought it proper to require that the Prince of Kung should certify on the face of the document, under his signature and seal, that the form adopted was binding on the Emperor. A minute, recording the proceedings which had taken place in connexion with the exchange of the ratifications, was then drawn up in duplicate, and signed and sealed by the Plenipotentiaries, of which duplicates one was delivered to the Prince of Kung, and the other to me. I enclose herewith the Convention of Pekin, duly signed and sealed by myself and the Prince of Knng, the Treaty of Tien-tsin ratified by the Emperor of China, and the minute certifying the act of ratification, signed and sealed by the Plenipotentiaries, and I have committed these important documents to the care of Mr. Loch, my private secretary, in order that he may in person deliver them to your lordship. I commend Mr. Loch to your lordship's favourable con sideration. He was illegally seized and cast into prison by the Chinese authorities on the 18th ult., while engaged in the discharge of his official duties, and his conduct under very trying circumstances was in the highest degree credit able to him. I have, &c., ELGIN AND KINCARDINE, The Lord John Russell. THE PRISONERS. British Embassy, Pekin, Oct. 2G. My Lord,—When I addressed to your lordship my de spatch of the 13th inst., of the total number of 26 British subjects seized by the Chinese authorities on the 18th ult., while under the protection of a flag of truce, 10 only— namely, Mr. Parkes, Mr. Loch, and eight Sikh troopers, had been returned. Since that date two Sikh troopers have been restored to us alive, though suffering severely from the effects of ill-treatment ; and 12 corpses have been given up, among which have been recognised the remains of Lieut. Anderson, Mr. De Norman, and Mr. Bowlby. _ • . Of the regrets inspired by the sad fate of Lieutenant Anderson and Mr. De Norman I have already written. Mr. Bowlby was the correspondent of the Times. He made the passage from England in the same steamer as myself, and I became acquainted with him during the voyage. I deplore his loss not only because he was a highly accom plished and well-informed gentleman, but also because from the conscientious and liberal spirit in which he addressed himself to the investigation of the singularly complicated problems presented by the moral, social, political, and com mercial condition of China, I had conceived the hope that he would be the means of diffusing sound information on many points on which it is most important for the national interests that the British public should be correctly in formed. The other corpses sent in are those of eight Sikh troopers and of one English dragoon. Of the British subjects captured, therefore, Captain Bra baron, of the Royal Artillery, is alone unaccounted for. The silence of the Chinese authorities, who always plead ignorance of his fate when questioned on the subject, and rumours which reach us from various quarters, lead us to fear that he must have met a violent death. It is reported that, together with a French gentleman (a priest, acting as interpreter to General do Montauban), he was beheaded after the action of the 21st ult., by direction of a Chinese General who was wounded on that occasion, and who in his e xasperation is said to have ordered that those two pri soners, who chanced to be in his power, should be exe cuted. I am inclined to credit this report, although I have no positive evidence of its accuracy. Celltain Brabazon was an officer of much promise, and held the appointment of Deputy - losistant - Quartermaster-Q-eneral of Artillery. I have, &c., ELGIN AND KINCARDINE, The Lord John Russell, &c. THE STATEMENT OF MR. PARKES. Pekin, Oct. 30, 1860. My Lord,—l have the honour to enclose for your lordship's perusual a very interesting and detailed narrative by Mr. Parkes, of the occurrences which took place while he was detained as a prisoner by the Chinese authorities. Painful as is the process by which this experi ence is acquired, such an incident as the capture of Mr. Parkes affords us an insight into the working , of the Chinese system which we should never other wise, probably, have obtained. Mr. Parkes' consistent refusal to purchase his own safety by making any pledges, or even by ad dressing to me any representations which might have embarrassed me in the discharge of my duty, is a rare example of courage and devotion to the public interest, and the course which he followed in this respect, by leaving my hands free, enabled me to work out the policy which was best calculated to secure his own release, as well as the attainment of the national objects intrusted to my care. I am, &c., ELGIN AND KINCARDINE. To Lord John Russell, &c. British Head-quarters, Pekin, Oct. 20, 1860. My Lord,—_l have the honour to lay before your Excellency the following statement of the circum stances which attended my capture and subsequent imprisonment : I left Ho-se-woo at 4 a.m. on the morning of Mon day, the 17th of September, accompanied by Mr. Loch, private secretary to your Excellency ; Mr. De Norman, First Attache to her Britannic Ma jesty's Legation ; Cmlonpl Welker, Deputy Quarter master-General ; Mr. Thompson, Deputy Commis sary-General; and Mr. T. W. Bowlby. The escort consisted of five men of the King's Dragoon Guards, and 20 sowars of Fane's Horse, under Lieutenant Anderson. Shortly after passing Matow we were met by a colonel and three other Chinese officers, who had been sent out, as they stated, by the Imperial Com missioners to escort us into Tung-chow. On ap proaching Chang-kea-wau I pointed out to Colonel Walker the point, five le south of that place, pro posed by the Imperial Commissioners, and agreed to by your Excellency, as the advanced position of our army, and as we rode over a part of the ground we could see no indications of there being any Chinese force in that vicinity. After pas'sing Chang kea-wan, however, we observed bodies of Tartar horse between that place and Tung-chow, and were informed by their commander, (the Lieutenant-General commanding at Sin-ho when that place was taken on Aug. 12), who rode forward to meet us in a most friendly and courteous manner, that these were some of the troops which had lately bold the country between Tung-Chow and Ho-se woo, and had just been called in by order of the Imperial Commissioners. He congratulated us, with much apparent warmth, on " the conclusion of peace ;" and in a soldierly way made the voluntary observation—" Let us forget that we have been enemies, and henceforward know each other as friends." Writing after the event, I now see a serious sig nificance in the removal of several small bridges, placed across the small canal or streamlet that runs past Chang•kea-wan, at a point which' afterwards knew, by sad experience, to be the spot whence Sang-ko-lin-sin directed, in person, the movements of the following day. I had observed these bridges on the occasion of my previous visit to Tung-chow, but,in the absence of any other cause for suspicion, we naturally did not now attach an important meaning to the circumstance of their removal. On reaching Tongchow, at about 10.30 a.m., we we went at once to the Temple pointed out by the Chinese officers as the place selected. both for own accommodation and for the meeting with the Im perial Commissioners. All our personal wants were readily supplied, and at about 1 o'clock I was ad mitted to an interview with the Commissioners— Tsai, Prince of I, and lluh-yin, who were assisted on this occasion by Bang-ki, late Assistant-Corn• missioner at Tien-tsin, and well known to me when he formerly occupied the position of Superintendent of Customs at Canton. Having delivered to the Commissioners, who re ceived me courteously, your Excellency's despatch of the 16th September, they raised discussion on three points—namely, the escort, the immediate withdrawal of the forces, and the presentation of her Majesty's autograph letter to the Emperor. They objected to the escort being taken by your Ex cellency beyond Tun gchosv ; urged that the forces should commence to retire the moment the convention was signed ; and called the delivery of the letter a new demand which they had then heard of for the first time. To these objections I replied that it had already been settled at Tien-tsin teat your Excel lency should take the escort to Pekin; that it could not be expected that the forces would retire before your Excellency had concluded all matters con nected with the exchange of the ratifications of the Treaty of 1858 ; and also that this was not the first time that the delivery of the Queen's letter had been mentioned, your Excellency having already been in written communication on this subject with the Commissioners at Tien-tsin. As the discussion proceeded, the Commissioners withdrew their objections to the first two points, but continued to oppose the presentation of the let ter by your Excellency in person with great earnestness. It could be received, they said, in a manner which denoted, in their opinion, high respect, and an autograph reply could be returned ; but the whole ceremonial should be conducted by a Prince or Imperial Commissioner appointed for the purpose, and there could be no occasion for your Excellency to have an audience with the Emperor on this account. I explained the object of the letter—that it was a mark of the respect and friendship entertained by the Queen folethe Em peror, but that the honour due to the former would not allow of the letter being presented in any other way than by her own Ambassador ; and that, seeing that your Excellency had come from a great distance for the purpose of establishing friendly relations with the Chinese Government, it would be unfortunate if the latter were to prove them selves still opposed to closer intimacy, and unwil ling to reciprocate the cordiality and good feeling shown by her Majesty. Finding, however, that these arguments had little weight with the Com• missioners, I tried to avoid the question, which, I said, might be considered by themselves and your Excellency on another occasion, and endeavoured to draw their attention to the other business I had on hand; but, as they insisted on recurring to it, I distinctly declined further discussion, on the ground that I was not authorised to speak on the subject, but that I would not fail to report all that they had urged to your Excellency. The meeting was interrupted at 4 o'clock by the arrival of the French Secretary of Embassy, wh o was then received by the Commissioners according to appointment. I wa s at one time invited bothl; the French officers and the Commissioners to assist at that interview, and at about 6 o'clock I wa s 01100 more left alone with the Commissioners, wh o aga i n brought up the question of audience, and unreason ably insisted that I should decide this without any previous reference to your Excellency. Having at last satisfied them, as I thought, that this was im possible, I prevailed on them to proceed with the consideration of other matters. llh proclamation in which your Excellency terms ne of theyproposed that the Imperial Commissioners should make known to the people the circumstances under which the allies desisted from further hostilities were dis cussed, aud tlicy with accepted. apparently com plete approval, the draught supplied ino tY Wade. I begged, therefore, that it s hould he put in the h an d s o f the type-cutters tha t night, and di r ections to while they gave, or affected t o g ive, that effect, their Secretaries arranged with me cer tain particulars as to the form of the document. The Commissioners next named the officers who were to accompany Col. Walker and myself at day , light the next morning to mark out the position of the British camp at the five-le point south of Chang-kea-wan ; other officers were also appointed to act with me in forming a depot of supplies at the latter town, and the same persons were directed. to furnish the carts required by Mr. Loch for the transport of your Excellency's baggage to Tung chow. I parted from the Commissioners at about 8 p.m., and such was their tone during the latter part of the interview that I had no reason to sup pose that the gratification they expressed when I congratulated them on the conclusion of the preli minaries of peace was wholly insincere ; and I was subsequently engaged with Hang-ki until a late hour in the evening in arranging the details neces sary to give effect to the measures they had agreed to. At daybreak the next morning, Tuesday, the 18th of Sept., the Chinese officer appointed to act with Col. Walker and myself in marking out the position of the camp, was in attendance, arid we rode out together to Chang-keg-wan. As we passed the latter plaee, and reached the five-/e-point, we were surprised to find that the ground on both sides of the road "%vas occupied by considerable bodies of infantry and cavalry; that the long embankment which formed, as I had understood, the leading mark of the five-/e-point was lined with matchlock men, while cavalry were thrown out in skirmishing order far beyond it; that guns were being rapidly brought into position, we ourselves having unin tentionally entered a masked battery of 12 guns , upon the construction of which men :were still engaged, and in short, that a very considerable force was in active movement all aro and us. It was in vain that I asked to be directed to some com manding officer who could give me an explanation of this movement; the officers to whom I spoke returned only vague answers, such as that their General might be 10 or 20 le off, or that they did not know where he was. Having my suspicions fully awaliened . Vy what I saw, I determined to hasten back to Tungchow qistlet about five miles) for the purpose, first, of learning if the Imperial Commissioners would avert a collision by directing the withdrawal of the force, and then of bringing away the remainder of my party (20 of whom remained in the town) if they refused to do so. lat the same time requested Mr. Loch to ride on and report to Gen. Grant the state of affairs, together with my intention of returning with further information as soon 25 possible; while Col. Walker, with the small portion of the escort we had brought out, remained on our encamping ground, making such observations as he thought proper. On my way to Tungchow I met Hang-hi, who iold me that he was going by direction of the Im perial Commissioners to see your Excellency—an instruction which, if given, he did not carry out, and he expressed surprise at the movement of force then going on, which he said he did not understand. I also met the Sccretary of the French Embassy and two other parties of French officers, and advised them to lose no time in returning to their own head-quarters. On arriving at Tungehow I sent after the gen- tlemen of my own party who were out in the town, and then proceeded in quest of the Commissioners. As no one in the temple would tell me where they were staying, I went to the chief magistrate of the city, who, after some hesitation, guided me to them in a temple nearly three miles distant from the one in which we had been put up. They did not ap pear until after some delay, and I at once observed a marked change both in their manner and in that of the crowd of officers around them. I informed them in a guardedly respectful tone of what I had that morning seen, and asked them whether they were aware that a large force of Chinese troops had occupied the very ground which they themselves had named as the situation of the allied camp. The following conversation then ensued : Commissioners—We are not military authorities, and have no control over the troops. Mr. Parkes—But your Excellencies, as Imperial Commissioners, have certainly power to instruct your Generals to desist from hostilities, and a col lision is now imminent between the force I speak of and the allied column which must shortly reach the same spot. Will you, therefore, direct the im mediate withdrawal of the Chinese troops ? Commissioners—We can only direct our troops to retire when peace shall have been determined on. Mr. Parkes—l thought that peace had been de termined on both by yourselves as well as by the allies. Have not all the preliminaries been dis cussed and concluded at our several interviews ? Commissioners—We do not think so. You have left one very essential point unsettled—that of the audience. Mr. Parkes—l informed your Excellencies that I had no instruction on that point; but at the same time assured you that it could be settled ut another time, and the very fact of my not being authorised to discuss it proved that it was not a question upon which peace or war depended. Commissioners—We take a different view, and hold that there can be no peace until this point is finally arranged. Until peace is settled our troops cannot retire. Mr. Parkes—l am sorry to hear your Excellen cies speak in this tone. You should at least have stated as much to me yesterday. I can only return and report what you now say to Lord Elgin. Commissioners—You can do much more if you like. You can settle the point at once yourself but you will not do this. Mr. Parkes—l can only repeat that I have no power to do anything of the kind, and all that I can now do is to return to Lord Elgin. • While this conversation was going on, I was re peatedly interrupted by the Mandarins standing around the Commissioners, who thought it right to attempt to drown my voice by repeating in a loud tone, with various additions of their own, the remarks of their superiors, and the Commissioners made no attempt to check this rudeness. I made brief notes of the replies of the latter in my pocket book, explaining to them that I did so to enable me to report accurately to your lordship all that they had said ; and then, taking a respectful leave of them, I lost no time in returning to my party. I found them all collected, and that they had been waiting for me about 20 minutes. Mr. Loch, com panied by Major Brabazon, had com e i n ; ro ; il General Grant to say that we must Los e no time returning, and we gave our best heed to the injunc tion. 10 Ch m an inu 1- tes of the Chineseparasisned Chang —ea — wan, and were ho l p N i - n e g ha t d o l j v us c t le lines, when a fire of Chinese artillery opened along their front, and showed that the engagement had begun. As soon as we were b o served a *umber of Tartar Horse moved into the road to intercept us, and halting the party I informed an officer whom we were, and asked him to allow us to pass on. He desired us not to proceed until o rders arrived from a superior officer upon which I close at hand, sug gested tim e that' s aved if I visited officer myself, Ire assented, and I therefore rode towards the spot, accompa nied by Mr. Loch and one Sowar, carrying a white flag. The remainder of the party, namely, Major Brabazon, Lieutenant Anderson, Messrs. De Norman and Bowlby, one Dragoon, and, I believe, 18 Solvers, remained in the road, and were also provided with a white flag. On „ los i n g a field of tall cane , which hid us from our party we suddenly came upon a body of in fantry, w h o were with difficulty prevented from fi r i ng upon us, and we were directed to a mounted Mandarin, evidently one of rank, and wearing a red button, who was standing on the opposite side of the canal referred to in the early part of this r eport, and near to the spot where one of the bridges had been removed. The crowd of soldiers called on us to dismount and cross the canal in a boat. I tried to avoid this, but as the Mandarin referred to would not speak to me unless I did so, and seeing that we were surrounded by rude and excited soldiers, who clearly looked upon us as their -, , iisnrers, I Id vised Mr. Loch and the Sowar to comply. By this time another Mandarin had rid den up to the former one, and hearing, as he ap proached, the cry raised of " The Prince ! .the Prince !" I inquired from an officer what Prince it was. He told me Prince Sang (Sang 10-lin-sin), and I therefcre hoped that the use which this per sonage had himself made in the late hostilities of flags of truce would induce him to respect the one XII MI i 13 i i )5f 11 N