The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-28 00:00:00

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

INDIA.

The &tee brought by overland mail are Calcutta,
June 22 ; Madras, June 28 ; and Hong Kong,
June 11.

The general news from India has been antici-
cipated by the late Bombay mail, which brought
papers to the 27th ult.

CHINA.

We take the following summary of news, which
relates almost exclusively to the rebels before Shang-
bae, from the China Mail of June 12 :

The rebels are withdrawing their forces from above
Nanking, and are proceeding to reoccupy the country about
Shanghae, from which they bad been driven by the allied
troops. For the last few months we have regularly
recorded the capture of towns, villages, and stockaded
positions by our own and the Freech forces, assisted
by the force of " disciplined" Chinese under the
American, Ward. The admiral's plans have hitherto been
to clear the country of rebels for a distance of about 25
miles from Shanghai. In various expeditions, in none of
which the forces numbered more than 1,500, many were
captured without a single casualty, by the mere superiority
of western artillery. Large quantities of Taepiog plunder
were recovered at several of the plums captured, and
divided among our soldiers and sailors under the name of
loot ' • by some unaccountable neglect, none of this easily
won treasure, possibly amounting in all to half a million
of dollars, was applied to the relief of the famishing
losers, who are refugees in Shanghai. This career of
plunder has been suddenly checked by the arrival
of one of the leading Taeping generals, the Chung Wang.
With the capture of Cholin I. likely to close, for the
present, our account of artilery practice upon towns
and villages of the loot-yielding description. The noise of
our doings has reached Nanking, and has resulted in the
despatch of "Thu Fghting King" (Chung Wang) to the
Shangbae province. This rebel chief is reported to have
taken a very practical view of existing affairs. His first
step was to give foundation for a rumour that an immense
form was menacing Shanghae ; this rumour, as was intended,
caused the withdrawal of our expeditionary forces from the
captured towns, which we bad indulged the hope of garri-
soning with handfuls of men and guns. Very soon afterithe
capture of Cholin, word was brought to the English admiral
that the town of Kahffing, held by Major Taylor and a party
of the sth B.N.L.L, was seriously threatened. A retard
to Slanging was at once ordered ; and on the Queen's
birthday our boo?,a started with guns and reinforcements
for Kah-ding. An Armstrong gun with ammunition bad
previously been sent on in charge of 17 sailors and 6 Sikhs.
On the way, however, there is reason to suppose that the
" Jacks" went on shore to loot, for the half-dozen boat-
loads of ammunition and
,piovisiona were taken and the
Sikhs killed, while the Jacks" returned to Shanghai
without • scratch, reporting themselves to have fought
desperately.
Shaegine appears to be sufficiently defended for the pre-
eent ;ifit be not surprised there is not much to fear with
the existing force to defend it. There will be • good deal of
trouble yet, and we are not certain to Sod in the rebels
a much more formidable foe than we did in the army that
San-ko-lin-sin led ; but, as we insisted upon • footing in
China, we must accept the consequences of our request
having been granted.
From Pekin there is no important news.
In Japan matters are going on smoothly. It is reported
that • steamer owned by Japanese has arrived at Shanghae,
having been worked by a native crew. It is said to be only
one of • prospective Beet about to be organised for foreign
trade. . _ .

From the ports on the mast south of Shanghai there Is
little news.. Nlegpo is still u when we last wrote. It is
only too evideet that more forces will be wanted to estab-
lish imperial sway in the distriota about Ningpo sad
Hismasesas.
An imperial commissioner is expeeted at Canton Mime-
diately, via Hoeg Koos, from Shanghae.
In Hoeg Ka/withers is nothing doing to call for attention.
The heat 'satin comparatively moderato.

LORA* Ititost PARIS.

NEWS FROM MEXICO.

(flost OUR owN col

PARIS, BMW! imam.
•
WOl4 interesting news has been rewired from
Mexioo by Ray 4f 4ayainaii. 7t WM be remora-
lamed that the last report of General de Lorencez
publielredby the .Mortirefir stated that he expected
to be lacked ijn Griz' aba on June 15, and was pre-
pare& to moire the enemy. Subsequently a re-
port which I thought incredible, was circulated in
Paris that the Mexican general had proposed an
armistice. It now turns out that Zaragoza thought

I himself strong enough to propose not an armistice
but a capitulation. The following correspohdance,
*hell it comes tobe generally known, will certainly

produce an extraordinary sensation in France.
llrt the evening of June 12 a Mexican officer, 001.
Odlombree, was sent to Orizaba with a flag of truce,
land delivered to General de Lorencez the following
*ter :
ifentquarten of the Army of the Zest, Teemslnca,
Jaws 12,1862.
thfetlle Coeunsadaria-aid d iia PrewdelrereetssOvisehe
General, —I have rearm for thinking that you and the
odious of the division under your command sent a protest
to the Emperor against the conduct of M. Dubois de
Soapy as soon as you became convinced that he, M.
Nikon de Saligoy, had instigated the sending of an
expedition against a people which hitherto had been on
the most friendly terms with the French nation. This cir-
cumstance and the certainty I have that the Fovea army
is in a difficult position, added to the desire which I feel to
do everything in my power to enable thorn to make as
kmourstde retreat, induce me to ask you to capitulate.
essential bans of the capitulation would be the
MOU &Con of the territory of the republic within a period
lie be mlrequently stipulated.
I feel assured that my government will not disapprove d
this new demonstration in favour of peace, for I can, with-
out overstepping my powers, make every effort to prevent
the effusion of blood between the children of two natiom
which are only enemies in appearance, owing toe mistake.
sad thanks to intrigues. Such hsa, moreover, from the
I very commencement of the hostilities been the ceeeleen
persuaeloa of the constitutional cabinet.
dhould this proposal not be accepted, I shall hays fel-
Med the last duty imposed upon me by epoxide:ads= of
buneasity, and I shall then execute my orders, Arming
the responsibility of the consequences upon those who will
hats penited in a line of conduct condemned by ream
mid Jamie,. J. Zizsooza.
Colonel Colombres remained scarcely ten minutes
at the French head-quarters. The following, set-
cording to the Havanna Proms of July 7, was the
answer of the French general to General Zaragoza t
• milldam Expeditionary Corps, Orkele, June 12, 1862.
The Ummaader-in-Chief of the Mexican Expeditionary
Deeps, not being invested by his government with any
political powers, all those powers having been conferred
upon M. de Seligny, it is impossible for him to enter upon
engetiatious as General Zsragona proposes. The Minister
of France Is the only authority competeet to receive pro-
posals of this kind. COVET DE LORINCEZ.
The subdued, though not undignified tone of
the French general's despatch, is confirmatory of
Zaragoza's statement that his position was very
precarious, and shows that the suggestion that he
would do well to capitulate was quite a serious
proposition, and not made in a spirit of bravado.
It appears that Zaragoza did subsequently make
some attempt to attack Loreneez's posi-
tions, but that he was sot auseessfuL The
accounts are not very clear, but the following
is the substance of them. On June 13 the Mexi-
can General Ortega occupied Cerro del Borrega
with his advanced guard. A journal published
at Orizaba, called Prot; Echo de l'Europe, says that
Ortega had at Cerro del Borrega four thousand men
and four guns. At about lin the morning of the
14th a company of the French 99th Regiment was
sent against that force, and a smart cannonade was
soon heard. The Mexicans wen, speedily routed,
and lost their guns, 400 killed, and 400 prisoners.
It is difficult to suppose, making every allowance
for the inferiority of Mexican troops, that all this
oould have been achieved by a single company of
French infantry ! However, the allegation is that
Ortega confesses his defeat, but only adnita that
he had 1,800 men with him instead of 4,000. The
bulk of his force, be says, was five miles off
at the little town of Jesus Maria. General
La Llave, who commanded at Cerro del
Borrega, thinking himself in perfect security, re-
commended his troops to sleep soundly, so that they
might be the better able to fight the next day.
They slept, in fact, so soundly that they were sur-
prised by the French in the night, who got posses-
sion of their four guns without striking a blow,
and used them against the owners. General La
have, however, alleges that he was attacked not
only by a company of the 99th, but by 500 Zonaves
and two battalions of Foot Chasseurs.
General Zaragoza, not knowing of Ortega's de-
feat, marched, on June 15, towards the Angostura
gate. But, he says, in his report to the Mexican
Minister at War :
I waited in vain at the appointed boor. General Ortega
gave no sign of life. The French monocled actively to the
Ere of our artillery, and knowing that their right, which
ought to have been threatened, was in no danger, they seat
a column against nee. This column, however, was repulsed.
During the rest of the day there was frequent smart firing
both from artillery and infantry. General Tapia was
slightly wounded. I could not, therefore, make the attack
which I had intended. An attack, underthe circumstances,
would have been directress for us. I retired to logenio,
where I shall wait to Dee if the enemy will attack me ; if he
remains at Orisaba I obeli establish my troops in greed en-
campments.

A correspondent of the Prows believes that the
ex-President Ignacio Comonfort, appointod com-
mander-in-chief of the liberal forces, was going to
Ingenio to organise a new attack against Orizaba.
The French army was raising furmidable barri-
cades in all directions, and could easily resist very
superior forces. Provisions, however, continued
to be very scarce in Orizaba—a barrel of flour was
worth 22 piastres ; but 200 waggon loads of pro-
visions were to be sent from Vera Cruz on July 4.
Generale Cobos, Benaridea, Galindo, and Acebal,