The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-15 00:00:00

CHINA.

The following summary of news is taken from
the China fail of the 29th of June :

Then has bees no thugs in political matters during
the last fortnight, either in China or Japan. The officer
in command of her Majesty's foram in China has left his
headquarters la Hong Kong and gone to Shanghai, probably
to make armaments for the proteetiou of that port in
the over of the rebels furring their lost ground. The
slate of the rebellion is briefly this :—A considerable city,
named indifferently Woo-chow and 800-chow, and situated
' M its south of the Tee-hoc lake, is held by a large body
of rebels, and is most strongly fortified by means of
stockades. In addition to these the rebels have pitched •
camp outside of the walls, end, not confining themselves to
the defensive, they make occasional sallies wan the be
who hove, so yet, been able to do no more than hold
their own. The latter number, according to the latest ac-
II counts, scarcely 8,000, including a force of Lroo disciplined
troops under command of General d'Aiguebelle. The rebels
have hitherto been able to keep their opponents at • die-
ter. of 20 miles from the city, bat the country round about
is eo completely in the hands of the imperialists that all sup-
plies to the rebels are likely to be cut off. It is impossible
to say how long this date of things may continue.
Two chiefs are reported as having surrendered to
the imperialists, with 5,000 mem. and to be engaged
ea the side of the besiegers. This may be only a stratagem
of war, for we hear that traitors are suscooted of being at
work in the imperial army. Of the Ts/pings who were dis-
persed we have heard nothing brood • rumour, which lies
never been corroborated, to the effect that they had appeared
ia aisuradieg bands somewhere in the north of the Carr
province. Besides Woo-chow Naakhi alone is held by the
rebels, sod is closely invested by • large army ander Teen
Kwo-fan. Some successes ere reported as having been pined
by the imperialists on the north alder theory, Watley people
acquainted with Chinese warfare will be seernioe of imme-
diate or decided mars by the bringing army. It is even
alleged that Tseeg Kwo-fang himself is not anxious fora
speedy reduction of the place. as such an event would lead
to the disbandontnect of his army, sod, consequently,
occasion a serious diminution of his own power and indoors.
There L always, more or lees, a difficulty in assignieg the
true motives to • Chirman's action. and we can only, in
the present cue, wait for further eolightenuseat. The fact
that Tseng K wo-Fan is opposed to the idea of being assisted
by Europeans is probably significant of • desire to prolong
matters. On the whole, however, there are no good manes
for supposing that the rebellion will not eventually be
crushed, although there is room to feu that the troubles con-
nected with it are far from being at an rd. It wee rumoured
io Shanghai lately that Borgevine and others, Wring ad-
vantage of Colonel Gordon's retirement from the Geld,
had proceeded to Nankin with the view of again helping the
rebels. This rumour has since been 000tradired, but
whether the original statement or the subsequent corm-
diction it correct it is impossible to my. Shanghai is •
hotbed of istrigne with regard to the rebellion, owing to
the fact that property there rises or falls according to the
torrent of rare in connexion with the iesurrectioo. The
..awapapeta, moreover, are either most imperfectly in-
formed or somewhat reticent on the same subject. Colonel
Gordon is in Shanghai, bat nothing transpires as to his
intentions : most likely he awaits the arrival of
General Brown before taking say steps in the
way of further relating the imperialists. Frain Pekin
and the northern ports we bar no new, of im
From Hankow we continue to hear reports of the Vy=
being in the neighbourhood, but beyond mere rumour
nothing more can be learned regarding them. With regard
to Japan we are not likely to bear of any change in our Ma-
tinee for some little time to come. The matter at prompt
pending is the opening of the Inland See., which has been
closed for some time by the Prince of Nagato, who caused
the shipping to be molested in paring through the Straits
of Shimenceaki. The 20th Regiment is now cm its way to
Japan, and the Conqueror has already reached Yokohama
with a battalion of marines. Nothing has transpired as to
the course that Sir It. Alcoa will adopt further than that
he is determined to reopen the Inland Sea to foreign vessels.
From the other ports in Chime and Japan we have no news
of consequence.