The Express.
London, England, 1862-09-29 00:00:00

CHINA AND JAPAN.

The following is from the summary of the over-
land China Mail of August 11 :
The irregular nature of our communication with Japan
prevesti us from being able to report cootinuously the pro-
gress of means In our settlements there. The last informa-
tion received was bg a steamer belonging to Messrs. Jardine,
Matheson, and Co., and the Duly item of news which it
brought was to the effect that all the ministers bad left
Yedo, the American minister included. There is consider-
ably more siguific aloe in this fact than may at first appear.
Such an event has never happened since -foreign relations
were opened with the country; but that this is precisely
the consummation that a party in Yedo have been sedulously
scheming for during the list few years is now pretty well
understood and admitted by many political observers. In
our last summary of news we recorded the continued resi-
dence of all the miuisters,who seemed to vie with each other
in remaining at their respective posts. Of this course,
however, they have simultaneously become weary,
and now, for the first time, the Japanese authorities behold
Yedo without a foreign official. We have often pointed out
the present state of affair' as being wrought for with great
patience and not a little skill by the Japanese government ;
and if the reports can be relied upon, a move has been made
by the combined foreign ambassadors, which, while quite
voluntary on their part, is yet entirely satisfactory to the
native dignitaries. Another report, to the effect that the
great princes of Japan, grudging to the Tycoon the ex-
clusive revenue be derived from foreign trade, were about
to demand the opening of additional ports in their own
tin.:tories, is not at all likely to prove true, although
pleasing and rather plausible. The result of the alleged
gathering of Daimice at Yedo has not transpired; it may
simply have been an auxiliary move towards inducing
Colonel Neale and the others to retire from Yedo. Matters
in Japan are therefore, with one important exception, pretty
much as when we last wrote. _ _

With regard ti;Chintiiilast fortnight has pared with-
out any incideLt of importance. Cholera bin been raging
frightfully among the native population of Tien-tsin. and is
said to be moving in the dircctioe of Peking. Further co-
conuts my that the statesman Kweiliang has succumbed to
it. Only one foreigner has fallen a victim in Tieo-trio. At
Chaim, also, the pestilence has committal dreadful hasx
20,000 people, it is reported, having died of it. The Rev.
B. Hall and other four of the foreign residents expired
within a few days.
At Shanghae everything is quiet,. The dimensimas and
importance of that settlement are increasing with the grow-
ing trade on the Yang-tare river, already very large. A
movement is at present on foot to have a regular Municipal
corporation, or something equivalent, with power and autho-
rity over the community to the extent of levying times for
public purposes. A propoesl to constitute Shanghae• free
city has been made, and hie' been met with approval. In
order to carry out this idea, a charter would be required
from the Emperor of China ; but the British consul, whom
advics win requested, pointed out that the moment bad
scarcely arrived for asking such a concession from the Em-
peror. Considering the part Shaul/bee has recently played
in Imperial interests, the reverse would rather seem to be
the cue ; but it is beginning to appear that the representa-
tives of England are acting under instructions to be in the
utmost degree guarded in encroaching upon Chinese in-
terests.

Canton and Macao have both suffered most seriously from
the effects of • typhoon which swept over that district about
a fortnight ago ; it 311 rid to have been of a more severs
nature than any that has been experienced for upwards of
thirty yesrs. l'he destruction of life and property at Cantos
ert is immense, the loss of life in the city and ne bourbood
being estimated at forty thousand ; that is the h est esti-
mate, but continued inquiries show it to be pro bly the
most correct.

TEE SAFE TEENEPORT or Pirr•outtin.—The re-
moval and storage of petroleum is a subject which is now
creating mush controversy amongst the commercial comma-
city in Liverpool, and bas formed matter for several discus-
'ions at the Dock Board, resulting in the determination to
erect warehouses on the margin of the Greet Float at Bir-
kenhead, to be devoted exclusively to the storage of the oil.
Mr. Cope, of Naylorttreet, Liverpool, has invented a cask
for the use of petroleum importers, by which they can store
pe:roleum with other articles of merchandise, without any
danger of explosion. The danger of explodoesin petroleum
is not generally understood to arise from the vapour of the
oil coming in contact with the atmospheric air, and as it is
well-known that combustion cannot be maintained without
• supply of oxygen, the inventor asserts that it is iropce-
sible for explosion to take place in his casks as no atmosphe-
ric air can penetrate them, as in the awe of the wooden
vessels. The casks of Mr. Cope are made of metal,
and can be stored very much deeper than the wooden
ones without fear of danger, and it is alleged that those
casks could be carried amongst the general cargo of • vessel
without any chance of explosion, and without injuring the
cargo by imparting. to other goods its most objectionable
smell. So subtle is the gas which is given off from petro-
leum that it penetrates through every portion of a ship in
which it is carried, and injures all other goods carried is
, the vessel, so much so, indeed, that the importers will b'
compelled to bring it over in vessels exclusively devoted to
the trade. Should Mr. Cope's cask enable petroleum
lobe carried with a general cargo, it will be of considerable
value to • large branch of the commercial community, as
wall as an inestimable boon to the email importers of the
oil. A number of gentlemen met at the office of Mr.
Alderman Dover during the week, and after viewisg •
specimen 'ask. expressed the unanimous opinion that it pa-
ssaged the qualities attributed to it.
CETSTAL PALAClL—Biondin wt7l wane the high
rope over the fountain. to-day (Monday), at three o'clock,
instead of four, as hitherto.