The Express.
London, England, 1855-08-30 00:00:00

CHINA.

The Pekin Gazette reports that the insurgents are
losing ground in the north of China. The Overland
Friend of China says :
" The amount of bloodshed at Canton during the
last month has been sickening. When Shaou-king,
the second city of the province, was vacated without
fighting, a short time ago, a number of the inhabi-
tants thJught mercy would be shown to them if they
gave themselves up. With equal reason might for-
bearance have been expected from the hungry wolf—
they were taken to Canton in droves of five hundred ;
as many as ten thousand, it is said, being confined in
the city at one time. Kept without food for several
days, when the hour of examination, so called, ar-
rived, eye witnesses tell of the utmost callousness
being exhibited; the condemned getting into the
execution basket with even apparent satisfaction.
" At the rate of seven and eight hundred a day for
some time, the whole ten thousand, and thousands
more, were soon got rid of. Several were skinned
alive, and one higher criminal than the rest was cut
in twenty-four pieces,—lingeriog dying. From the
careless way in which the bodies are interred in heaps
at eastward of the city, and the disgusting stench in
the vicinity of the execution ground, it will not sur-
prise us to hear of a plague carrying off its victims
by thousands.
" But with all these executions and their probable
terrible consequences, there is no abatement of the
rebellion—there is no instance of any of the leaders
giving up the cause for promised rewards ; in no case
have the insurgents retired before, through want of
food and ammunition, all reasonable prospect of
successful epposiiiol had apparently gone. From
Shaou-king-too they marched north-west, with Hoe
Alukh'a band in company, forty thousand strong.
" From the Circular of the Canton Chamber of
Commerce we learn that several more chops of last
season's congou and other teas have arrived ; the
congous (Oonams) eonsiderably injured by their
long detention in transit. No teas, the growth of
the:present season, have arrived as yet,' says the secre-
tary, ' and it would now appear to be extremely
doubtful if we shall receive any at all.' In Canton
imports (excluding rice) the value of about a lakl3
and a half of dollars have changed hands during the
past month; two-thirds of which amount may be
noted for cotton, cotton piece goods, and American
drills.

The Hong Kong government Gazette publishes
io its first number a notification against trafficing in
female children. This notice is occasioned by a pro-
clamation issued by his Excellency Wang, the
Oovernor-General of Fuh-keen and Chekiang, stating
it has cume to his knowledge that female children
have been bought at Ningpo for the purpose of being
shipped to foreign countries, and that it is his duty
rigorons:y to prohibit the practice.
The Overland Friend protests against this inter-
vention, and says:
Cuba, like other places to which Chinese emigrate,
wants female companions for its male bondsmen. The
fotty females in the present case left their familirs willingly,
money being given to them in the presence of the Portu-
guese consul as for the customary marriage fees. There
was nothing like kidttappiag about it; and the thing worked
well till British consular precincts ware reached at Amoy,
when her Britannic Majesty's acting consul must need.
regard the proceeding, as criminal, tine the captain 1001.,
and set the females at liberty.
A numerous body of British merchants at Shanghae '
have memorialised the consuls of the three treaty
powers, requesting their assistance to effect an assi.
milation of the currency of that port to that now in
use at Canton, and pointing out next China New Year
as the fitting time for bringing the proposed measure
into operation. The consuls express the greatest wil-
lingness to co-operate in the matter.