The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-10 00:00:00

THE WAR IN CHINA.

The Secretary of State for War has received a
despatch and ita enclosures, addresaed to him by
Brigadier-General Staveley, C. 8., commanding her
Majesty's troops in China, of which the following
copies are pubhahed in yesterday's Gazette :

Headquarters, near Bah-ding, Oct. 21, 1862.

Sir,—l have the honour to report for your information
that the Chinese authorities having expressed their willing-
ness to plea a garrison in Kah-ding, if the allied forces
would recapture it for them, the place was taken by storm
after a bombardment of two hours, this morning, by the
force under my immediate command, mentioned in the
accompanying return marked (A), as well as the British
naval forte under Captain Daiwa, CB., and the French
troops, placed respectively at my disponi by Via-Ad•
mind Sir James Hops and Captain Fanottn, command-
ing his Imperial Majesty's forces in China, also the lo-
cated Ward's force, under the command of an American
(Colonel Burgoviene), and Lieutenant Kingsley's 67th
Regiment, battalion of 500 Chinese, and six mortars worked
by Chinese, under Lieutenant Cane, ILA., all detailed in
return marked (A). The guns and mortars were got into
position during the night, and opened fire so soon u the
walls could be seen. At 8 o'clock, two practicable breaches
having been made, the French and British each established
their bridges, the British under the direction of Lieutenant
Knevitt, &N., and Lieutenant Lyeter, R.E., the storming
parties of the 31st and 67th Regiments, under the command
of Captain Christian, 31st Regiment., then planted their
ladders and entered the place without opposition, the
enemy escaping by the opposite aide of the city. The place
had been considerably strengthened since our last visit, by
au outwork made to flank the walls, and protected by a sort
of bomb-proof, which, however, waa not proof against
8-inch mortar shells. I gave over the place to Colonel Bur-
goviene and his men, and, except the storming parties,
none of her Majesty's naval or military forces were allowed
to enter it. The re-capture of Kah-ding completes the
radius oflthirty miles round Shasghae, which it was decided
should be cleared of the Tai-ping rebels. I trust that the
excellent conduct, of the troops under very tempting circum-
stances, and the very arduous nature of the service, will be
favourably considered. 1 wish to mention for favourable
notice, Captain C. Gordon, commanding Royal Engineers ;
Captain Mansergh, Deputy Assistant-Adjutant-General ;
Captain Gammsll, Deputy Assittant-Quartermaster-Gen. ;
Dr. Rennie, 31st Regiment, Senior Medical Officer ; Assis-
tant Commissary-General Thompson, in charge of Commis-
miseariat ; lieutenant Jebb, 31st Regiment; and the
Prince Witgeostein, of the Ist Prussian Lancer Guard
Regiment, who acted as my Aides-de-Camp.
I take this opportunity of recording the greet assistance
I hate invariably received on the 'occasions of the various
expeditions from Mr. Consul Medhurst, and Mr. C. Ala-
baster, of the consular service. I also wish to manila, the
services performed by Commander Strode, of her Majesty's
ship Vulcan, who was employed during the whole of the
operations against the Tai-pings, and whose name was in-
advertently omitted in my recommendatory despatch ; also
of hie first lieutenant, Lieutenant Grant. Commander
Strode bad the working of the naval 32. pounders on all co-
Cili01)11 when they were used, and was assisted by Lieute-
nant Grant. _ .

In transmitting a list of casualties marked (B), I have
much matisfaction in calling your attention to the senior
medical officer's report (herewith forwarded) on the health
of the field force.—l have, &c., _ . .

_
C. S4avittEr, Brigadier-General,
Commanding her Idsiesty's Troops in China.
The Right Honourable the Secretary of State for War,
War•offioe, Pall-mall. London.

THE POPE'S SPEECH.—A correspondent of the
Tempe, ins letter from Rome dated the 3rd instant, states
that the reception of the French officers at the Vatican on
New Year's Day was so unusually solemn that of itself it
indicated a radial change in the diplomatic relations with
France. The Pope, be adds, had a very animated and
smiling aspect, and seemed in excellent health. His speech
was is French, and appeared to have been learnt by heart,
although " here and there some few extempore words"
escaped him. It is perhaps owing to this circum-
stance that two different versions of the speech
have been published in the Paris journals.
The Bade of yesterday places several peruses from these
two versions aide by side, and point. out bow very much
more energetic the Pope is made to speak in the columns of
the Union than in those of the Moniteur. In one paper oc-
curs the phrase, "Why cannot I also bless my enemies!'
In the other this is given as, " Why cannot I also bias
the impious r The discrepancy between other passages is
even more marked. The Temp. of yesterday, in comment-
ing upon the .peoch,says :—" Pins IN. blessed the Emperor,
the Empress, the Prince Imperial, and the French army.
He regretted he could not also bless his enemies. We were
not aware that the gospel forbade him to do so."
" We are informed," says the C'entstitutionnel,
" that the Superior Council of Commerce, Agriculture, and
Ilsnrdacture has been called on by the French government
to examine the sugar question in all its bearings, both u
regards internal consumption and the regime of exportation
and maritime interests."

His Honour Sir William Foster St•well, Knight,
slake justice of the Supreme Court at Melbourne, lies
appointed Mr. William Barr, of Beighley, Yorkshire, soli-
citor, • commissioner to take and remise affidavits in

Engbutil to be need in the Supreme Court at Judicature
of the colony of Victoria. . . .

Among the new companies (says the Atheneum)
one of a most novel and curious nature is talked of. The
object is to construct a gigantic reflecting telescope of far
greater dimensions th,,n Lord Itore's celebrated six-feet
reflector, with which it is expected wonderful planetary
sights will be revealed. "We hope, if such an instrument
be constructed, that it will be erected where the atmo-
sphere is clear ; for, as we well know, Lord Itosee's splendid
telescope is sully out of place in the very misty atmosphere
of Ireland."

The honorary secretary of the Central Relief
Pond has received an intim►tion from the Mersey Dock
Board, that any vessel with food for the Lancashire opera.
tives "shall have the full Odle of the docks of the company,
free of all dock rates and charges." This resolution was
unanimously adopted, and it was also agreed "that so
rates shall be charged on any food or other article imported
directly for the same objects." The total receipts of the
Central Fund yesterday amounted to shove 10,0001.
About 140 boxes, saved from the wreck of the
Colombo, will, it is expected, arrive by the seat homeward
Australian packet, due next week.
Mr. Cowdery, for many year; the toll collector
at the lichen floating bridge that leads from South►mpton
to Natio), Abbey, was found dead in the toll-house yester-
day.
In 1860, one in every 9,404 slaves in the United
States was insane, one in every 4,900 was a deaf mate, and
one in every 2,503 was an idiot.

NAVAL AND MILITARY.
ADNIAAIST, JAN. 9.
Dr. A. Graham, to the Edinbeuxh.
Ammtant.Elargeool B. Brown(, to the Dumberland ; K.
J. (YToole, to be &Athlone! to M• Forte; and T. S. Bur.
nett, to the Royal Adelaide, for service at Plymouth Hoe-
OW.
Amietant Payment& in Mane H. H. MT. Grant, to the
Invedilrator•

.—Surgeon

POBTAIKIIITH, JAIL 9.
The Termagant, 25, screw frigate, Captain Ro-
bert Han.. paid out al commission to-day.
The Pylades, 21, screw corvette, °appal Arthur W. A.
Hood, is expected to sail to-morrow for North America and
the West lodise.

--iii; member of the Privy Council arrived at the Royal
Clarence yard this morning shortly before eleven o'clock,
and crossed over to Osborne in the Firequeen steam vessel,
Master F. W. Pant commanding. They returned in the
afternoon and proceeded to London.

CHATHAM, J pg. 9.

Admiralty instructions haveleinireo—ervedai the
dockyard directing a shot-proof turret to be erected on the
upper or lighting deck of the Royal Oak, 80, 800-horse
power, iron-cued steamer, for the protection of the cap-
tain during an engagement. The turret will accommodate
one person, and it will be encased in armour-plating of the
same thickness as that on the exterior of the Royal Oak.
It is probable that the Royal Oak will be shortly commis-
sioned, and a certain number of her °SOWS eppointed, in
order that the work remaining to be accomplished on board
in the way of preparing the frigate for sea may be pushed
forward as rapidly as possible.

The subjoined (says the Army and Navy Gazette)
are the names of those Trawls which either an on their
way to England, or have been ordered home, viz.:—Hecate,
Fawn, Pioneer, ImpErisuais, Odin, Scoot, Pearl, Encounter,
Centaur, Sphinx, Renard, Blandon, Snake, Vulcan, Clio,
Wye, London, Man, and Melpomene. The Beagle is
ordered to be put out of commission at Hoag Bonn, Pas to
be available on the spot if her services should be required.

PRACTICAL JOKING IN THE ARMY.—WO sincerely
regret to have to refer to • case of " practical joking"
which lately occurred in the 18th Human, and which
formed the subject of • court of inquiry. Anything less
jocose and more stupid and ungentlmmilike than the pro-
ceedings conventioasily clawed under this heed cannot well
be conceived. Gutting the room of an unpopular member
of a regiment is an act more befitting the undergraduate
career of a " ticket of leave," than that of a gentleman's
son ; and in the present instance the nn-resentful character
of the victim took away from the outrage even the
element of pluck which is sometimes held to palliate such
freaks. Schoolboys, not to speak of those grown to man's
estate, have long mince eschewed this kind of boisterous mis-
chief. We are glad to find that his royal highness the
field-marshal commanding-in-chief promptly took up the
cue in the 18th Hussars, and when it was proved, at once
sent down the deputy-adjutant-general to Hounslow, who
read a severe lecture to the offenders, and announced that
their leave was stopped and their promotion affected by
their transgressions. As some impression to the coatrary
appears to prevail, we feel bound to state that the culprits
at once bowed to their sentence, and accepted it in • spirit
which leads WI to hope we shall bear no more of these vul-
gar eccentricitiell—Aresy zed Navy Gazette.