The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-28 00:00:00

CHINA.

We have received our letters and papers front
Hong Kong to the 12th August, and front Shanghai
to the 3rd August. We take the following sum-
mary from the Orertand China Mail :
The past fortnight has been somewhat eventful
both as regards China and Japan.
In the latter country, the feeling which has
always been more or less maniftmted against fo-
rekmera by a certain party in the nation took form
iu an attack upon the residence of the British Am-
bassador on the sth of last mouth. The various
members of Legation, including at this time
Messrs. Oliphant, Russell (nephew of the Foreign
Secretary), and 0. S. Morrison, were roused from
sleep about two in the morning of the day named,
by the assault upon their quarters of a band of
ruffians, who, there is some reason to think, were
suborned by some of the powerful opposition
nobles who lately retired from power upon the
"foreign" question. The only casualties, however,
that are reported consist of one wound in the head
received by Mr. Morrison, and a more severe wound
in the left arm received by Mr. Oliphant. The
Japanese guard fought bravely, and saved the en-
tire embassy. Mr. Harris and the other ambas-
sadors were unmolested. Our minister immediately
called upon her Majesty's ship Ringdows to
supply hint with a guard, and preparations were
being made for the worst. The Governor of Yedo
has informed Mr. Alcock that he cannot guarantee
his safety unless he takes shelter within the citadel.
Other accounts state that Japan is on the brink of
a revolution. It is to be feared that the residence
of foreigners in the country will, in that event, be
made use of as a party " cry."
At Pekin matters remain as when we last wrote.
The Prussian minister had not got a treaty. It is
said that the point in dispute was the date of his
beginning to reside in Pekin, the government wish-
ing to defer that event as long as they could. This
looks bad.

From the three northern ports (Tien-taint New-
chwang, and Tang-chow), we have no very encou-
raging news to report. At Tien-tain, the heat has
been excessive, and the rate of morality in conse-
quence has been about 10 per diem. From New-
chwang we learn that the brag Emma haabeen lost ;
all hands saved. The native population in the
neighbourhood of this port are described as lawless
and intractable. A gentleman attached to the con-
sulate there was recently wounded in a dangerous
manner while riding about the country ; he is said
to have offered some interference in a case where
two men were engaged in beating a woman, and his
interference was resented in the manner referred to.

The latest news from Shanghai speaks of the re:
bell coming gradually nearer the city, and reports
their strength at upwards of 100,000. The whole
rebel question is rapidly becoming a matter of un-
easiness to Europeans, and nothing whatever tran-
spires to diminish the dislike with which we are
steadily coming to view them.
But the one leading topic in China, from the
most northern of the ports to Canton, for the past
fortnight, has been the Chinese customs, and the
working of the new treaty. Both have given much
dissatisfaction to the whole mercantile interest in
the far east, and the voice that has been raised
against the existing abuses under both heads has
been quite unanimous. It is moat likely that some
amelioration of the evils complained of will be made
eventually ; and it is only to be regretted that the
abuses have possession of the field, and, on that
account, laying aside altogether the delays of of i-
cial routine, much trouble will be experienced in
dislodging them. This is the more to be regretted,
since mercantile interests in China must continue
to suffer grievously in the meantime, and the
free supply of Chinese produce to the English
market must be considerably impeded. Ex-
porters from England will also come to feel the
disadvantage they are placed at, and commerce
will thus receive a blew from which it may take
some time to recover. Tho matter has at length been
taken up by the Chambers of Commerce, both at
Shanghai and Hong Kong, and nothing should
prevent its being fully inquired into, with a view
to discovering at whose door the blame rests.
From the Yang-tens river we hear of several dis-
asters to vessels trading between Shaughae and
Hankow ; on the 19th ult. the Manila was wrecked
on a quicksand, eight miles to the north of
Starling Island. The Rajah is on shore five miles
to the west of Nganking ; and more recently we
have intelligence of the Chwian being aground on
a sandbank near Bush Island, and that the Cosmo-
polite is also ashore in the Yaug-tsze. All these
casualties are solely attributable to the late flooding
of the river, which is now beginning to abate ; no
blame whatever is assigned to the commanders and
officers of the respective vessels. Unfortunately,
we must expect to hear of accidents such as these,
until we have a larger acquaintance with the navi-
gation of this interesting river.
Nanking is still closely invested by imperial
troops. There is no battle of consequence to record
for the last fortnight ; the general impression seems
to be that the rebels have been gathering themselves
up for an effort, and that before the next mail
there may be important news to send house con-
cerning them.
The news from Ningpo, Swatow, Fuh-clan, and
Amoy, relates chiefly to the customs grievance, which
is felt to embarrass trade at every one of those
ports.
At Tai-wan-foo, in Formosa, a consul, Mr.
Robert Swinhoe, interpreter to the Amoy consu-
late, has taken up his residence, and in future there
will be a regular monthly communication, by means
of a gunboat, between that newly-opened port and
Amoy. Formosa is not at present very attractive
in a mercantile point of view, but the country is
productive, and only requires that its resources
should be developed.
From Canton there arc reports of the neighbout%
ing country having been flooded, and many popu-
lous districts almost entirely submerged. The
affair of the magistrate sentenced to be imprisoned
for using torture has not created so much stir
among the Chinese of his district mat first appeared
likely.
From Macao we have no news.

In local matters there is little to record, except
two meetings of some importance ; one, to consider
the Canton claims ; the other, a meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce specially summoned to con-
sider the question of the Chinese customs. This
latter meeting was adjourned in order that members
might give their matureat consideration to the
papers laid on the table, and to the subject gene-
rally. By next mail, it is probable that the con-
elusion arrived at by the chamber will be known.
We have had a remarkably mild summer as yet,
milder than previous years, and gill more improved
by pleasant breezes. This is all the more striking
when we consider the present condition of other
parts of China iu regard to temperature. At Tien-
tsin, which was so long ice-bound last winter, the
thermometer is now at 112 degrees in the shade,
and the mortality, as mentioned above, is from 10
to 12 per diem ; at Shanghai the number of deaths
has been large, and the heat excessive ; at Fuh-
chan it is 97 in the shade ; at Saigon the French
are dying at the rate of 8 or 9 per diem ; while in
Hong Kong the weather has been quite pleasant, and
the mortality not in excess of ordinary times. It
would thus appear that Hong Kong is at present the
Sanitarium of China.

The King and Queen of Prussia were to heave
Ccbleotc on Thursday tur Baden•Badea with the Hereditary
Prince and Princess.

The serious accident at a bull-fight in Spain,
mentioned In a recent telegraphic despatch, occurred 4
Logrono, near Bilboa, on the 19th. It was occasioned by a
number of persons, after the killing of the last bull, jump-
log on to a wooden platform, in order to get away sooner.,
which platform, not being very strong, gave way, mid pre-
cipitated them to the ground from the height of about 'JO
feet. A Irene of pest confusion ensued, but, though 10
persons were more or less seriously injured, no one was