The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-16 00:00:00

THE CHINA EXPEDITION.

The force about to be concentrated at Hong
Kong will consist of two brigades of infantry, com-
posed of the sth Fusiliers, now on their passage
from the Mauritius, the 59th Regiment, now at
Hong Kong, the 23rd Fusiliers, the 82nd, 90th, and
93,1 Regiments, which will proceed as soon as the
shipping arrangements are completed. This force
will be further reinforced by four companies of
artillery from Woolwich, 1,000 Marines and 100
men of the Royal Engineers ; while, in the shape
of auxiliary corps, it will be accompanied by one
battalion of the military train, and 200 men of the
Medical Staff Corps.
The Commandcr in Chief will be Major General
Ashburnham, C.B , who had commanded in the
Sutlej campaign ; he goes out with the rank of
lieutenant General. The first brigade will be
commanded by Major General Sir Robert Garrett.,
K.C.B , now commanding a Brigade at Gibraltar,
and the second Brigade by Major General
Straubenzee, C. 8., who holds a similar position in
Dublin garrison. Colonel Pakenham, C.B , who
was adjutant General of the Crimean Army, will
be the Adjutant General to the division, and
Colonel Wetherell, C. 8., late Quartermaster-
General of the Turkish Contingent, goes out in
the same capacity to China.

UNION OF THE ATLANTIC WITH THE

PACIFIC.

A communication from the gulf of Mexico, in
the Moniteur de la Fiotte, corroborates the state-
ment that General Comonfort bad sold to an
American company a tract of land in the Isthmus
of Tehuantepec, with the right to cut a canal to
unite the Atlantic with the Pacific. The plan of
canalising the isthmus of Tehuantepec is said to
be wry oid, and has been frequently revived within
the last 50 years. The intention attributed to the
company is to unite the rivers Huascualco and
Chimalipilla by a canal which will be about 35
miles long, and thus connect the two oceans.
The writer of the article asserts that competent
judges think it the most practicable and least
expensive plan yet suggested. It says
The province of Oaxaca, in which the land granted to
the American Company is situate, is one of the most fertile

in the Melean Confederation. The climate is good and
it contains much mineral wealth. The capital is in the rich
valley granted by Spain to the descendants of Hernan
Cortes, end from which they derive the title of Marvis del
Valle. The treaty now in que-tion was signed at Me*ico
on the 25th of :Tannery last, but it is not to be definitive
nutil it is ratified by the Government of the United States.
The price to be pkid by the Company le 26,000,000 dots
The numerous en tries of General Comontort attack
this treaty. They acsert, not without some show of
reason, that it tends to a further annexation with the
-United States, as it introduces the Americans to the centre
of Mexico,"

The
.following appeared in our Second Edition of
Saturday :
THE NEW PLENIPOTENTIARY FOR CHINA.

From the Times the Earl of Elgin has accepted the office
to the Court of Pekin. and will proceed on his arduous
mission as soon as he has been made sufficiently accpainted
with the views of Her Majesty's Government. It would
not be easy to name a more unexceptionable min for the
office, or even one with so many positive recommendations.
It is a service both of difficulty and danger that he has
undertaken. When the Commander-in• Chief. General
Pennyfather, has made the proper t'll;position, and is
ready fur an advance, the British Plenipotentiary will, WO
F p pose, invite the Emperor to a peaceful settlement of
affairs. It has been insinuated that we ought not to have
taken advantage of an hour of distress to press our claims,
but it is the Imperial crisis itself which has broaght on
the rupture, Commissioner Yelt having notoriously- pre-
sumed on his security irom Imperial control. The
Plenipotentiary will have to deal then not only with the
Emperor and his manderins, but with his insolent vice-
roys, and with a rebellion almost everywhere victorious.
It is likely enough, therefore, that circumstances will
arise which may require great discretion, temper, and
even courage. Should Lord Elgin meet with success, his
will be a singular lot, and a uniq'ie glory in achieving two
great works of reconciliation
.so wide apart and under
such various circumstances.