The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-06 00:00:00

THE BOMBARDMENT OP KAGOSIMA,

Yesterday morning the papers on this subject, 76
is number, were issued from the Parliamentary
printing-office. We extract the following de-
spatches :

"EARL RUSSELL TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL NEALE.
(Extract.)

" Foreign-office, Nov, 10, 1863,
"I have received and laid before the Queen your
despatches dated Yokohama, Aug. 25 and 26. In
my despatch of the 24th of Dec., 1862, I directed
you to obtain reparation for the murder of Mr,
Richardson, and the murderous assault on a lady
and two gentlemen who, with Mr. Richardson, were
riding on a public road open by treaty, and who
drew up on the one side of the road to allow the re-
lations
from retainers of a great Daimio to pass. For
this barbarous and unprovocked attack you were
directedrequire
Tycoon the payment of £lOO,OOO and an ample apo-
logy. You were further directed to require from
a td o
the Pt ince of Satsuma the execution of the actual
murderers, and the payment of £25,000 as indem-
nity to the relatives of the murdered man and to
the sufferers from the murderous assault. With
respect to the Tycoon's Government, the demands
you were instructed to make have been complied
with. The sum of £lOO,OOO has been paid, and a
satisfactory apology has been made by the Tycoon's
Ministers. Her Majesty has been pleased, in tes-
timony of the patience, good temper, and firmness
with which you conducted this negotiation, to con-
fer upon you the Companionship of the Order of the
Bath. The accomplishment of the remainder of
your instructions has been found more difficult.
Ten months having elapsed without the trial, or
even the arrest, of the murderers, you thought
yourself under the necessity to ask the assist-
ance of Admiral Kuper, and to proceed with him to
Kagosima, the capital of the Prince of Satsuma. In
your letters of August 1 and August 12, both de-
livered on the 12th, you communicated to the
Minister of the Prince of Satsuma the demands you
were instructed to make.. In the answer of the
Prince of Satsuma, dated the 13th of August, it is
stated that it isjust that a man who has killed another
should be arrested and punished by death ; that if
the murderers in question can be detected they shall
be punished ; and that it is not right to impede the
passage of a chief with a large body of retainers on
a public road. These answers, in reference to a
murder committed by the retainers of the Prince in
full daylight, ten months before, upon a person who
had not in any way impeded the passage of a public
road, showed a fixed determination to afford no re-
dress. Vice-Admiral Kuper then directed that
three steamers belonging to the Prince should be
taken and detained by way of reprisals. But before
any further communication could take place, hos-
tilities were commenced by the Japanese, and her
Majesty's ships were fired upon from the batteries
with shot and shell—an act which it became neces-
sary immediately to resent. The
steamers taken

many guns were dismounted
exploded. It is much to be
were burnt. The batteries were fired upon from:
point blank range ;
as the batteries were apparently
alanmdevnatreidous gazthmata,ines
situated in about the town, the consequence of firing
with shot and shell upon the batteries and maga-
zines shonld have been to set fire to the town,
which Admiral Kuper says has been burnt. Many
innocent persons have thus unfortunately been in-
jured. At the same time it is obvious that if Admiral
Kuper had not returned the fire of the batteries her
Majesty's squadron would have suffered a defeat,
and fresh murders of British subjects by the cruel
and insolent Daimios would have been perpre-
trated. Her Majesty will express through the
proper department her admiration of the gal-
lantry of her naval forces. It is my duty
to request you to express to the civil servants of the
Crown who accompanied you her Majesty's appro-
bation of their coolness and courage. Their know-
ledge of the Japanese language was no doubt of
L great TAlue, both to you and to the nasal commander-