The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-28 00:00:00

CHINA AND JAPAN.

Our dates from Hong-Kong are to the 11 th of
July. The Overland China Mail thus summarises
the events occurring in the interval since our last
dispatches :
" The London mail of May 26th arrived here on
the 4th inst.

" From Japan, the news of the fortnight has
been exciting. We stated in our last issue that
the indemnity demanded from the Japanese officers
by Colonel Neale, in the name of the British
Government, and amounting to £llO,OOO, was
ready to be paid. It had been agreed to take the
money at short specified intervals, the first instal-
ment to be paid on May 18. That day passed with-
out any reference being made to the matter, but on
a day afterwards the Japanese Aiinisters attempted
to re-open negotiations without the payment of any
money. Her Majesty's charge d'affaires very pro-
perly considered this as a breach of faith, which pre-
vented him from having any further dealings with
the native envoys, and accordingly placed the busi-
ness in Admiral Is: epee's hands, after having duly
notified the circumstances to the foreign communi-
ties at Yokohama and Nagasaki. The admiral also
notified his intention to commence hostilities in
eight days, and advised those among the foreign
residents who had wives and families to have them
removed if they intended themselves to abide the
issue of events. Admiral Juarez proffered his co-
operation, and undertook to defend the foreign
settlement. Preparations began in earnest, and
continued until the night of the 23d and 24th ult. ;
when about midnight the Japanese officers, not hav-
ing access to Colonel Neale, went to the French
Minister's quarters and sought an interview. This
being granted, they informed him they were ready
to pay the money as agreed upon. He accordingly
communicated the information to her Majesty's
charge d'affaires, who replied that as the Japanese
had suffered matters to go so far the whole sum
must now be paid at once, in 440,000 Mexican
dollars, to be delivered at seven in the morning.
By last advices the money was being paid into her
Majesty's Legation. At the same time the Japanese
ministers informed the different representatives of
foreign powers that the Tycoon, then at Miako, had
instructed them to obey the Mikado's orders to expel
foreigners and close the ports. The Tycoon's officers
expressed themselves willing to enter into negotia-
tions upon that subject. The various foreign mi-
nisters declined to discuss any such matter, but pro-
mised to convey the communications then
made to
their respective governments. The Japanese also
requested that foreigners would hold their settle-
mentsithteeiurd
intended
own t militaryo
sh ut th
efomr c eusp— a
effectually
evidentlyby
u
within certain limits, and contract to the narrowest
point their intercourse with Japan.
There still remains an important portion of the
reparation unsatisfied, and one which the Tycoon's
Government have stated to be impossible for them
to fulfil, viz., the trial and capital punishment of
Mr. Richardson's murderers, who are closely con-
nected with Prince Satsuma, and the payment of
£25,000 to the relatives of the murdered man and
to those who suffered by the outrage. The British
minister has accepted the Tycoon's plea of inability
to coerce Satsuma, and has intimated his intention
of taking that duty upon himself; the Tycoon's
Government have therefore been advised to warn the
Prince against the consequences of a failure to yield
up the murderers and pay the damages demanded.
In the event of this not being done, the admiral
of Satsuma's dominions,
awni
dl pc
or on:
me eedn
ct oe
ss
uo me
he
part of
of hostility as to
him shall seem best. Prince Satsuma has a castle at
Kagosima, near Cape Chikakoff, and this the ad-
miral may determine to attack ;
or he may mean to
proceed to the Loo Choo Islands and attach the
revenues there which belong to the Prince. It ap-
pears, therefore, that while the Government officials
have purchased immunity for themselves, a power-
ful foe yet remains in the field whom it will be
urgently necessary to bring to terms.
" An act of hostility was perpetrated on the
American steamer Pembroke, while she was lying
at anchor in the inland sea. Some Japanese Go-
vernment vessels fired upon her, and struck her in
several places, The Pembroke escaped by getting
'IP steam and moving off; her guns were lashed,
1,11:1.
lithe made no attempt to use them, all hands
0 busy getting the steamer under weigh.ree,•
" F
aeasaki we learn that things are begin-
ning to look more
peaceful, although batteries have
been throwu up
zixay known.
i
the T ewhich command the port and the
shipping;
whether of Satdetua id not]r
by telit
" Flom Pekin anycotn's orders or those
northern ports there le ne
news of a political kind
Netherlands proceeds to peAkti- embassy from the
ambassador is Mr.immediately; the
Van ber
sloven, Mr, C. M. de
Dries acting as interpreter.
" At Ilankow everything seems to
'nor rumours
alarms have been raised for some time, no
r rumours
of district marauders approaching the settlement.
4! At Kitikiang the same immunity Prevails
although Taepings known to b 5
are
thein the
neighbourhood.
ranking has been attacAed by a considerable