The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-24 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

(From the Limerick Chronicle, Feb. 20.)
The Amphitrite transport arrived from Portsmouth, at
Cork, on Wednesday, to convey the depot of the 73d
Regiment to Plymouth. She will return to Cork with the
depot of the 94th.
The first battalion of the Coldstream Guards remains in
Dublin this summer.

A party of the 88th Regiment from Tralee have re.
placed the 22d at Tarbert.

- The Amelia transport, with troops, has left Cove for
Portsmouth.

On Monday, a company of the 92d Highlanders pro-
ceeded from Kilkenny to Ross, under the command of
Captain Noel, for the purpose of relieving the company
previously st•itioned there.

On Tuesday last the wife of a bricklayer, out
of work, was delivered of three female infants (who, with
the mother, are living, and likcqy to live), by Mrs. BONNER,
midwife, of Kensington. The parents had two children
previously, and are in great distress. The name and ad-
dress is - Amos, Earl's Court-road, Old Brompton,
near Gunter's-garden.

BONN, ON THE RHINE, FEB. 16.—C0.w-
FLA•RATION OF THE HOUSE OF NIEBUHR, THE HIS-
TM:JAN.—An recident, of late occurrence in this tbwn,
• has excited an universal cancer n amongst all orders of the
people, and more especially the literary, from the loss it is
likely to sustain front it. The house of Ntlnunit, Privy
Councillor of State, and known to the world as the his-
torian of Rome, was discovered some few nights since to
thrown,to
be on fire, when the alarm was immediately given, and the
inmates fortunately escaped unhurt from the surrounding
flames. The library was fortunately saved, and a great
let
izwithoutvniannduen,rmit
manuscripts
ct damageslarnllvoel,rgestwhich
was' the
I'ov):irrtmit peol ,tr, ttf tlileo.ol efrr furniture,galelal dtelieooillu:bkotisft volume of the Itnnun Ilisturv,which
was just ready for the press, but from the loss of much of
its contents, must now postpone the ardent expectations of
the learned. To such a malt as Nistitinu, the lass in
property is not of so much consequence as the labours of
his mind ; for he is neither of an age, nor in health,
easily to repair such a misfortune..Moinen -1)
g (Ter,

The second Member of the Factory at Canton, who is
in attendance on this Committee, underwent an examina-
tion on Monday. He proves to Ise John F. Davis, a gen-
tleman who has translated several works from the Chinese
language. He gave a very long and interesting account
of this singular people, and their general habits of trade,
of which the following, we believe, will be found to be a
correct outline :
He stated, that from a residence of 17 years in China,
he had had many opportunities of observing the Chinese
in their general character and habits; that he had tra-
velled several times into the interior of the country some
hundreds of miles. He likewise accompanies! Lord Am-
herst on his embassy, and was present at moat of the en-
tertainments given on either side.
Although the Chinese were, strictly speaking, an anti-
commercial people, it was his decided opinion that the
Government were fully aware of the advantages of com-
merce, as it brought it a revenue in the shape of heavy
duties, levied on almost every article of import and ex-
port. In fact, the authorities scarcely recognise any nation
beyond its mere trading qualities.
The character of a merchant or tradeernan in China was
n,t held in a degraded light by the authorities. Wealth,
as in Europe, exercised an all-powerful influence in
equalizing ranks. He (Mr. Davis) had, on more than
one occasion, during Lord Amherat's embassy, seen Man-
darins of the highest order in the Palace of the Viceroy,
whom he afterwan's met in the evening at parties given
by the Hong merchants, some of whom were exceedingly
rich. klowqua's riches were incalculable.
The Company's tonnage to China had increased dui ing
the last nine or ten years 5,000 tons on an average.
The amount of the freight o❑ each pound weight of tea
exported from China in the Company's ships was 41.
l'he freight in smaller ships might not exceed Std.; but the
heavy duties and extra expenses in China would counter-
balance this seeming advantage. Small ships do not carry
an equal quantity in proportion to their tonnage as large
ships, and pay more for insurance. Experience has like-
wise proved the sea-risk to be greater. In case of war, no
convoy is necessary for large vessels. It was upon record
that they had frequently beaten off French ships of the
line. Commodore Dance had flats saved
.property to a
large amount.

Ile believed the Company paid about 91. or 10/. per
ton freight for ships consigned to Canada, and the Ame-
ricans paid about an equal sum, tLe American ton I clog
about one-fourth smaller than the English. A pound of
tea cost only about Id. for freight to Canada- This arose
from the freight being principally charged upon the out.
ward cargo from this country, instead of upon the tea to
Canada.

The amount of American imports into China from Eng-
land does not exceed 800,000 dollars, whilst that of the
Company were to the amount of 800,0e01. Ile could not
account for the Americans persisting in carrying articles
of English manufacture to China, whilst the East India
Company were sustaining a loss on their consignments to
that country. The Company always studied the interests
of this country in preference to their own, although it was
asserted to the contrary.
He had not heard that the Americans were at this time
realising 32 or more per cent. on the articles they im-
ported into Chins; nor was he aware that an American
ship called the Alerope had been on a coasting voyage to
Nang-po, and had realised very large profits, most of her
' cargo having been pais' for in silver. If, said he, this
be true, the traffic must have been illegal, but added, that
it was possible fer other vessels to do the same thing, and
reap similar advantages.
In his opinion, free trade with China would be fraught
with great evil. Irregularities of every sort would ensue,
—edicts would be published prejudicial to this country,_
the prices of tea would be raised, and an inferior article
poured in ; as it bad always been observed that when a
sudden demand for any particular description of tea arose,
its quality was deteriorated. Mr. Davis instanced the
species of tea called Twankee in proof of what he said.
With regard to the illegal trade by country ships in
opium, &c., Mr. Davis had never seen a chest of that drug
in his life, nor did he know that the East India Com-
pany's mark was upon any of them. The Company had
the entire monopoly of that drug in India, and the country
ships were licensed by the officers of the Company to trade
with China, but were not under the cotroul of the Cont •
pany except in particular cases.

_
These contraband trading vessels mostly bore the British
flag. The Chinese must I e aware that other flags besides
the British traded with them, bet they certainly stood
higher with the Chinese than any other nation.
English ships of war had been ordered by the English
Government not to touch at Canten since the altercations
between the Chinese in the affair with Admiral Drury,
and in that of Captain Richardson. In these cases Chinese
authorities considered the East India Company's Chief as
the representative of the English nation, although he had
no controul over the British men-of-war.

The Government of China was usually in the habit of first
causing a stoppage of trade. The Company's servants, how-
ever, in 1814 were determined to fight them with their
own weapons, to accomplish which the trade was sus-
pended by the English. Mr. Davis did not think the
lower classes of people suffered in calor, of suspension of
trade. The Chinese Government were more the sufferers
from lark of the duties, and in consequence were glad to
Accept of the Company's terms.

He was not aware how many millions of people sv,-„.0
employed in the manufacture of the article of te,t: while
travelling in China he had seen a board, ou v, nick „,„
written in Chinese characters, " Company's
lie did not know how far the Pleka'::s sealed went un-
opened into the interior of the cc :intry. His observation
extended only to a short dista/ tx from Canton.
The woollens were got rid el by a species of baiter with
Hong merchants for teal. The proportions of each mer-
chant's share were relatively to his contracts for teas ; cloth
was sold by the tad of 6s. Sd. It teas only an imaginary
coin. The rule of exchange did not vary; the tael had
always borne the same value.

The admission of Sy-see, or pure silver, was not per-
mitted by the Chinese Government, The India Company
had imported some from India, but they obtained a license
from the Chinese authorities so to do.
The Chinese nation adhered most scrupulously to an-
cient custom, and whether ut christenings, marriages, or
deaths, or celebrations of festivals, old modes of dress
were rigidly continued, which prevented in a manner any
great introduction of artieles of English fabric ; calicoes,
when white, were saleable, as they admitted of being dyed
into suitable colours.

The Portuguese bad attempted to establish a factory at
Minot, but were compelled to decamp, owing to the exac-
tions of the Mandarins, who levied duties in a merciless
manner. The Dutch and Americans trafficked at Cochin
China, but with very indifferent success.
He could not account for the Anwican trade having
unproved in value in the last few years, because the num-
ber of ships were smaller, unless they imported more bul-
lion and exported mote portable and expensive articles,
such as silks, &c.

The Chinese viewed with great jealousy the power of
the English in India, in Nepaul, and Ara, and the pro-
vinces adjoining their empire. During the Burmese war,
a Chinese General was heard of by our troops as being in,
their neighbourhood,

He stated that so little was known regarding the ataii,t-
tics of the Chinese empire, that little reliant;, could be
placed on any of the accounts of that country.
Mr. Davis stated that the tea plant \vas cultivated by
small farmers, who were under a law of that of
France regulating the descent of property. Tee tea-mer-
chants who collected the produce were men of we.ltb.
Davis believed the tea-shrub only bore once in two or three

years, consequently a sudden fall off in the demand would,
bs attended with very serious results to the growers.

Lady PAGET (the lady of Sir .CHARLES
PACE!', at present Admiral on the C.ii;Station) and her
daughters have been converted to the Roman Catholic
Church. The ceremony took place at the parish chapel,
in Cove, within the last few slays, and was attended by an
immense cnneonme of people. —Limerick Evening Post:

j We hear that an ordinance for the establish-
! went of an entrcpot (bonding warehouses) at Paris has
received the Royal signature, and will be published before
the opening of the Chambr.ta.--Gulignani's Messenger,
We learn from Lisbon that a French gentle-
man, attached to the Consulate-General of France in that
city, has been arrested, on the charge of being the political
correspondent of several liberal papers in France and Eng-
land. The Consul is employing his utmest efforts to
obtain his liberation.— Galisniuni's Messenger.

ROYAL ANECDOTE.—ANNE of Austria con-
tended that tyranny was the hest mode of governing a
State. She frequently obuersed to Louis XlV.—" Fetter
the people while they slunibur—they will uwake in depot,.
deuce." Otte of her peculiarities waa an aversion to tho
contact of any but the most exqui•iteiy wrought stuffs,
The finest cattiblic was too coarse for her delicate limbs.
('ardinll MAZARIN frequently rallied the Queeu-dowager
on this extreme sensitiveness of touch—`c Should your
3lajestv be damned," Gbt,etved Lr, " )oar hell will be
pair of Holland ahevta,"