The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-29 00:00:00

CHINA.

We take the following from the China Mail of
the 11th August :--
The irregular nature of our communication with
Japan prevents us from being able to report conti-
nuously the:progress of events in our settlements
there. The last information received was by a
steamer belonging to Messrs. Jardine, Matheson,
and Co., and the only item of news which it brought
was to the effect that all the ministers had left
Jeddo, the American minister included. There is
considerably more significance in this fact than may
at first appear. Such an event has never happened
a.. nee foreign relations were opened with the coun-
t but that this is precisely the consummation
that a
understood
party in Jeddo have
ing for during
andthe last few years, is now pretty Well
been sedulously schem-
servers.
with
of
admitted by many political ob-
servers.
continued irtel„dst summary of news we recorded
seemed to vie all the ministers, who
respective posts,
course, however, they
orchtli::!her in remaining at their
have simultaneously become
ape._eesweary, and now, for
official,
lauthorities behold
the first time, the j
have often
affairs as being
Jeddo without a foreign
and not a little
pointed out the present state of We
hatsnd if the wrought for with great patience
made
skill by the Japanese Government;
re-
ports can be relied upon, 3 move
by the combined foreign ambassadors, wheitelizi
quite voluntary on their part, is yet entirely which, while
factory to the native dignitaries. Another report
to the effect that the great princes of Japan, res"-
ing to the Tycoon the exclusive revenue he'dgetrirvged-
from foreign trade, were about to demand the open-
, ing of additional ports in their own territories, is

THE SUN, LOPtIOOII,

not at all likely to prove true, although rather
plausible; The result of the alleged gathering of
Daimios at Jeddo has not transpired; it may sim-
ply have been an auxiliary movement towards
inducing Col. Neale and the others to retire from
Jeddo. Matters in Japan are therefore, with one
important exception, pretty much as when we last
wrote.
.; With regard to China, the last fortnight has
passed
A t withoutTien_t
sin anycho incidentlera has b
eoefn raging
frightfully
importance.igully
~
among the native population, and is said to be mov-
ingurther accounts say
in the direction of Pekin. F
that the statesman Kweilianghtf
has succumbed to it.
Only one foreigner has fallen a victim in Tien-tsin.

" At Chefoo, also, the pestilence has committed
dreadful havoc, 20,000 people, it is reported, hav-
ing died of it. The Rev. S. Hall and other four of
the foreign residents expired within a few days.
"At Shanghae everything is quiet. The dimen-
sions and importance of that settlement are increas-
ing with the growing trade on the Yang-tsze river,
already very large. A movement is at present on
foot to have a regular municipal corporation, or
something equivalent, with power and authority
over the community to the extent of levying taxes
for public purposes. A proposal to constitute
Shanghae a free city has been made and has met
with approval. In order to carry out this idea a
charter would be required from the Emperor of
China; but the British consul, whose advice was
requested, pointed out that the moment had scarcely
arrived for asking such a concession from th e Em-
peror. Considering the part Shanghae has recently
played in Imperial interests, the reverse would
rather seem to be the ease ; but it is beginning to
appear that the representatives of England are act-
ing under instructions to be in the utmost degree
guarded in encroaching upon Chinese interests.
There is little doubt that the Emperor would grant
requests of a reasonable kind now that he would
not give much attention to in different circum-
stances, but our officials have instructions—we have
evidence to show it—to deal favourably with the
Chinese government, and to be strictly content with
what we have got.
" The following, from the North China Herald,
refers to the former governor-general of the Shang-
hae province :
" There was a well-authenticated report current
at Pekin, that the unfortunate governor-general of
this and the neighbouring province, named Ho-
kwei-tsing, was beheaded on the 17th of the fifth
month. It will be in the recollection of our readers

that this is the same personage who remained a
poverty-stricken refugee in Shanghae after the fall
of Soochow, and whom we mentioned had gone to
have his case tried at Pekin, which has resulted in
his decapitation. Before his execution he handed
in a petition informing the Emperor that what he
had done—resulting in the loss of Soochow—had
been done by the advice of four of the chief provin-
cial authorities, amongst whom he named the Im-
perial Commissioner Hsieh. The governor general
of the Kiang provinces and the governor of Kiang-
soo have been ordered to examine into the matter.
Hsieh may possibly be banished.'
" From the ports on the Yang-tee we have no par-

titular intelligence. Hankow continues to improve.
We have heard no solution to the land lot diffi-
culty; that has been consigned to Pekin, where
delay is necessary and undue delay more than
suspected.
" Canton and Macao have both suffered most
seriously from the effects of a typhoon which swept
over that district about a fortnight ago; it is said
to have been of a more severe nature than any that
has been experienced for upwards of 30 years. The
destruction of life and property at Canton is im-
mense, the loss of life in the city and neighbour-
hood being estimated at 40,000. This is the
highest estimate, but continued inquiries show it to
be probably the most correct. At Macao some
damage was done and a number of lives lost, but the
place is not at all so much ',punished' as Canton.
" From Ningpo, we hear that Luh-sin-lan has
been decapitated. He is an old man of seventy, and
had lately made himself obnoxious to the Impe-
rialists and to the Toutae of Ningpo. He had
temporised with the rebels when the latter worthy
fled, which fully accounts for the fact now recorded.
At the same time a colour would not be wanting for
Luh-sin-lan's execution. It has created much and
deep regret among the missionaries, with whom he
was on terms of friendship. This is the same man
whom they brought out of Ningpo after its recap-
ture by the allies ; they brought him to the funeral
of Lieutenant Cornewall, which was a kind of out-
rage on proper feeling that nothing we know of
appears to have warranted.
"The following notice of a pirate fleet in this
neighbourhood is from our Shanghae contemporary :
' By the steamer Sir Charles Forbes we learn that
these pests of humanity are again becoming, trouble-
some on the coast between Shanghae and Ningpoo.
The captain of the above-named steamer informs us
that he spoke the Heather Bell, which had been
fired on by the pirates off Chin-hae, on her voyage
down from this port ; also that another small craft
in company with her at the time is missing. These
pirates are said to be very daring, and belong to
Apak's fleet of buccaneers, the greater portions a f
whom are now in the Imperial service, keeping the
Taepings in check at a place some 30 miles inland
from Ningpo.'
" In Hong-Kong everything goes on smoothly.
Tiae late typhoon was felt here in smart gusts of
wind, which did just sufficient damage to show what
we have to fear should any other part except the
extreme edge of a cyclone approach us. About a
week ago the Snake picked up a boat's crew who
had left their vessel, the Lord of the Isles, after she
had caught fire ; the ship, being full of gunpowder
in cargo, was abandoned soon after the efforts to
extinguish the fire were seen to be unavailing. The
crew reported the Captain (Davie) and eight pas-
sengers (including six French priests) as at sea in
another boat. These have since, we are glad to
say, turned up safely after considerable hardships.
The weather here is pleasant, but the barometer is
very low, and it is feared that the last has not yet
been heard of typhoons, but that one is either im-
minent or raging somewhere in our neighbourhood.
" With regard to the opium swindle matters are
moving along slowly. Rustomjee still remains at
Macao, his surrender to the authorities here being
dependent on the decision of his excellency Gover-
nor Guimaraes, who is at present in the north of
China. Rustomjee is represented in Hong-Kong
by his attorney, Mr. Pauneefoote, who is prepared
with and holds a document in terms of which the
Parsee makes over certain assets in England to the
creditors here. As the amount of those assets is
not specified, although an attempt was made to
convey the idea that they were immense, and as
the right of Rustomjee as to their absolute dispo-
sal is far from certain, the creditors have refused to
compromise the matter in consideration of getting
this document ; it is called a trust deed, and lies in
(the attorney's hands ready for delivery on the terms
proposed;.

correspondent of the TE SOLDIERY
.—The
which lately it
are hatless or shoeless,
THE CONFEDERATE
New York Times thus writes of the
.-"YEDERA g
vaded Maryland : —Thousands of them
.—The Baltimore
Asts thaned. many destitute of clothing for
either extremity.
to particulars. It is said
that r
filthy condition don't force me
city, who went to join these liberators,had their ardour so
evidently little affinity be-
windward side, that they
arnetheir present condition,
reeetuolevndebdyianndaispgpusrota.chTfrhoenare
is
areltimore.
almostßa the only repre-
sentatives
to be a
spite of their
tween these friends of Maryland
someh of the
They increases
and the kid-gloved gentry who
usual raare*
of secessia now loft in
ragged and filthy, the rebel soldiers Though
healthy and robust-looking set of fellow:
hard fare. Indeed, it has developed in
,thwilemhic
marching and
roadand Nvifighting.thl
characteristics of the Arabs, or Indians
their efficiepnaseYsiinnode-
scribed as
unencumbered as they are with baggage ; bearoidity,
their muskets, trailing at their side. They have cleaned
donoulyt
the stock of merchandise in the place, in exchange for their
worthless scrip, visiting their friends as well as their ene-
mies
with this infliction. Shoes being in special demand,
one rebel shoemaker, who met the approaching Confede-
rates with an address of welcome, has had the melancholy
satisfaction of seeing his stock disappear before his sudden
increase of custom, leaving in its place a currency not yet
atpar in the Northern markets, to which he must look for
anew supply. Even the women and children's shoes have
w.,,..
'44 feu to be sent home.