The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-08 00:00:00

The shooting for prizes by the Leicestershire
Volunteer Rifles took place on Monday and Tues.
day last at Leicester, when a prize of £6, 100 yards,
for those who had no instruction in. musketry drill,
was won by Private Johnson (Belvoir), who scored
eight points in three rounds. A Whitworth rifle,
value £25, presented by the Duke of Rutland,
three rounds at 250, 350, and 500 yards, was won
by Private W. Biggs, who scored 13 points; Cap-
tain Brewin made 12 points and won the second
prize, an engraving of " The Allied Generals before
Sebastopol." The £lO (silver cup, presented by
the members for the borough, was also shot for, the
conditions being five rounds at 300 yards, and was
won by Private Whitford, Leicester. The chal-
lenge prize, value 25 guineas, was won by Captain
Bankart.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Radnorshire county, Sir
John Walsh, M.P., reviewed the Rifle Corps, con-
sisting of three companies—Presteign, Knighton,
and New Radnor—at Presteign on Friday last, in
the presence of a large body of spectators, among
whom were the Lady Jane Walsh, Miss Walsh,
the Misses Forbes, Colonel Digby, Major Peel, and
Lieutenant Hannam (of the Royal Radnorshire
Rifles). The Volunteers acquitted themselves very
creditably in the execution of the various move-
ments, under the command of Captain Mynors, and
were highly complimented by the Lord-Lieutenant,
who, in the course of his address, expressed his
conviction that the movement had not been taken
up as a mere holyday pastime, a mere boy's play,
or a mere empty pageantry by the men of Radnor-
shire. Sir John Walsh also alluded to the more
healthy tone of our foreign relations, consequent
on the Rifle Corps movement, and said his belief
was that it had accomplished the great object of
preventing invasion. At the same time, in the un-
settled state of European affairs, it was impossible
to say what might happen; and, therefore,• it be-
hoved every lover of his country to support and
strengthen the Volunteer movement. The Volun-
teers, with the officers of the Militia and other gen-
tlemen, were afterwards entertained to dinner at
the Duke's Arms by the Lord-Lieutenant, and a
very pleasant evening was spent.
In the report of the Lancashire County Rifle
meeting of Tuesday mention is made of a " Mr.
James Colquhoun, musketry instructor, of Hythe."
We are informed that there is no gentleman of that
name connected with the staff of the establishment
at Hythe.

AMERICAN DIPLOMACY IN CHINA.

(From the New York Times.)
A special correspondent of the London Times, who ac-
companies the British in their China expedition, has sent
home a long letter enumerating the causes that led to the
present war, and upholding the course that the Allies have
thought proper to pursue in their dispute with the Celes-

tial Emperor. We can hardly ask the Times correspon •
dent to indorse the peaceful diplomacy of the United
States while he is under obligations to justify the very
opposite policy of his own Government. But we
have certainly a right to expect that a correspon-
dent placed in so responsible a situation would at
least steer clear of deliberate misrepresentation. He says,
in regard to Mr. Ward's visit to Pekin, about a year ago,
I that—

"After nearly a month's delay a decree arrived authoris-
ing his admission into the citadel, there to exchange ratifi-
cations with Kweiliang and Hwashana, who had returned
from Shanghai for the purpose. With a very limited suite
he left Pehtang in conveyances ill-found and of the lowest
class in use. Neither chairs nor horses were allowed him.
But the crowing insult was to come. The President's letter
to the Emperor was to have been delivered by Mr. Ward in
person ; but the commissioners, finding that no amount of
persuasion would induce him to prostrate himself when pre.
mating it, suddenly wrote to know why, if unprepared to
conform to this rite, he had come to Pekin at all. Mr. Ward
replying that he had come in consequence of the Emperor's
decree received at Pehtang, ordaining that the ratifications
of the treaty should be exanged at Pekin, the commission-
ers rejoined ' If you waive prostration the Emperor waives
the presentation of the President's letter.' They reminded
him that by his treaty he had no right to require the ex-
change to be made at Pekin, also that he had said at Shang-
hai one place would suit him as well as another. This and
the verbal explanation of the commissioners drew from Mr.
Ward a letter expressing sincere regret' that he had found
himself unable to comply with the ceremonies of an audi-
ence,' and the Emperor then consented to receive the Pre-
sident's letter from the hands of the commissioners. . .

To Pehtang the American Minister was accordingly con-
veyed, and at that town his treaty was exchanged, not with
the Plenipotentiary Kweilang, but with the provincial
Hang-fuh. Thus were the conditions of Mr. Read's treaty
fulfilled—a treaty which places an American Minister on
much the same footing when he visits the capital as an
envoy of Loo-Choo."
This is all incorrect, and widely different from Mr.
Ward's own version of his journey to Pekin. It differs, too,
very materially from the accounts published at the time in
British journals. Every possible respect was shown the
American envoy while in the Chinese capital, and the ar-
rangements for his visit were made under an Imperial
order. It is true that his movements were closely watched,
but proper allowances should be made for Chinesre preju-
dices and exclusiveness, and for the fact that 3rec.c. ward.
had only recently parted from the British and Flt
isnqaurte
bassadors, then at open war with the ?tay,r(6stood on the
wrong to
,say that the American Minister
00.
According to
same footing as an envoy from Loo3-1-Cr
Ward and the
the report of the interview between
res.sly and repeatedly
Im-
perial commissioners, the
iUnitedr States r
e s
p e ase
stated that the Emperor lcolakrteterdersuiepdxo:nnttashe
a friendly nation, andas told by Kweiliang that
theird
equzzl to himself. Mr. War
form of obeisance exacted from tri
the kotou, or regular Loo-Ghee, or Annatn,
butary nations, like Siam, Cares,
e,pocted in his case, and that ho
would not be asked
:Led when he entered +1,.. Juiperial
was required only —t,. a „„,.:,:—.ri retused to do, though
presence. Thi,iB,•MotinnciNTaarprecedent in the action of Lord
knelt under similar circumstances. The
bAmherst,isu.4 ;I:o
throughoutcharacteristic was
of
daniguAifimedericiadnePseiliti-•
conduct of ourenvoi
dent, and
eminentlyneutl;
zen ;Emperor and when, in consequence of his refusal to kneel,
of China declined to see him, his Majesty
the
t
a the same time expressed regret that Mr. "Ward should
b- e unwillint,
& to perform a ceremony practised at many
European Courts, and directed that the ratification
of the treaty should be exchanged at the neighbouring
town of Pehtang.
Mr. Ward, after the Anglo-French force had been re-
pulsed on the Peiho, took a practical and business-like view
of his position. Finding that ho could not pass Taku, he
applied to the Government of China to give him access to
Pekin, and the request was granted.
There is not the slightest ground for supposing that the
Chinese meant or mean now to violate their treaty obliga-
tions. Nor is there any reason why Mr. Ward should be
censured for ratifyin g his treaty at Pehtang when he found
it impoteible to accomplish that act at Pekin. Like a sen-
dible man he was deteilnined to deal with the Chinese as he
found theni, and did not attempt to thrust his own notions
of propriety down thei v throats. In a despatch to the Earl
of Malmesbury, then St %cretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
Mr. Bruce, the English "Envoy, distinctly admitted that no
other course was open to Mr. Ward than the one he adopted,
and that there was every probability of his being received
in a friendly manner at Pekin.
American diplomacy, up to this time, has of raucb•
more in China than the arms of France
and England cow.-