The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-28 00:00:00

~~G~~

BRITISII COLUMBIA.

THE BEC'ENT ROSTILITIE IN CHINA.

The correspondence between Mr. Bruce, her Ma-
jesty's Envoy Extraordinary to China, and the Fo-
reign Office, relating to the recent hostilities in China,
was published yesterday in the shape of a Parlia-
mentary return. The substance of the most im-
portant letters have already been made public.
Mr. Bruce, however, in a letter dated Shanghai,
Sept. 20, encloses an extract of interest from the
Pekin Gazette, describing the action at the Peiho.
It is an Imperial decree, and must have been issued
in June :

Sung Ko-lin-sin and his colleagues have pre-
sented their report of certain details of the (late)
action, as ascertained by them on inquiry to be

" On the 25th of the moon the vessels of the
English barbarians, who would pay no attention to
the reasonable commands issued -to them, forced
their way into the river, and opened a fire on our
troops, which the latter returned. The barbarian
vessels, though injured, would not withdraw, and
contined the action with their infantry, until the
forces of Government had killed several hundreds,
and had taken two of them alive. The rest then
fled and slunk back to their ships. The barbarians'
vessels that entered the river were thirteen in all,
and but one escaped across the bar; the rest had
suffered such damage that they were unserviceable.
The barbarian leader Li (?) was also so severely
wounded in the thigh that he could not move.
" The English barbarians, violent, rebellious,
and unreasonable as they are, have on this occasion
received such a chastisement as will not fail to make
them aware of the danger (lit., difficulty) of offend-
ing the military dignity of Cnina. The officers and
men, who with a common purpose and united
strength achieved this great victory, have certainly
shown a more than ordinary courage ; and we
command Sung Ko-lin-sin to ascertain the names
of all who exerted themselves on the occasion, and
to recommend their, to our favourable consideration.
We, at the same time, authorise him to distribute
among them 5,000 taels, which he may take out of
the subscription fund. Shih Tungeehun, Comman-
der-in-Chief of the Chinese army of Chih-li, and the
Brigadiers Lung Ju-yu-en, Commandant of Takoo,
heading the fight in person, so valiant that they dis-
regarded their own safety, and were killed in the bom-
bardment, are indeed to be deplored. Let their
names be handed to the proper board, that posthu-
mous honours may be liberally awarded them, and
let shrines be raised to them in Tien-tsin, and at
their respective homes. Let the Major Tsitanpu,
with Takshia, Subaltern of Musketeers, in the Plain
White Banner Corps, the Lieutenant Wang Shi-
yany, and the Ensign Chang Wanping, who fell at
the same time, be awarded each one the posthumous
honours to which he is by regulation entitled ; that
their loyal spirits may be comforted.
"Respect this !"

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

The weekly meeting of the board wag held yes-
terday in the Council Chamber, Guildhall—Mr. J.
Thwaitea in the chair.
The financial statement showed a total cash
balance of £98,716 17s. Payments were ordered
on account of the main drainage to the amount of
£321 ls. Id.
THE SOUTHERN Or TFALL MAIN SEWER.
A communication was received from Mr. Rowland
Brotherhood, of Chippenham, Wilts, giving up his
contract for the southern outfall sewer, in conse-
quence of difficulties which had arisen with respect
to sureties for the due performance of the same.
Some routine business having been disposed of,
the board adjourned at an early hour.

Last evening, at 7 o'clock, a public meeting of
the inhabitants of Woolwich was held at the Town-
hall, William-street, for the adoption ef measures
to resist the taxation inflicted upon the parish by
the Metropolitan Board of Works. The chair was
occupied by Mr. Taylor, and from various addresses
delivered it appeared that the Local Board of Health
for the parish of Woolwich had carried out a com-
plete system of sevferage at a great cost to the rate-
payers, before the passing of the Metropolitan
Local Management Act ; but inasmuch as Wool-
wich was included in that act, the Metropolitan
Board has issued a precept upon the Local Board
of Health for payment of a proportion of the main
drainage expenses- The Local Board declined to
make a rate for this purpose, and the Metropolitan
Board subsequently made a rate upon Woolwich of
4d. in the pound, with an additional pe ditnny
of the
rate for
the cost of collection. Mr. Ruegg (eor
Kentish Independent) contended that the Metropo-
litan Board had acted illegally, and could not en-
force payment, which was proved by the fact that
the Board sought to obtain powers in their amended
act to collect rates in parishes which refused to pay.
On the motion of Mr. Bassett, seconded by Mr.
Davis, the meeting was adjourned for a week, and
it was resolves to request the attendance of Mr.
Hudson, the Woolwich representative at the Metro-
politan Board.

SUMMARY OF ELECTION PETITIONS,

1860.

PETITIONS OF SESSION 1859 TO BE TRIED IN THE
PRESENT SESSION.
1. Weymouth and Melconabe Regis—Joseph
Slade and others ; Robert James Roy Campbell ;
Colonel William Lockyer Freestun.
2. Carlisle—John Park Arthur and John
Graham.
3. Barnstaple—Sir William Augustus Fraser,

Roscommon—Denis O'Conor and Patrick
Bart.ar4t.

Graham.
Joseph Bayly and Robert
pilgrim.
Newry—Robert
tyllarmouth-
6.
Robert Dempster and Thomas Card-
well.

7. King's County —D. Hume and John F•
Cassidy.

8. -Chatham George Wilstead and George
Pattison.

9. Dover—Sir William Russell, Bart.
10. Carlow--henry Cary and Thomas Harris
Carroll.
11. Dundalk—Patrick Dowdall and Matthew
Moore Graham.

PETITIOiC WITHLRAwN.
Devonport—William Ferrand.

The latest news from British Columbia (states
the San Francisco Newsletter of Dec. 20) is of the
most cheering character, exhibiting the well-con-
sidered developments of that now rapidly rising
settlement. The amount of gold now shipped to
this port in 90 days is 450,000 dols., without ,
allowing for the dust in private hands amongst the
passengers.
On board the barque Henrietta, with about 80 •
. , passengers from Port Douglas, a theft had been
committed—one of the miners hating lost his purse ; I
with about 500 dols. worth of gold dust. A search
' was instituted, and all on board were requested to
show their treasure. This was complied with, and
the result was that about 60,000 dols. in gold dust
was laid open to inspection.
...- ..:.
The amount of gold dust shipped. to San Fran....
cisco, by the express companies during the last l& ..e
months is three and three quarter million dollars. .:1"
The progress of Victoria is in fair proportion to the--
cheering news from the mines. The hammer 'jai'
heard in all directions from early morn till late at-
night,
on the buildings now going up, both stone
and brick. Real estate hus also taken a rise, and
sales have taken place at least 20 per cent. above
prices asked a few months since. This colony is ..
most prosperous. The great boon of a free port has •
been kept intact. The land system has undergone
great reform for the better, with few or hardly any,
taxes ; public buildings have gone up, and an '
efficient police kept on foot.
The New Westminster limes is a weekly paper,
well got up and conducted with considerrble ability.
Its editor is a gentleman of education, who advo-
cates reforms without stooping to vu'gar personal
abuse, The cold was so intense that the water in
the top of a stove which had a fire in it up to
ten p.m. was frozen into a solid mass at eight a.m.,
although a hard finished room—and the water in
the ewers and basins in a room in which a fire was
kept all night was completely frozen in the morn-
ing, having ice two inches thick on it—yet it has
been much colder in New York.
A Canadian gentleman holding an official situa-
tion at New Westminster, arriving here on the
16th by the steamer Northerner, reports that every
returning miner is in possession of a considerable
quantity of gold dust, many with 4,000 to 5,000
dollars' worth—their reward for a year's labour in
,411q4ines of British Co:umbia. contractor for
3,
. -
the construction of a wharf at Westminster .. --
offered from 20 to 30 of these mi one dollar per
hour if they would aid him in finishing his under-
taking, but was only responded to by most derisive
laughter from the whole of the people assembled.

12. Clare—Nicholas Butler and John Barrymore
/slacnamara.
13. L3me Regis—John George Sarsfield Mac-
narnara Moore and George Nathaniel Shore.
14. Peterborough—Wm. Vergette and others ;
Thomas Salley and Henry Freeman.
15. Athlone—Robert Preston Bayley; James
William Fair ; Lawrence Kelly and Thomas Gill.
16. Norwich—Josish Fletehcr arid other; ; John
Godwin Johnson and Roger Kerrison ; Philip Back
and Gardiner Christopher Stephens.