The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-30 00:00:00

Nothing can be more orderly than the books of
these I..risons nothing can be more just and benefi-
cent than the rules laid down for their governance.
In some countries words represent facts, but this
is never the case in China. The practice is as I
have faintly sketched it.
In dealing with this nation of fair words and foul
deeds we are under great disadvantage. Howqua,
and Singqua, and Imqua, and. all theother merchant
" quas" were in the Committee 'of War, and cogni-.
sant of all that was doing in these prisons. " Com-
mitted by the Committee of War" was the usual',
entry in the prison books. If we had seized'
Howqua and held him for 24 hours—and he wail
well within our reach—poor old Cooper would be in
the bosom of his family. But this would have been,
according to our notions, unjust to Howqua, for
the Chinese would not afford, us legal evidence of
his complicity. So poor Cooper languished in that
loathsome prison, and we are a righteous nation,
who respect the dicta of learned Dutch jurists.
When I have said that Mr. H ullatt's soup kitchen

goes on well, and that he has- already 'funds to
supply a daily meal for three months to 1,500
Chinese, I have said all that I dare venture to say
about this city. A score of letters would not
exhaust the subject. but the patience of the Briti6n
public has its limits.
The 70th Sepoy Regiment has arrived. They-
are doubtless very fine high caste gentlemen. It is
said that they have existed for 16 days upon bean
and water, beciuse they had scruples --*.:tonscience'
about cooking at sea. Two hAdred' coolies were
asAigned to sweep out their queltertf;;,boe4nse, es
, General Straubenzee remarks, these menAto—liiing,
of that sort, 'but only do soltrrevicworlrlfelieVir
I am-not more cruel than -my neighbours, Vett I
should certainly like to see all this nonsense. flogged
out of these scoundrels. In these latter days,
when it has been possible to substitute other pun-
ishments, there has been too much flogging in this
army for slight offences, and I • would willingly
spare some of our drummers and boatswains -
mates for service in the Sepoy quarters. They
landed, I must admit, in very soldierlike order,
and, by the aid of our Coolies and their ownnanap
followers, they were lodged or tented in a mar-
vellously short time. The next day they addicted
themselves to looting, and three of them were shot
by the -French police. The evidence, upon the court
of inquiry which followed was very contradictory ;
but that they were looting and that they resisted
the police were two uncontested facts. Perhaps
the French were hasty ; but a Sepoy in his undress
is undressed in the literal sense of tho term, and it
is not quite to be wondered at that the Frenchmen
had recourse to their arms to rid themselves of the
blows and brickbats of a crowd of half-naked black
ruffians. No two human creatures can be more
different than a Sepoy dressed in his red coat and
faultlessly clean belt, and the same animal stalk-
ing about on his long, lank shanks with a
white girdle round his loins. It is ominous of sub-
sequent events that on the third day after the ar-
rival of this 70th Regiment they were erecting two
funeral pyres before the eyes of the wondering
Chinamen just outside the north-east gate, and
burning two of their comrades. Cremation is a
cleanly mode of a' pulture ; but it would be well to
preserve entire the classical custom, and to per-
form the rite with sweetly scented weeds.
I am afraid that General Straubenzee, whoa*
popularity has been waning since the capture of the
city—such is the fate of sudden favourites—will
not recover his ground by bringing his old Indian
prejudices into Canton. He has most unfortunately
commenced his treatment of the sepoys by an act
which both English and French regard as an insult.
When an Englishman or a Frenchman -is caught
plundering he is tried by the three Commissioners.
The first four sepoys who were caught looting were
withdraWn from the jurisdiction of the Commis-
sioners, and handed back to their own colonel.

Passing from the men of war to the men of peace,
we approach the question of the re-opening of the
trade of this city. In my last letter I mentioned
the contradictory opinions existing upon this sub-
ject, and the interests wherein these ,opinions had
their origin. Soon after it was despatched, I had an
opportunity of seeing Howqrta at his own house.
The principal Chinese merchants were present, and
I was surprised at the- fitIODPY vs,,itit-wtilefi They all
speak English. Islowqua stands upon his dignity—
or upon the advantage it gives him—and replies
only through his linguist ; but it is evident that he
quite understands all that passes.
It was a point with the English merchants to
know—first, whether the Canton merchants were
prepared to trade, and if so, secondly, what stock
they had on band. After & long time spent in ques-
tioning and answering, in discussing sponge-cakes
and sweetmeats, and parfait-amour, a list was pro-
duced of the teas in stock, and,-making allowance
for the somewhat elastic. quantity of a Chinese
"chop," we eAimated the amount at 21 millions of
pounds, all, as we were assured, good sound teas,
ready for immediate delivery. There is a still
larger quantity re idy to come down. The Chinese,
as sellers, are not likely to overestimate the extent
of their stock in hand ; but, upon talking this
matter over with the English merchants, they
appear inclined to disbelieve both the amount and
the quantity of the stock in hand ; they say that
what teas the Chinese have are chiefly those of pre-
vious seasons. lam at all times unwilling to state
facts which may influence present markets for
these are subjects on which I am peculiarly liable
to be misinformed, and am without that knowledge
of the details of Chinese commerce which would
enable me to feel confidence in deciding between
conflicting statements. I confine myself, there-
fore, to reporting the assertions on either side.
Upon the general question of trading the Chinese
merchants assembled at Howqua's seemed to think
that, upon the authority of. Peh-kwei's proclama-
tion, they might recommence their business. "More
better make that trade pigeon all one fashion—that
Maudatin pigeon all one fashion.". The only diffi-
culty they had was upon the subject of duties.
They thought that if the allies collected duties Peh-
kviei's only incentive to open the trade would be
taken away, and that trade couldnot go on.
Lord Elgin decided this matter as they wished.
It was found upon consideration that the difficulties
in the way of collecting the duties ourselves were
insuperable. Multitudes of international questions
would arise, and as the correspondence between Mr.
Reed and Yeh had never been a great secret to any-
body, it was known that a very small infraction
would be eagerly laid hold of. Whenever this cor-
respondence shall be made public you will find that
it is precisely what' described it to be at the time—
possibly when Lord Elgin might have been quite
ignorant of its existence or purport—that the Amts.;
rican approached the Mandarin almost with. Ber-
-1 vilibr, !dui ta.tu utzAtuu. yr. ilia .tire aset
of that flag which Jrc., and that the Mandarin met
his off rs with a curt snubbing and most mortify.
ing contempt. However, the attitude of the Ame-
ricans and the necessities of the Chinese Govern-
ment are the evident considerations which induced
the allied Powers to restore the trade upon its old
leaving all money matters to be considered
On the 10th, as in my last letter I informed you
would happen, the blockade was raised. Astonish-
ing numbers of great junks had two or three days
previously emerged from unnoticed creeks and were
r
footing,hereafte as an Imperial question.
fitted for sea with laudable activity. On the morn-
ing of the 10th the river seemed suddenly
crowded
with huge matted sails, the deserted packhorses on
Ronan had been rented and refitted by European
merchants, and in an hour, as though by enchant-
ment, Canton seemed to be in full swing of com-
merce. Verily this commercial promptitude is a
wonderful thing. Probably some portion of those
21,000,000 lbs. of tea is by this time a long way on
towards England.
To protect this trade a water police has been
established. Captain Edgell has this difficult task.
Fifteen snake boats and three gun boats form what

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nyu,tl piraticalonu oa.
sn
thanin dsto-teusaLedreea
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eohncoaa:
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and laden
the spa
with useless guns, towed away
cdoiarel leeumtretivdnhl
of
Captain Edell has to deali
then©eom e
of boats,the
ridiculouswd e d with
ebe
by LieuttehnealintesGtrreaL-
squAdron I should have
em laughable hciwafaenml hbdeoearrermLe
e
however, if tact, and temper, necessary to describe
aeaurrg,rhaanasbsdmlueenntthitirsinnwggsitinhodwasthietiryich;
in managing his Chinese
can succeed in making hrtkho.eneTtsethemanpteiedioeffnoorectiinhitiginlige;
Chinese water-police Edgell will do it.
The 14th of February is arrived, audit is the day
of the Chinese new year. Lanterns are hung out
before every door, business is closed, and the dark-
haired race are employing all their energies in ex-
:. itbudrinnagi crackers
e waonraden eating
or ocrowd
picturesque or pleasant_ in this feast of lanterns
Your Cibinaman is a monotonous animal even in h*.