The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-19 00:00:00

CHINA.

(By telegraph from Gallo.)
HONG KONG, Jan. 15.*
The rebels are threatening llankow. Great fires
have taken place in the north of China.
Advices from Japan state that Prince Stotsbashi
has been elected Tycoon, and has announced a
policy favourable to foreigners.

• This message has occupied 21 days in transmission
rom Galle. The commercial intelligence is anticipated by
the telegrams of later date published this morning.

FRANCE AND CANDIA.

PARIS, Feb. 19.

The offic.al Yellow Book contains about 60 pages
referring to Crete. Numerous despatches from M.
Drouyn de Lhuys and the Marquis do Moustier
attest the constant solicitude of the French Govern-
ment for the Christians. One despatch of M.
Drouyn de Lhuys, dated August 27th, urges the
Porte to send a commissioner to Candia without
delay, to examine the position of affairs and devise
means for remedying it. A despatch from the
Marquis de Aloustier to the French Minister at
Athens, dated Oct. 12, denies the rumour that the
Marquis, when he passed through Athens, made use
of threatening language at an interview which he
had with the King of Greece. A despatch from the
same Minister, dated November 8, addressed to the
French representative at Constantinople, counsels
the Porte to adopt measures of clemency and adds :
—" The question now is under what conditions
Turkey will henceforth be able to govern Crete, in
order to repair evils and efface painful reminiscences.
Another despatch, of the 7th December, asserts the
inability of the Ottoman Government to quell the
Cretan insurrection, and continues as follows :
" Turkey should be sensible to the danger of
allowing the evil to increase to such an
extent that the position of the Turkish
Empire would at length necessitate the
employment of extraordinary remedies. We con-
sider that we give a fresh proof of our interest in
Turkey by calling upon her to devote to this ques-
tion all he solicitude and reflection."
A despatch dated Dec. 14th says :

"Public opinion in Europe with regard to the
Caudiotes begins to be sympathetic, and more dis-
tinct marks of encouragement are being afforded
them. It is therefore in the highest degree incum-

bent upon the Ministers of the Sultan thoroughly
to examine the state of affairs and foresee the con-
sequences to which it may lead. If the Porte is de-
ficient in foresight it may, before many months,
have to meet still graver and more imperative neces-

sities."

A despatch dated Dec.2B points out that the difficu

ties with Crete have successively increased, and adds :
Admitting even that the insurrection should be
speedily quelled, the question at issue would no
longer be what it was a month ago. Solutions, which
at the beginning of the crisis might perhaps have
pacified the Cretans, now run a risk of being con-
sidered insufficient. We cannot disguise from the
Porte the serious anxiety felt by the French Govern-
ment on the subject. Things have now reached a
point at which the fullest candour is certainly the
greatest evidence of friendly feeling which we can
afford to the Turkisk Government."
The last despatch contained in the Yellow Book
on the subject of Candia is addressed by the Mar-
quis de Moustier to the French Minister at Athens.
It says :—" We have learned with much satisfaction

,hat the tendencies of the new Greek Cabinet

towards Turkey are not aggressive. The agitation
which the Greek Government permitted to extend

might have produced the most deplorable compli-
cations both for Greece and Europe. We could
not remain indifferent to anything which might in-
crease the prosperity of Greece, but as the price of
our good-will and solicitude we are justified in ex-
pecting that it will not be sought to impel us pre-
maturely against our will into any line of policy.
We must always desire to be left free to suggest at
the proper moment and in our own time whatever
may appear to be expedient.