The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-04 00:00:00

THE WAR IN CEIINA.

The following extract from a private letter dated.
"Hong Kong, January 14," shows tba:; apprehen-
bsiyontheexicshintedelseest:lhe British should be overpowered

"Matters here are growing worse and worse, and will.
I fear, continue to do so until we have a force to give
the Chinamen such a thrashing as they have never yet
had. I fear we must do something that will sadly shock
the propriety of people at home before we can bring
them to reason. You will judge from my Singapore
letter that I am opposed to any harsh measure so long
• as there is a chance of gaining our point in any other
way; but I fear it is now too plain that nothing
else but the most extreme of harsh measures will
bring Yeh to reason. The position at present is
this—he, and he alone of all the great Governors-
General in the empire, has effectually pet down the re-
bellion in his province. He and many of the people look
on us in a similar light to what they do the rebels ; he
has exterminated one, and he has said he will extermi-
nate the other, and thus far, if you put aside the taking
of the forts, which were mostly undefended, he has
gained the advantage in every instance, and at the pre-
sent moment our forces are utterly paralysed and acting
only on the defensive, while the Chinese take the
offensive, and that with some considerable success,
in the light in which they view such affairs.
They have burnt down the factories, and driven us
to within fifty feet of the river. They are making
Whampoa so unsafe that the Admiral is abandon-
ing it. They have taken one river steamer (the Thistle),
murdered all the foreigners on board, and burnt her.
They have attacked another, and nearly taken her.
They came down in force on one of their forts held by
tts, and attacked at the same time her Majesty's ships
Comas and Hornet, stationed at the barriers, some two
miles below the fort, and were with great difficulty and
some loss of life driven back. They-nearly took a large
river steamer, the Fie Ma, she escaping only by her
speed. They have taken an American cutter on her
way to Hong Kong, and while I am now writing fears
are entertained for the safety of the three river steamers
that left this place five days ago for Whampoa, one of
them with 40 Yankee marines on board, to tow down I
a lot of chops (or hulks), and have not yet arrived here.
If they are safe they are at Whampoa, and dare not
attempt to move till they get the convoy of some
men-of-war. This is a pretty state of things for
foreigners, and no wonder the Chinese think they are
gaining the advantage over us. Ido trust the Admiral
will be able to hold his own at Canton. He has two
large steamers off the town a steamer and a brig and
sloop at the Barrier, and two frigates at the Bogue.
There is no fear of any regular attack proving successful,
but what we have to apprehend is the Chinese burning
the ships, and also—and this is the great one—blocking
up the river, and thus preventing us sending provisions
or ammunition. It will be an awful calamity if they do
this, and they are making the attempt. When the gun-
boats arrive I hope we may be able to take the offensive,
and chase and destroy every junk we find in the river.
" I am very sorry this affair was begun, but now that
we have begun we must go through with it. We have
no choice. We must either thrash the Chinese so
severely that they will never forget the lesson, and
teach them to respect treaties and to behave to Western
nations in a civil way, or make up our minds to aban-
don the entire empire, and with- it lose a good cus-
tomer of Manchester and a trade that brings into the
Exchequers of England and India altogether an amount
but little short of 10,000,000/. sterling. So I fear you have
to choose between a war and the Ines of 10,000,000/. per
annum. So long es we bold out; own at Canton I don't
think there is a chance of the troubles extending to the
northern ports ; but, rely on it, if we are driven away
from Canton, or attempt to conciliate them (I say at-
tempt, for it is certain if we try to do that it will make
them ten times as insolent), we shall have to wage a war
against extermination, as I am satisfied that, under such
circamstaeces, they will drive us away from the entire
empire. Remember, I don't apprehend this—not in the
least—but lam anxious you Should understand that we
have no choice. We have either to conquer them en-
tirely and dictate our own terms, or be driven away.
There cannot be any half-way house."

We understand that a deputation on the part of
English capitalists has just had an interview with the
Emperor of the French relative to the proposed Inter.
national Bank. It is staved that the basis of this im-
portant undertaking is already decided upon, and that
the institution will be entirely independent of, and un-
connected with, the various Continental Credit societies,
and the existing financial establishments in Paris.
SUDDEN DEATH.—For several years past the house
No. 8, Nursery-row, Brandon-street, Walworth, has
been occupied by Miss Sarah Elliott, a maiden lady
advanced in years, and of most eccentric habits. She
was supposed by her neighbours to be highly con-
nected, though none of her friends were observed to
visit her. On Sunday, about half-past 12 o'clock, she
came ,down stairs and entered the parlour, and this
was the last time she was seen alive. Her servant at
about 3 o'clock, finding that she had given no orders
for dinner, knocked repeatedly at the parlour door,
and receiving no answer she became alarmed, and
called in some of the neighbours, who forced the door
open, when she was found lying on three chairs quite
dead, and cold, The medical gentleman who had been
attending her was called in, and it was his opinion tehnatt
tohe
t diedhe
house,irom a naturalnd foucauses.a
small Sergeant
di
dirty ec)
bag, underp
the head of the deceased, 40 sovereigns and six 51.
Bank notes. The house had been at one time richly
furnished, but from neglect it is at present in a deplor-
able state. The deceased was clothed in rags, held to•
gather with pins. It is the opinion of the officer that
there were not less than from 2,000 or 3,000 pins em-
ployed for this purpose, though sbo had plenty of
clothes of a costly character in her house. The servant
said she bought the deceased a bottle of wine on Satur-
day night, which she finished, and by her bed.side was
found a bottle of gin partly empty. An inquest will be
held on the body.

MR. SMITH O'BRIEN ON IRISH TRANQUILLITY. Mr.
Smith O'Brien, who is serving on the comity of Lime-
rick grand jury at the Spring Assizes, took occasion
the other day to call the attention of his brother jurors
to the folly of maintaining the police force of the dis-
trict at its present establishment.
.The population had
decreased, and the general tranquillity of the country
no longer rendered necessary an expenditure for a
surplus force wbich had formerly beenuton
or
agrarian
atnh e
outrage.exigencies
meet the exigencies of extraordinary COflvUisj
"As there was
no likelihood of the occurrence of either casualty,
speaking as
he certainly thought the expensuegogfofersatusi,oillinaeanfdorbcreinugntnhee-
cessary. Although. for reasons personal to himself he
was reluctant to bring forward a motion on the matter,
member of
he did he
didthhe matterthgr
notua underng
wdh its hi t jury
to cast toncouas saddt atrb consideration.
advisableuoornn upon.lls n 6
the constabulary, which
he considered to be well-arranged, and a sort of Irish
standing army that was a credit to the country so far
as its administration was concerned. But as
an indi-
vidual he entertained very great doubt, which amounted
almost to certainty, that it was not necessary to main-
tain so large a force, entailing on the ratepayers the
payment of a sum of 4,5001. a-year. In passing a few
days ago through Adare be saw a whole regiment of po-
lice, which, considering whatit cost, was twice too
large."