The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-26 00:00:00

THE RUSSIANS IN CHINA.

The Moniteur de la Platte contains news from
China not hitherto published. It was itot known

at Macao that the Russian Government bad ob-

tained permission at Pekin for their ships to enter
the five ports. This fact is considered to be ex-

tremely important. Russia has had for some years
extensive commercial relations with China by land,

and, according to the terms of a treaty signed in
1725, the town of Kiachta, situate on the frontiers
of the two empires, serves as a commercial en-
trepot. Commerce has increased, and is consi-
derably extending itself on that point. The Rus-
sian Government, in order to establish its rela-
tions more firmly with China, has obtained the
privilege of having a Legation at Pekin—a favour
which no other power enjoys, but, on the other
hand, the Chinese Government had always refused
to receive Russian ships in the five ports into which
the ships of other nations are admitted. Trade
between Russia and China has been hitherto car-
. _ .

ried on solely by land. Admiral Patuitine, who
commanded the Russian squadron in the Chinese
seas at the breaking out of the last war, used his
utmost efforts to obtain a treaty which would place
his Government on the same footing as the most
favoured nations. He would probably have suc-
ceeded had not the war paralysed his operations.
Recent events at Canton give increased im-
portance to the new advantages which Russia has
obtained. On the 25th of November a body of
insurgents, accompanied by numerous bands of
brigands, who have ravaged the province of
Kwang-Si during several months, took possession
of the town of Kouli-Lin, and committed fearful ex-
cesses. The Imperial troops not being sufficiently
numerous could give the inhabitants no assistance.
It is impossible to give an idea of the anarchy which
prevails at this moment in various provinces in
China. Highway robbery is organised on a most
extensive scale. The Government has neither force
nor authority to suppress the highwaymen. The
Mandarins execute a multitude of inoffensive beg-
gars, but they are helpless against thieves. Yeh, the
Viceroy of Canton, is one of the most abominable and
cruel men in the empire. He maintained a num-
ber of mendicants of the most unfortunate descrip-
tion, and every time any act of violence was com-
mitted in the city, being too feeble or too great a
etomdenardeietaoht
sw
arresth the
h© heasosrdasseirnesi heto be selecteda
dozen
decapi-
tated, and he then wrote to the Emperor that a
horrible crime had been
committed, but that the
authors had been arrested
coward
of
and punished. It is by
those repeated falsehoods that the mandarins
deceive the Emperor, is
, whonever permitted to
know the truth. The insurgents, with their chief,
Tae-ping, are completely mast ers of the province
Their of Kiang-Su, T 1 •
ir head-quarters are at Nankin.
That city may
be regarded as for ever lost to the
Emperor, for his I •
aut iority can never be re-esta-
blished there. It
was impossible to have shown
more incapacity than did the Imperial generals.
The insurgents have fortified the Yang-Tse-Kiang,
and the mouth of that river is closed against the
Chinese fleet. By the latest accounts Admiral Sey-
mour was still at Canton. He had established him-
self so as not to be annoyed by the Tartar troops.
He had been joined by the hospital frigate Min-
den, and he had sent the Winchester and Coro-
mandel to Hong Kong, the Sybillo to Whampoa,
and the Pique and Hornet to Shanghai. He had
done so at the request of the British Consuls, who
had demanded them for the protection of British
subjects.

A spirit whispers in our ear (says the Athencrunt) of
certain doings at the Record-office, to which we would be
glad to have a safe contradiction. The rumour runs that
the Record-office authorities, in going over the State
papers in their charge, have discovered that some of
these papers are in duplicate. The fact has long been
known to historical readers, and especially as regards
colonial, war, and navy documents ; for in early times,
when voyages were long and wrecks numerous, all de•
spatohes from our agents abroad were sent in duplicate
or triplicate for safety ; and, in spite of steam, we pre-
sume this practice is unchanged. Rumour Asserts that
these duplicates are Wog destroyed !