The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-09 00:00:00

11.100 WATER AT LONDON BREDGI.

TRIB DAT—Morn. 5 min. aft. 2—Evening 20 mid. aft. 2
:'n-Moasow—Alorn. 35 min. aft. 2—Evening 51 rnin.aft. 2

THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE, APRIL 9.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
El —highest singe noon yesterday'
48 -lowest this morning and daring the night.
59 --this day at noon.

BAROMETER, 29'65—falling.
WIND, S. to S.S.W.—Light, with sunshine and heavy
clouds. It rained heavily yesterday afternoon, during the
xight, and this morning, in torrents. It is now fine.

(113 .IZ,

LONDON, THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1857.

The Chinese War of 1857 is being illustrated If the motive really be such, it may offer some
by a variety of curious little episodical incidents. extenuation of the act of the last week. But it
The Celestial EMPEROR is at one moment stated to places the impolicy of the existing monetary code
have evidenced an eager solicitude to make peace even in a strongerllight than any in which it has as
upon any terms with the English, and at another yet been exhibited. What would be said to the
is declared to have pronounced, if possibly more corporation of a borough if, when it was known
energetically, his fixed resolution, at all cost, to that evil-disposed men were abroad, and that
take, vengeance upon those outer-barbarians. The designs were entertained by burglars and
former statement, however, is as clearly authentic garotters against the purses of the com-
as the latter is unquestionably apocryphal. There munity, they should, in place cf affording
can bo little doubt that YETI has found his pro- the requisite protection, merely anticipate the
ceedings at Canton formally repudiated by his predatory horde, by themselves plundering the
Imperial Master—the preposterous despatch given intended victims ? They would certainly be con-
simply as " a matter of curiosity" in The Sun sidered as entirely unfitted for the position in
of yesterday, purporting to be a communication which they were placed, being by their own acts
addressed to the Viceroy of the Cantonese by the proved to be incapable of discharging the im-
Chief of the Nuy-ko, or State Council, of Pekin, portant duties confided to their charge. Quis
is from first to last an outrageous and ridiculous custodiet ipsos custodes would be heard ou every
side, and protection against the pretended friends
fabrication. "Thu, I have serious news to an-
nounce to you!" saith the ghostly apparition of and guardians would be eagerly sought for.
TSA.OU-TCHIN-YONG, in this sonorous and resonant The fact, however, that the attempt, while it
proclamation—the great news referred to, being deeply injures tho victims, must prove abortive,
a war of extermination ! The sanguinary Sem- renders the grievance more glaring. If the free
blance of the Head of the Nuy-ko continuing in quenters of Capel-court can be bamboozled by the
the genuine Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum strain—" I smell the Muscovite scheme, one or two per cent. addi-
blood of an Englishman"—thus : "YEN, you are tional in the rate of discount will not induce
to carry on a war of extermination against the them to avoid nibbling at the bait. Their game
foreign barbarians who have attacked you ; they will be merely to turn over the shares, which,
must receive from you an exemplary chastise- like the "razors" of the tale, are made for sale,
men t." And so forth ! All very fine, Mr. FER- not for use, and to realise trifling premiums in the
GUSSON—or rather TSAOU-TCHIN-YONG ! But that process. A daring gambler thinks but little of
the whole of this raw-head-and-bloody-bones the price that he may be compelled to pay for the
Despatch happens to be a canard—" bosh"—e stake which he imagines will be largely increased
pleasant little fantastic bit of oriental penny-a- by his operations. A trifling difficulty will not
lining ! The truth of the matter being all the deter him from the speculative game on which he
while that the Brother of the Sun, the cousin of has determined. He will, under any circum-
the Moon, and the Nephew of the Stars happens stances, " stand the hazard of the die," and
to be of a very different mind : reprehends YEH will find a consolation in the knowledge that
discountenances all his recent acts in regard to other innocent persons are involved in one com-
the lorcha—evinces the utmost possible degree of mon ruin with himself. He has the experience
anxiety to conciliate the British, and so come to of past bubbles, and if they should prove insuf-
ficient, a minimum, rate of even ten per cent. will terms with them as speedily as may be, and as
satisfactorily. not suffice to save him from the ruin which he so
Then there is the supposed poisoning of the recklessly invites.
bread with Alum at Hong Kong ! No—not with There is but one mode by which these evils can
be averted, and that is, by supplying a circulating
Alum, rather we should have said by ALUM—only
that we are so accustomed here in London to the medium suited for internal transactions, via., a
former atrocity in the way of systematic adultera-
really National Note, and making those requir-
tion in what our neighbours the French call inn bullion, either for transmitting abroad or
panification ! Well, then—to speak more cor- hoarding, pay for it according to its actual
rectly—we repeat, There is the supposed poisoning value. Englishmen should surely be enabled to
of the bread by ALUM, the baker of Hong 'Cone ! compete with foreigners in their own markets.
That is one of the most remarkable episodes in the We should be enabled to retain the gold that has
whole history of this collision between the British found its way to our markets, despite the machi-
and the Chinese authorities ! Out of the pre- nations of those who desire to insinuate their
sumed infamy of this occurrence has grown up hands into our pockets. At present we are ren-
portentouslY a very notable Trial, the Trial of dered perfectly helpless by the unjust and impo-
ALUM and his supposed Accomplices--a Trial con- litic enactments which it is proposed to renew
ducted with no inconsiderable ability by Mr.
—without change or modification—for a further
years.
Attorney-General ANSTEY, ex-Member for Youghal term of ten It may be fortunate for the
Trial lasting through five days in succession nation if the existing pressure and the imperative
—a Trial, according to English usage, in the pre- necessity of obtaining protection for the internal
sence of Judge and Jury—a Trial, wonderful to commerce of Great Britain should open the eyes
relate, ending in the acquittal of the prisoners, of the Legislature, while there is yet time, and
although the bread supplied by ALUM on the before the evil has reached its full magnitude. It
occasion referred to was notoriously and uncle- is clear that circumstances have arisen, not con-
niably poisoned ! Why—in conclusive testimony templated by the enactments of 1844, and against
of the irrefragable nature of the evidence adduced whichtheydo not afford adequate protection. Other
upon the last-mentioned point, viz., the point as measures are clearly required, and the.most urgent
to whether the bread was or was not poisoned— claim on the new Parliament will be to render the
the Daily News itself (the Self-constituted Special i monetary legislation as complete as possible, so as
Pleader for the Chinese) says distinctly awl ex- to prevent the welfare and prosperity of the
plicitly in its impression of this very morning— United Kingdom from being placed at the mercy
Mark every syllable in the following sentence— lof any foreign Power that can put forward
" We do not, of course, mean to deny the fact that schemes sufficiently tempting to induce the specu-
there me poison in the bread, and that the poison f ators of Capel Court to touch the unclean thing,