The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-15 00:00:00

CHINA.

The Moniteur de la Flotte publishes some further
details relative to the war in China. The Chinese,
it is said, are at present making formidable military
preparations, which are not to be despised. Since
the attack on Canton, the Chinese have executed
enormous 'workaon the Pei-ho, a river which falls
into the Yellow Sea, and by which a communi-
cation is maintained with Pekin. That river is
now barred in 22 different places by darns built
of stone, which completely intercept the navi-
gation. These works are regarded as a curiosity.
Moreover, the three branches of the Pei-ho ca-
nalised by the Emperor Kia-Kang, in 1817, are cut,
and the course of one of them, the Hu-ho, has been
turned off into the lake of Kobo-tcbi. When an
army invades the Chinese Empire, the principal
means of defence is to let•the waters of this lake
overflow the country. This system of defence,
efficacious against an enemy, but most disastrous
for the cone try, was first used against the insurgents
in 1852. The city of Pekin is consequently per-
fectly safe from an att ick either by land or sea, and
the Emperor will in any desperate circumstance be
protec. ed by the fanaticism of the people, who will
stop at no means to destroy foreigners. A circum-
stance has lately demonvrated the truth of this
fact. The British ships proceeding to Canton have
been in the custom of taking fresh water at Whaii-
poa from a small river which falls into the Tchou-
kiang. It was remarked that the sailors using this
water lately have been attacked with colic, and
after a careful investigation it was discovered
that the water was poisoned by the Chinese.
They employed for this purpose the trunk of certain
trees, which, after being prepared for the occasion,
impart a deadly poison to the water. The Chinese
are naturally malignant, and
their wickedness is
still increased by their fanaticism, which is beyond
description. There is but one way to subdue them,
and that is to act on their senses, and to terrify
them by a display of force and by a maritime de-
monstration on a grand scale, such as is about to be
accomplished by the British Government. It
appears, moreover, that some of the weabhie,t
mandarins in the empire ,propo.e to revive the
great commercial company founded in 1759 by
Tsong-Too. These great dignitaries, through per-
sonal interest, are highly favourable to an arrange-
ment with the Engl sb, notwithstanding their war-
like manifestations, and as they are in direct corn-
munica ion with the members of the Nuy-Ko air
Cabinet Council at Pekin, they can bring their in-
fluence to bear directly on the Emperor's advisers.
The revival of the company founded in 1759 will
render it impossiblein future forthe Chinese Govern-
ment to violate at will its treaties with foreigners.
The Moniteur de la Flotte concludes that an
arrangement of the difficulties at present existing
between the Chinese and English is perfectly pos-
sible. For this purpose the British Government
have merely to adopt the only means efficacious
with the Chinese character, which is to make a
formidable demonstration on the coast of the
Chinese Empire.

FRANCE.

PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING.

The Moniteur contains an Imperial decree
making several nominations of judges of civil tri-
bunals and of advocates-general and procureurs of
various courts. _ _

The Constitutionnel offers the following specula
tions on the ultimate result of the Chinese war :

" A few English "regiments will easily account for any
number of troops that may be accumulated on any given
point by the mandarins. A squadron. of gun-boats,
armed with heavy artillery and drawing little water, will
ascend the rivers with impunity, and destroy without
much risk the small number of fortresses where the
Chinese may attempt to renew the resistance which
proved so fatal to them in the first war at Cha Pou and
Chin-Kiang-Fou. Still, the war may be a protracted
one ; the mandarins, reckless of the lives of the
population, will not submit at once ; but in defini-
tive Great Britain will not lay down her arms
without having reduced to reason this race, so absurdly
proud, which has fur so long a period, and in spite of
repeated warnings, presumed to keep Europeans at a
distance and to regard them as barbarians of the west,
and which has paralysed the progress of commerce and
civilisation in the most extensive empire of the world.
Whatever opinion may be entertained of the proceeVings
of Sir John Bowiing and of Admiral Seymour, which
savoured very slightly of diplomacy, a higher interest
now calls upon all civilised nations to ardently des,re
the complete and speedy triumph of the British expedi-
tion. Great Britain has declared war ; but in reality
the contest lies between Europe and America on one side
and China on the other; let, therefore
i the struggle com-
mence, for the entire Christian world s invited to share
the fruits of victory,"
BorrusE, April 14.—The following were the last
quotations :

Cash. fr. c.
44 per Cents ......... 91 70
3 per Cent 5............ 69 85
New Loan ........
Bank Shares ...4
........ ,300 Roman
Credit Mobilier ...... 1405 Austrian
Belgian 43
Piedmontese (5) 9l Home Debt
RAILWAYS—FOB CASH.
fr. fr
r.
Orleans 1,4923 C.
Western
Northern l,OlO Strasburg 3—
Lyons 1,580 New Ditto
Mediterranean ......2,155 Grand Central
Lyons Geneva
--Sardinian
Midi
855 Austrian Cum. -
..................

End of Month.
—fr. —,.
70 15