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

Do..

THE WAR IN CBINA.

The following extract from a private letter dated
"Hong Kong, January 14," shows that apprehen-
sion existed lest the British should be overpowered
by the Chinese "
Matters here are growing worse and worse, and
I fear, continue to do so until we have a force to give
the Chinamen such a thrashing as tl‘ey 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 put 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, be has
gained the advantage in every instance, arid at the pre-
sent moment our forces are utterly parsly ed and acting
only on the defensive, while the Chi,:ece 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. Toey are making
Wlyampoa 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 forte held by
as, and attacked at the same time her Mi-jesty's ships
Comus 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, t,) tow down
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 bold 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 bending provisions
or ammunition. It will be an awful cahmity 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 of ,lir 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 10,000,0001. sterling. So I fear you have
to choose between a war and the loss of 10,000,000/. per
annum. So long as we hold our 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 cone late them (I say at-
tempt, for it is certain if we try to do that itwutwhna'.claileeleramns:uai,kcarheer
cat
ihm
greaciunmsten
t a
ut
extermination,i
cmfi se,s
tahsey insolent),willa e
drivei w
am
ussh
satisfied
l havew ay
fr
from that,
mo
empire. Remember, I don't apprehend this—not in the
least—but I am anxious you should understand that we
have no choice. We have either to conquer them en-

tirely and dictate our own ternis, or be driven away.
Tix6re cannot be any half-way house."

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-(YESTERDAY.)

DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL CAUSES BILL

The LORD CHANCELLOR, in moving the second
reading of this bill, said that with one or two variations
it was substantially the same bill as that which ha,l
passed their lordships' house last session. It would be
in the reccllection of their lordships that some years ago

a royal commission was issued directed to the Lord Chief
Justice, to Dr. Lushington, Mr. Walpole, the noble lord
at the table (Lord Redesdale), and several other persons,
with a yiew to an inquiry on the subject of divorce, and
in order to see whether they coul'l make any E.tig;estions

which would enable the Legislature to get rid of the

anomaly of privateacts of Parliament for dissolving mar-