The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-16 00:00:00

CHINA.

HONGKONG, DEC. 30, 185 G.
The London mail of the 10th of November ar-
rived here per steamer Madras on the 24th instant.
The steamer Formosa leaves to-day, carrying a mail
to meet the semi-monthly Calcutta st.arner at Ga'le.
The Madras will carry the outward mail of the 15th
of January.
At Canton the foreign factories have been burnt
to the ground. The fire coaimenced about 11 p.m.
on the 14th inst., and, although 41-very effort was
made to arrest the flames, it proved utterly useless,
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and all the houses were destroyed, w:th one excep-
tion, which has since been guttod by the Chinese.
It was the result of a well planned and executed
scheme on the part of the Chines,. The lire broke
out simultaneously at different points, and was
aided by combustibles, fire balls and rockets,
thrown from the suburbs. Many Chinese h.Juses
were also burnt.

Mr. 0. T. Lane, of the British Consulate, was
killed by the falling of a wall during the conflagra-

No attack was made by the Chinese, who appear
to have been quite content with burning the houses.
by which act they themselves will be the eventual
losers. Most of the houses were vacant, but much
valuable property has nevertheless been destroyed.
Our marines and bluejackets exerted themselves
to the utmost in saving property ; but the spread
of the flames was so rapid that little could be
brought away. Shot and shell were thrown froth
the Dutch Folly during the fire, in ord«r to pre-
vent large bodies of the Chinese assembling near
the scene.

Two c3mpanies of her Maje3ty's 59th Regiment
were present, and they are now strongly intt °ached
in the garden. The clubhouse and church, being
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detached from the factories, remain int Act, and are
excellent qtrartt.rs for the troops.
Our fleet holds the river as before, and Admiral
Seymour has hoisted his flagon board her Majesty's
steamer Niger, at anchor off the gard na. Our
position is therefore stronger than before the fire.
No active measures of reprisal have yet been un-
dertaken, "the admiral being apparently determined
to wait until troops arrive and enable hitn to com-
mence operations with vigour.
One of the small postal steamers was attacked b
tween Canton and the Bogue on the night of the
22d inst. by a large fleet of mandarin junks, and
had a narrow escape from capture. The pilot and
one of the crew were killed, and two others
wounded. A lorcha which she was towing had to be
cast off, and was captured, proving a rich prize, as
she was laden with Roods and valuables, removed
from the Canton warehouses at much risk and ex-
pense. Before being cast off her crew were taken on
board the steamer. The junks then retired up the
shsllow creeks with which the country is if& rsected,
and where the draught of water is too small for our
men-of-war. Gunboats are very much required.
Mr. Cowper, sen., a British subject, father of the
enterprising owner of the Whampoa Docks, has
been kidnapped, and no trace of him has yet been
obtained.

Some attempts have been made to injure our
ships-01-war by sending down on them bows filed
with gunpowder, but no harm has as yet been done.
Soma rebel hands have lately taken possession of
a large village near Whampca, which was their
head-quarters in 1854. Although caliug them-
selves rebels, they are mere banditti, and their ob-
ject is plunder. They have been warned against

inlet fering.
At Hong Kong there have been no disturbances,
ands_ Measures have been taken for the public safety.
The police force has been angmented, and a picket
of the 59ch Regiment is stationed nigh-ly r o Lr the
Chinese quarter. All Chinese are required t, carry
a lanthern after dark, and Letween 10 p.m. and
daylight none are allowed to move about without a
pass. To the reSpectable portion this is no hard-
ship, and they are quite alive to the benefit they
derive from protective measureq.
The foreign residents are to be sworn in to-day as
special constables, and a fire-brigale is to be organ-
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ised from among them.
Tilt following circular letter from the United •
States' Commissioner explains the present positi,,n
and attitude of the Americans here. It clearly
points to ulterior coercive measures, and it is very
desirable that the great foreign Powers should act
in concert when arranging future relations with
China
TO THE MERCHANTS AND OTHER CITIZENS OF THE UNITED
STATES.
Legation of the United States, Macao,
Dec. 27, 1856.
Ms Excellency Peter Parker, Commissioner of the
United States of America to China, &e., referring to the
notice of the Dth inst., hereby makes known that the re.
ply of the Imperial Co,33missioner to his Excellency's
despatch of that date was received last evening, and
that, with the semblance of a desire to maintain friendly
relations between the two countries, the same disposition
to evade obligation, misrepresent facts, and erroneously
interpret treaty stipulations which for years has cha-
racterised the correspondences of Imperial Commissioners
still obtains with his Excellency Yeh ; the resumption
of trade to any extent at the port of Cant:•u during the
existence of the local hostilities is not encouraged by the
tenour of the communication now received, and means
more ample than those now at command will be required
to meet the emergency of the public interests of the
United States in China, and the satisfactory and proper
adjustment of the relation of the Five Ports is an event
yet future.—By order.
S. WELLS WILLIAMS, _

,secretary of the United States' American Legation.
The Viceroy Yeh has shown no desire to arrange
matters ; indeed it is said that his power is now
overruled by the train bands brought in from_the
country for the defence of the city.
Many rumours are in circulation ' • the only one
I think worthy of mention is a report in the IN orth
China Herald that a High Commissioner has been
appointed by the Emperor to proceed to Canton
and arrange matters to the satisfaction of tho
British, even if the concession of all their demands
should be necessary.
Trade remains entirely ampoule I.
Exchange here on London, 4s, 81d. to U. 9d.