The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-16 00:00:00

CHINA.

e mail steamer iHONGKONG, JULY 28,
Ganges'The arrived on the 22d inst.
with the English mailfi
intelligence of June 10, but her public
was anticiptoated by H.M. troop-ship
Urgent, which came
in
and which left Singapore, onhe harbour 24 hours earlier
Cal-
cutta, a few hours after the arrivalr return from
there of the mail
steamer. The steamer Madras, with
the outward
mails, will be despatched this morning at
Flag-officer Stribling, acting also as American 9 o'clock.
Envoy, having been superseded, he being asth-
erner, in the command of the American sciooodurn
leaves by the present wail. Much sympathy is felto ,
for him, for he would have loyally done his duty to
the Government the commission of which be holds.
His successor, Flag•officer EdgeLey, is ordered home
with all his ships, and thus American interests will
be left without any protection, diplomatic or naval.
Whether the Chinese Government will be true to
its engagements with the Federal States under pre-
sent circumstances remains to 17.. n seen; but there
are already some unpleasant rumours in circulation.
Sir James Hope, in the Imperieuse, left for Japan
and Tien-tsin on the 17th inst. It is expected that he
will visit the ports of Formosa en route. He is ac-
companied by his Excellency the Governor of the
Colony.
The
exploring party that proceeded up the river
Yangtze
htlia
overland
some time back, i n the hope of reaching
an d has ~ has been obliged to retrace its steps,
pas
r .
tvoed at Shangho. As they advanced
tion, and the ut: was chani ;ed into active opposi•
Pekin was unknown, and feund that the Treaty of
foreign successes utterly disbelieved.
some faint rumours of
The usual contradictory
diokbelieved.
r 'Ebel successes or defeats ri Torts of Imperial and
) Atter were stilLin the '
neicm-Atone to circulate. The
toAsznarhood of
'chew Ring,

' on the Ningpo side of the Hangchew river. Doubts
have been thrown alsO on the reported victories of
Sankolinsin in the north by Chinese whose families
are in the Shantung province.
From Tien-tsin dates come down to the 10th inst.
There was no change in the political position at
Pekin, and trade was very dull at the port.
From Japan, the successful overland journey of
Mr. Alcock from Nagasaki to Jeddo is reported. It
appears to- have been a complete success, and the
party were perfectly well received by the population
,of the districts through which they passed.. Enthu-
siastic accounts are given of the large city of Osako
and its port Hiogo.

The system of customhouses under foreign in-
spectorship does not conciliate general favour as its
working becomes better known. Had the treaties
of Tientsin and Pekin concentrated foreign. trade
into one or two ports much good might have re-
sulted to trade ; but the very diffusion of trade
secured by the treaties must prevent the success of
Lord Elgin's scheme, for the whole line of the coast
of China cannot be successfully watched, nor can
the Chinese be prevented from receiving foreigners
at non-treaty ports, nor from smuggling them-
selves at all unprotected points of a coast singularly
favourable to such operations. Hong Kong may be
benefited by becoming more and more the resort of
Chinese traders to supply their wants, but they will
inevitably engage largely in smuggling and will
find plenty of desperate men for the pnrpose. The
late affair of the steamer Campa, with some sugar-
laden junks, is an apt illustration of the opinion
now expressed. That vessel serves as a kind of
guardo costa to the Canton foreign Custom-house.
The foreign employes received information of the
above boats being laden with sugar upon
which duty had not been paid, and knowing the
channels to be taken they sent the Campa down to
intercept them. They met, and the Chinese retiring
into a small bay deliberately anchored and prepared
for action. The steamer opened fire, which was at
once replied to—the result being that five men,
Europeans and others were killed or wounded, and
the steamer herself, being seriously injured, was
obliged to sheer off and return to Canton. These
are most ' awkward events, and affect European
prestige very seriously.