The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-24 00:00:00

CHINA.

Th© Moniteur de la Flotte contains news from
China not hitherto published. It was not known
at Macao that the Russian Government had ob-
tained permission at Pekin for their ships to enter
the five ports. This fact is consi lered to be ex-
tremely important. Russia has had for some years
extensive commercial relations with China by land,
and, according to the terms of a treaty signed in
1725, the town of Kiachta, situate on the frontiers
of the two empires, serves as a commercial en-
trepot. Commerce has increased, and is consi-
derably extending itself on that point. The Rus-
sian Government, in order to establish its rela-
tions more firmly with China, has obtained the
privilege of having a Legation at Pekin—a favour
which no other power enjoys, but, on the other
hand, the Chinese Government had always refused
to receive Russian ships in the five ports into which
the ships of other nations are admitted. Trade
between Russia and China has been hitherto car-
ried on solely by land. Admiral Patuitine, who
commanded the Russian squadron in the Chinese
seas at the breaking out of the last war, used his
utmost efforts to obtain a treaty which would place
his Government on the same footing as the most
favoured nations. He would probably have suc-
ceeded had not the war paralysed his operations.
Recent events at Canton give increased im-
portance to the new advantages which Russia has
obtained. On the 25th of November a body of
insurgents, accompanied by numerous bands of
brigands, who have ravaged the province of
Kwang-Si during several months, took possession
of the town of Kouli-Lin, and committed fearful ex
cesses. The Imperial troops not being sufficiently
numerous could give the inhabitants no assistance.
It is impossible to give an idea of the anarchy which
prevails at this moment in various provinces in
China. Highway robbery is organised on a most
extensive scale. The Government has neither force
nor authority to suppress tho highwaymen. The
Mandarins execute a multitude of inoffensive beg-
gars, but they are helpless against thieves. Yeh, the
Viceroy of Canton, is one of the most abominable and
cruel men in the empire. He maintained a num-
ber of mendicants of the most unfortunate descrip-
tion, and every time any act of violence was com-
mitted in the city, being too feeble or too great a
coward to dare to arrest the assassins, he selected a
dozen of mendicants whom he orderel to be decapi-
tated, and he then wrote to the Emperor that a
horrible crime had been committed, but that the
authors had been arrested and punished. It is by
those repeated falsehoods that the mandarins
deceive the Emperor, who is never permitted to
know the truth. The insurgents, with their chief,
Tae-ping, are completely masters of the province
of Kiang-Su. Their head-quarters are At Nankin.
That city may be regarded as for ever lost to the
Emperor, for his authority can never be re-esta-
blished there. It was impossible to have shown
more incapacity than did the Imperial generals.
The insurgents have fortified the Yang-Tse-Kiang,
and the mouth of that river is closed against the
Chinese fleet. By the latest accounts Admiral Sey-
mour was still at Canton. lie had established him-
self so as not to be annoyed by the Tartar troops.
He had been joined by the hospital frigate Min-
den, and he had sent the Winchester and Coro-
mandel to Hong Kong, the Sybille to Whampoa,
and the Pique and Hornet to Shanghai. He had
done so at the request of the British Consuls, who
had demanded them for the protection of British
subjects.