The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-07 00:00:00

CHINA.

The following is given by the Bombay 7inies
from its rorreSpOndellt at Shanghai, dated March
s:
Our news this mail is most important. The
Admiral has been received in the most friendly
manner by the Taepings at Nanking, who have
declared their willingness to throw open the whole
country under their sway to our trade, but opium
they will not allow. They have already taken
Kew-hang and Chin-Keang (the two ports where
we intended to have left consuls), and Han Kow
they say will be in their possession before our
men-of-war arrive. In fact the whole valley of
the Yangtse Kiang is theirs. If our merchants
are only allowed to trade with them by our own
Government, you may look for such a trade in
British manufactures as the most sanguine China
merchant has never contemplated. Again, if the
opium trade be really stopped, and teas and silk be
obtained for about half their present price (in tea
this is by no means unlikely, as the present price
is high solely on account of the exorbitant duties,
or " squeezes ' as they are called here, paid in tran-
sit to the shipping ports) the importer of manufac-
tured goods would get such a high rate of exchange
in his remittai.ces that he might sell his shirtings
at present prices and still secure a profit of some 50
cer cent. So much for the opium trade, about
whi,ab. the good people in Liverpool and Manchester
are so ignorant.
At Nanking they are building on all sides, and
trade is springing up, while in Chin-Keang (lately
occupied by the Imperalists, in fact, I am not,
sure that by last accounts they did not still hold
it) only one house remained standing, and, as it
was bitterly remarked to me the other day by a
friend of the Taepings, "it was supposed that
that would be taken for Lord Elgin's Foreign
Custom House." The Taepings are organising a
large force to take Hangchow, and it is also believed
that both the Northern rebels who have defeated
San-ko.lin-sin, and the Southern rebels, in Qaang-
tung, are under the command of Taeping-Wang.
We hear that at Nanking orders have been given
to build 18 churches. Several Protestant mis-
sionaries are there now, and have been most
cordially received, some living in the Palace itself,
and presented with yellow gowns (a mark of Im-
perial favour). The 'Taepings have expressed their
intention of sending to England for competent
engineers to construct railways, &c., and to build
steamers. In fact, we may consider now that China
is fairly " opened."
In Shanghai I am sorry to say things do not look
so bright. The French seem determined to keep
what they have already got. Romish cathedrals
are springing up, and a large number of native
boats are collected in front of the French ground
with flags with crosses on them. The tricolour flag
floats from the French fligstaff, and also from the
spire of the Cathedral, and French soldiers with
fixed bayonets keep guard.
How different, from the English ground, where
not a soldier is to be seen. Our Sikh regiments,
I am sorry to say, still garrison the city in con-
;unction with the French to keep up the Tartar
power. A good deal of interest has been excited
lately by a trial at the Consular Court of an Eng-
lishman for selling arras to the Taepings some dis-
tance up country. He was sentenced to three
months' imprisonment, and a fine of 5,000 dollars.
This seems rather severe, when we consider that
arms may be sold to the Tartar Government for
use against the Taepings.
It strikes me as strange that it should never have
dawned upon people at home, who talk about the
"only milk of human kindness in China being
found among murderers in a Tartar dungeon" (this
was in allusion to the kindness of the Chinese pri-
soners to poor Anderson and Norman) that the said
" murders " were nothing more nor less than poor
rebels er Taepings who were being tortured by the
mandarins.
A report has reached this from Nagasaki of a
disturbance at Kanagawa. It is said that several
Japanese officials, followers of the Prince of Metuga,
went on board one of H. M.'s ships disguised as
merchants, and before they were discovered suc-
' ceeded in cutting down several of the officers and
wounding about 30 of the crew, but it certainly
does not appear likely. It is very possible, how-
ever, that some attempt at murder may have been
made, as a report is rarely circulated at Nagasaki
regarding affairs at Kanagawa that is not founded
upon fact.

ST. GEORGE'S-IN-THE-EAST.—The parish church
of St. George's-in-the-East, so long known for the disturb-
ances which took place there week after week, seems to
have been completely handed over to what, in clerical
phraseology, is called " the low church party." Mr. Mu-
guire, of Clerkenwell, has been preaching there, and next
Possession of
Sunday Mr. Ryle, of Heliningham, is to have
the pulpit. Mr. Bryan King's leave of absence will expire
in July, but it seems to be doubtful at present whether he
will again enter upon the active duties devolving upon him
as rector of the parish. There is a rumour in the neigh-
bourhood that a change of benefices, with 14 clergyum near
Colchester, is in contempl4tiQu,