The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-30 00:00:00

CHINA.

The following is from the Overland China Mail
of February 15 :
The London mail of the 25th of December arrived
here on the 11th inst., confirming the intelligence
that the Hon. Mr. Bruce has been appointed
ambassador at Pekin, and Mr. Horace Rumbold his
secretary. It also brought intelligence of various
important changes in the consular service. Mr.
Alcock, the present consul at Canton, is, we under.
stand to be consul-general at Japan, and to be sta-
tioned at Yedo ; Mr. G. S. Morrison is to be consul
at Nagasaki ; Mr. Robertson, the consul at Shang-
hai, is to get the Canton consulship ; Mr. Harry
Parkes, now one of the Canton commissioners, is to
be consul at Shanghai, a very important post, where
his well known ability and zeal will have scope ;
Mr. M. C. Morrison, consul at Fuhchau ; Mr. Med-
hurst, consul at Tangchow ; Mr. Sinclair, consul at
Chin-kepng-fu ; Mr. Harvey, consul at Ningpo ;
Mr, Gingell, consul at Amoy ; Mr. George Caine,
consul at Swatow. Mr. Thomas Taylor Mea-
dows is to take charge of the consulship at
Neiuchwong, the port to be opened in Man-
churia, and a post, the importance of which
seems so disproportioned to his ability and
knowledge of China, that we arc glad
to hear he has been appointed to it at his

own desire. The appointment of Mr. Wade as
Chinese Secretary to the Legation at Peking is
every way satisfactory, but his value to the service
renders it of importance that he should return to
Europe for a season as soon as possible.
Lord Elgin arrived here from Shanghai in his
steam yacht the Furious on the 2d inst., but de-
parted. next day for Canton. His Excellency was
to start from that place last night or this morning
to make an exploration, similar to that he has made
of the Yang-tsze, of the Great West River, which, ,
according to the Chinese, can be ascended for a long
distance in vessels of light draught. A number of
troops will go on this expedition, and provisions
will be taken for three weeks. Six or seven gun-
boats are to go up, towing flat-bottomed junks, but
it is doubtful whether any attempt will be made
to advance beyond the point where gunboats
become unserviceable and the ascent might be
continued in junks. Two missionaries once
ascended the. Canton river nearly to the borders of
Kwang-si, but otherwise it is unknown to Euro•
peans, except in the immediate neighbourhood of
the city, and from Chinese accounts. It is sup-
posed that Lord Elgin intends to return to Shang-
hai; and that he will accompany his brother, the
Hon. Mr. Bruce, to Peking, but nothing certain is
' known of his intentions. Until the British em-
bassy is established at Peking, it would be inex-
pedient either for his lordship, or any part of the
force now here, to depart.
Some shorter expeditions than that now con-
templated have continued to be made from Can-
ton. Tai-leuk, Tai-fan, and other of the more
important of the famous Ninety-six Villages have
been visited, and proclamations have been dis-
tributed in them, calling on the natives to lay
aside all animosity against foreigners, and on
the elders and gentry to see to the proper
treatment of foreign visitors and travellers.
These proclamations were well received ; and two
gentlemen have already paid a private visit to Fat-
shan, and to Shecktsing, where the braves were
routed, without any other protection than that
which travellers usually have. Beneath we give
an account of an important expedition to the walled
city of Fayuen, which was the headquarters of the
patriotic party of Kwang-tung.
Nothing has yet been published about the settle-
ment of the site for the factories at Canton ; but
from the fact that the principal American house
has begun to build on the old site, it is supposed
that will be or has been selected by Lord Elgin,
with an extension to the westward.

Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour leaves this,
in the Calcutta, very soon, and will be succeeded by
Sir Byam Martin. During the period of Admiral
Seymour's command in these waters he has enjoyed a
rare exemption from the just or unjust censure which
has been so liberally bestowed on Gen. Straubenzee,
Sir John Bowring, to a less degree on Lord Elgin,
and generally on those connected with the adminis-
tration and execution of foreign affairs in China.
Against Admiral Seymour no word has been ut-
tered, and he leaves not only in command of
universal respect, but with the affection of his own
service.

In the colony and at Canton trade hashardly yet
recovered from the lull consequent on the China
new year ; especially there has been little demand
for imports. The expeditions into the neighbour-
hood of Canton have had the effect of assuring the
Chinese of the pacific intentions of the allies, and
of showing the power of foreigners to advance into
the interior.

The appointment of Mr. Green as Acting Attor-
ney-General has been confirmed by the Home
Government, but we Imre not yet heard whether
the suspension of Mr. Anstey has been ap-
proved of. After a more than *sually animated
debate in the Legislative Council, the Bow-
ring Praya Ordinance was rejected by a ma-
jority of six to three. The steamer Five Brothers
was wrecked in the Cupchi passage on the
28th ult., the Admiralty chart and the China pilot
not giving sufficient information of the danger of
the passage.