The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-23 00:00:00

CHINA.

The following is the letter of our correspondent at
Hong-Kong, dated the 24th of July :
" The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Braganza arrived here on the 10th- instant, bringing
advices from England to the 24th of May.
" His Excellency the Governor returned from
Shanghae on the 18th instant, in the Peninsular and
Oriental Company's steamer Lady Mary Wood.
" Her Majesty's screw-propeller sloop Reynard,
Captain Cracroft, arrived hero from the mouth of the
Peiho river on the 17th. She was the bearer of the letter
from the Queen, or, as some suppose, Lord Palmerston,
to the Emperor, previously alluded to. The Reynard's
draught of water prevented her entering the river.
The letter was delivered to Mandarins, who came
down from Teen -Sing
a town about nine miles from
the mouth of the Peiho (100 from Pekin), and who
gave a receipt for the letter, not couched, however, in
the most courteous language.
"As might have been expected, the reception of
Captain Craeroft, and those composing the mission,
was anything but friendly. They were told, we un
derstand, that all communications must be made, as
formerly, through the Viceroy at Canton, to whom an
answer would be sent, and to whom therefore they
were referred. We had previously occasion to men-
tion that the letter in question is supposed to relate to
a proposal of increasing our intercourse with the
Chinese nation; but a❑ unusual mystery is main-
tained here on this occasion, and consequently a good
deal is left to conjecture.
"We have always considered that the Governor's
mission to the north and that of the Reynard to the
Peiho river were rather calculated to do harm than
lead to any advantage, and it only affords another
proof how ill informed our Government at home is
with -respect to our position here, and as to the esti-
mation we are held in by the Chinese, to augur good
from such an expedition.
" Sickness among the European troops has been on
the increase, as many as 100 men have been in the
hospital at one time, and about 35 have died of fever.
This happens when there is no unusual sickness either
among the community or the Government police
force. In 1848 the 95th Regiment, from illness and
the number in hospital, were declared unfit for duty,
and about 100 were carried off in a short space of
time. Some attribute the cause of this to the un-
healthy position of the barracks, occasioned chiefly by
the nature of the ground in the rear. It is more

likely, however, to proceed from the crowded state of
the rooms occupied by the men, and at night in par-
ticular, their beds being only six inches apart—as
close, we.undestand, as they are in an European and
cold climate.

Good ventilation and as much air as possible is
considered a desideatum and necessary by'all in an
eastern.cliniate, bat the soldiers have been depriVed
of this necessary of life ; air is excluded, and in .con-
an opinion
,sequence an obnoxious and poisonous atmosphere is
generated.
" In the hospital the same evils exist, and we have
heard those qualified to judge express
that healthy persons exposed for a short time to
the atmosphere that exists in these places would
soon be affected and carried off as the unfortunate
troops are.
" The orders from the Horse Guards for the go-
vernment and management of the men seem to be is-
sued without referencelo climate and other circum-
stances, and those in authority on the spot are alWays
reluctant to take responsibility upon themselves. The
death of every soldier costs the country from 1201. to
150/. ; it is to be hoped, therefore, the Government,
and those who are in the habit of urging upon them
economy, will turn their attention to these serious
loases and on the score of humanity it is to be
hoped that measures will be taken to arrest, if pos-
sible, this distressing mortality, and relieve the British
soldier from being considered, as he is here, an object
of compassion.
" The Governor of Macao, Commodore da Cunha,
whose arrival we mentioned in our last, died on the
6th of July. He had been for some time in bad health.
His death is most unfortunate for the settlement of
Macao, matters with the Chinese Government not
being yefarranged.
"We mentioned in our last that the duty of two mace
had been laid on tea by the Chinese authorities at Can-
ton. By the printed regulations annexed it is stated
that the object of the duty is to raise funds to liqui-
date the old Hong debts. The matter was referred
by Dr. Bowring, the British Consul, -to the Chamber
of. Commerce, and a letter has been addressed by the
.Chamber to his Excellency the Governor, stating that
in their opinion the measure on the part of the
Chinese authorities was a direct infraction of the
treaty, and pointing, out the injurious consequences
to -British trade if it were allowed to continue.
" No settlement; in new congous have yet taken

. place. 290 whole chops are down, and more expected.
The teamen are asking rates that foreigners cannot
afford to give ; another month may elapse before
anything is done. The export from China continues
the same as last month. The stock of congous in
Great Britain by the end of November, before which
period no tea can arrive, is likely to be reduced to
seven and a half months' consumption.
" About 500 bales of new Tsatlee silk had arrived
at Canton, for which a large price was asked.
, " Import market very flat.
" Fung, chief magistrate of the district of Nanhae,
and Show, chief magistrate of the district of Pwanyu,
hereby issue a perspicuous proclamation :
" Whereas the system of the old Co-hong, carried
on under Woo-Eho (Howqua) and others, having
been absolutely abolished, and the tea trade having
become scattered amongst a number of traders,
whereby no one could be held responsible for the
public moneys due, the old Hong merchants, Howqua
and others, petitioned the Governor. General, re-
questing to be permitted to establish Government
warehouses, and levy taxes in order to liquidate the
old debts due to Government, and to maintain more
easily a surveillance over the tea trade.
" We had the honour to receive the Governor-
General's reply on the subject for our examination
and deliberation. After having deliberated on the
proposal, we presented a statement to the Governor-
General, giving our opinion thereon, and we subse-
quently received a reply to the effect that we should
issue our orders to the tea warehouse masters to act
in accordance with what had been agreed upon.
" `A petition which we have now received from the
tea warehouse masters states that the establishment
of the Government tea warehouse being the com-
mencement of a new system, they have therefore
called together the tea merchants, and drawn up in
conjunction with them regulations for carrying on
the warehouse system ; and the tea merchants have
since engaged to act in accordance with such regu-
lations.

" We have presented a full statement of the high
officers of the above system, in order that the same
may be placed on record; and we have also issued
licenses to certain warehouse-masters, granting them
permission to establish warehouses and to act accord-
ing to the regulations; besides which, being appre-
hensive that. the tea merchants and Canton merchants
might not be all cognizant of the fact, we have deemed
it proper to issue a perspicuous notification on the
subject.—We hereby issue a notification to the tea
merchants of the various provinces and to the Canton
merchants for their information—
" Hereafter, a hen the tea arrives at Canton and
the Canton merchants purchase it, both parties must
act according to the annexed regulations drawn up for
that purpose. Do not oppose this!
"'A SPECIAL PROCLAMATION.
. _

" 'l. When the tea merchants store their teas in
the Government warehouses, the warehousemen will
take an account of the name of the parcel and the
number of chests, after which they will repair to the
oil Hong merchants' Consoo, and make an accurate
report of the same in detail. When any of the teas
have been sold and weighed, the warehousemen will
report at the Consoo to what Carlton (Chinese) mer-
chant the tea has been sold, the name of the parcel,
the number of chests, and the quantity in catties, in
order that the same may be cancelled in the books.
" Should any of the tea merchants first repair to
our warehouse, and afterwards remove to another,
their teas must be again reported correctly, in order
to be taken an account of.
" 2. With regard to the discount in the money
transactions between the tea warehouse masters and
the Canton merchants (Chinese), within these last few
years a discount of more than 5 per cent. has been
given ; it is now agreed, however, that hereafter it
will be regulated according to the custom of the old
Hong merchants, that a discount of 2 per cent. shall
be given, and that 20 per cent. (20) of broken silver
may be used in snaking payments.
" If the tea merchant should require, however,
the payment of his money in perfect dollars, a further
discount of 1 per cent. will be made, but not more
than that.

" t By regulating the discount in this manner the
tea merchants will be benefited, and the price received
for their teas will be enhanced ; they will for that
reason be required, according to the regulations agreed
upon, to pay to the tea warehouse masters the sum of
2 mace fur each pecul of tea sold, and these latter will
band the full amount into the old Hong merchants'
Consoo, in order that it may be delivered into the
Government treasury.
" 3. •The black, green, and Tsing yuen tea ware-
houses baying been established many years, all the
outlays for lodging the tea merchants, storing the
teas, the warehouse rent, the wages for coolies, and
other petty expenses, having been borne by the ware-
house musters, a charge of 5 mace per pecul will, for
the same reason, in future, be levied by the Govern-
ment tea warehouse masters on the black teas, being
in accordance with the custom hitherto existing, and
the charge formerly fixed in the old regulations will
be levied on the green Canton and Tsing yuen teas.

" 4. Should any of the tea merchants take ware-
houses themselves and store:teas in them, or the Hong
merchants trade in tea, they must also repair to the
Government warehouse people to report correctly
their quantities of teas, and these people will again
report the same at the old Hong merchants' Consoo.
When the teas are sold the Government warehouse
masters will levy a charge of 3 mace per pecul.
Should any of the tea merchants engage other Go-
vernment warehouse people than those who reported
their teas to sell them, the latter will only levy a
charge of 5 candareens per pecul, without quarrelling
respecting the amount.
" The Canton (Chinese) merchants must procure
a bill of sale from the Government warehouses au-
thorizing them to purchase the particular parcels of
tea (i.e. far the quantity they purchase at one time
for each transaction). Should they not have pro-
vided themselves with a bill of sale from the Govern-
ment warehouses, the transaction will be viewed as
smuggling.

" 11i is agreed, that should any of the Govern•
meat warehouse people sell teas for another ware-
house they will receive the sum of 6 candareens per
pecul of black tea sold, in order to 'requite them for
their trouble. The rest of the charge levied, amount-
ing to 4 mace 5 candareens, will belong to the ware-
house people in %hose warehouse the teas have been
stored, in order to recompense them for their trouble
and customary outlays.
" The g►reen Canton and Tsing yuen teas will
have a charge for labour, &c., levied on them accord-
ing to their value, and regulated by that levied on
black teas. Besides that, there will be a tax of 2
mace per pecul levied on them, to liquidate Govern-
ment debts.

" "The old Hong merchants' petitions stated that
90 catties of tea should be considered equivalent to
one pecul ; that the tea moneys should be weighed by
the weights of the Superintendent of Finances, and
that the merchants should not be allowed to employ
the tea weights, by which means they would be able
to pay a smaller quantity of silver.
" ' 6. When chests of tea shall be delivered to the
Canton (Chinese) merchants for musters they will be
allowed to take about five catties of tea from each
chest for examination. If they take more than that
quantity then they -will be required to pay to the tea
merchants for the same, according to the value of the
tea. They will not be permitted to avoid the payment.
" 7. Should any of those persons who have en-
gaged to establish Government warehouses subse-
quently desire to carry on some other business, they
will be permitted to cease holding Government ware-
houses; but they must first deliver their licenses to
the old Hong merchants, in order to get them can-
celled.

" 8. The present regulations have been estab-
lished in order to guard against smuggling and other
malpractices, and to keep a surveillance over the tea
trade. Should there be hereafter individuals who re-
fuse to obey these regulations, the tea warehouse
masters are permitted to present a petition to the au-
thorities on the subject, in order that the parties may
be prosecuted and punished.
"' J. It is ordered that th 3 Canton (Chinese)
merchants who'purchase the teas shall pay the 2 mace
which is levied to repay the Imperial treasury at the
time the teas are weighed for sale. They shall hand
the amount to the Government warehouse masters
who will again deliver it into the Consoo of the Hong'
merchants, to be handed into the Imperial treasury,
with the view of enhancing the moneys in the 'in-
perial treasury.

- <<ig (A true translation),
JOHN A. T. MEADOWS, Acting-Interpreter.
" June 9, 1850: ''
" Our dates from Shanghae are to the 13th inst.
" The tea market had opened, and 40 chops had
been settled for at prices considered here high.
" About 1,000 bales of new silk, contracted for in
the country by foreigners, had arrived, and more was
expected. Prices were high. A few hundred bales
go home this month by the overland route. The
quality of the crop is superior. The stock of old silk
in the country is quite exhausted—an unusual cir-
cumstance at this time of the year. As the Chinese,
therefore, are likely to be large buyers of new silk
for their own wants, the export this season is not
likely to exceed the last, which, to the 30ai of June,
, amounted, from China, to 17,400 bales.
"Import market dull.

" Thursday, Aug. 1.
" There is little local news this month to send from
Singapore. The Admiral has gone to Penang to
enjoy the cool breezes of the Great Hill before pro-
ceeding to China. Her Majesty's ship Contest, Hon.
J. W. Spencer commander, arrived here on the 25th
ult., and sailed for Labuan and China on the 29th.
Her Majesty's steamer Fury will proceed to Penang
upon the arrival of the China steamer, with the Ad-
miral'a dispatches, but will return here and take her
departure for England by the Straits of Sunda.
" Sir James Brook will sail for Siam on his mission
immediately after the arrival of the English mail.
He will be accompanied by the steamers Sphynx and
Nemesis. Native report represents the Siamese as
being in a state of great alarm on account of the visit
of the English envoy, and they are said to have ob-
structed the passage up the river Menam by means of
chains, stones, &c.

"Accounts from Batavia state that the Chinese on
the west coast of, Borneo had repulsed the troops sent
against thcm, that the latter had been obliged to leave
the river Sankawang, and it was reported that two
steamers would immediately proceed from Java with
a reinforcement of 800 men.
" Dr. Wilson had died at Labuan from the effects
of a sun stroke."

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
CEYLON.

(From the Colombo Monthly Examiner, Aug. 15.'

Very little can be said at this period of the season
concerning plantations. Low country estates coffee
is ripening fast, and we may expect of this kind and
native some quantity in Colombo within a month of
this time. Owing to the variableness of the season,
we heard the other day of a considerable and unsea-
sonable blossom having come out in some districts,
which is indicative of a certain weakness in the trees
and the prospect of a very tedious picking season.
Large bodies of labourers are pouring into the country
long before their services are generally required,
which is a source of perplexity to the employers, who
cannot see them leave or starve, and are compelled to
take them at a cost which, though it does not exceed
the smallest sum required for the maintenance of the
people, is, nevertheless, so much loss to the employers,
who are thus compelled to pay for what lite-
rally they can do without. In process of time
we hope this evil will correct itself, in the meantime
it is gratifying to know that our supply of labour is
assured to us. A good deal of land is opening in all
the higher districts, some merely additions to old
properties, and some new estates, indicating great
confidence in our ability to compete with other coun-
tries in production. Estates generally are looking
well, for which the weather has been favourable.
Whilst we are receiving the first of the Kudaganava
crops the Badulla estates are giving us the last of
their season's production, which comprises nearly the
whole of the coffee now shipping. In the low country
the weather indicates an early change of monsoon ;
lightning from the land side and a land wind have
prevailed during the last week irregularly.
The cinnamon planters are bringing in their cut-
tings rapidly, large quantities have already been put
on ship board, and much remains to ship. The pro-
duce of the crap has been very good in quantity and
quality, nearly every garden showing improvement in
both circumstances. The appearance of the gardens
is good, and the quantity of wood coming forward
promises favourably for November cutting. The health
of the country has been good, with the exception of a
slight indisposition in Colombo, proceeding from the
prevalence of unwholesome winds.

IMPORTS.
The business of the port in European imports and
exports requires little notice since our last. The
Janet, from Glasgow, with part of her cargo for Ma-
dras, has arrived. She brought a few coloured goods
and sundries, but stocks of staple goods have not been
increased. The arrivals of grain from the coast con-
tinue good, business in other respects dull.
Gray goods are in excellent demand ; the buyers
are willing to take large parcels at advanced rates,
at which a fair business has been done. Few or no
goods now remain in first bands.

Bleached goods have been taken almost entirely
out of the market.

Printed and coloured goods remain abundant, and
little business can be expected in this description
until the new crop of coffee begins to arrive in
quantity in Colombo.
Turkey reds remain unimproved.
Metals—lron of all kinds remains over abundant, and
our unremunerating quotations must be considered
quite nominal Copper sheet remains at our last quo-
tations.