The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-05 00:00:00

CHINA.

Paul Ivy Stirling, Esq., Attorney-General of this
cilony, has been appointed a member of the Executive
Council.—Friend of China, Aug. 7.
CANTON.-Our dates are to the 14th. All was quiet.
Some heavy purchases of silk have been made. Another
meeting was held at the Consulate regarding the build-
ing-ground leased by her Majesty's superintendent of
trade from the Chinese ; but as formerly, the merchants
would not agree to the very stringent terms upon which
it is proposed to sub-let part of the ground to them.
Two houses, as we mentioned some time ago, have signed
the agreement, but nothing has been done in the way of
building. The Hong merchants have had another call
from their Government to pay five millions of dollars,
their portion of the Canton ransom money, but they
continue inflexible in their determination not to do so.
They were all summoned into the city on the 12th.
.The
result is not known, but the impression is that they bill
be imprisoned. However, Samqua, and others who are
possessed of valuables, have removed from their own
bongs, so as to be out of the reach of the Government
barpies.—Friend of China, Aug. 15.
By her Majesty's steamer Vixen we have two or
three papers to the 27th ult., but as our intermediate
dates between the sailing of the Spiteful and those
brought by the Vixen are still wanting, our intelligence
is incomplete. We gather, however, from those papers
hich we have received, that much sickness has again
prevailed at Hong-Kong, and that a number of deaths
have occurred. At Amoy also there seems to be much
sickness, though we ;cannot gather from what cause.
The sickness at Hong-Kong is attributed to imperfect
drainage, &c. The Rob Roy, on her way from Macao
to Calcutta, was obliged to put back to Victoria, having
sprung her foremast in a heavy gale. We observe that
the French Plenipotentiary arrived at Macao from Ma-
nilla on the 15th ultimo, when his Excellency immedi-
ately landed. We gather from the Friend of China,
that the American Plenipotentiary has been negotiat-
ing with Keying with a view to the improvement of some
parts of the British treaty. It is mentioned that he has
got the 17th article of the supplementary treaty, by
which small vessels visiting the different ports bad to
pay such enormous duties at each plane, amended.
The 13th article of that treaty, however, by which Chi-
nese merchants coming to Hong-Kong to purchase goods
must ship them in a Chinese vessel, seems to remain
unaltered. The mandarins at the new ports have put tta'very
wide interpretation on this clause, since they have even
extended it to the case of Chinese merchants sending
goods from Singapore. We believe that they objected
to admitting goods sent by some of the Chinese here in
British vessels, and that the difficulty was got over by
making out bills of lading in the names of the com-
manders or other persons not Chinese. The attempt to
strain this article so as to apply it to Singapore is very
absurd, and the more so, as it happens that most of the
Chinese here who have shipped largely for the northern
ports, are not subjects of the Emperor of China at all,
but British subjects born in Malacca. After a little more
experience of the working of the treaties, Mr. Davis
will find room enough for a new supplementary treaty.
Mr. Davis was to leave Victoria in company with the
Admiral on the 28th ult., on a tour of inspection of the
northern ports.—Singapore Free Press, Sept. 12.
We understand the French squadron arrived at
Micao on the morning of Thursday last, and the Am-
bassador landed in the course of the day.—Hong-Kong
H.gister, August 20.
Our brother of the Friend of China, in his issue of
the 14th instant, says he cannot corroborate the state-
ment in our last number, that another week (from the
6th to the 13th) had passed without his hearing of any
additional cases of sickness of a serious nature in the

settlement ; and says unfortunately there have been both
new cases (of fever) and new deaths. We certainly
have no wish to become alarmists, and think besides
that there is a tendency in certain quarters to convert
any instance of sickness which occurs into the fever of
last year, We do not think the welfare of the colony is
promoted either by wilful concealment or exaggeration
of the sickness, and believe our Contemporary would be
as far as ourselves from giving way to either. Within
the period mentioned we certainly had not then heard
of any deaths, and have since heard only of one, which
we have been assured was not from fever.—lbid.
In our neighbourhood there is little to notice beyond
the continued violence of the rains and the influence
they eiiert on the streets, which in several parts 'au
scaroely passable, partly from the giving way
_ill
bridges, and partly from water lodging in the hollowi
and softening the newly-laid on materials. The appear-
ance of the sky, joined to the rise of the mercury in the
barometers, lead us to hope the weather will now clear
up, and we trust before a return of such a deluge the
improvements so- much wanted will be made upon the
roads. It is understood the governor will take his de-
parture on Wednesday, in the Agincourt, in company
with the Admiral, on an inspection of the northern ports
opened to our trade. From the notification in this day's
paper, it will be seen the Hon. Major D'Aguilar acts for
him in his absence, in his capacity of Lieutenant-Go-
vernor. Her Majesty's steamer will convey from these
shores Captain Michael Quin, late of her Majesty's hos-
pital ship Minden, this ship having been all but put out of
commission. Captain Quin will carry with him not only
the good wishes of all who have bad the pleasure of his
acquaintance, but of all those who have suffered from
sickness on board the Minden—to whom his kindness
and humanity greatly endeared him. This is Captain
Quin's second visit to China ; he commanded, in 1835,
her Majesty's ship Raleigh, of Typhoon celebrity. We
hear that the Driver, which left this on the 21st of June,
with Sir Henry Pottinger, is expected to bring on the
July maiL If this information is correct, it may be very
soon expected. Last year it reached Macao on the 7th
September, by the Anonyma, twenty-nine days from,
Bombay—Hong-Kong Register, Aug. 27.