The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-07 00:00:00

rtig ult.

LONDON:
FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1842.

I M PORTAN T NEWS
FROM CHINA.

By the arrival of the Overland Mail from
India we have received news from Bombay of
the 30th of November, and from Canton of the
10th of October. The intelligence from China is
highly important. On the 26th of August the
British squadron, under the command of Admiral
PARKER, assisted by Major-Gen. Sir 11. Gouon,
Commander of the Land forces, and in the pre-
sence of Plenipotentiary Sir H. POTTINGER, cap-
tured the strong city of Amoy without the loss-of
a single man on the side of the British. The Bri-
tish squadron consisted of 34 sail, including
steamers and transports. This force sailed from
Hong-Kong on the 21st of August, and on the
25th arrived within forty miles of Arnoy. Sound-
ings being taken by the Druid and Blonde
frigates, and the two Commanders-in-Chief
having reconnoitred the coast, on the fol-
lowing morning preparations were made
for a general attack. In the interim the
Chinese had fired several times • upon the
ships, but without doing them any injury.
Shortly after eight o'clock, A.M., a Mandarin
came on board the -Wellesley with a flag of
truce, ostensibly to inquire why so many ships
tame to trade at once, and what kind of mer-
chandise they had on board. The Mandarin,
however, soon discovered that our friend, pro-
crastinating Captain ELLIOT, was not the person he
had to deal with. And if a pause in this narra-
tive may be allowed, what a pity it was for
both, seeing the fine field presented for
endluis negotiations ! What grave shaking of
heads there would have been between the ex-
Plenipotentiary and the Mandarin, and what
work the secretaries and translators, and messen-
gers to and from the Celestial Court of Pekin,
-would have had, were it an ELLIOT instead of
a PoTTINGER,that had appeared with a squadron
before Amoy. But Sir H. POTTINGER is not a
Plenipotentiary of the ELLIOT stamp, and
so he at once informed the Mandarin that the
" forei;n devils" could fight as well as barter
woollens for teas and rhubarb, and that the
former wa-; now the object of their visit. The
engitclacnit was bewitt by two steamers, the
Sesostris and Queen, about half-past twelve
o'clock, awl in half-an-hour afterwards the.fight
was general. The line-of-battle ships anchored
within four hundred yards of the shore, and six
hundred of the fortifications, which they cannon-
aded in a splendid style. After the firing had
lasted about two hours Sir H. Gotrox at the head
of her Majesty's 18th Regiment; landed, and
seized one end. 'of the long battery. The 26th
Regiment, with the Saildrs and marines, attacked
the strong.batteries On the Island of Koolangsee,
immediLtely.M front of Amoy, and carried them
in the most dasfiinvAikgker. -Tbe Chinese now
ran for their lives in all Alrectickns, leaving the
whole of their works in the hands 'of the British.
The fortifications were found to he of immense

thickness, and so well constructed of granite i
rocks, faced with mud, that the fire from the
ships did them comparatively little injury. The
victory
was, in fact, achieved by the storming par-
ties. Early on the 27th, Sir HUGH GOUGH, at the
head of the troops, entered the city, where he
met with no resistance. The inhabitants had
fled, taking with them all their treasures, for
only five thousand dollars in specie were found
in this rich city. In the bay eighteen war-
junks and some gun-boats were taken. A great
number of Mandarins of high rank witnessed
the engagement at a distance, and it was re-
ported that when they witnessed the complete
triumph of the British arms, some of them killed
themselves to escape the Imperial vengeance.
As the occupation of Amoy would have required
more troops than could be spared from the fleet,
the Plenipotentiary and the Commanders-in-Chief
agreed only to occupy the island of Koolangsee,
which was garrisoned with 500 men of the 18th
and 26th Regiments, with some artillerymen.
To protect this garrison, and to keep the local
authorities in check, her Majesty's ships Druid,
Pylades, and Algerine, were ordered to remain
at Amoy. Thus all British vessels sailing to the
northward will find assistance and protection at
Amoy ; and thus, too, the EMPEROR will learn
that the whole sea-board coast of his mighty
empire is entirely at the mercy of a foreign
people, whom his arrogance made his enemies.
The following circular, addressed by Sir H.
POTTINGER to'her Majesty's subjects in China,
contains the only official account yet received of
this splendid victory. There is nothing magni-
loquent about it. Sir H. POTTINGER has not,
like Captain ELLIOT, cultivated the " King
Cambyses' vein" of writing edicts and
despatches. But if he go on taking towns
after the Amoy fashion, we will excuse his
saying nothing about his own exploits in his
despatches. Nay, more, we will engage, on the
part of Old England, to be as careful of his
fame as his predecessor was of his own at the
expense of his country. Here, then, is the cir-
cular of the Plenipotentiary :
" To her Britannic Majesty's Subjects in China.
" Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, &c., has the highest
degree of satisfaction in announcing to her Majesty's
subjects, and others who feel an interest in the question,
that the city of Amoy, with its very extensive and for-
midable line of batteries and fleet of gun-boats and war-
junks (the whole mounting upwards of 500 pieces of
cannon), was taken possession of on the 26th instant,
after a short, but animated defence on the part of the
Chinese, by her Majesty's naval and land forces, under
the command of their Excellencies Rear-Admiral Sir
W. Parker, K.C.8., and Maj.-Gen. Sir H. Gough, K.C.B.
"This brilliant achievement has been happily accom-
plished with a very trifling loss ; and, in addition to the
works, all of which have been dismantled and destroyed,
and the guns spiked and broken, immense magazines full
of munitions of war have been either removed or ren-
dered useless.

" Arrangements are now in progress for leaving a de-
tachment of troops on the small island of Koolangsee
(which is separated from the town of Amoy by a channel
of deep water), and some of her Majesty's ships will like-
wise remain at this port, whilst the great body of the
expedition advances to the northward, so that British or
other ships, that may touch here during the ensuing
season, will find ample protection, aad be secure from any
risk of molestation.

" Her Majesty's Plenipotentary deems it quite super-
fluous to say one word as to the manner in which this
important service has been performed. The facts re-
quire no eulogium. The Chinese Government vainly
imagined they had rendered Amoy impregnable, but
were undeceived in presence of the Viceroy of the
provinces of Chekeang and Fokien (who, with a num-
ber of high officers, witnessed the attack from the
heights above the town) in the short space of four
hours from the firing of the first gun ; and, had the op-
position been a hundred times greater than it was, the
spirit and bearing of ail employed showed that the re-
sult must have been the same.

" God save the Queen.
" HENRY POTTINGER,
" Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary.
" Dated this 31st day of August, 1841, on board her
Majesty's ship Blenheim, in Amoy Harbour."
Nor is the above the only lesson the Chinese
have been taught since the date of the news
brought by the last overland mail. That perfi-
dious people, disregarding the convention entered
into with Captain ,ELLicyr, no sooner saw Sir
HUGH GOUGH'S back turned than they set about
repairing the fortresses on the Canton river, and
driving stakes into the bed of it to obstruct the
navigation of it. This being made known at
Hong Kong, Capt. NIAS, of her Majesty's ship
Herald, the senior officer at that station, pro-
ceeded up the river and destroyed the fort of
Wangtong, to which the Chinese offered no op-
position. He next issued a proclamation in the
Chinese language, in which he informed the
Mandarins and the people, that if any other
breach of the truce took place, he would
renew the war in real earnest. This
had the desired effect. The Cantonians
grew suddenly as quiet as mice, and even
professed a great willingness to trade with the
English. British merchants were, however,
exceedingly shy of trusting themselves in the
power of the Canton mob, although dreading
nothing from the Mandarins, who were too
much terrified to provoke another hostile visit
from the British Tars.

From Burmah the news is less warlike than
last month. Accounts had reached the Golden-
footed Monarch, THAItAWADDIE, of the real
state of affairs in China. His MAJESTY entered
Rangoon at the head of a large force on the
2d of October, but had intimated an intention
of very speedily returning to his capital without
attacking Moulmein, which Lord AUCKLAND
had caused to be put in a good state of defence,
without sending the re-inforcements at first
intended for that station.
From Central Asia the news is not so sa-
tisfactory. In a series of conflicts in the
Koord Cabool Pass we have to deplore the
loss of three gallant officers killed and
ten wounded. The few particulars known
of these conflicts will be found in another part
of The Sun. We expect, however, that when
the ordinary Bombay and Calcutta Papers ar-
rive we shall be in a condition to furnish our
readers with all the particulars.

It is not denied by the Tory Journals that the
"-public distress has had some influence on the
revenue, and if it have not produced the whole
or any considerable part of the Excise decrease,
it has prevented an increase." But there is little
doubt that the distress of the lower classes is the
main cause of the falling off in the revenue.
They contribute little or nothing to the Assessed
"Taxes," and this branch of the revenue is
flourishing, but they contribute a large propor-
tion of the Excise duties, in which the deficiency
is the greatest; we must, therefore, tellthe land-
lords, who in general have the disbursement and
enjoyment of the revenue, that they cannot have
their funds both in meal and iu malt, cannot
both levy a heavy tax on the necessaries of life
fbr their own especial use, and taxes on luxuries
and comforts-for the use of the State.

At the conference of the working-classes held
at Manchester on New Year's Day, from which
emanated that excellent Address to the Radical
Reformers of Great Britain and Ireland which
we published in our afternoon edition yesterday,
a considerable body of facts were brought for-
ward to illustrate the present condition of the
working-classes, some of which:we shall quote to
show its effects on the revenue. It is scarcely
necessary to remind the reader that in the majo-
rity of cases people do not limit their consump-
tion of bread and meat till after they have limited,
or totally put a stop to their consumption of to-
bacco and spirituous liquors. At that meeting
there were Deputies from various parts of the
kingdom,. and Mr. JOHN ADAM, weaver, from
Forfar, gave in a report of the working-classes in
that town, of which the following is an extract :
There were visited in Forfar 510 families, consisting
of 1,727 individuals, nearly all of whom were employed.
After deducting for rent, tire, and light, they had only
the following sums per day, respectively, on which to
subsist, viz.:-40 individuals, from 6d. to Bd. per day;
61 from sd. to 51d.; 116 from 4d. to 4:td.; 247 from 3d.
to 34d.; 567 from Id. to lid.; and 118 from id. to Id.
The greate,.,part of the last number are single women,
employed as winders. Only 42 of the entire number are
unemployed. In 1836, the population of Forfar was
8,780; the number of cattle killed was 825, which gave
an average allowance, per diem, to each individual, of
1 ounce 13 drachms. In 1841 the population was 9,605;
and the number of cattle killed; 483, which afforded to
each individual an average daily: supply of :151 drachms.
The of other -U4cleistOes; • bread,- cattin,
&c., diminished in the-same proportion:
That is the condition of the people in A remote

part of Scotland ; their condition in the heart of
England was thus described :

In Nottingham the working classes were in great
distress. He (Mr. Murray) had counted 117 stout,
healthy men, engaged in " making a hole, and filling it
up again." They were employed at the forest in remov-
ing a bank of red sandstone, in order that they might re-
ceive parish pay. Eleven of them were harnessed to the
gravel cart, like beasts of burden. That was not a suit-
able occupation for human beings. The children in the
workhouse of Nottingham died so rapidly that a coro-
ner's inquest was held to ascertain the cause. It was
then found, that, in consequence of the crowded state of
the workhouse, the mortality was five-fold greater in it
than outside.

Of Halifax a carefully drawn up report stated,
Sixty-two families have been forced from their
homes into lodgings, where there are two, and three, and
even four small families in one small house of two
rooms, with scarcely a vestige of furniture. Some are
lying upon straw, on the cold ground ; others had been
without fire in their houses for two or three days, and
not a morsel of flour, meal, or other food in the house.
One poor woman declared she had not eaten a morsel for
two days. In one house, containing two families, was a
female, in a corner of the room, clothed in rags, near her
confinement, and actually famishing for bread.

Though the aristocracy, by drawing their cur.
tains close, and shutting their double-doors,
may keep the complaints of the people from pe-
netrating into their clubs and drawing-rooms,
and may therefore remain in blissful ignorance
of what the people say and think, they must not
suppose, we can assure them, that such statements
can be made to crowded meetings of the work-
ing classes, and can be recorded by many of the
Journals, without having a considerable effect on
their minds. One consequence of such state-
ments is to make them feel doubly indignant
against the bread-taxers, and hence the demand
for compensation for past injury, as well as a
guarantee against future wrong, is becoming
quite popular amongst them. At that meeting
a Mr. WATKINS said—

If the large assembly which he had the honour to re-
present were polled through, scarcely an individual
would be found who would not assert the principle that
the people were entitled to receive compensation from
the aristocracy who had fattened themselves on their
sufferings. The propriety of making this; claim was
not first suggested by young and inexperienced men,
who did not understand the matter—it was first proposed
by the father of the Anti-Corn-law agitation—the author
of the Anti-Corn-law Catechism—Colonel Thompson ;
and the claim was considered just and legitimate by the
Rev. Patrick Brewster, who, in a letter addressed to him
(Mr. Watkins) a few weeks ago, used these words :
"I cannot help expressing my satisfaction that the work-
ing men getting up the meeting have the sense and spirit
to demand compensation. Would that the League had
the courage to join them in that claim !—it would sooner
bring your unfeeling oppressors to their senses."—
(Cheers.) Though that claim had been put forward by
a few, yet backed as it was by two men whom all per-
ties respected, it was surely entitled to the consideration
of the meeting.
His opinions were thus echoed :

Mr. Murray, of Nottingham, was of opinion that com-
pensation, in some shape or other, should be had. The
aristocracy had proclaimed to the world, through their
organs, that they were worth 3,000,000,0001. of money ;
and he thought that, as they had saddled the country
with 1,000,000,0001. of a National Debt, they should be
called on to liquidate it by paying 6s. Bd. to the pound
for one year. lie would forgive them all their bygone
robbery, if they paid that debt. They might discharge
it in ten years by paying Bd. to the pound on their
boasted capital. That was the compensation he would
demand from them ; and surely, after charging the
people 30 per cent. on their food beyond its real value,
they (the aristocracy) had no reason to grumble at the
proposition.

Such are the thoughts and such is the language
of the working-classes, dictated by their deep
distress; and such thoughts and such language
are spreading further and wider, while indignation
apinst the law-makers is becoming more intense
every day. Unfortunately for them, science and
the statistical accounts which they order to be
collected for their own information or amuse-
ment, justify the workmen's statements, and
confirm those indications of decay and distress
which we find in the Revenue accounts. In a
paper on the increase of mortality, in that useful
periodical, called Facts and Figures, No. 4, we
find the following passage :

The rate of mortality throughout England was—
_ .

In the year ending 30th June, 1839, one in 46.21, or
216 in 10,000 of the population. In the year ending
30th June, 1840, one in 44'28, or 225 in 10,000 of the
population ; showing an increase of 9 on 216, or 4.16
per cent. It was in . 1839 1840
Leic':stershire .... ....... lin 48.06
Nottinghamshire
West Riding, Yorkshire lin 44'11
Cheshire
Warwickshire
Staffordshire 1 in 53.04
Lancashire
The above seven counties lin 41.82
All England . . lin 46'21
In each 10,000 of the population the deaths have there-
fore been, 1839. 1840. Difference.
In the seven manufacturl
239 262 9.62 per cent.
inn counties
In the remaining counties 206 209 1'45 „

In all England 216 225 4'16 ' ,
In the counties of Leicester, Nottingham, and Lan-
caster, the deaths have been in each 10,000 of the
population : 1839. 1840. Difference.
Leicester
Nottingham 2lO 282 34.28
Lancaster .
The extreme high rate of mortality in both years in
Lancashire seems to indicate that causes adverse to
prosperity came earlier into operation in that county
than elsewhere : the rate of mortality, then, has been
higher than that of the whole kingdom by 31 per cent.
in 1839, and 43 per cent. in 1840.
When we consider that the value of life among the
upper and middling classes has been decidedly improved,
as shown by the alterations in insurance policies, as well
as by general observation, how fearful must be the in-
crease of disease and mortality amongst the poor !
Fearful, indeed—it must be fearful; and the
people begin to be quite sensible that those who
call them " canaille," and the " swinish multi-
tude," have a serious and settled design on their
lives. They say that they are to be starved ont
of existence, as the Red men of America have
been swept away; with this difference, that the
latter have been annihilated by the progress of
a more industrious and skilful race, while they
are to make way for those who have neither in-
dustry nor skill, and who will themselves decay
and perish, should they succeed in their present
object of starving the working classes. We
know, too, that they see with unmitigated dis-
gust the present conduct of the clergy in advo-
cating the immoral system which aims at de-
stroying them. The bribed priesthood now
meet them in every path; and as writers of
letters, as editors of newspapers, as getters up
of journ4l.l for the working classes, as well as
in 4.la.eir • ,caps.eity, - preachers, they zealously
endeavour tb -prevent the''escape of the people
from the bog of cruel oppression in which they
are immersed. If they should succeed, it will
end in depriving themselves of congregations;
and if they should not succeed, they will find
that in making religion the ally of an unjust and
immoral system of politics, they have weakened
its influence, and have for ever destroyed their own.

The Sun 'has consistently and zealously advo.
cated that. extension of copyright which. Mr.
Segeant TALFOURD proposed. We may venture,
therefore, with no chance of having our motives
misconstreed, to express a doubt whether lite-
rary men consult the public feeling in now
urging forward legislation on that subject. We
are told, however, that Mr. THESIGER is to take
up the measure which Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD
is no longer, we regret to say, in a condition to
advocate. We see, also, that there are
able and elaborate articles on the• question
in the Quarterly Review, and in Black-
wood's Magazine, while the awful-condition-of-
England question seems unworthy of notice.
The distressed people will thus be taught that
literary men are as selfish as the landlords, and I
have no sympathy with their distress.
At present the authors of:the empire should be
employed in counselling and advising the nation,
if they are really to be its lights and guides,
how it may navigate safely through the dangers
which surround it, so as to avoid the engulph-
ing quicksands of despotism on the one hand,
and the rocks of anarchy on the other. They
may be certain of being better rewarded should
they forego their own small advantages to a
calmer season, and now take their proper station
as the pilots of society. If, like merchants or
money-brokers, they regard only the means of
leaving a fortune behind them—if, while they
talk and write of high-mindedness and pure
aspirations, they display only a sordid feeling,
grasping after some doubtful advantage to them-
selves—they will only prove that they are not
more noble-minded than the -money tsrubbers,
against whimthsy rail,,and ..they will indict ati
Irreparable injury on the literary character.
If their energies, too, are now to be employed

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