The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-01 00:00:00

CHINA.

Accounts from Hong Kong to the 15th May, via Cal-
cutta, have been received since our last ; but they yield
a very scanty supply of intelligence, and that almost
exclusively of a commerciai character. The discussion
relative to the opium trade had been revived, owing to
a step taken by Mr. M'Gregor, the Consul at Canton,
who on the 21st of April had ordered the parties in
charge of the receiving ships at Whampoa to appear be
fore him with their registers and other ships' papers—a
' measure which of course had the effect of driving
these vessels from the river. The cause of the pro-
cedure is variously stated—the China Mail (the go-
vernment paper) affirming that it was brought
about by the acts of certain Parsee merchants,
who persisted in employing foreign schooners
for the conveyance of opium between Whampoa and
Canton—while the Friend of China expressly denies the
correctness of this statement, alleging that the measure
must be traced to the misconduct of " one of the small
mercantile firms lately established in China," which sold
some saltpetre to a mandarin licensed to purchase that
article, and offered delivery of it from a receiving ship,
which so incensed the mandarin that he lodged a com-
plaint with the consul, who thereupon fined the firm 500
dollars, and issued the order alluded to. It was said that
the arrangements which prohibit the Chinese from trading
at Hong-Kong without a "chop" for the purpose, and
which has interfered in no small measure with the com-
mercial prosperity of that settlement, was likely to be
abolished by Government. Victoria and Canton were
visited on the 9th of May, by a violent thunder storm,
ascompanied by a very deluge of rain, which did con-
siderable damage to roads and unfinished buildings
in the former place. An extract from the Pekin Ga-
zette, given by the China Mail, intimates that " the
Emperor Taoukwang, being now in the vale of years,
feels the weight of administration to be too much
for his infirmities, and is longing to be freed from the
burden. His sickness last summer produced conside-
rable altertation about the succession to the throne. His
only son was at first proposed as the rightful heir to the
crown, and Taoukwang agreed that he should wield the
sceptre at the commencement of this year ; but the design
was frustrated by the parties who contended for the as-
cendency. The formation of a council, to whom all
important matters were entrusted, was the consequence.
The personal influence of some of its leading members
have been found to be too great, and in order to neutralize
it, Taoukwang has recently added considerably to its
number, and thus brought together many powerful and
ambitious leaders opposed to each other's views." " The
stock of goods on hand," says the Hong Kong Register,
" is still large, though a few sales continue to be made.
Prices have not declined so much as might have been
expected under the circumstances, nor are they expected
to go much lower, but until the arrival of the new crops
of silk and tea, no advance is looked for.

ARRIVAL of the EXPERIMENTAL
SQUADRON AT CORK.

The Rattler steamer arrive Cove at nine P.M., on
the 27th, leaving the experimental squadron under
easy sail outside the harbour, where they anchored on
the following morning. The following is stated to be
the summary of their sailing qualities :—The Queen,
three-decker, first ; Albion, two-decker, or Vanguard,
two-decker, second ; Canopus, two-decker, or Rodney.
two-decker, third ; St. Vincent, three-decker, fourth
Trafalgar, fifth ; Superb, two-decker, last. The Trafal-
gar has placed all others in the back ground for celerity
in manoeuvring.