Star.
London, England, 1829-07-06 00:00:00

NEWS FROM CHINA.

We have Canton and Pekin Papers to the beginning
of February. The Pekin Gazette informs us, that " such is
the general stagnation, that few remarks are to be made
on the commerce of the place." The Opium market
had been, for a long time, in a state of extreme depres-
sion. Silver was scarce; and tew new dollars could
be obtained even at a premium of one per cent. Tins
Silk goods in the hands of the manufacturers were
at very reduced prices, as is usual when money
is scarce; and the demand for these goods had
ceased for a long time. This branch of trade ap-
pears to have been greatly curtailed of late, and the
experts to Europe and America very limited for the
season. Teas, at the same time, were to be purchased
on very low terms; and nankeens, in common with
most °that- articles of foreign demand, had gteatly de-
clined in price.
By the Canton Register we find that Caetain ENDI•
COTT. of the ship Suffolk, on his last outward-bound
passage, had discovered a dangerous ridge of breakers.
bearing S 43 deg. E. per compass, from Lady Donkin's
monument (a Melt stands over the town of Port St.
Elizabeth in Algoa Bay, South Coast of Africa) distant
about seven or eight leagues. ' It lies directly in the
way of all homeward-bound Indiamen making the
land thereabouts ; and its existence cannot therefore to
soon be made public.
Of the recent avocations of his MAJESTY the Brother
of the Sun we have some really curious details. la the
Pekin Gazette there is published a new law for the cur-
rent year, setting forth that " hereafter, where in any
case three or four or more persons are murdered, if it
appear on the trial that the family have no heir left,
then the son or sons of the muedeier, who may not have
mined at manhood, shall he presented to the keepers
of the Harem, and be emasculated; and a report made
to the EMPEROR requesting to know his will and plea-
sure on the subject. Let the criminal board enter this
among the supplementary laws, and act agreeably
thereto. Respect this." Tie autumnal death-warrants
signed, or rather marked off, by his Imperial MAJESTY,
amounted to seven hundred and eighty-nine! There
were exclusive of iminereus executions by authority
of the local Governments—which, in every province,
have the power of life and death. The EMPEROR first
took the provinces in the south-west corner of his vast
dominions—namely, Yunan, kweiochan, and Kwangse,
and marked off ninety to be executed in forty days.
Next day, for the singe province of Szechnen, one
hundred and eleven persons; and in Canton and Fokein
there were one hundred and nineteen criminals, at whom
ninety-five were sentenced to death. In this way,
during the remaining days of this dreadful visitation,
his MAJESTY marked off, with red ink, at the rate of
ninety or a hundred per day ! Five persons were tr ied
before the EMPEROR himself, and were condemned.—
The crime of many of these unfortunate delinquents was
" inordinate curiosity !" Jupiter's address to Juno is
net inapplicable to these proceedings of his MAJESTY :
" As for you, Juno, curb your prying temper, or
" We'll make you, to your cost, know we're your Emperor."
Among the on dits of these Papers we find an account
of a Bud's Priest being publicly exposed in the streets
of Canton, wearine the wooden collar round his neck,
and a pair cf small footed woman's shoes nailed to it,
to denote the character of his crime and the breach of
his vows. This exhibition seems to have excited a due
portion of ridicule and amusement at the expanse of the
amorous worshipper of the Sun and Moan.— the SAf•
dinian Nobleman, Count VIDUA, had just arrived from
Manilla. In the course of his travels he is said to be
visiting China " in pursuit of scientific knowledge."—
(Small pox appears to have prevailed to an alarming
extent; and many Europeans had been attacked with
the loathsome disease.