The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-06-08 00:00:00

CHINA, INDIA,

AND EGYPT

Our despatches are dated from China, April 1; from Bom-
bay, May I ; from Alexandria, May 22; from Malta, May

•zu.
Our express from China and India brings most important
intelligence. The last dates are, from Macao the Ist of
April, Singapore, the 10th, and Calcutta the 22d ; Bombay
the Ist of May, and Alexandria the 22d.
The negotiations between the British and Chinese Com-
missioners had been broken off a few days after the date of
the last despatch (February 13,) and hostilities had recom-
menced which ended in the capture of all the Bogue Forts
(30 in number, mounting 800 guns), the destruction of all
the defences and batteries up to the walls of Canton, " tak-
ing, sinking, burning, or dispersing the enemy's flotilla," in
the words of Commodore Sir J. Gordon Bremer; who
conducted the operations, and on the 18th March " hoisted

the Union Jack.on the walls of the British Factory

This intelligence was contained in two despatches from
Macao to Calcutta, the first by the Waterwitch on the 28th
of Februai y, containing the explanation of these extraordi-
nary and eventful proceedings. Keshen, the Imperial Com-
missioner, had delayed the execution of the treaty concluded

with Captain Elliot to obtain the Emperor's confirmation.
Instead of approving, the Emperor has rejected the treaty,
and issued four edicts breathing scorn and defiance of the
English, delivering Keshen over to the Board of Punishment
(though without depriving him of his command), divesting
the Admiral Kwan Teenpie of his button, sending flying
orders for the march of 8,000 of his best troops to defend
Canton, " to subdue and recover the places on the coast,"
" to exterminate and drive out the English," " for it is ab-

solutely necessary that the rebellious foreigners must give
up their heads, which, with the prisoners, are to be sent to
Pekin in cages to undergo the last penalty of the law." The
fourth edict clearly betrays the deceptive policy pursued by
the Chinese : viz., " To-day, the 11th of February, Keshen
has reported that the English foreigners have usurped pos-
session of the batteries, and it is difficult to defend and keep
the province. He further reports in a supplementary docu-
ment, in which he with intense eartnestness begs that favour
may be bestowed on the English," &c. "On looking at
the report, I am altogether filled with indignation and grief.
The said great minister, because of the importance of the
city of Canton and its granaries of rice, and also because
the inhabitants are exceedingly numerous, because appre-
hensive that commotions would ensue, has made this a cause
for temporary expedients, and deceptively acceded to the
requests (of the English), and for the present they have
not been surrounded or exterminated." This Imperial
Edict continues—" Hasten, then, your consultations and
schemes, attack and exterminate," &c.
Before these hostile edicts had appeared, Captain Elliot,
confiding in the good faith of Keshen, had sent orders to
General Burrell to restore the island of Chusan to the Chi-
nese, and to return with the Bengal Volunteers to Calcutta.
This order had been promptly obeyed. Chusan had been
evacuated on the 25th of February. Three vessels, with the
volunteers on board, had reached Singapore on the 16th of
March, but it was expected they would be ordered back to
Macao. The others had fortunately put into Hong-Kong
for water, and were detained there. .Of the 1,700 European
troops belonging to the 26th and 49th regiments which landed
in Chusan in high health in July last, 190 only were left fit
for duty. The British imprisoned by the Chinese at Ningpo
had been liberated upon the evacuation of Chusan. An ar-
rangement had been made by the friends of Col. Anstruther
to facilitate his escape, but he refused to avail himself of it,
as he might thereby have exposed his friends in captivity to
greater hardships. Captain Elliott, in 'pursuance of an ar-
rangement with Keshen. sent on the 14th of February the
iron steamer Nemesis up the river with a draught of a treaty
respecting the " details which remained matter for negocia-
tion," under orders to wait till the 18th. The Nemesis
found the river obstructed by barriers, large batteries erect-
ing on shore and on the central island, and herself fired on
by the Bogue forts while yet two leagues off. She therefore
returned at once to Macao, where Capt. Elliot, at length com-
prehending Keshen'ts duplicity and the Emperor's inveterate
hostility, prepared to recommence hostilities. He set sail on
20th February up the river; on the 24th Commodore Bremer
attacked and destroyed the fieldworks, disabling 80 guns they
mounted ; on the 25th and 26th he attacked and captured
three adjoining Bogue forts without losing a single man,
killing about 260 Chinese, and taking 1,300 prisoners, who
were subsequently liberated at the opposite side of the river.
The whole British force was on the 28th of February pro-
ceeding to attack Canton, at which date the Waterwitch was
despatched from Macao express with the news to Calcutta.
Vessels had also been sent to atop the passing transports
from Chusan, and recall those arrived at Singapore. The
supreme Government of India was making every exertion to
send more troops to China. The above intelligence was de-
spatched from Calcutta by express overland to Bombe), but
only arrived three hours after the departure of the steamer
for Suez on the Ist of April. It was therefore necessarily
detained at Bombay till the 27th of April, when the steamer
sailed for Suez with Sir James Carnac. The primary
error and cause of delay in the transmission of this
and the previous Chinese despatches has been attributed
to the opinion expressed by Captain Elliot when, on the
27th January, he despatched the Enterprise steamer to Cal-
cutta, " that she might stop there, as all was settled in
China" ! He had at the same time ordered his family to
join him, in the conviction that he had re-established peace.
By the arrival of the Queen steamer at Calcutta, on the
20th April, with Commodore Bremer himself on board, we
learn the continued successful result of the operations of the
British squadron while ascending the Canton river, subse-
quent to the 28th of February, capturing forts, destroying
barriers, and blowing up junks, till the final success at Can,
ton on the 18th of March. The reports of Commodore
Bremer to Lord Auckland contain ample details of the daily
and almost hourly operations of the British squadron. The
casualties on its side are stated to be inconsiderable ' • 25
men and 1 lieutenant killed, and 26 men wounded. All the
factories at Canton were occupied by the British troops.
Captain Elliott had, on the 20th of March, issued a " cir-
cular to her Majesty's subjects," announcing that a suspen-
sion of hostilities had been agreed on between the Imperial
Commissioner Yang and himself, " that the trade of the
port of Canton is open, and that British and other foreign
merchants who may see fit to proceed there for the purpose
of lawful commerce shall be duly protected. No bond will
be required by the provincial governor, but there will be no
objection on the part of the British authorities to the like
liabilities for the introduction of prohibited merchandise, or
for smuggling duly proved, which would follow such offences
in England, detention of person, or penal consequences of
all kinds excepted." The circular winds up thus :—" No-
tice is hereby given, that British and foreign merchant
vessels have permission to proceed to Whampoa ; all conse- 1
quences arising from the possible and sudden resumption of
hostilities of course remaining at the risk of the parties."
Subsequently another violent proclamation had been issued
by the Emperor. The notices posted by the Canton autho-
rities on the walls to announce the re-opening of trade had
been torn down, all communication with the English or-
dered to be cut off, and Keshin had been sent a prisoner to
Pekin by order of the Emperor.
The Bengal Hurkuru says, " We have heard upon good
authority that the Bengal Volunteers, who had been detained
at Singapore, have declared their unwillingness to return to
China, and threatened a general mutiny if an attempt were
made to compel them."
The 55th European Regiment bad been embarked at Cal-
cutta
as a reinforcement for the troops at Canton. The
island of Hongkong had been evacuated by orders of Captain
Elliott, on his discovery that Keshin's treaty was merely a
deception.
The Auckland steamer left Bombay on the 27th April with
Sir J. R. Carnac, Bart. and family on board, en route for
Egypt and England Sir James has resigned the governor-
ship of that presidency on account of his health, being
threatened with paralysis. His departure had elicited feel-
ings of regret and sympathy amongst the natives of Bombay,
and a subscription of 36,000 rupees had already been made
for the purpose of presenting him with a piece of plate—of
having a scholarship established in his name in the medical
college—and of having his bust taken after his arrival in
London. He landed with his lady and family at Suez on the
15th of May, and proceeded thence by Cairo to Alexandria,
where they arrived on the 21st ult., and set sail in the Orien-
tal on the 22d. Captain Harris, of the Engineers, also sailed
in the Auckland steamer from Bombay, and was landed at
Aden, to proceed on a mission into Abyssinia.
The Berenice, which left Bombay on the Ist of May, con-
veyed the important despatch of the arrival of the victorious
British squadron at Canton, and all its successes since Feb.
28. This snail arrived at Alexandria at midnight on the 21st
of May, and the Oriental sailed therewith next morning.
An university at Madras has been opened by Lord Elphin-
stone, who continues to retain the government of that Pre-
sidency three years longer.
The Supreme Government had opened a new loan at 5 per
cent., a circumstance which had caused much speculation
throughout India. The old loans of 4 per cent. have become
depreciated, and would evidently have not been adequate to
an emergency such as was contemplated in reference to new
operations at Herat. The Bombay army is marching to-
wards Quetta and Candahar. Major Todd bad arrived
safely at Gorisk. Generals Brooks and Nott, each at the
head of 6000 men, were waiting for further orders. The
rumoured advance of the Persians on Herat is now found to
I be somewhat premature. All was quiet in Nepaul and

Scinde.
The Punjaub continued in a very disturbed state. The
murder of Colonel Montoro, Captain. Fowkes and Pay.
master Ford, by their own Sheik troops, near Pesha-
war, had been confirmed. The same mutinous body
of soldiers Lave also murdered 119 of their own native
officers. General Lumley, with his troops, were pre-
pared to cross the Sutledge at Feaozopore as soon as it
might be necessary ; but it appeared that no decisive course
had been taken. British interference had not yet been en-
tered on within the Punjaub, meanwhile it had become a
prey to the ravages of lawless troops amounting to 80,000
men. _ . .

...-... .
The Hill tribes in the Cutchee were threatening to
avenge their recent defeats.
Nusseer Khan had been induced by Colonel Stacey, to
enter into arrangements, and to proceed with him to Quetta,
to meet Mr. Bell, and ratify the treaty.
Dost Mahommed was at Meerut on the 28th of March,
and left it for Calcutta next day.
Calcutta and Cuttack had 'been 'suffering severely from
cholera; the deaths were: for some days up to the 9th of
April, 50 in the former city alone, not counting its populous
suburbs. The Rev. Mr. Backhouse, chaplain of Agra, had
been carried off by it. The 32d Regiment of Native In-
fantry was attacked by it on the Bth of March, between
Dacca and Dinapore, and 100 sepoys, about an equal number
of boatmen and followers carried off in 11 days.
The great discussion in Bombay respecting the contempt
of the Supreme Court, committed by two sets of merchants,
has ended by the judges allowing the rules to be discharged
against those proprietors. A great sensation was caused
thereby, and a subscription of £3OO collected to present a
piece of plate to the barrister who had pleaded on their be-
half. The whole of the bar has condemned his conduct, and
the public has allowed the matter to drop into oblivion.