The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-04-10 00:00:00

NEWS FROM CHINA AND INDIA.

(From a Second Edition of the Morning Post.)
By an extraordinary express from Marseilles and Paris,
we have received our letters and journals brought by the
Atalanta steamer. Our dates from Bombay are Feb. 29,
China Jan. 7, and Calcutta Feb. 16. The following is the
letter of our Bombay correspondent _ _

Bombay, Feb. 29.

The accounts from China, which are to the itliof January,
continue of the same unfavourable complexion as those pre-
viously received. The reports which were previously in circu-
lation respecting the imperial displeasure at the failure of
the Commissioner Lin's attempt to eradicate the traffic in
opium turns out to be totally unfounded. His master's con-
fidence in him is unshaken, and instead of being degraded,
as reported in the Canton papers, he had received additional
marks of the imperial favour. The decisive measure adopted
by Lin of excluding British commerce for ever from the em
pire has received the approbation of the emperor, and the
commissioner has not only been relieved from all the respon-
sibility of the ordinance, but the power of modifying it has
been taken out of his hands ; and he is thus precluded from
entering into any negotiations for the restoration of our
intercourse, all of which must he henceforth directed at once
to the court at Pekin, and not to its minister at Canton.
Before the Emperor's pleasure had been know, the com-
missioner issued a fresh edict (a copy of which I transmit
herewith), prohibiting the evasion of the new law by the
transhipment of British goods to foreign bottoms, to be con-
veyed to Canton under the protection of Li foreign flag, to do
so. The Captain of every American and other foreign ship,
before being permitted to enter the port of Canton, was re-
quired to give bond to the. following effect :—" If we have
got on board the goods and merchandise of any ship belong-
to the English nation, no matter whether taken on board
within or without the Grand Ladrone Island, or on the high
seas, or at Singapore, or at Penang, or at Manilla, or while
touching at any other of these foreign possessions. If any
thing of the kind be found on board, we are hereby perfe.ctly
willing that both ship and cargo be confiscated."
The Thomas Coutts had commenced taking in her home-
ward cargo, and was expected to leave about the end of
January. She was being loaded by the merchants at the rate
of £8 to £9 per ton. The Royal Saxon, Captain Towns,
had also succeeded in getting up to Whampoa. It appears
her Majesty's ships Volage and Hyacinth had left their an-
chorage at Tankoo, and repaired to Macao, for what reason
does not appear, unless to enjoy Christmas-day at that place;
and the captain of the Royal Saxon took advantage of their
absence and entered within the Bogue, of course having pre-
viously signed the required bonds. Connected with this
event is the capture by the Chinese of Captain Gribble,
of the firm of Gribble, Hughes, and Co., who proceeded
after the Royal Saxon in a Chinese fast boat for the
purpose of putting a tea taster on board, which, having
accomplished, as he was returning to the fleet his boat was
seen and chased by a Mandarin boat with about fifty rowers,
and was overtaken close to the shore—himself taken out and
carried away—but all his Chinamen escaped by jumping
overboard and wading ashore. On the circumstance being
made known, a number of the boats of the fleet at Tangkoo
was manned with the greatest promptitude and went in pur-
suit, but failed to come up with the boat. On the 3rd of
January it was ascertained that Captain Gribble was in con-
finement at Canton, end it was expected that he would be
immediately released therefrom by the Commissioner.
The officer and crew of the Sunda, wrecked on the coast
of the Harnan, had been conveyed to Canton, where they
were at once admitted into the city, and introduced to the
Commissioner and all the other public authorities. They
were treated with great kindness ; the sailors were regaled
with a pork feast, and the whole party was sent on to the
English fleet without detriment. Lin talked much with the
captain, and was greatly delighted with Mr. Thelwall's book
against opium, a copy of which appears to have been on board,
and which was read to him, it is stated by a cabin boy. He
is also reported to have said that notwithstandidg all that had
passed, the English might return, if they would engage in
the lawful 'trade ; but this is inconsistant with the edict of
eternal exclusion, to which he had obtained the Emperor's
sanction.
The late conduct of Captain Elliott seems inexplicable,
even making every allowance—and great allowances ought to
be made—for the difficulties of his position. He appears to
have made an attempt at reconciliation, which has only
afforded a fresh opportunity to Lin to degrade him still fur-
ther. This vacillating conduct of the Superintendent is
lamentable, and it is matter of congratulation that all further
negociations with the Chinese will be speedily placed upon a
different basis, and entrusted to other agency. Captain
Elllott's position has been a very difficult one, and his feel-
ings are not to be envied when the accounts of the dishonour
his bills have met with from the British Government shall
have reached him.
A very great error appears to be prevalent in England in as-
suming that the opium trade was the sole cause of ;he late
crisis in China. It undoubtedly accelerated it, but, inde-
pendently altogether of matters connected with opium, the
time had arrived when the interference of our government
with respect to China was absolutely necessary to place our
relations upon a proper footing. The British Government
ought to have peremptorily interfered in 1834, on the occa-
sion of the murder (for it was little better) of their represen-
tative in China, the late lamented Lord Napier, the occur-
rences connected with which had nothing whatever to do
with opium. Nothing however was done at that time,
the attention of people in England being engrossed with
some petty affair of politics, and the insult was tamely
submitted to. Nothing short of a crisis such as has
occurred, and the consequences of which will be felt through-
out the length and breadth of the land, was sufficient to rouse
the British Government to a sense of the importance of the
interests at stake.
With regard to the projected expedition to China, I have
not any additional particulars to communicate.
Lord Auckland has arrived at Calcutta, and in a few days
we shall hear more definitely what the plan of operations
will be.
H.M. ship Wellesley, Captain T. Maitland, having on
board Sir J. J. Gordon Bremore, commodore, commanding
the British squadron in the Indian sea, arrived at Madras on
'the 11th instant, from whence she was to sail immediately
for Calcutta in order to enable the commodore to confer with
Lord Auckland, as to the measures to be adopted in relation
to the expedition destined for China.
The expedition is said to consist of the following troops ;
from Bengal, her Majesty's 21st and 26th regiments of native
infantry ; from Madras one regiment of Queen's troops, four
of native infantry, one regiment of artillery, and one of en-
gineers ;—trom Ceylon, one regiment of Queen's troops,
total ten regiments. General Sir R. Arbuthnot, Commander-
in-Chief at Ceylon, is to command the above-mentioned
force; and Generals Oglander and Walker are to have divi-
sions.
The expedition is not intended to arrive in China before
May next. Two vessels have been chartered each to take in
200 tons of coal and some stores, and to proceed to Madras ;
from thence receiving troops they proceed to Ceylon and
Trincomalee where they will change the troops and proceed
to China. Eight other vessels, the Ernaad Hiaemar, 'Rai-
many, Nassurat Shaw, Indian Oak, Edmonstone, Alla Al-
lenie, and Mahomed Shaw, each receiving 300 tons of coals
and provisions, and, taking troops, will proceed direct to
China.
Tenders for tonnage to convey her Majesty's 55th regi-
ment, had been issued, but afterwards countermanded.
Brigadier Stewart of Vellor, has been appointed to the com-
mand of the Northern Division on the departure of Major-
General Welsh.

:RETURN OF KILLED AND WOUNDED OF A DETACHMENT
UNDER THE COMMAND OF LIEUT.-COLONEL ORCHARD,
C. 8., BEFORE THE FORT OF PESHOOT, ON SATURDAY,
JANUARY 18, 1840.
Camp, Peshoot, January 18, 1840.
Detail.—Artillery—Killed, none ; severely wounded,
none; slightly wounded, 2 sepoys.
Sappers and Miners—Killed, 1 sepoy ; severely wounded,
1 naick and 1 sepoy • slightly wounded, 1 sgrjeant.
Ist European Regiment—Killed, 1 private ; severely
wounded, 1 ensign and 3 privates ; slightly woundd, none.
37th Regiment, Native Infantry—Killed, 1 havildar and
sepoys; severely wounded, 1 lieutenant, I havildar, 1 naick,
and 9 sepoys ; slightly wounded, 1 drummer and 5 sepoys.
His Majesty's Schalk Shoojah's 3d Regiment—Killed, 1
jemadar and 9 sepoys ; severely wounded, 2 havildars, 3
naicks, and 10 sepoys ; slightly wounded, 7 sepoys.
"Total—Killed, 16 ; severely wounded, 20 ; slightly wound-
ed, 14.
P.S.—The trooper of Captain Christie's horse wounded.
Seven horses drowned in crossing the fords.