The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-01-21

Interesting from the Chinese Empire.
Approaching Revolution among the
Celestials.
THE AMERICANS AND THE OPIUM TRADE.
MOVEMENTS OF NOBILITY,
&c. &c. &c.


stober Our extracts will be found of considerable
interest. The details of the movements of the
Emperor and his cabinet quite curious.
NEWSPAPER POSTAGE.
A correspondent complains that newspapers pre-
paid in New York to his address have not arrived,
though be has received letters posted at the same
time and place. This is not solitary instance,
and therefore he asks, :" If the New Postal Com
vention be all humbug putting the question to us,
ne says, because we stated some months ago that
we had applied to the Postmaster General In Lon
don, on the subject of the convention. We did so,
and having now received answer, the cores
pondence, is subjoined. With such assurance, fol-
loving upon the notteation Issued both by the
Postmaster General of the United States, and by
the Postmaster of Hong Kong, our correspondent
must be pattern of patience to use no harsher
term than " humbug' TO the detention OF papers
for which money has been taken under false pre-
.ences. We would advise him to make monthly
complaint 10 his own government, through its Com
missioner In Chine unii the evil Is fully remedled.
We can prescribe nothing more likely TO prove et-
fectual
GENERAL Pssr orFIor, LONDON, July 81, 1S49
SIR With reference to Jour letter OF tue 2lst May
last beg 10 inform you that the Postmaster OF Hong
Kong has since received instructions With respect to
the convention lately concluded between Great Britain
end the United States
Newspapers addressed to received from the United
States, psssins in transit through the United Kingdom
each, II cent to or from Hong Kong via Southampton,
and with rate Of I'd each If seat via Msrseles
All such newspapers are also chsrgsabis with a
United States rate OF Id each oa their delivery In
AmeIica.-I am, sir your obsdient servant
CHAkLEs JOHNSON,
Fer the Secretary.
ToAp6rew shortrede, Esq Hong Kong.
APPROACHING REVOLUTION IN CHINA.
DR.. Gutzaff, the great Chinese traveller, has laid
interesting details OF the state OF China before the
London Statistical Society. He confirmed the
accounts hitherto given OF the extent of the Popua-
ion Of the /" Fiowery Land"
The area OF China proper II, II seems, about
l,29S,000 square mes-about threetifths of the ex-
tent OF the Russian empire, or hths OF the SIZE
ot Australia The population Is said, at present, 10
amount to 367 100000; and this II Is that seems
incredible TO an European understanding. But,
compared with the space occupied, il Is not so ex-
cessve az, at first sight, il appears. Ii leaves
for about two and one-thlrd acres OF share 10 each
living person and in England and Wales, the ave
rage is rather less-about two acres per head It's
true that, in some provinces OF the empire, the po
spuation returns give an average ot more than 700
persons to the square mile. But, by the last
sus, cur own county Of Lancaster had about $40
per square mile not TO speak OF Mddlesex, which
has an average of 500, or of Surrey, which has
about 700 per square me Ii Is also 10 be observed
that these densely peopled parts OF CHINA are on
the sea coast, have been penetrated by Europeans,
well known 10 be very fertile, and In every way
well fitted 10 afford a large amount OF subsistence
10 their inhabitants. The Chinese returns of the
land subject to tax, used IN rice cultivation,
give nearly half OF such land TO each living
person !: end syFe assured that IN the southern
and well altered pfoynces, II Is anything but un-
common 10 take two crops Of rice, one OF wheat,
and one Of pulse, from the same land, In single
season. Now, the whole arabic surface OF Eng
land and Wales is soid not 10 exceed l0500,0J0
acres, winch gives lttle more than half per
head; and we have also TO provide for about
l,sO0,00 horses and cattle, and S0O0,000 sheep
and swine, In China, they keep few horses, the
rude labor being performed chiefly by men they
have few cattle Of any description even their dogs
they make serviceabe as food and their swine are
fed only on such garbage es even they cannot con-
vert to human sustenance IN any more direct man
.ner.
Dr. Gutzlaf's description OF the financial affairs
Of the empire leads 10 the conclusion that China IS
approaching crisis very similar TO tnat which has
again and again herslded the political revolutions
OF European States. IL seems that the reveuue is
raised almost entTely by two taxes-those upoa
rice grounds and salt; and that during the last SIX
seven years the produce OF these lakes has allen
off TO the extent OF nearly one-thlrd OF It's previous
amount. DIR. Gutzlat attributes this 10 the dis
content 81 the people-a feeling which has always
existed to some extent, and has ct late years been
stimulated by the manifest inability OF the govern
ment to protect ts subjects from plunder either by
bands Of robbers in the Interior, or by pirates on
the coasts, but which was never opealy and thus
.fOrcibly expressed, IN a refusal to pay taxes
wherever an overwhelming f0Tce not at hand
30 compel payment, until the Issue OF the war
with England gave the people to understand that
she Emperor was not Invincioe. The deficit on
the Last budget some SIS 900 O0O sterling
and as the government has no credit, having at
various times illustrated the value of us paper
promises to pay BY answering "bearer on dem and
with the paternal bamboo. the resources Commonly
resortcd To m such cases In The western world are
not available
The most remarkable result of these financial
-ciificulfles and the consequent embarrassment of
'she government, Is the appearance cf something
very like democratic movement among the
people. The municipal Institutions cf the country,
resting upon groups oi ten fsmilics, again grouped
N hundreds, and In thousand, much rrse sble, IN
form, those common IN thls country a thousand
years sgo and u appears, from Dr. Gulzisif 3
statement, that these have already been made the
means ci Organizing systemaic local resistance
TO the DEGREES Of the Emgs the "elders and
gentry" of each district meeting council, aud
acting in concert with like assembiages else where,
with a view OF setting aside whatever imperal
regulations they especially dislike. Win this
movement others, we are told, are also apparent,
of less regular and more dangerous character
communism beng preached from the text 80 mach
affected by anarchists nearer horne, that the
poor are getting poorer and the rich richer every
dsy; aud that all social llis are to be cured by
redistribution Of the wealth OF the community"
In short the polItIcs Of the celestial empire were
described as now bearing very close resem-
bance TO those ot other countrlcs, IN which
central despotism has, under our own eyes, tallen
into uretrevsble ruia before financial dencis.
THg MINISTRY AND NAGlSrRAcr.
erom the rekis GsSstte
keying made SPECIAL application tor months
turough for the same cause The leave was gwen
nim.
Eight hQh officers were chosen, az usual, at the
request Of the Board OF Civil Oiice, to make the
inspectoo of officers chosen TO fill appointments
IN the month (ihe 1th).
su.fsIh-cbun, Goveinor, recommends that Pang-
yucn, bate sctiug chief magistrate oi Shang.ho, be
restored TO his rank, aud hts successor. Wu-chi.
kwsd, restored 10 his RANK and office the amount
due Of the fixed and surplus rates (levied TO meet
the lose caussd by melting the silver in which The
haed rate u lodged N the treasury having been
Gnase gcod within the term assigued 20 the parties
10 gay u? the srrcer due by the first magistrate.
The latter would not have been suspended, but
they argued the point IN a representation, each
wishing 10 throw the onus on the other Both are
however geniststsd.
Pwan- she ngsn, one of the four chief ministers.
yees he may be supcrsed-d GA account o prora ci-
ed si,hness Hts msrsty DEGREES that ne IN all
tjune ia clIce, snt take t~o moaths furlcugh
Chn-tsun. formerly one ot the priaciyal memori-
laiisis against the opium trade. and more receaily
upon ths currency qu~stiOp, returned thsnks for
ms APPOINTMENT as an under secretary Ia the gra-
r,arv department.
K,neh,rn. 81 the body guard. son ofKeyIng, 10
nv especsal favor spgonled az eNPeclant OF a me-
.-.,.l,tan ,,f-e. al 5fh rank