Grass Valley telegraph., 1857-01-31

lAS Oo6tSG vi new AoaIanQ.
7 An effort is being made to grow cotton at
Mereton Bay
The value of the surplus agricultural pro-
ducts of South Australia is estimated at
ss0OO 600.
! Sydney papers recommend the establish
kent of a Mining Board'' in Australia, to
saqnire into the best mode of developing the
afiferous and other mineral wealth of the /
sashtry.
I1IPORIANT FROM f1NA
80 sraaz1,It
and- sa,Dertcd,t Sgssddronsl sSuspenst0,s.
Of Trade, &c.
The Mary Whittredge from China brings
the important news of the bombardment of
Canton, the destruction of forts, &C.. by the
combined English and American squadrons
in those seas. The origin and particulars of
the difficulty were telegraphed to the Sacra-
mento Union, on Monday last, as follows:
By treaty, should suspected criminals be
on board vessels under British flag, it is in
cumbent on the Chinese authorities, if they
wish to obtain them, to make application to
the nearest Consul, that officer, on being
satisfied of the guilt of the parties charged,
at once gives them up. That such suspected
men were on board Lorcha, registered as
belonging to the port of Hongkong is ad-
mitted, but without making the prescribed
reference the Governor General of the Pro
vince directed that they should be seized
This was done.
The British Consul demonstrated and de-
manded their return to the vessel they were
taken from. The Governor General treated
the matter with contempt. The Plenipoten-
tiary then informed him that unless he did as
was wished, and at once apologized for the
insult to their flag, the matter should be
placed in the hands of Admiral seymour
To thissthe Governor General replied by
sending some of the men to the Consulate
not to the vessel. He avered afterwards that
the vessel in question was not British owned
he had offered no insult to their flag, for that
none was flying when she was boarded that
his subordinate knew nothing about the
treaty, and in fine, that he had committed
no intentional insult and had nothing to
apologize for.
All this may be as you may say, in effect,
responded Admiral Seymour. but why not
permit me to visit you at your official resi-
dence within the city where we may talk the
matter over, face to face?
This the Governor General refused point
black, consequently it only remained for Ad-
miral Seymour to pay the visit without his
leave. The Governor General was not at
home. He bad retired to the Inner City, and
to induce him to come out bombardment
was kept up on the public Offices for one
whole day and part of another. This, too,
was insufficient, so the Imperial Navy was
destroyed, and finally the Bogus Forts were
taken. Seven hundred Chinese were killed. |
The British loss could not be ascertained.
The following is the manner in which the
Americans Wers forced to take part in the
affray: On the 9th of November the Ameri-
can force were drawn into the war by hav-
ing boat belonging to the United States
sloop-of-war Portsmouth with the American
flag flying, and containing Captain Foote of
the Portsmouth, and three other Americans. |
fired into several times from one of their
forts, between Canton and Whampoa. The /
Portsmouth and Levant were towed up to |
Whampoa, to punish the insult, when three
other forts in the neighborhood opened fire
upon the vessels. This obliged the Ameri-
cans to capture the four forts, which they ac-
pIished iu three days, though with a loss of
six men killed and eighteen wounded. No
apology being made by the Viceroy for the
original insult, Commodore Armstrong pro-
ceeded to completely destroy the forts, after
which the vessels were to proceed up and an
chor off the city, and cooperate with the
English.
1t is expected that the whole foreign trade
with China will be stopped by the lombard
ment of the other four forts. The Viceroy of
the two Kwangs has already ordered, through
the Mandarins, that the people of Foochow
and Annoy cease trading with the foreign
eFs. At Swatow, large depot for sugar
and opium, the foreigners have been obliged
to flee.
At the large fire which occurred at Can
ton, over one thousand houses were destroy
ed, together with all the mating and sugar
storehouses, in which all the stock of the
above articles in first hands were stored.
gas- A small telegraph apparatus has been
invented, not larger than tobacco box,
which can be attached to the wire at any !
point along the line, at the instant, and a