, 1857-04-03
NEWS BY EXPRESS!
Four days ahead Of the U. S. Paper MALI!

BY the arrival of Mr.. G. E. WILLIAMS,
agent for Wells, Fargo & Co.'S express, at
this place, on Saturday evening last, we
are again placed under continued obilga-
tions for express favors-being four days
ahead of che paper mail. Friend CHARLEY
will again, as usual, accept our thanks and
best wishes for his success. In doing so,
we can confidently recommend him to the
patronage of the community in the line OF
his business, especially where speed, GER
tainty and fidelity are. sought for-all
which are considerations that no doubt
have their due weight with our citizens,
and cannot be so certainly accomplished by
our postal facilities.
The dates by this arrival are from New
York to Feb. goth, aud San Francisco the
Goth March. The papers are nearly de-
void OF such news as would be of interest
to the citizens Of this territory. The cas-
tern papers arc mostly filled with accounts
and narrowing tales of the cold weather.
privation, suffering AID death. The cold
has been more severe than at any time
within the memory Of that venerable sire,
" the oldest inhabitant." Added to this,
the eastern and northeastern states have
been visited by destructive freshets, doing
immense injury to property, and involvingI
heavy loss of life, while in the west,
heretofore the land of plenty, the poorer
classes have literally been dying from want
and exposure. On the whole, the past
years between its fres and floods, has been
one of the most disastrous within our mem
ory, involving a heavier loss than within
double that length of time at any previous
period.
Tie War with CaIna.
Dates from Hongkong are up to 18th
January-the last dates were to the Sd Of
December. The American fleet still occu
pies neutral position, as will be observed
by the following extract from letter ad-
dressed to Yeb, the governor of Canton,
by commodore Armstrong, and written
after the capture of the Barrier Forts by
the Americans =
Here 1 presume it will end, and So
long as he (the Imperial Commissioner
does not commit any act of violence
against our flag or citizens, we shall rest or
our arms"
His ExcclIcncy Yeh, in answer, writes
Com Armstrong:
From this, l see your Excellency has
q clear knowledge Of affairs. There is no
matter Of strife between our two nations.
Henceforth let the fashion Of flag which
American ships employ be clearly defined,
and what it is beforehand. This will be
the verifcation of the friendly relations
between our countries"
This would seem to settle the difficulty,
so far as the Americans are concerned, un-
less some other outrages should be COM
mitted by the Chinese.
The work of demolshing the forts in the
neighborhood of Canton, is said to have
been most complete-the British and Am
erican loss being but triaing.
On l4th December, the foreign factories
in Canton were set on FIRE by the Chinese,
and were destroyed. Our files do not show
u connected account Of this affair.
4 desperate effort was made by the Chi
nese, to retake the forts held by the British,
but after spirited action the enterprise
was abandoned.
The Chinese captured the British postal
steamer Thistle, Capt. Weslen, and all on
board,-the captain, officers, passengers
and crew,-eleven in oil, massacrcd and
the steamer burned. The first engineer, q
Mr.. Abraham, was an American.
The British had destroyed village near
Canton, where a sailor and marine had
been waylaid and murdered, and also burn
ed the western suburbs of Canton.
The citizens Of Hongkong were appre-
hensive of massacre or fire at the hands
Of the Chinese.
At Whampoa a Mr. COwper was abduc.
ted by some Chinese. Admiral Seymour,
after he was made acquainted with the
facts, informed the inhabitants of Wampoa
that unless the seized person was returned
the place should be burned
about their ears. 1t issalso believed that
The British lorcha Alma has been captured
and the foreign portion Of her crew bar
oarously murdered.
In Shanghao all seems to be quiet.
From the following announcement, if cor
'ect, the difficulties in that region may not
prove as serious as apprehended-at least
10 feeling appears to exist in north China,
,or with the EmnnrOr -