The Nevada Democrat., 1857-01-28
LATER NEWS FROM CHINA.

By the arrival of the Clipper ship Mary Whit
tredge, from Canton, we have received news
from China to about the first of December. The
intelligence is of considerable Importance. 1t
appears that the English aud American fleets
have bombarded Canton, and portion OF the
city has been burned. We copy the following
from telegraphic dispatch to the Union, dated
San Francisco Jan. 25th:
The startling news from China, brought by
the clipper ship Mary Whittredge, and tele-
graphed up from Point Lobos yesterday fore
noon, has been verified 10y the arrival of that
vessel. The origin Of the trouble seems to have
commenced as follows as stated from the Friend
Of China, of November 10th:
BY treaty, should suspected criminals be on
board vessels under our flag, it is incumbent 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 admitted, but without making the prescribed
reference, the Governor General of the Prov
ince directed that they should be seized. This
was done.
The British Consul demonstrated and demand
ed their return to the vessel that they were ia
ken from. The Governor General treated the
application with contempt The Peuipotentia-
ry by the Consul, then informed him that UNI
less be did as was wished, and at once apollo
gized for the insult to our dignity as State
the matter should be placed in the hands of AID
miral Sir Michael Seymour. To this the Gov
ernor General replied by sending some of the
men to the Consulate-not to the vessel He
| ctn,t 1c hot
was not British owned; he had offered no insult
to our flag, for that none was flying when she
was boarded; that his subordinate knew nothing
about the treaty, and, in fine, that he had com
mitted no intentional insult and had nothing to
apologize for.
All this may be as you say, nenect, respond
ed Admiral Seymour, (when the reply reached
him. but come, why not permit me to visit you
at your official residence within the city and let
us talk the matter over, face to face?
This the Governor General refused point
blank, consequently it only remained for Admi-
raj Seymour to pay the visit without his leave
The Governor General was not at home. He
had retired to the Inner City and to induce him
to come out bombardment was kept upon the
: public Offices for one whole day and part of an
other. This too, was insufficient, so the Imperi-
al Navy was destroyed, and finally the Bogus
Forts taken. Seven hundred Chinese were kill
ed. The British loss could not be ascertained
The following is the manner in which the
f Americans were forced to take part in the af-
fray On the 9th of November the American
force were drawn into the war by having a boat
= belonging to the United States sloop-of-war
Portsmouth, with the American flag hying. 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, 0he Jacinto draw
ing too much water to accompany them) to
punish the insult, when three other forts in the
neighborhood opened fire upon the vessels
This obliged our forces to capture the four forts
, which they accomplished in three days, though
with loss of six men killed and eighteen woun-
ded. No apology being made by the Viceroy
for the original insult, Commodore Armstrong
proceeded to completely destroy the forts, after
! which, the vessels were to proceed up and an
Choir off the city, and cooperate with the En-
glish.
1t is expected that the whole foreign trade
with China will be stopped by the bombardment
OF the other four forts. The Viceroy of the two
kwangs has already ordered, through the Man
darins. that the people of Foochow and Annoy
cease trading with the foreigners. At Swatow.
large depot for sugar and opium, the foreign
ers have been obliged to flee.
AT the large fire which occurred at Canton
over one thousand houses were DESTROYED. to-
gcther with all the mating and sugar store
houses, in which all the stock of the above ar
ticles III first hands were stored.