The Sun. — 1858-08-12 (London, England)

TIEN TSIN, JUNE 4. " The proceedings of the Allied Ministers since the capttere of the forts at the mouth of the Pel-ho on the 20+h ult., have been limited to an examination of the river from Taku up toTientsin, and the progress of Lord Elgin and Baron Gros on the night of the 20th, and of Mr. Reed and Count Putiatine on the morning of the 30th, up to the same poi:A. Some of the French and English gunboats had then been off the city four or five days. " The details of the capture of the forts at Taku have already been published. These fortifications were admirably situate to command the passage, their guns and arurmsnition were abundant and effective, all that was wanted, as usual in China, were skill and courage. The loss of life among the defenders was probably under 300 kllltd outright, whose bodies were found in the forts ; the wounded were carried off. The sflicers stucd with their men in many eases, one or two were found dead, killed by their own hand, and the people report that Tah, the Manchu, Commander-in Chief, was drawn out of the water where he had attempted suicide. " The river Pei-ho, between Taku and Tientsin, runs rocks throughsof mud is strengthened a flat country, so level that one can see only a short distance beyond the banks; the soil is alluvial, no stones or k anyie sort occur b a:o. ng the shores, and the houses s furnish proof of the mall supply of timber. They are made of mud or sun-dried brick, and are generally of one story ; the and then plastered on the onwtsaktltjes of . They are or wretched ielcTi and dirty hovels, but the absence of stone and timber, rather than the abject poverty of the people, accounts for their miserable appearance, as they must employ what conies to hand.  " The trip from Taku to Tientsin will remind the traveller who has been to Thebes of the towns and scenery of the Nile, and the similarity is increased by the numerous creeks and well-sweeps here, with which the people irrigate their fields. The distance is about GO miles, and great numbers of grain junks line the sides of the river, showing the importance of that trade to the support of the capital. Over 300 of them passed out of the mouth of the river within the week succeeding the capture of the forts. " Tientsin contains upwards of 300,000 people, most of them living on the southern bank of the Pei-hoaud east of  the entrance of the Grand Canal. The walls are neither very high nor stroug, and the suburbs ftrm a very large part of the city. The Grand Canal here has little appearance ciao artificial channel, and tides rise and fall as they do in the river. Owing to the diversion of a g..eat part of its supply of water, by the reason of the falling of the Yellow Rivet', few boats now come to Tit:resin, and tide famous work seems to be of little utility to the capital. Perhaps the difficulties of its water level could be removed by modern engineering skill properly applied, but the immediate effect may he to incline the Chinese Government to admit foreigners to the port, and allow them to bring the supplies of grain to the capital. The river allows vessels of 10 feet draught to come up almost at any tide, after they have crossed the bar. . . .  " Few shops hare yet resumed their business, which was suspended on the arrival of the steamers ten days ago; and the people have begun to remove into the country with their families to a great extent, taking with them their valuables and treasure. The authotities have 'Ken paralysed since the forts were taken, and took no means of defending the city, if indeed they were not utterly helpless; most of their quota of troops were at Taku, where others were collecting before the forts were taken. " Tau, the governor-general of the province of Child', has been nominally degraded, hut ri,tained in power ; he is superseded in his post as commissioner to negotiate with the foreign Ministers by Kwei-liaug and Hwa-slia-na, two men of high position. The former is younger brother of Iliang, just retired from the arduous post of governorgeneral at Suchau, and is the third member of the Cabinet at Pekin, besides holding other posts. lie filled the station of provincial Treasurer at Canton about 183 G, and has long been conversant with the policy of his country. Ills coadjutor is a Mongolian, and now President of the Board of Civil Office, and has been known more at the capital than in the provinces. Both these Commissioners are over 70 years of age, and announce that they have been invested with full powers to treat; consecpsently the English and French plenipotentiaries will now have a valid reason for meeting them. " The people of Tientsin are likely to suffer much from the presence of the foreign Ministers, and the force they have brought to the city, and still more from the exactions of their own officers and their suites. Supplies are furnished by the municipal authorities, and it is to be feared that the real owners are not paid fair prices, and feel themselves helpless in obtaining them. Petty acts of rudeness committed on the people by the foreigners are also exaggerated, and these things have already had their usual effect In arousing a sullen resentment, which may ere long find means to make itself felt. The feeling of terror and amazement now existing can easily be turned into one of hatred by a series of petty outrages, and the Chinese officials know well how to stimulate it if they can make good use of it. "Good beef and mutton, pears, apples, apricots, radishes, grapes, yams, and plenty of ice, have been furnished. No good fi,h are seen in the markets, which are probably at this moment less amply furnished than usual. Wheat and barley are the chief crops, and these are sowed in drills, not ' broadcast. The population is dense, but the beggary and squalor are more than proportionate. The people are not so large-limbed or vivacious as the Cantonese, nor so welldressed or housed. and in winter must suffer greatly. "A few days will decide, probably, whether the demnnds made upon this Government are likely to be complied with, or whether a protracted war on a quiet helpless people like those around this city is to be dragged on. A meeting is appointed to take place on Monday, the 7th, with the two new Commissioners,"