CHINA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 43, 24 April 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

CHINA.

THREATENING ATTITUDE OF REBELS. BRITISH .TROOPS GONE NORTHWARD. We take the following from the Colombo Osjtlord Observer of the 17th of Februrry : LATEST FROM CHINA. In consequence of the threatening attitude of the rebels at Shanghai, 31.M.5. Pearl has left for that port, conveying Major General S ; r J. Mitchell, with 100 men of the 99th Regiment and some ai ' lery. Arrived—Steamer, Er. eu, from Hong Kong Ist, Singapore 7th, and Penarg 10th of Fobrua y. In China matters are st’U threatening. By Iptest news from the north it appears that great doubts are entertained as to the safety of Shanghai. The rebels apparently encouraged by tho capture, at Niugpo, it is generally believed are now moving in the direction of Shanghai, having driven back (he feeble force of Imperial soldiers that was sent to check their advance. The intelligence from Japan refers to the opening of Ycdo to foreign trade. No nows from Peking. Matters at Shanghai are much about the same. Nothing of importance from the other ports. From Ilong Kong Ist, through Galle 16th Feb. Per Steamer Emeu. Shanghai threatened by a large rebel force, and business almost totally suspended. A reference to our files received this morning shows that the gravity of the crisis at Shanghai is rather under than overrated. The English and French had announced that they had taken possession” of the city, and declared that any attack on it would be regarded as an act of war against them. Next mail, therefore, may bring us important news—nothing less than the intimation that the Allies have taken the first step in that intervention which can alone arrest the progress of a

war, the aole purpose of which .seems to be the wanton destruction of property ap'd life. "We feel perfectly satisfied that in the'end this intervention however undesirable it-may >be deemed, -will be forced on the‘European powers. If Erigland and France feel justifiedin remonstrating with the North American Government for the destruction of a port, much more, surely are they bound, in their capacity of a police of the nations, to stay tile ruin and depopulation of an empire which embraces a third of the human race. We append a few extracts from the Overland China Mail It is now officially published that we have “ taken possession of Shanghai,” so that the rebels to whom this has been made known, will understand that, in attacking Shanghai, they make war against the allies. We quote what we believe to be a perfectly reliable piece of information in the following paragraph from the Shanghai Daily Shipping and Commercial News, of 23rd January. A proclamation in Chinese was posted over the city and settlement yesterday, by the Consuls of England and France, in reply to a message received by them from two rebel chiefs, named Liou and Ho, who' intimated their intention of attacking Shanghai. The purport of the above-mention-ed proclamation is to inform the said rebel chiefs, or other parties whom it may concern, that the city and settlement, with their suburbs, including Woosung, are at present in possession of the allied troops, and any persons attacking the same will do so at their peril. We are glad to see such decisive action on the parts of the representatives of our armed treaty powers; and we have no doubt but that rebel spies who infest our streets will have conveyed the intelligence to the enemy’s camp before this. Should the insurgents dare to advance in the face of this, we hope that our gallant troops will give them a warm reception. Ample time has elapsed since Admiral Hope first conveyed our views to the Insurgent chiefs at Nankin for the English Government to sanction and confirm the position, even supposing that Sir James Hope acted originally on his own responsibility. The interval, in fact, between the first and the second visits of the admiral to that city .was much more than sufficient for the forest correspondence between himself and the Foreign Minister; so that the event of a war with the rebels, consequent on their defying our occupation of Shanghai, is an event for which the Cabinets of England and France are perfectly prepared. The anticipated act of war has not yet been committed, and, if the rebels are wise, it never will be. The following extracts from the North Chma Herald, indicate what movements arc being made by them in the vicinity of Shanghai:— In a communication from our shipping repoi ter at Woosung, he verifies his statement as to the atrocities committed by the Taiping rebels at Kang wang, by referring to the party he accompan ; ed. He adds, that another band of rebels appeared on the opposite side of Woosung yesterday morning. They are, however, a I*l tie more merciful than the others, and appear not to be molesting the country people to any great extent, beyond making them give anything of value in their possession ; but such is the panic produced by these people, that women and ch'ldren rush to the water and prefer being drowned rather than fall into their hands. Directly the Custom house people with the Shanghai Times reporter and and myself, saw the rebels, wo took our boats as near to them as possible to try and save some of the wretched inhabitants who had escaped into the water and were drowning. Had we been a little sooner we might perhaps have saved several, but as it is, we could only pick up a woman and her child alive.” Later news was to the following effect: — The rebels were yesterday reported as occupying Ko-ka Hong, a large township of about 10,CC0 inhabitants, situated about two miles inland from the battery on the south side of the river, between this and Woosung. Heavy firing was heard in that direction last night between ten and eleven p.m. The rebels are also said to have returned to the town of Koon Wap, between this and Woosung.