CHINA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 629, 17 November 1858, Page 3

CHINA.

We have papers to the 10th of August from Hongkong: - ; '■ . ■'.'■■ The 'VPriend of China" says: —Excepting one is on the spot, it appears almost impossible bow to; get truthful information regarding Canton matters. The editor who has the audacity to make his truncheon whistle round the ears of the Commander-in-Chief does so, as a matter of course, withrthe certain prospect of losing the correspondence of any one likely to incur displeasure at i head-quarters. Such are the difficulties under which editors labour—the immunity patent to the high officer. So far as we can gather from outside report, the attack on the city of Canton, on the night of Tuesday and morning of Wednesday, the 20th and 21st of July; was something, superior in its way to anything,of the kind Lbefore. Between the little North and the East Gate—the weakest part of .o.ur.'liner-Fu-kkhi crowded on the wall in numbers;; but, all our men had to do was to pelt at them through loopholes and embrasures as fast as lthey could load. Pahdy of. the 70th, under Captain. Whiting and Lieutenant Mathews at the•: East Gate, did his devoire with much gallantry, we are told. No soldiers could have exhibited a better spirit.- Altogether, some 800 rounds of ball; cartridge were disposed of, and so thick, were, the -Chinese clustered together, that every shot must have told. With the approach; of daylight, the braves retired, and, it is said,: cannot be induced to come on again. Some shell from the heights, plump in the midst of them, had but little effect in freshening their way. Headed by mounted mandarins, they retirecl sluggishly, evidently in supreme disgust at their-want of success. ..■'.'.' On the 7th August, the same paper says:— j We are informed on the best authority that Hwang;has recently•;issued an address to.the Cantonese, informing them of bis having received an Imperial communication from Peking, to the effect ,that, all T difficulties hithertp existing- between* the Chinese and Britishare at an end— and that matters have been amicably arranged at Tien-tsien. This' settles all doubt, about the EniperbrV approval of the treaty concluded by the Earl of Elgin, at Tien-tsienon the 26th,of Jurie.: . It is 'stated by the. * Bombay Telegraph' that the French, Have also concluded1 a treaty, but its terms-have not transpired.5 ' By,latest advices, the Earl of Elgin wks: at, Shanghae, en route to Japan.with the representation yacht.; Mr. Reed and1 the-'Biiron Grps ,accomiia.nied his lordship! Admiral Bey mour left ? Tien-tsien for japan direct. Hi^E^cellency is exceedingly anxious; to get to eanton^againVarid wijl"hot tarry long on the shores'of Niphop. The position .of affairs in Ganton is sad to contemplate. To say that.it Is held' r by the allied forces is;hardly cprrect-Jt wer^tapre correct to say that the city is under,a staite of siege,; The liulk of the few representa-. tivjes of houses whiphi'on the witlidrawal of tlie blockade, went' there for purposes of traded have returned, and.1 the-few fopl-liardjr men that rcftiain, do so at .the peril of their lives. Murders. 6f civilians and soldiers occur every few days. The few Chinese who entered upon trade with foreigners have Jeftj the city i» de«erted by »U

except the poor who cannot leave; and provisions for the garrison can only with the utmotfc difficulty be obtained. Excepting that supplies can be thrown into it from the river side, they would soon succumb from actual starvation, ft is with regret that we learn that Lord ."Elgin does not realise this extreme difficulty. It i» said he completely ignores Canton—" he know,a nothing about it—the General Commissioners must arrange matters there as well as they can, as they have quite' a sufficient force. Having succeeded in getting the treaty signed, he thinks hia mission is accomplished." The > Cantonese (adds the, 'Telegraph') care not a fig for the treaty made.by the Emperor-enor for his edicts or his decrees. Canton has always been ; the head arid front..of offence, and will remain ?p until the hatred of the people to foreigners has been crushed out of them by the strong heel of military discipline. To eradicate this feeling, or to bring into subjection twenty millions of people who j ossess it, will prove a most difficult task, and until such is done, the treaty of Tein-tsien will be utterly valueless.