NEWS FROM CHINA. From the Sydney Morning Herald, March 2.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 190, 25 March 1848, Page 3

NEWS FROM CHINA. From the Sydney Morning Herald, March 2.

We jesterday leceived. Hongkong newspaper to the 15th December. We i egret to state that the news is veiy discouraging. The hosiiht} of the Chinese people to the English is tveiy day becoming moie appaient, and an tuitiage of a most disttessing nut me was committed at the end of ISovember ; six Englishmen who left Canton in a boat on a party of pleasure having been most brutally murdered by some villagers a short distance up the river. All the paitienlais of the event, so far as they had transpired, will be found among our extracts, and we regret to state that the Mr. Brown, whose name appeals in the list of the murdered, was a son of Mr. J. Brown, a wellknown settler on thePatieison. Sir John Davis had pioceeded to Canton, and it vi as stated that the terms he had proposed, to Keying could not be complied with, and that Canton would be blockaded and hostilities immediately commenced. Mr. Hulme, " the Lord Chief Justice," as he is designated in the Hongkong papers, had been suspended, under circumstances that naturally lead to the inference that a desire lo get rid of the Judge had more to do with the matter than a love of justice. Mr. Hulme had given great offence on several occasions to the Government, or rather the Governor, by his discussions, more particnlaily by remitting a fine which had been imposed by one of the Consuls on a Mr. Compton. As his decisions were undoubtedly in accordance with law and justice, they could not be impeached, and to cause his removal some other means were necessary. Accordingly it appears thatn pi ivate letter was written to Lord Pulraerston accusing Mr. Hulrne of drunkenness : Lord Palmerston handed the letter to Lord Grey, who decided that the matter should be inquired into before the Executive Council. An outline repoit of the proceeding* of that body will be found, in another column, and it would appear that the case miseiabiy failed. The Council however thought dilleiently, for Mr. Hulme was suspended, and had taken a passage to England, so that the Colonial Olllce will have two cases of interference with the administration of justice before it at the same time. Mr. Campbell has been appointed Chief Justice, and Mr. Paiker, formerly a solicitor in Sydney, Attorney-General. The next news from China will be of the greatest interest.

PUBLIC NOTICE. Her Britannic Majesty's Consul having heard that it is ths intention of certain subject! of her M»j >sty to proceed to-morrow morning up tt«e river to the village

of Hwansj-chu-lteß or other places, in which it is sup posed that six of tlicir coun'rvmen are confined: tbi: is to give notice that her M.tjesty's Consul entirely disapjiroves of such a proceeding, and that any Britisl subject acting in contravention of tbis injunction, wR do so on his own responsibility. Hci Majesty's Consul deems it expedient to make il known to all concerned that he is in communication with ths local authorities as to ttie restoration of his ountryinen now unlawfully confined, and at the same time moit distinctly states, that any such movement as is contemplated by the British community will affoid ground for the Chinese to withold the delivery of the persons now under restraint. The Consul further intimates \o her Mnjesy's subjects that the question now in hand hnsbeen communicated to her Majesty's Minister P-empotentury whose instructions may he looked for to-morrow evening. He therefor, deems it his imperative duty to call upon her Majesty's subjects, by their allegiance to their sovereign to obey his most boletnn and Btrict iv junctions. Given under my hand at Canton, this sixth day of December, 1847, ' at nine of the clock in the evening. FRANCIS C. MACGREGOR, li. B. M.'s, Consul. To her Majesty's e u'jjects. An cipress intimating the sad event arrived at Hongkong on the 7th, and H.M. steam fiigele Vulture was despatched for Whim] oa that afternoon. The following morning Captain Mdcdoug&H landed at the British Consulate with about one hundred men, marines and seamen. It was that office 'a intention to proceed to the village and burn it down ; but after a consultation with H M. Consul, the movement was stopped, at least until the Chi' c^e unthonties had shown what ttops they intended 10 fake 1 1 the m >tter. We have no witness to prove ihe guilt of the villagers, and not a Chinese will ever point out a cnmmal. Torture may extract confessions, but >f victims are sacrificed, we cannot have confidence as to thrir being the real culprits. Were a hundred heads demanded, the prisons of Canton would readily afford the supply ; but would justice he satisfied ? Keying way rezs the village and lay waste the fields (or u he does not we should) as an example ; but what security have we ior the fuluie? Captain Mardougall left his party at the factories as a guaid lest the mob should make an attack, aud retinned to Hongkong for troop;. He arrived on the morning of the 9th, having communicated with Sir* John Davis on board the Dsedalus on bis way up the river. After embaiking a company of H.M. 95th Regiment, the Vulture again sailed at half.p.itt one p.m. ; on the way up she was (o receive Sir John Davis flora the Dselalus. His Excellency would reach Canton on the morning of the 10 h ; and we wait with tome anxiety to hear what steps he takes. There is *ome diffeience of opinion as to the conc'uet of the Chinese authorities on this occasion, and from the imperfecf knowledge of what has taken place we do not feel warranted in venturing our own. From Keying's despatch to Sir John Davi , publisli-d in another column, it Will bs clru'ved tlidt he does not attempt to sci een the perpeiraiois of the the crime, or throw the responsibility upon their victims. We also heard that he has offjred a revr.ud of 20 ) dollars ejeh for the bodies, and that two lnve been recoveied by dragging the creek one aEcertained to be Mr. Small, and the other said to be Mr. Brown. It is conjectured that they were the two killed on landing, and thrown into the water ; the other four are probably buried inland, or cut to pieces and destroyed. The two bodies were dreadfully mutilated ; aud the',sad duty of burying them was to be performed at Whainpoa, on the 9th. Anything so horrible as what has occurred could not have been anticipated, but that some disastarous event would follow the withdrawel of the Piuto has been the common opinion. Fiona her anchorage off the Macao passage that vessel was in a position to overawe the neighbouring villages ; and in eipretsing our firm belief that had she been allowed to remain, this calamity would not have taken pluce, we agree with every opinion we have heard. We have repeatedly though it, our duly to censnre the injudicious step taken in defiance of the dictates of prudence— the commands of Her Majesty's Government — and the desire of the British at Canton. That Canton is the point that requiies protection is certain ; but that protection has been cruelly denied, and the conseqneuces are most distressing. The villagers gave notice of their intention by public placatds, translations of winch have appeared at different times in the Hongkong papers. The latest we extract from the Begi&ter of the 30th ultimo :—: — . Since our (city of) Caaton, has had commercial intei course with foreigners, all and each of u« have enjoyed peace. 1 hough from the number of the foreigners who come in their boats for fiesh water, it happened that if any of them sailed into the inner nver, it was merely to get water, and they returned, immediately, without causing the least injury or moles, tation. But lately there have been some traitoioua Chinese, who were so bold as to presume to lead tlie devils and introduce them into the various villages and hamlets, in a disorderly manner, behaving without Jear. They began their fishing and fowling, but afteiwards came to take by force, and steal vegetables and fruit, and cut trees and wound with their muskets boys and girls, to abuse and injuie the women, to get themselves drunk, and act disorderly, going in this way to all lengths of wickedness, which is in the highest degree detestable. (To prevent it) now at the various districts and villages, biave and strong militia have been collected and trained. Should any traitorous Chinese dare again to bring the devils into the villages to cause mischief, notice will be given by the villagers with their gongs, the answer made in the same v?ny by the people of the adjoining places ; and so, from the nearest to the fuithest, all the brave militia bliall at once be brought forward, aud divided into two partieß} one to intercept the road by which (the devils) might return, and another to chase and beat them to death. It is necessaiy to kill all tha native traitors and (foreign) devils eie we stop. Theiefoie this notice ia now specially published in seveial places for general information and self-defence. Attentively written by the scholars. Foaled up at Tin-i'O village.

Memory. — There is no faculty of the mind by which different individuals are more distinguished than by a retentive memory. Amonsj the Ancients, Seneca, Lslro Porcius, Cjneas, and some' others, are represented as having po^esaed wonderful memories. The fo llowinj' is a translation of vvl>.tt Seneca saj3ofhimre!f: — " Ido not ufcny that I myoelf possessed poweis of memory in a very considembie dtgrce. It r,ai not only sufficient for <he oitlinery Lusiness of li'c. bat avpedied to some to bo almost «i»aculnus. I icpeatod tl:e names of twoiiu UB»t.d^ciBcnB in the order in which they wore Bpoktn., Vehea nn^lc v«rsLb vreie prescribed to each iiidivjdi.nl Vrho c.unc 10 ultend our j)ieceptoi, on hcaiiug tmtn paecribud, I leriicd them in Older, Vginnn? with th. labt, ai.derdinj with the hr&l." The aumbei ol \er r t'b was moie thiu two huiiuied. t'cneca mentions m lUe same v/ok the mewuiy