New Zealand Colonist. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1842.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 43, 27 December 1842, Page 2

New Zealand Colonist. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1842.

The Anita from Manilla has brought to this place late news from China, by which it would seem that the war in that quarter is terminated. The Chinese have agreed to pay twenty-six millions of dollars, and have opened free ports to the English. Four millions out of the twentysix milliohs of dollars are to be paid at once, and the remainder in instalments to occupy five years ; and it is stated that after payment of the first amount, the Chinese Gpvernment offered payment of the whole at once if discount were allowed. We should suppose that such an offer would be at once accepted. The five ports which are to be open are, we understand, Canton, Chusan, Amoy, Hongkong and Nankin. As these command almost every inlet of any importance to the interior of the country, the whole trade of the empire will in effect be thrown open to the enterprise of our merchants. If the terms of the treaty are adhered to by the Chinese Government, the augmentation of English commerce will be almost incalculable, and no single occurrence since the opening of the trade with the East Indies will have produced so great an increase in the demand for our manufactures. It is, perhaps, however, rather to be expected that the Chinese, after the first impression of the defeats which they have sustained shall have worn away, will endeavour by all means to neutralize the effect of the concessions which they have been compelled to make, and will either altogether close the trade, or clog it with such restrictions as to render it of very little value: This, if attempted, will inevitably lead to a renewed collision; the grant of increased privileges and securities, again to be withdrawn or narrowed; and the ultimate result may be expected to be the establishment of British authority throughout the empire. This is a result which we are quite sure no Eng-

lisli statesman would consider as desirable, and one which they would all endeavour by every means at their disposal to arrest; but it arises almost of necessity out of the very circumstance of the establishment of commercial relations with a people as ignorant, and a government as faithless, as that of China. The merchants of Great Britain will not allow any violation of the treaty now concluded, which might affect their interests, and, however reluctantly, their government must support the position it has gained and it will continually require further guarantees, and new rights, to secure those which it has acquired. Such, at least, has been the almost uniform course, and such, unless there should be some disturbing cause, may be predicted as the almost certain result of the present arrangement. It is stated that there are upwards of 150 sail of merchant vessels at different ports of China waiting for a cargo, and that many of the country ships which had taken down cargoes of Cotton were compelled to leave in ballast. This is perhaps a natural result of the unsettled condition of affairs, and of the hostile proceedings of the English Government, but as soon as confidence is restored the resumption of commercial dealings will follow as a matter of course.

The arrival of the Anita is satisfactory, inasmuch as it shows that the existence of Port Nicholson is recognized, and that its commercial capabilities are appreciated. We trust that no long time will elapse before we shall receive the whole of our consumption direct from the places which produce the various articles, instead of having to pay a profit to the New South Wales merchant, in addition to a double freight.

On Tuesday last, the Body of a Maori female and her child, a boy of about 18 months’ old, were found at Kokopo (Cloudy Bay) ; she had been living with a white man of the name of Whining. It appears that the woman had been missed all day, and some neighbours went to the house where she resided, to seek for her, but did not find her there. They saw an infant about ten, weeks’ old lying on the bed almost starved with cold and hunger, which the party took to their : own house. The appearance of the infant created some alarm about the mother, and further search was made, when she was discovered not far from the house, most horribly mutilated, and the child a little distance off, also dreadfully mangled. The affair is wrapped in tnystery at present, and has caused great excitement amongst both Europeans and Natives. Every possible enquiry was made relative to the shocking occurrence, but without any clue being obtained, further than that an old straw hat and a tomahawk were found near the place where the bodies were discovered.

The Thomas Sparkes, from London, for New Zealand, struck on the Whale Rock when entering Table Bay, and became leaky ; she was about to discharge cargo, to undergo repairs. The Prince of Wales, 582 tons, with Emigrants from Liverpool, bound to Wellington and Nelson, was spoken by the Anita , in Bass’ Straits. She also spoke the Bombay with emigrants, two days’ sail from New Zealand.