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-------FRANCE AND CHINA.I

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FRANCE AND CHINA. I DECLARATION OF WAR. HONG KONG, August 15th. The Chinese Government have decreed wai I against France. Admiral Courbet having demanded the despatch of 2000 men from Tonquin, General Millot sent him 600, with two batteries of artillery, on Monday I' last, with sealed orders. A body of 6000 Chinese troops have landed at Hoihow. Heavy masses are stationed on the Hwang-si frontier. FOOCHOW, August 15. The French Government has rejected the over- tures of mediation made by the English, German, aD American Cabinets. The Chinese, on their part, have definitively withdrawn the offer of an indemnity. LATEK. The Chinese are now determined to go to war, and orders have been sent into the various pro- vinces accordingly. FOOCHOW (via Colombo). I have inspected the Min River up to Foochow. The French and Chinese war vessels are under steam and cleared for action. War is fully ex- pected, and threats are constantly heard against the lives of foreigners. The ignorance of the Chinese officials is pitiable. They pretend that they are quite prepared to meet the French, whereas the condition of the forts, troops, &c., is no better than it was at the time of my last visit, in April. The tension and excitement here are extreme, while we are awaiting decisive news from Shanghai.—Times telegrams. PARIS, Saturday. The Senate met this morning at nine o'clock, when the Combe de Saint Vallier, reporter of the Committee upon the Credits demanded by the Government for the operations in Tonquin, speak- ing on behalf of his colleagues, recommended the House to vote the sums required, and to defer the debate on the Tonquin question until the re- assembly of Parliament after the recess, when the Supplementary Credits would be discussed. The Due de Broglie declared it to be impossible to give a vote of confidence to the Ministry. M. Jules Ferry accepted the postponement of the debate, and declared that the Government would regard the passing of the Credits as equivalent to a vote of confidence. The Ministerial Bill in its entirety was then adopted by 193 against one vote. PARIS, Saturday Evening. The Temps this evening denies the statement that the Chinese Government has withdrawn its offer of an indemnity, and the Ministerial papers give a general contradiction to the reports from China as to the declaration of war against France. PARIS, Sunday. A despatch from Thnan announces that French troops this morning occupied the citidal of Hue. The coronation of the new King of Annam was to take place to-day. SHANGHAI, Sunday. There is no news from Pekin confirming the announcement that the Chinese Government had declared war against France. On the contrary, Tsung-li-Yamen, on the 14th inst., addressed a note to the membeis of the Foreign Diplomatic body inviting their mediation with a view to effect an amicable settlement.—Renter's telegrams. Hoihow, where the 6000 Chinese troops have landed, is a port on the northern part of the island of Hainan, which the French have long talked of seizing as a "material guarantee. Foochow, before which the French fleet is lying, is on the east coast of China, midway between Hong Kong and Shanghai. It has a famous arsenal, which and Shanghai. It has a famous arsenal, which was constructed by M. Prosper Giquel, a French officer, who, in communications to learned societies and interviews with reporters, has given many particulars respecting his work, and of Foochow generally. M. Giquel states that Foo- chow is one of the three principal export ports of the Chinese empire. Its annual transactions in tea amount to between 65 and 70 millions ster- ling. The port is not on the sea coast, but about 20 miles inland, on the river Min, at a. point at which the channel widens into a large bay, with abundant anchorage, and during the tea season is filled with English ships. The city or settlement, which lies about eleven miles higher up the river, is not acces- sible to steamers drawing more than 12ft. of water, and the entry at the river mouth is by no means easy, as ships of heavy draught have to wind through a narrow, diincult channel. The arsenal lies about midway between the mouth of the river and the city. It employs at ordinary tunes about 2000 native workmen, under the superintendence of 66 Europeans. At the present I moment the port must be full of English steamers loading with tea, and any attack upon it might lead to complications with more Powers than with China. The outbreak of cholera at Toulon, also, will render it exceed- ingly difficult to reinforce Admiral Courbet. Toulon is the great port of preparation for distant naval expeditions, and a ship leaving Toulon just now would be detained in quarantine at every port at which she touched. Admiral Courbet, therefore, for some time to come will be able to oount on little more than the squadron actually under his command. In any case the most he can do, as a French writer points out, is to seize the arsenal. He can no more bombard the city of Foochow than an English fleet could bombard Rouen, Nantes, or Bordeaux. SHANGHAI, Sunday. The Tsung-li-Yamen has addressed a circular to the European Foreign Ministers, detail- ing the recent Franco Chinese discussions, and deploring the French Minister's refusal p 17, of the American Minister's mediation. The Tsung-li-Yamen in this document denies that the Chinese are guilty of a breach of the Fournier Convention, and accuses the French of committing several breaches of it, including an attack on the Chinese fortifications. The Chinese Government, it is added, is desirous of submitting the case to the judgment of Europe, in the hope that the Powers may discover some mode of settlement. Otherwise, China will resist as best she can, throwing the responsibility for the consequences on the French.—Times telegram. FOOCHOW, Sunday, With reference to the new Chinese circular, the important crux for determining with whom right and with whom wrong rests is to be found in connection with the Accord passe of May 11. The Chinese assert that the charge brought against them of violating it is untrue, and take their stand on the Convention. The document is entitled Communication ecrite." It was copied in facsimile, and copies were sent to both negotiators. Li Hung Chang objected to the clauses respecting the evacuation, and Captain Fournier thereupon erased them, initialled the correction, and handed the amended document to Li Huuo Chang. This account of the matter is consistent" and is corroborated by the following fact. I was myself present in Tientsin at the time, and although intimate with both Captain Fournier and Li Hung Chang, the alleged agreement to evacuate was never mentioned to me by either of them, rimes telegram. CALCUTTA, Sunday, nu- by telegram last night, that China had declared war against France naturally excites much interest here. There are great anrhranwtronTPT°V8t0tbe Probable effect of hn+ if is irenn ° 1&n a<^e an<l finances generally: but it is by no means universally believed that hostilities would operate prejudicially upon ^e opium revenue On the other hand, a Franco! Chinese conflict may be expected to give some impetus to the Indian trade in tea and silk although it may be doubted whether that impetus will be lasting.—Times telegram. TOULON, Monday. In anticipation of war with China, orders have been issued that all naval officers on furlough shall return to Toulon. -Reuter's telegram. PARIS, Monday Evening. According to the Liberte, negotiations are still proceeding between M. Patenotre and the repre- sentative of the Chinese Government at Shanghai, and France may possibly consent to reduce the amount of the indemnity demanded, in exchange for certain advantages which China would concede the treaty of commerce to be afterwards con- cluded between the two countries.—Reuter's tele- gram. fi .^e J^^ster of Marine has received a telegram .eileral Millot, dated Hanoi, yesterday, Fmnnh m?-8 'hat he was about to publish the in reply to the pretensions put forward by the Aunamite Regent.-Reuters tele- fiUu* T* u-O PARIS, Monday Night. t exP]*iued to me that although China has not virtually declared war against France, she disregards the ultimatum sent her after the Langson massacre. M. Ferry, there- fore, might assume the ewateuce of a belligerent atate, and so might the Tsung Li Yamen. The Chinese insist that they have given no cause for quarrel, a position that will not be ad- mitted here. I believe Btrenuora efforts will be ■aade dunoc tbfl Parliamentary receee to follow r ¡;OJ I; up toe successes m xenquin ana xamatave, and create a situation which will be accepted by the Chamber as justification of M. Ferry's colonial policy.-Daily News telegram. PARIS, Tuesday. A despatch of to-day's date from Thuan reports that Colonel Guerrier has left Hue with troops on his return to Hanoi. The success of his mission was complete. It is stated orders have been sent to Admiral Courbet to take possession of the arsenal off Foo- chow, but not to carry military operations further. -Reuter's telegram. FOOCHOW, Monday. An Imperial edict has been telegraphed to the Viceroy, ordering him and his associates to return from Shanghai to Nankin. Five thousand men are proceeding to Keelong from the south. Note- worthy progress has been made with the coast defences since the 1st inst.-Times telegram. SHANGHAI, Tuesday. Tso Tsung Tanm and Shee Tseng Chen Kie, Chinese Plenipotentiaries, have left Shanghai in accordance with instructions from Pekin. Thirty- five members of the Board of Censors have pre- sented a memorial to the Empress opposing the conditions demanded by France, and strongly urging hostilities. The Empress is reported to have decided upon declaring war against France. -Reuter's telegram. TIENTSIN, Tuesday. The two Chinese plenipotentiaries left here yesterday for Pekin. There is no prospect of a settlement of the- difficulty with France. Kno Chuan, the Viceroy of Nankin, was the func- tionary appointed to negotiate with M. Patenotra at Shanghai, and his being ordered to return to his post at Nankin shows that the negotiations have failed.-Reuter s telegram.

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