The news from China, by the overland mail, is of
a more stirring kind than that of last month ; and indeed more imposing at first sight than the facts warrant. Sir GORDON BREMER had attacked and taken two of the minor forts of the Bogue, and would have at- tacked the larger fort of Anunghoy ; but the Chinese Commander- in-Chief expressed a wish to diversify that sort of inconvenient pastime with a little talk, and Captain ELLIOT could not resist the temptation to more " negotiations." The guns of the ships were silenced ; the talking—still through some subordinates—was re- sumed; the forts were evacuated by the British, and the ships withdrawn. Captain ELLIOT announced the upshot of these • manoeuvres in a circular, stating that he had procured from the Chinese the cession of the island of Hong-Kong, for the occupa- tion of the British, but subject to the Imperial taxes; payment of an indemnity of six millions of dollars within six years; direct official communications on a footing of equality between the two countries ; and the reopening of the trade on the 12th of February. These concessions, how ever, have to be tested by time before theirreal value can be known; and the accounts imply certain negatives almost as important as the positive statements. Captain ELLIOT had not explained in what manner, or under what guArantee of bond fide intention, the concessions were offered ; it is certain that the offer, vague as it is, had to receive the Imperial sanction ; it is not even known through what channel, authentic or otherwise, KESHEN con- veyed his proposals—for the actual interview between the Plenipo- tentiary and the Imperial Commissioner was yet a matter of the future, to take place" in a few days "; and lastly, the announce- ment of the new basis for a settlement is accompanied by the formidable qualification that " details remain matter of nego- tiation." Those who stormed the forts of the Bogue found a good • lesson as to the use which the Chinese can make of " negotia- tions" : some of the works were so freshly made that it was clear they must have been constructed while KESHEN was humouring Captain Ewers with negotiating. So, after all, it appears that the whole of the details—that is, every constituent particle of the new arrangement, all that may make it valuable or worthless—had yet to he negotiated. And Captain ELLIOT had not yet seen KESIIEN to begin the negotia- tions about it. Yet some are confiding enough to say that the whole affair is settled!
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