NEWS OF THE WEEK.
ACCORDING to the latest adviees, the Allied expedition in China appears to have been getting into deep water. The outposts of the army on the 23d of September were within a few miles of Pekin, but it is not clear that the diplomatic outposts were so near the sanction of the Emperor to the treaty. Nevertheless
• there are gleams of hope, for, nominally, the Mandarins had ac- ceded to our demands.
The march of events was peculiar. No sooner had Lord Elgin dismissed Kweiliang and the Tien-tsin negotiators, and sent the .army forward, than fresh ones appeared. The Prince 'Tsia and Muh, a high functionary, begged to treat. The army moved on, and Mr. Parkes and Mr. Wade went in advance to treat. They had arranged with the Mandarins for a complete settlement of the question, the signing of the convention and the ratification of the treaty, and were Making final arrangements, when the 'Chinese seized them and their French companions, and sent them to Pekin. The army, finding its march to the camping ground agreed upon obstructed, and the absent officers of the Allies detained or assaulted, fell upon the Tartar hosts encircling
• them, and put them to flight ; and a second advance carried the army through the Tartar camp to within five or six miles of Pekin. The result of these operations was the arrival of Prince • Kutig, brother of the Emperor, as a negotiator ; but all the an- swer he got from Lord Elgin and Baron Gros was, that they would not direct the generals in command of the troops to halt their men until the French and English were allowed to return. The Generals of the Allied army, regarding the Chinese opera- tions as treachery, had threatened to carry Pekin by storm un- less the prisoners were returned. Such was the position on the 23d of September.. The Allies were encamped on both banks of the canal leading from Tung-chow to Pekin. They maintained
communication with the sea by the river, and, the country people brought in supplies to the market. They had so far re- duced the enemy, that each time he renewed negotiations he sent a more potential Mandarin ; and they had broken the spirit of the army at an insignificant loss to themselves. 'Will the next mail bring a peace or news of the capture of Pekin ?
