POSTSCRIPT.

SATURDAY.

'The dulness of our foreign intelligence is disagreeably broken by the telegraphic news this morning from China. The latest dates are— Hongkong, March 16; Bombay, April 2. It will be seen that the Chinese quarrel has spread beyond China.

"The Europeans on board the steamer Queen, British property, under the Portuguese flag, had been murdered by the Chinese, passengers and crew. The steamer, with a valuable cargo, was carried off. '1 he Government contractors' storehouses at Hongkong had been burnt down by incendiaries, and 700 barrels of flour destroyed. "The Chinese in Sarawak, Borneo, had risen on the 17th of February, and massacred several Europeans. Sir James Brooke saved his life by swiming across a creek. One of the Borneo Company's steamers subsequently arrived at Sarawak, and, with the aid of Sir James, at the head of a body of Malays and 1)yaks, avenged the destruction of the settlement by killing 2000 Chinese. A war-steamer was sent over by the Dutch authorities, but her services were not required.

"The latest dates from Bushire are to the 6th of March. They bring no intelligence of fresh operations in the Persian Gulf. "Sir James Outram had been gazetted to the charge of Rajpootana. Colonel George Lawrence is now acting during his absence on duty. The Nineteenth Native Infantry is disbanded.

"Exchange at Bombay, 2s. lid. Money plentiful. The Bank had lowered the rate of interest. In the import-market there is little change. The Calcutta import-market is rather dull. The money-market has improved. Exchange, 24. 21d. Madras exchange, 28. 21d. "The total export often from China to Great Britain to the 30th June was estimated at 70,000,000 lbs. Exchange at Hongkong, 4s. 91(1. At 'Shanghai the price of silk had advanced. Settlements, 74,000 bales. Exchange, 6s. 71d. to 68. 8d."

The Alps arrived at Liverpool last night, with advices from New York to the 11th. The New York Courier and Enquirer states that Mr. Reed, who for twenty years has been the leading commercial lawyer in Philadelphia, has accepted the appointment of Minister Extraordinary to China. The same journal describes how far the Administration is said to -sympathize with British policy in China " It approves of the effort to open direct diplomatic communication with Pekin, the capital, and to arm consuls or other representatives with the power of protecting citizens of their own nationalities. Further it will not go, and there will be no alliance with England and-Trance for offensive purposes."

A steam-frigate has been ordered to China ; and two war-ships to the Indian station.

The Washington correspondent of the New York Herald intimates an extravagant development of American ideas on maritime law—the abolition of blockades !

"I learn from good authority that the present Administration does not entirely agree with the preceding one in their views respecting the proposed change in naval warfare. In addition to the abolition of the right to captua-e merchant-ships by public armed vessels as well as by privateers, as laid down in Secretary Marcy's letter upon privateering, it is supposed that our Government will insist upon the abolition of blockades ; for, if England has the right to blockade all our ports and capture our vessels that escape, there can be no free trade in time of war. I learn also that letters have been written to our Ministers abroad to suspend further action on this matter until they receive other instructions."

The United States Government, it is said, have consented to pay 300,000 dollars to the Government of Denmark for the abolition of the Sound Dues.

Not the slightest intimation has yet been made to the public respecting the ratification of the treaty between the United States and Great Britain on the subject of Central America. The time for exchanging the ratifications has, if we are not mistaken, expired by more than a week, and it is curious that nothing should have been said. Have the ratifications been exchanged, or have they not ? If they have we should have supposed that an occurrence so satisfactory would have been announced without any delay. We must therefore put an unpleasant construction upon the silence. If they have not been exchanged, why not ? The alterations made by the Senate of the United States may have

been not entirely welcome to the Government of this country, but they do not touch the essential part of the treaty, which related to occasions of dispute between English and Americans who meet in what ought to be to them neutral ground in Central America. People begin to feel curiosity if not apprehension, and it would be well to give some explanation without delay : surely there can be no such small reason for procrastination as the desire to make some dramatic effect in the House of Commons ?

Mr. Phinn, who has for some time fulfilled the duties of AssistantSecretary at the Admiralty, has resigned his office, and intends to return to his practice at the bar, and perhaps ultimately to Parliament. Mr. Phinn will be succeeded by Mr. 'Romaine, who so greatly distinguished himself while connected with tho Crimean Army.-21.mes, April 25.

The election for Leitrim county, which began on Monday, brought three candidates into the field—Mr. II. L. Montgomery, Mr. Brady, and Mr. Tenison. The polling opened on Thursday. On the first day 'a poll the numbers were—Montgomery, 1110; Brady, 616; Teuison, 407. The result of yesterday's polling has not come to hand.

The Society for the Liberation of Religion from State Patronage and Control gave a soirée last night at Islington ; Mr. Acton Ayrton M.P. in the chair. Great regrets were expressed at the exclusion of so many of the "Religious Liberty party" from the House of Commons. Mr. Miall, who was present, imputed his defeat at Rochdale to bribery, kidnapping, and the Tories ; and seemed to anticipate the unseating of Sir Alexander Ramsay on petition.

The Gazette of last night contains a translation of a notice that appeared in the Journal de St. Petersbourg of the 1st April, describing certain changes that have beets made in consequence of the abolition of the Sound Dues " Vessels arriving in Russian Baltic ports will no longer be required to produce acquittances of Sound duties, or certificates of Danish quarnntine, previously to being allowed to enter. Masters of vessels will be acquainted by notices, that henceforth they will be required to furnish themselves in the ports of lading with certificates attesting the sanitary state of the country from which they come, which certificates must be attested by the Russian_ consular agent ; or to procure certificates of quarmitino in the English, French, Dutch, or Norwegian ports, which they may have put into; these certificates being also required to be legally attested by a Russian consoler agent."

A large stack of warehouses at Liverpool, containing 2500 bales of cotton, was yesterday destroyed by fire. The cotton was consumed ; but the collars, full of spirits, were saved by the fire-proof arches.