The intelligence from the far East this week is all
bad. The Taeping rebels appear by the latest accounts from China to be suddenly extending their ravages over the southern provinces, but the accounts are as yet too indefinite for comment. In Japan, however, there seems some probability of another little war. Major Baldwin and Lieutenant Bird were riding a few miles out of
Yokohama when they applied for admittance at an eating-house and were refused. They insisted upon entering, and the people became so irritated that an Italian gentleman begged them to return with him. They, however, rode on, and were next found murdered and mutilated with horrible cruelty. Sir It. Alcock has pressed the punishment of the murderers upon the Tycoon with great energy and some prospect of success, but it is by no means impossible that a new "demonstration" will have to be made be- fore justice is obtained. Neither of the two officers seems to have given the people any provocation beyond demanding the right to enter a public eating-house. If ever we conquer Japan it will be necessary to disarm the people for ten years, to break the habit of appealing on all occasions to the sword.
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