Next, of course, to the fact that Kinycraft has the Derby, and Gemos the Oaks, the most interesting news brought by the French mail, is that intions have been sent out to the ish Naval officers in Chins, to' cooperate with other Powers in the suppression of piracy. The order may, at a first glance, seem to imply ignorance that British Naval officers have been occupied in this precise pursuit, for the Inst twenty years—though without, it must by confessed, very much co-opera tion from other Powers. But we prefer to read in it an encouragement to the commanders of our gunboats, to resume the activity which recent despatches had tended to discourage. More than one officer has been heard to declare, since the Admiralty effusions regarding Yangchow, Formosa, the Algerine " and other cases, became public, that, how flagrant sever the piratical nature of a junk, he would hesitate to risk his commission by interfering with her. May not this feeling have been reported to the Gorernment, by Admiral Keppel or some other practical man, and the special instractions referred to inthe telegram, be the result? In any case, we are glad to hail the order us a proof that tie Home Government are at last considering utility as well as economy; and to infer a prospect of other Powers lending aid in the arduous duty imposed. It is to be hoped that, in sending these instracto Peking, Lord Clarendon has intimated that the Chinese Government will be expected to give its best aid in working out the desired end, It has, now,—or rather the Provincial Governments have—several steamers perfectly available fur emi bat which have been little better, than costly toys. The three gun vessels Inunched from the Shanghai Arse have seldom been outs ship; two ships built at the Foochow dockyard have been flaunted up and down the coast, from Foochow to Tientsin, and from Tientsin to Shang-nai; bat we have never yet hoard their firing, or seeking to fire, a gan in any The only vessels that have really done good service, are those belonging to the Viceroy of Kwang-tang and it is by their example that we would see their consorts at the northern ports guided. The Kwang-tung Govern. ment has been too well advised to commit the error into which its northern colleagues have fallen, of placing a Mandarin in command of the ship, and redueing the foreign Captain to the position of sailing-master. In the south, the Captain is really the commander; and the effect is apparent i energetic eu-operation with British gunboats, which we have often bad to record. The design attributed to the ien and Ki with foreign date, on show a landable feeling of nat pride; but it is foolish, because prem tare. They may rest assured t steamers, without foreign ins, will be thatthe Ever-victorious army would have been, withuat Gordon and his cers—useless and nnmanagenbie. By so much as the authority of the foreign officers is lessened in the Kiang-so boats, by so much are they Kwang-tung steamers; and the total rejection of foreign aid would soon lead to complete disorganization, The ships would become dirty, the machinery wei go to grief, and, as_war-vessels, would be useless. The conceit wh ascribes foreign superiority to foreign arms, is not unnatural; but it is quite mistaken. A regiment of Belo wes officered by Englishmen and fight alongside of an English regime would be little less reliable than the latter; but the sane men, without Buropean leaders, opposed to that English regiment, would have no chance. It is well the Chinese Government shoutd acquire such warlike appliances as will enable them to, control the antuly among their own subjects; but they will make a great mistake in trying to dispense, too sven, with the foreign teaching which can alone make those appliances fally arniluble. Much experience and much practice will Iw needed, before n Chinese officer wi handle a war steamer at all successful even maintain the necessary order and discipline on board, We hope that the opportunity will be given them ut acquiring this experience, in pursuit of their legitimate duty of policing the coast waters. We ure glad to seen commencement made, in the long ernie from which one of the Arsenal gaubonts has just returned; and we hope that the experiment will be regularly repented. if the Chuan group were thoroughly examined by one these gauboats, once every month, it would soon cease to be tie piratical haunt it now is ovr rosrr CHINA, We referred, some weeks ago, to an able speech delivered by Mr. Willinmson, atu recent meeting of the National Bible Society of Scotland; bat have been obliged, hitherto, to defer oar tention of noticing it more fully, Wa are able ut length to fulfil our wish, 9 to ask our readers to peruse the text. They will, we think, apprecia the strong good sense of the views es pressed, and will be glad to hear thas Mr, Williamson is preparing for the press*a more elaborate work. We speak, at least, of those who realise the interest which we all have, in the progress of China. Those whu object tu the discussion of Chinese subjects, even in China newspapers, as dry and tiresome; who fail to realise how greatly all our interests depend on the policy of Foreign Powers, and how' much this policy depends on 'a true
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.