The French mail of the 12th May arrived on the 27th instant. Telegraphic communication between this and Hongkong was again interrupted on the 26th, but was re-opened on the 28th, and we have telegraphic advices to date.
Paris is quiet and the inhabitants are resuming their avocations. The King of Belgium has ordered the expulsion of Vie~ for Hugo. A triumphal entry had been made into Berlin, von Roon has been creatvd Count, and von Moltke Marshal. There are great anti-papal disturbances in Brussels, and renewed Fenian troubles in Ireland, Earl Russell's motion for a rejection of the Washington treaty has been nega-rived. Mr. Wade had declared that there was no indication of the friendly Chinese dispute between the two countries. The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce has petitioned the House of Commons for a Sclect Committee of Enquiry into our relations with China. A series of questions are proposed for investigation, which have evidently been compiled by some one well conversant with Chinese polities, and which point to several of the errors by which the present Government fs misled. The appointment of a High Commissioner to pro-coed to China for the purpose of making special Investigations, is suggested. We prine vleewhere a precis of what passed in the Houses of Parliament, with regard to the Chinese Missionary despatch.
The English mail leaves to-night, by the P. & O. steamer Madras.
The following ships have arrived during the fortnight:—Bernard and Nestor s. Liverpool, Weymouth, Aracan, London. And the following have sailed:—Agamemnon, Tehihatchoff, Lector, Canton, Vane guard s. s., Forward Ho, Thermopylae, and Undine, London; Lock Lamar, Puget Sound; Peter, Melbourne.
The agent of the Messayeries Maritimes has received the satisfactory announcement that communication between Marseilles and London has been re-established; and that the fortnightly service of the Company will be re-established next month.
Both the P. & O. and M. M.. Companics announce reductions to Tls. 5 in the rate of freight on silk to London and Marseilles, and Tls. 5.60 to Lyons and Genoa. The former offers to carry at Tls. 6, and the latter at Tls. 7 to Brindisi, Trieste, Basle, and Milan; and the P. & 0. at Tls. 6 to Paris, and Tis. to New York.
A meeting of members of the Club was held on the 23rd instant, to alter Rule XIX, regarding the annual election of a Committee, and to devise means of electing a Coumnittee for the current year. Regret was expressed at the absence of the gentlemen who had been instrumental in bringing about the difficulty, the meeting evidently wishing their aid in solving it. In their absence, much silent deliberation took place; but eventually Mr. Ziminern came tu the rescue with anew rule providing for the election of Committees by ballot, in future; and with a resolution that the plan laid down in that rule be adopted on the present occasion. Both resolutions wore passed. A list of gentlemen willing to serve on the Committee in to be Imng up in the reading room, and 12 of the constitution were modified, and Nos. 5, 6, and 8 of the rules were erased.
A night parade of the Volunteer Corps was held on Monday, and went off very successfully. On the previous occasion, the enemy were supposed to have penetrated the Settlement, and had to be driven out and across the Defence Creek. This time, the Volunteers advanced to repel an attack, and were driven back fighting on Honan road, where a last desperate stand was made, which we presume repelled the assail ants, though leaving the Defending party too weak to pursue. At any rate the whole of the Force assembled unmolested at the foot of the Maloo, marched to the Bund, headed by the Drum and Fife band, and were dismissed shortly after 11 v.31.
We understand the result of the investigation made into the circumstances of the burning of the Hawaian brig Newnan, the murder of the mate and the murderous attack on the Captain of the same vessel, has been to implicate one if not two of the Chinese who were among the saved. It seems that, while the vessel was at Tientsin, which port she last left, in ballast, four Malays. and a Chinaman, who had been discontented with the food prepared for them, ran away. All were caught, except one Malay, and reshipped, but only to conceive designs of vengeance which were particularly directed against the mate. One of the mon saved accuses another of having assisted at the murder of the mate with a chopper, and of afterwards going down into the hold to help to fire the ship. The man thus accused admits a knowledge of the crime contemplat ted, and his having taken some share in it, but retorts upon the other that he also knew of it and was the one to bring the matches into the hela. Both these men will be tried in due cours, The third Chinaman, cook of the vessel, who helped to get the captain off, is free from suspicion, and has been liberated.
The Millet has brought to Shanghai the mate and six hands of the North-German barque Chusan, which was wrecked some time ago oh the Sir James Hall Group. These men, with their Captain, were taken off the Islands by the Palos, while on her passage to rejoin the American fleet. The Captain of the Chusan had a finger accidentally shot off, and remained on board the Colorado for treatment.
Decoming hostile; but it was impossible to predict to what extent the foreign interest will be compromised, should France decide on hostile action. The anoil news regarding Chung-how merely confirms the information we received a fortnight ayo, that Chung-how haw had another interview with M. Thiers, and that a French Minister has been appointed to conduct negotiations with the Chinese Emissary; M. Klecskowski is appointed Interpreter for the Conference. The L. & C, Hepress adds that Chun and his friends seem much disturbed at the telegraphic summary of the recent Chinese despatch, which they consider likely to place difficulties in the way of a satis factory settlement of the questions in and a ballot taken on the 30th June. The question now is; how is the willingness to serve of each one of the 290 members to be ascertained? Personal enquiry from each will be rather tedious.
'We print, elsewhere, a report of the first meeting of the Working Committee of the Sailors' Home, under the new constitution, Unfortunately, both the Shareholders' Representatives were absent from Shanghai, but it was necessary to hold a meeting before the new Superintendent took over charge, and the remaining members were obliged to deal with the present questions. These consisted chiefly in the election of a Secretary and ina revision of the rules. Mr. C. M. Ford was elected Secretary for the current year; and clauses 7, 8, 9, 10, Some extensive coal robberies from the cargo of a ship lately bought for the Atsonal, have been discovered. The coal was discharged into native boats carrying about ten tons each, and of these one was found to have misdirected its course to the Yang-king-pang, while five others found their way to a creek above the Arsenal, on the Pootung shore. The cargo having been sold to reach a certain weight, which it was pretty sure to exceed, the boats intended to lie quiet till the "tally" had been pronounced correct. The amount, however, fell short, sv one boat left the little fleet in the creek to make it up, while the others lay sung for three days, till pounced upon by the police, who had got wind of the dodge.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.