We are much indebted to our Hankow Correspondent for the vivid account he has sent us of the serious meute among the soldiery at Wa-chang. It is not often that one hears of a colli-ion between the civil and military ry of interfering with one another. But an unfortunate squab-blo ina cash-shop between the proprietor and agubalteru has now brought the two branches into violent opposition, and although a most fortunate accident prevented actual onrnege, very a Jarming riot has nevertheless occurred and grave apprehensions are entertained that the affair is yet far from being over. Judging from the cireamstances as detailed to us by our Correspondent, it certainly seems that the fault in the first instance lay with the District Magistrate. It is very possible that an unseemly brawl was going on in the street as ho passed, and the fact that one party to the disturbance was a small military officer may be held to have increased the discreditable natare of the affair. Bat itis clear enough that in ordering the immediate and public infliction of a shameful punishment upon the ensign the magistrate did most impolitic if not most improper thing. The demand of the offender that be should be tried by his own superior officers was a reasonable one, and we think that the magistrate weakened his own position still further by acknowledging the ensign's plea of privilege so far as to countermand the flogging nud ordering him forty stripes upon the hand instead. These and all the other points of the case however will no doubt be carefully gone into and weighed by the authorities at Peking, to whom the matter has been referred. 'I'ho insult to the military service was however soon requited by the soldiers, who subsequently waylaid the magistrate and beat him most severely. This led to the Viceroy and Major-General insisting upon the ringleaders being given up, demand which was reluctantly acceded to by the Colonel of the regiment sending on four of his own relutious—whethor innocent or guilty does not seem to be very clear. These anon were secretly condemned to death, and nothing but the riot which broke out daring the night of the 29th ult, prevented this most hasty sentence feom being carried into effect. In the menutime a state of the utmost dis. order and diequict prevails in the city of Wu-chang. People are leaving it by thousands, lest a general rising should take place, oven the wife and family of the Viceroy being among the refugees. At present affairs are ata deadlock, awaiting apparently instruc. tions from the Capital. Lyivg proclamations lave been issued by the authorities with a view to assuaging the uneasiness felt by the people, in which the story of the four prisoners is boldly denied, and the destruction done to the yamens of the Commandant of the city and the Major-General by the enraged soldiery calmly attributed to the pressure caused by the crowds of people in the streets on the night of the riot. These assurances, however, will not be effectual in deluding those who know the facts of the case, which are, indeed, public property. At the present stage of the affair it is only necessary for us to point out the grave danger which is incurred in China under any cireumstances by the commission of an act which the people generally consider illegal and unauthorised. Chinese soldiers have generally speaking an svil
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.