Since the Chinese new year, over 300 shops of various trades have closed, owing to the groat depression of trade; and many more, it is said, must follow suit before long. There is no doubt that Foochow and the neighbourhood are passing through 'a very bad time.
Our further information as to advances being made to the teamen is, that it does not exceed twenty per cent of the amount loaned for this business last year. But few of the Hongs have been in a position to advance any dollars atoll. These advances dv not go into the country entirely in the form of treasure; some portion is converted into opium and lead. In connection with ing of this treasure, etc., to its destination, we understand that, representations having been made to the authori of the frequency of highway robberies, guards have been placed from point to point.along the route, but at present the distances between them ate so great that they are regarded by the supercargoes as utterly useless as a means of protection to them.
A-great deal of foreign property has of late years passed into the hands of natives and we understand that it is the intention of the authorities to levy the usual taxes fon such property, besides obliging the owners to register it as nati The cost of registering is nominally four or five per cent. of the value, but, it is said that the squeezing in the form of cumshaws that would have to be paid, to the doorkeeper of the yamen to begin with, up to the man next to the mandarin, would amount to something so formidable, that we further foreign property will be purchased by the natives if the registering is enforced. This, at any rate, ig the opinion of come well informed Chinese.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.