VESSELS, 28rd July.
'Te action of Japan as regards the capture of the Chinese Engineering and Mining Co.'s steeniers Hsi-ping and Peiping is nob very intelligible if there' is no flaw in the facts recounted to.us on very good authority... These steamers were not chartered, as has been stated, but loaded in the ordinary way by the company's office here, and their whole cargo was sed by the Customs and the British Constilate a8 not coming within the danger of being contraband of, war, But it is learned bya telegram from the master of the Hsiping at Saseho that he'has not been allowed to engage legal assistance for his defence in the Prize Court, or to be present at the examination of the witnesses. Representations have, of course, been made to the British Minister at Tokio, Sir Claude Mac-Donald, and we cannot believe that the Japanese will not do full justice in the matter, but as it stands at resent, their action seems to have been somewhat high-handed and ill-advised; and it is to be hoped that a satisfactory' explanation of their action will be forthcoming.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.