Daily Alta California, Volume 19, Number 6392, 15 September 1867 — LETTER FROM SHANGHAI. [ARTICLE]

LETTER FROM SHANGHAI.

.FROlf THK RKSIDKNTOORRKSI'ON DKNT OK THK AI.TA.I Hot Weather—A Melting Season—How they Live nt Shanghai—A lioml Word for Cnii-Mil-l.ni.Tnl Seward—Assiuilton a British t'onsiil—Foreign Diplomacy in Minn Criticised—A Shanghai Fire Department— American Independence-—-Two National Anniversaries. Shanghai, August Mtk, 1867. Editors Alta- Wo aro wending our way wearily, vory wearily, through the intense and prostrating heat of a Shanghai summer. Those who have not witnessed it can form but little idea of the oppression and enervating influence of the hot weather out bere. Old residents in tropical climates even the swarthy natives of India, who come to this place to conduct trade in opium, say tbat they have never known anything which compares with the heat of Shanghai. Its effects are not measured by the height of die thermometer, as ii.".' or so bere is lir more unbearable than, perhaps, 110° in other places. This is ciused by tbe damp ness of the atmosphere, and other such influences, which all tend to make it the most wretched ordeal In tbe world to have to pass A summer Day in Shanghai.

From a couch on which 1 hay« passed, not slept, ihe night—where I havo «oue through the dismal farce of placing myself in a position whioh should i under ordinary eireum-tanens, produce slumhcr: but in which I became only a tempting morsel for the mosiiuitos which buzz alnut outside the curtains, and however closoly those means of exelu sion be adjusted, sure enough some of them find their way inside my cage. From such a night's ''rest " as this. 1 lise up at tho first grey oi dawn and go out on tho verandah to get a breath of the morning breeze, ere the -un in half an hour's time finds his way above tbe horizon. A dismal gun or two from the native city, two miles off, shows that folk are stirring there: and soon a "coolie " passes carrying ice, and another with some articles of food for the day's consumption, and here and there a native woman, with handkerchief over her bead to keep off tho fierce rays of tho sun, returning to her homo, prove that the world is also already moving in tho foreign settlement. As I write, the air is a little oooler than it has been during the previous day, about W, but is still oppressive and wearisome. Soon as the sun's ray glares above tbe houses on the opposite side of the street, an insect called by the significant name of scissorgrinder commences a deafening -n sing, and the horrors of tho night have become superseded by those of another .weltering day, in which the lightest of clothes and the refreshing influence of "punkahs," combined with an indefinite quantity of oooling drinks, almost fails to keep up the failing energies of the European. The life out here, especially in summer, is most artificial, and would strike a now comer as a strange style of " doing" things. In summer people breakfast at twelve and dine at eight; and a breakfast or a dinner here is no trifle, about double the quantity of viands and four times that of liquors being consumed here as compared with what the most voracious could take in any other part of the civilized world. The climate and the mode of lite out here have, as is naturally to be expected, a very marked Influence upon the habits of residents, and give an altogether peculiar tone te Social Life In Shanghai. The large bulk of those rational amusements and moans of intellectual enjoyment which are to be found in large cities, and oven in small towns in other parts of the world, are altogether wanting here. _ Tho residents read very little, and it is sel* iloni, if ever, that conversation at even the better class of houses takes anything which may be oalled an intellectual or even an ordinarily interesting turn. The small talk of the place—the tittle tattle about the Mrs. this or Mrs. that—the relative merits of racing ponies—the probabilities as to who will win the next boat race—form the staple of conversation; and it is the rarest thing to hear even !'=_.! politics, much le.s home news, discussed at a dinner table. There is an exception, in this respect, to be noticed in favor of American residents, who even here at times have political discussions; but there is very little life in them compared with their eager zeal and their intense interest as to publio matters at home. In abort, thero is something in the way of life here which seems most extraordinarily to cramp people's sympathies, and to rivet their whole thoughts to the one great object of life in these parts—making sufficient dollars to get away. The style of living is. no doubt, luxurious—far more so than is reasonable—tho merchants and their clerks, who reside in the bouses with them, living in the stylo of men who have already uiado their fortunes, not of those who have their way to push in the world. As may naturally be expected, many of the young men Coming out from home, where they have been used to a very differout style of living, mistake tbeir positions, give themselves tbe airs of grandees, and launch into all manner of ridiculous extravagances. To suoh an extant had this gone at one tune, mat the profusion of China had liecome a liy-woM, and it U only the unlucky turn Which trade has taken that litis at. last induced people to be a little more reasonable, and to count their expense., at least to a certain extent, -till. there uiu. i be ma. ay changes before Shanghai comes down to the ordinary level of a sensible trading community, and ihe old system of Hongs, that is, it hea is of houses and their clerks living together, must bo done away with before social life out here can assume a healthy tone, and before tho expenses of business can be brought down to a reasonable figure. At present, $_5 000 or --O.OfO i. the ordinary yearly expenditure ot an average-sized mercantile establishment, and it is needless to point out (hit with such expenses to meet, the profits of trade are very considerably diminished. A great reduction iii^this respect might be effected if tbo clerks in btniness bouses lived by themselves, as in other places, and I believe this alteration would, by inducing men to marry and lead quieter lives, have a most beneficial effect upon the s >cial tone and the morality of Shanghai, tbe latter being at present at a somewhat low ebb. Mr. (ieorxe K. Reward. I'ntted States Consul Gen-

eral at shawi-i-il. I notice a wanton attack made by a corres \ pondent of your valued journal, upon the charter f and abilities of tbe above-named gentleman. The aspersions I consider —and from circumstances which it is needles.; to d. tail I am in agood position to judge of tbis matter—-!tu>g..i_ier unfounded; and I deem them to be prompted by privato malignity Mr. Seward commanded universal esteem out here, not only amon? his own countrymen but among all - the other foreign residents in Shanghai. Of this 1 there could be no better proof than the fact that it was suggested by several Knglishmen pi standing that a public dinner should be given to him before he left; aud tho American citizens bere at once responded to the suggestion and proposed to give him one. Mr. Seward's naturally retiring disposition prevented his accepting the honor, but a testimonial, signed by all the Americans of note in the place, was handed to him before he l.t-. There was not a single measure of importance which had to be arranged in Shanghai in which Mr. Seward did not take un active part; and his talents and courtesy commanded tbe respeot and affection of his colleagues, no less than of the general community. Like all people placed in the position of Judge, as he was In his judicial capacity, he labored under the difficulty of being obliged to de.-i.le every suit against one of the litigants, and hence, naturally, may have incurred the enmity of some in whose causes ho has had to give adverse decisions. All here will be glad to sec Mr. Seward back in the sphere of his duties: which are meantime, however, 1 being very efficiently performed by Mr. Vice Consul A. antrum.

A British (oii-ul Assaulted by Chinese in 111-. Own Court. A great deal of excitement has been caused by a most unseemly disturbance which has recently taken place at Hankow. A certain British firm, by name MacKellar k Co., failed under circumstance, which greatly incensed tbe Chinese tea men, they having shortly before shutting up bought teas to the extent of __. .000 pounds, for which the natives were not paid. In _ oi-<:<_nenee of this the powerful trading Guilds induced the Taoutai, or City Governor, to espouse their canse, and he is-ued sundry proclamations restricting *'__de—a line of conduct which has been strongly d , rocated by the Consuls, who have referrod the _____ .---r to their respective chiefs, the Ministers at Pekin. In the course of an investigation into MacKellar __ Co.'s failure, at the Briti-h Consulate, some of the Chinamen crowded round the Acting Consul, Mr. Gibson, and two of them deliberately struck him. Assistance was shortly after procured and order reestablished. The insult is of a very serious nature, especially when it is borne in mind how much respect the natives are compelled to pay to their own judicial authorities. I am iot yet informed what steps will be taken with regard to it, but presume, or at least hope, that the most ample apology and compensation will bo demanded. The British Minister ought, indeed, to insist upon the Taouti being degraded: but this, it is to be feared, will not be , done, as foreign policy has year by year been be'eoiuing more and more weak, and the Chinese have been gradually allowed to assume an increasingly insulting tone towards foreigner. _. Foreign IMplomary In China. The action of the foreign representatives at Pekin has been the subject of loud complaint upon the part of tho public, who havoseen, with increasing annoyance and disappointment, a tendency to . yield to the Chinese in almost every question which has arisen. The Hon. Anson Burlingame, United States Minister, has great influence with his colleagues; but I think it is to be regretted that ho is too much disposed to yield to tho plausible argument-) of the Chinese, and to look to the native side of every question that arises. In this he is entirely at one with Sir Rutherford Alcock, the British Minister, who . eems invariably to go upon the principle of Chinese first and foreigners second. The discontent at the line of action, which has been taken in many matters, reached its height when the British Minister announced that the treaty of Ti out sin would not permit the navigation of the inland waters of China in small steamers. I may mention th.it iv matters of this kind the foreign Ministers generally go in concert, so that the dictum is equally an exposition of the reading of the treaty . which will be held to affect citizens of the United States. To Americans, whose interes in the carrying trade in China is enormous, the Stars and Stripes floating on the large majority of river and coasting steamers, this prohibition is one of the mnst irksome pieces of Chinese ex .lusiveness; and it may be hoped that at the revision of the treaty, which is to take place next year, something may be dono to remedy this. The opinp ns of the best informed men, including. I believe, Mr. G. F. Seward, are in favor of inland navi-tatton, and they look upon the arguments of tbe Chinese that tbis would produ c disorders as nonsense, the 1 .d being, that the further foreigners and foreign trade have gone, tbe more on er bos been maintained in the kingdom. However reluctant the ministers at Pekin may be to move, the world will not stand still, and progress must at last make its way even into China, which offers the finest field in the world for enterprise and for the spread of European ideas and civilization. But something must be done to put a little more life and energy into our diplomats, or the Chinese, who aro as subtle as they are unscrupulous, will get the better of us at every point. A I.'!-.. 1>_1........ In _!.......1...1

A t-Ire Brigade In Nhanjchal. A system of Volunteer Fire Brigade, similar to that in force in the United States, has been organized in Shanghai, where tho number of wooden bouses, and the consequent frequency of fir.s, rendered such a precaution necessary. Mr. A. A. Hayes, an Americ.n citizen, and Vice Chairman of the Municipal Council, is at tbe head of tbe organisation, under the high title of Fire (_•___■_■• -inner. Tnere are some bundled and fiity members, divided into four Companies, and the affair promised to work very weli but for Mr Hayes taking upon liimjelf to appoint officers without consulting tho members. This raised a storm of indignation upon the part of No. '2 Company, who held meetings and expressed tbeir opinions in no measured terms, declarir. * it contrary to the principles ol American citizens to be under the orders of any ou. whom they b.d not elected A gieat discu sum of the question to k pl-oe, Mr. Hayes maintaining that he Mnnic ptl Council anpointed him, and that he had h» power oi appro* ing or disapproving ulcers Ultimately t> c Com ..any voluntar ly dis) i ■:.:■ I t.,. tuselves, aud tbeiservices were lost to tbo ioiv.'ii in.ty through what was generally looked upon a- arbitrary and pigheaded conduct «v the part ot thu Commi-siooer. The t..nrih of July. As usual on this greaj anniversary, there were convivial parties among the citizens of the States

here, and all day long salvos of guns from the men of-war in the harhor reminded the residents of thi j return of the groat Nation hi festival. There weri ninny convivial nif otinpM, hut no pablfo dinner wa given this year. •

The French Fete Napoleon

Yesterday, 1..(h of August, was celebrated hy Hie French residonts with a vast amount of display in honor of thoir National festival. A Te Dcum was sung in the morning, and in the evening the French Bund was brilliantly illuminated. National displays do not seem h«re to be proportioned to the amount of trade. The French made about twenty times ;is n'uch show as the Amerie .ns on the 4th of July, and their trade is about, say, one-hun-dredth of that of the United State-. An* ill-natur-tl critic expressed a doubt whether the profi's of th« French uierchan's during the past year were sufficient to pay for the lanterns. ••«