The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-31 00:00:00

EGYPT.

ALEXANDRIA, Aug. 21.—Said Pasha, the Vice-
roy, is just now here, but is talking of taking a trip
by sea to Candia. His mind is still fully occupied
with soldiering, to the neglect of the more impor-
tant interests of the country. Never did Alexan-
dria, even in the time of Mehemet Ali, witness so
much marching and countermarching through the
town of cavalry, infantry, and horse artillery, par-
ticularly of the last, whose barracks are at the east
end of the town, and the whole corps is frequently
made to march through to show itself to his High-
ness, whose palaces are on the western side. This
activity among the troops has, moreover, no con-
nection with the war between the Sultan and Rus-
sia, as Said Pasha says he cannot send any more
men to his assistance.

The canal connecting Alexandria with the Nile,
by which all produce of the country is brought
down, has been so much neglected that great de-
posits of mud have been formed in it, and even at
this advanced seascn it is not navigable for large
boats, while usually they come down in July.
The unfortunate railway between Cairo and
Alexandria is dragging its slow length along, and,
though it was to have been finished last July, its
promised completion is now put off to the end of
the year, and, judging from past delays, it is not
unlikely that we shall have to wait until next sum-
mer for its full operation.
A considerable number of Egyptian sailors, be-
longing to the Egyptian ships of war, have just
been sent back to Alexandria from Constantinople,
their vessels having been either lost or dismantled
as unfit for use. The once proud Egyptian fleet,
which numbered 11 line of battle-ships and 20
smaller vessels, and at one time during the Syrian
war held the Sultan in check, has now received its
fait blow, and is reduced to three or four corvettes,
which are employed an bringing wood from the
coast of Asia Minor.

Cholera is at last dying away, and in Alexandria
there are only five to eight cases daily, while the
other parts of the country are free from the disease.
Dr. Graph, the South African missionary, has
just returned from a mission to Abyssinia from
Bishop Gobat, of Jerusalem. He had several in-
terviews with the King, who seems bent upon im-
proving his country, and his authority is now so
firmly established that he can carry his wishes into
execution. The King of Abyssinia has prohibited
slavery, renounced polygamy, banished the Jesuits,
and is anxious that some European mechanics, par-
ticularly masons, printers, and gunmakers, should
settle in his country.

The Piedmontese Gazette announces that the
King of Naples has concluded a new contract for
30 years with the Swiss regiments. In case the
regiments be disbanded before the expiration of
that period it is stipulated that the men shall re-
ceive pensions.

The Madrid journals of the 25th have arrived,
but they do not contain anything of interest.

AUSTRALIA.

•
The Australian accounts yesterday are dated
Melbourne, the 19th of June, being 16 days later
than those previously received. The import mar-
kets maintained their tendency to improvement,
although the quantity of goods offered was still
much beyond the demand. The rise in the price of
flour and provisions was still going on, and created
some anxiety. Politically, the affairs of the colony
were not in a satisfactory state. The budget of the
Colonial Secretary fur 1855 showed a deficit of
600,0001., and a proposal for additional taxes in
the shape of a stamp duty and 10 per cent. ad
valorem on all imported goods at present free,
had been defeated in the Legislative Council by a
resolution that no additional taxes should be im-
posed this session. The result would be the stop-
page of a great portion of the public works,
although an opinion prevailed that what was
needed was not this, but a reduction of lavish
Government expenditures. With regard to the
Government bill on the Chinese immigration ques-
tion, it appears that the plan was to put a . tax.
of 51. on each Chinaman imported, and to hin_l_t
ships to bring only one passenger to every p
tons register. The latter clause had been adopted,
but the Council had made an alteration in the
former, raising the sum to 10/. which the Govern-
ment had not confirmed. guch a tax would
virtually amount to a prohibition, and would
appear a singular anomaly. T
Chi-
nese already at the mines was he number2o,o of
0, and their
services in developing the production Were very
coasideraltle.