The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-18 00:00:00

I OVERLAND MAIL

INDIA AND CHINA.
(Prom the Chronicle.)
We have received by extraordinary express, in
anticipation of the Overland Mail, our private cor-
respondence and journals from Bombay of the G h
August, Calcutta ith, Madras 14th, and Ilong-Kong
23d July.

BOMBAY, AUG. 0.
(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)
..
We are hourly looking for the English mail of the
Bth July, but as yet the steamer conveying the pre-
cious freight has not been signalled. My present
letter will take a longer time in reaching you than
usual, owing to the circumstance of no overland mail
leaving Bansbay direct during the present month ;
and consequently we denizens of Western India are
obliged to transmit our letters by the roundabout
route of Madras. Why the authorities here do not
dispatch a steamer to Suez during August is a mys-
tery to the public ; for August is generally a less
tempestuous month than July, in the course of which
two mails are dispatched direct from Bombay. The
anomaly must speedily be rectified, for it is too ab-
surd to last. I have just heard, however, that the
Government have it under contemplation.
Nothing of much importance has occurred in India
since the date of my last communication. In Burmah
warlike operations are at a stand-still, and will doubt-
less continue so during the monsoons, to be recom-
menced in November,
ceased, and fit campaigning weather set in. At pre-
sent everything appears to be as quiet in Rangoon as
in one of our provincial cantonments. The troops
the
contrast rainsto their shall have
ndi-
have been comfortably housed, and are well provided
with supplies—an admirable when
Burmese war. General God-
win seems chiefly occupied in administering the in-
ternal economy of his army, Ile has issued stringent
orders regarding the landing or sale of spirituous
liquors, and has threatened offending parties with the
punishment of martial law, which, to use' his
slco
condi-
tion during the former
own words, "involves corporal punishment on the
spot by the provost marshal, and without respect
to persons?' A very proper order it is, in my
opinion, and it must ba so indeed in the opinion
of all acquainted with the circumstances of an
Indo-European army, placed in an unhealthy
climate at its unhealthiest season, during a cessation
of hostilities. The general has also issued a notice
permitting Burmese who have private property buried
within the stockade of Rangoon to take it away on
the production of a pass from the quartermas-
ter's department ; and another notice, which is
important enough to be quoted entire :---" The
lieutenant-general is afraid, from the anxiety shown
by the Burmese to obtain passes of safety from
British officers, that they believe the annexa-
tion of this country is probable, but of which, at
present, there is not the least prospect. It is there-
fore requested that no passes of any kind be given to
any native of Burmah, since it may
be construed into
an authority which may hereafter cost the holder his
life." From this assertion of the general, that at pre-
sent there is not the least prospect of annexation, no
inference as to the results of the overthrow of the Bur-
mese military strength can be drawn. It is probable
enough that Lord Dalhousie himself has not decided on
his future policy touching territorial aggrandizement,
but will be guided according to the current of
events and instructions from home ; but at all events
the military commander of our troops in Burmah
will have little to do with the ultimate political de-
cision, and at the date of his issuing that order he was
probably as much unacquainted with what has been
passing in Lord Dalhousie's mind on the subject as
any subaltern of his army. The Governor-General
has himself proceeded from Calcutta to Rangoon, to
ascertain the state of matters by personal conference
and observation. His Lordship's visit to Burmah,
like that of Lord Wellesley to Madras during the
second war with Tippoo Sultan, and that of Lord
Minto to the straits at the time of the capture of
Java, will no doubt be advantageous in removing
difficulties, facilitating operations, and confirming
the prospects of success. Lord Dalhousie will now
be able instantly to order every deficiency to be sup-
plied, and to arrange with General Godwin for the
assemblage of the army in winter to march upon
the capital. He will also be able to learn in some
degree the state of Burmese resources, the feelings
of the people, and other matters necessary to be
known, before coming to a conclusion as to ulterior
measures---which ulterior measures will, I have very
little doubt, consist in the annexation of the richest
and most convenient provinces of the Burmese em-
pire. These barbarians must be made to feel that
they are inferior in every way to the civilised power
whom they dared to injure and insult, under the idea
that Burmese strength and valour were irresistible.
The expenses of the campaign also must be paid for
in some way or other. The expenses for the forces
from Bengal alone have been, up to the Ist of July,
above twenty-three lacs of rupees ; and if to this be
added the expenses of the Madras contingent, the
Bombay navy, marching allowances, and so forth,
the total expenditure for the present Burmese cam-
paign, up to the Ist of July, will probably not be less
than fifty lacs of rupees, or half a million sterling.
At length tranquillity is announced on the north-
west frontier. According to the latest intelligence
from Peshawur (July 21) everything was quiet on
the frontier, and several chiefs of the turbulent tribes
with whom we have been warring so long were on
their way to that cantonment to tender their submis-
sion to Colonel Mackesoia, the British political agent.
It is therefore probable that no expedition will be
necessary against the borderers in the cold weather.
But it is impossible to foresee the uaanceuvres of these
fellows, or what these may lead to • and the Afreedee
mountaineers are stated to be still rather turbulent.
Sir Colin Campbell has been succeeded in command
on the frontier by Brigadier-General Roberts. It is
gratifying to the former gallant officer to resign his
command to his successor when all disturbances have
been tranquillized. Peshawur, by last accounts, was
extremely unhealthy owing to the excessive heat, and
soldiers were daily dying from apoplexy, ()Pup de
soled, and fever.
Sinde is now and has long been as tranquil as our
oldest provinces. The dethroned chief of Khyrpore
bears his misfortunes to all appearance, submissively ;
he lives quite in seclusion
seldom indulges in his
former sports, and occasionally still expresses a hope
that Government will reconsider their measures
towards him. Two annual commercial fairs are
about to be established by the British Government, in
accordance with th© wish of the principal traders of
the country; one at Kurrachee, in Lower Sinde, to
Upper
last for sixty days ; and the other at Sukkur, in
t is to
Sinde, to last for forty-five days. Governelfe'n and
these fairs,
provide shelter for those frequenting
trading pur-
to afford them all practicable facilities for
and to such a
poses. The Indus is rising so rapidly, a .
banks begins to
height, that the cultivation near its
be endangered, and the town of Gorabarree was so
safety
encircled by the inundation that fears itsfor
were entertained.
The monsoons have been very heavy this year in
Bombay as yet. Up to the evening 0-f the Ist of this
month 51 inches of rain bad fallen in the island, but
the weather has been moderating since. Sickness is
prevalent.
• a. so rapidly,
The Bombay Railway is progression
art of the
despite the rains, that it is probable a.l)
the
year.
line will be open before the dose t
h net Calcutta is
The success of the electric telegraph
not be a making us ask here why there should .
telegraph line from this to Poonab
' the seem'
most important city of the Presidency. The expense
is computed at no more than 3,000).,
and it would
bring Bombay into immediate
ccinun'
unication with
the capital of the Deccan, the
principal depot for
of the
troops in Western India, and the
residencen
Governor during four months in the year. It is to
be hoped that the Court of Directors will sanction the
between
establishment of lines of electrictelegraph
the principal cities and military stations throughout
cost more than
India, which it is estimated would not . .
ter of a million sterling.
25 lees of rupees, or one quarter
have announced a
The Commercial Beek of Indiae,
being at the rate of
dividend of rupees 17 8 per share,
paid-up capital of
seven per cent. per annum on
ending
on the 30th June.
the bank, for the half-ear
of bareholders the utmost
At the recent meeting
a"tsh the state of the bank.
satisfaction was expressed
of the Bank of Bombay it was
At a recent meeting --
of the half-year ending
announced that the net profits
30th June, after paying all current expenses of the
bank, was 147,031.14.2 rupees
.Lord Falkland
The Governor of Bombay,, is at
bad health.
Poonah, and, I regret to say, in very_
of the forces, and the
General Staveley, commander
of
Bombay, I
Bishop
Right Rev. Dr. Harding, .
and comparatively dry cli-
matethere, enjoying the fine
Our new . Commander-in-Chief,
of the Deccan.
nce is not expected here
Lord Frederick Fit zelare 9
until November. His name as an
good efficient and.
has preceded h • him , and it
considerate military ruler does not find himself highly
will be his own fault if he
his command. -
under .
Popular with the army
•which was on her way
The Zenobia steam-frigate,
from Burmah to Madras,
and whose non-arrival had
excited fears of her safety,i9 - ' I am glad to see, safe.
She broke her shaft in her passage,nd was obliged
. a
with more
to put back. I make this communication most culpable 'n
pleasure, as a local journalist, witht in his last 3-
difference, inserted a stateinenOverland
vessel had most likely
Summary to the effect that the .
he relatives of the numerous
perished. The grief of t •
now be turned '
persons on beard the Zenobia will
withto
vessel, all on board
gladness at hearing that the
and sound.
of her, has reached port safe
has been favoured with
papers
One of the Calcutta
a letter from the vicinity of Hooghly, dated the 23d
writer with great confidence
Distant, wherein the wr
states that the East India Railway Company will be
obliged to break up the line which runs through