The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-10 00:00:00

The Cultivation of Cotton in Egypt,

In the Times' City Article we find the following
information respecting the cultivation of cotton in
Egypt :—" According to the mercantile advices
from Egypt, the cotton still to come forward from
the last crop was not estimated at morn than 9.00,000
cwt. and it is consequently believed the amount of
gold to be supplied from England during the next
few months will not be very large. The entire
crop of last season, it eppears, was about 1,500,000
cwt., and was, therefore, less than had bee❑
anticipated. The opinion expressed by experienced
persons more than a year ago that the amount of
gold or silver that would be hoarded by the fellahs and
buried in the ground would not be so great as was
apprehended, and that the practice would gradually
diminish with the progress of good government,
seems to be in course of realisation. In proportion
as they have become possessors of larger sums they
have acquired a taste for expenditure, and they
now buy silks, jewels, and all kinds ofluxuries, which
are consequently imported in large quantities. At the
same time, the importation of cattle this year from
France, Italy, Austria, and Turkey, as well of
machinery, railway material, vessels, &c., has in a
great degree counterbalanced the specie require-
ments which would otherwise have made the
drain more serious from England and other
countries that have to pay for cotton. For
the next year the prospects of trade are de-
ecribed to be most favourable, and such has
been the impetus given by the enlightened
tendencies of the Viceroy, and the profits of
last year's crops, that those who have lately
returned to Egypt, after having been absent
but for a few months, state the alteration to be be-
yond anything they could have hoped. b' There
seems," says one writer, " to reign a general ease
and cheerfulness which was never known before.
At Alexandria and in the interior chimneys are
visible everywhere, and machinery and engines are
in active work. Mansourah, one of the largest
towns of Lower Egypt and the centre of the cotto❑
districts, looks like a manufacturing town in
Europe. There are many cotton gins in operation
there, and locomotives for working pumps are
being placed in all directions en the banks of the
Nile." The cattle murrain, it is added, will actually
have conferred benefit from the way in which it has
forced the people to the use of machinery, encou-
raged by the Government, who have imported large
quantities and given them to cultivators. It is for
irrigation purposes that the use of pumps driven by
locomotives is found especially advantageous, and
even the fellahs are now beginning to clamour
for their increaeed application. The rate of
discount in Alexandria remains at 7 to 9 per cent.
Money is employed in advances to cultivators on.
cereals and new cotton crops as well as in land and
Government securities. Many people also buy
cattle and machinery, and the intercourse being
much greater than formerly the cash in circulation
passes through a great number of hands before it
gets back to Alexandria. The complaints
against the administration of the Alexandria
and Suez Railway have continued to be general,
and, although the inconvenience was attri-
butable to almost uncontrollable circumstances, it
was not the less annoying and severe. The Viceroy,
it is said, has now, to the satisfaction of everyone,
named the most able man in the country for the
task, Abderachman Rouchdi Bey, director general
of the railway, with unlimited power to do what he
thinks necessary, Mr. Rouse, an Englishman fami-
liar with engineering works in Egypt, being at the
same time appointed Inspector-General of the line."

WIGAN.—The returns both of the Guardians and
the Relief Committee again show a very great de-
crease as compared with the preceding reports. Ihe Com-
mittee have now on their books 4 819 persons, to whom the
sum of £293 17s was paid last week. This is a decrease of
160 cases, or 440 persons, and of 11 in the cost on the
return presented to the Committee a fortnight ago. The
guardians are relieving 4,437 persons, and their experzditure
is £2BB 13s 7d—a decrease of 90 persons, and of Li 6s 4d,
as compared with last week.

THE ENOUSH POREOPOLIS.--A farmer near
Dorchester has now the enormous number of 3,000 piv•
He breeds and purchases to keep up his stock. One week
he bought 600 pigs. They are fed partly on wheat.
According to the Wiltshire Mirror, there are
now 101 Roman Catholics in the British Parliament-68 in
the House of Peers, and 33 in the House of Commons I
NEW ACT OF UNION RELIEF.--All act of Pur-
liament has just been printed to extend the provision of the
Union Relief Aid Acts. The power of the Poor-law Board
to issue orders under the acts is to determine on the Ist of
July next.

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HER MAJESTY,

WINDSOR CASTLE, May 9.

The Queen, their Royal Highnesses Princess
Helena, Princess Louise, Prince Leopold, and Prin-
cess Beatrice, left Osborne at half-past two o'cicclr.
this afternoon, and arrived at Windsor Castle
at six.

The suite in attendance consisted of the Dowager
Countess of Mount-Edgcunlb2, the Hon. Mrs. Bruce,
the Hon. Lucy Lyttelton, Lieut.- General the Hon.
C. Grey, Colonel the Hon. Sir Cherles Phipps, Lard
Alfred Paget, Colonel the Hon. A. Hardinge, and
Mr. Buff.

The Hon. Emily Cathcart has arrived at the
CJstle as maid of honour.

Viscount Torrington and Sir W. Hoste have also
arrived as Lord and Groom in Waiting to her
Majesty.

The Prince and Princess of Wales.
The Princess of Wales took a carriage drive yes-
terday, attended by the Hon. Mre. W. Grey.
:rhe Prince of Wales went to the House of Lords
in the afternoon.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, at-
tended by Colonel Teesdale, was present during the per-
formance of Shakspere's " Henry the Fourth" at Drury-
lane Theatre last evening.

THE LITTLE STRAND THEATRE was on Friday
night honoured by a visit from the Prince of Wales, after
leaving the House of Lords,

His Excellency Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne
entertained a distinguished party at dinner yesterday even-
ing at the French Embassy. The guests present included
the Earl and Countess Russell and Lady Georgiana Russell,
the Earl and Countess de Grey, the Earl and Countess of
Clarendon, General the Hon. Sir Edward Cust, Major-
General F. W. Hamilton, C.B , and Mrs. Hamilton,
Frances Countess Waldegrave and the Right Hon. C,
Fortescue, M.P., Hon. Wm, Stewart, Mr. and Lady
Elizabeth Adeane, the Marquis and Marchioness de Cadore,
the Marquis d'Andigne, the Marquis Caumont la Force,
Viscount de Ccurval, and Viscount Contades.

The Earl and Countess of Granard have left the
Palace Hotel for their seat, Castle Forbes, Ireland.
The Countess of Desert will arrive in London
from Ireland to morrow.

Tie Countess of Yarborough's party is appointed
for the 16th, and not the 18th, as stated.

The Countess of Haddington and the Hon. H. B.
Hamilton have left Farrance'a Hotel for the continent. The
Earl of Had lington has returned to Scotland.

The Earl and Countess of Cork had a dinner party
yesterday evening at their residence in Grafton-street.
There were present the Marchioness of Downshire and
Lady Alice Hill, Maria Marchioness of Ailesbury, the Earl
and Countess of Bessborough, Earl Annersley, Lord Dun-
kellin, Lord and Lady Stanley of Alderley, Mr. C. Greville,
Mr. and Mrs. H. Baring, Mr. Beaumont, M,P., &c.

GRAND FETE AT CHISIVICK.—On Friday and
Saturday week a fele of au extraordinary nature will
be held in the magnificent grounds of the Duchess of
Sutherland, at Chiswick, in behalf of Poland, and her sick
and wounded soldiers. The ladies of all ranks in that un-
fortunate country having given their jewellery for disposal
for the purpose of raising funds to alleviate the sufferings
of their wounded countrymen; their sale will commence on
the day above mentioned, the stalls-being presided over by
the Duchess Dowager of Sutherland, Viscountess Palmer-
ston, the Marchionesses of Waterford and Townshend, the
Countesses of Shaftesbury, Charlemont, and Airlie, the
Viscountess Grey deWilton, and many other leaders of the
beau monde. The occasion is an extraordinary one, and we
hope the proceeds will be worthy the noble object all taking
part in the fete have in view.

THE IRISH ROMAN CATHOLICS AND MR. SOMES'S
SUNDAY CLOSING BILL.--The following address is
published in the Irish papers :—" To members of Parlia-
ment representing Irish constituencies.—We, the under-
signed archbishops, bishops, and clergy of Ireland, most
respectfully intimate to the Irish members of the House of
Commons that we believe it would be highly conducive to
public order, to morality, aad to religion if the Sunday
traffic in intoxicating liquors were prohibited by law, We,
therefore, entreat their support of Mr, Smiles's motion on
the 6th May, for effecting that object.-1-Paul Cullen,D.D ,
C. Archbishop of Dublin—Voseph Dixon, D.D., C. Arch-
bishop of Armagh and Primate—tD. O'Brien, D.D., C.
Bishop of weiterf..a —TM. 0' ilea, D.D,, C. Bishop of
[loss—tiohn Kilduff, D.D., C. Bishop of Ardagh—tP.
Duncan, D.D., C. Bishop of Achonry—fFrancis Kelly,
D.D., C. Bishop of Derry—Hamilton Verschoyle, D.D
Bishop of Kilmore—t L. Gillooly, D.D., C. Bishop of
Elphin—tT. Furlong, D.D., C. Bishop of Ferns—t John
M'Evi:ly, D.D,, C. Bishop of Galway—William Whelan,
D. D., C. Bishop—William Meagher, V.G., P.P., of Dub-
lin—B. Woodlock, Rector of the Catholic University of
Ireland—James Canon Redmond, P.P., Arklow—James
Murray, D.D., Secretary to the Archbishop of Dublin—A.
O'Connell, D.D., P.P. of St. Mary's, Dublin—M. Quinn,
D.D.—John Spratt, D.D., Provincial of Ireland.
A VALUABLE DEAD LETTER.—The Rev. Mr.
Spurgeon has been known to receive as many as
100 letters in a day. Many of them are anonymous, and
on many the postage is not prepaid. The rev, gentleman
now refuses all the latter. One of these a short time ago,
after having been in the dead letter-office and opened there,
was sent again to Mr Spurgeon, with a statement that the
letter was anonymous, and therefore could not be returned
to the writer, and that it contained a valuable enclosure
The rev, gentleman paid the postage , and found a £2O note
in the letter.

LONG BILLS.—The Attorney-General laid before
the Hones of Commons last month a bill of 321
clauses, filling 80 folio pages, with 15 more occupied by a
table of contents—the bill to Consolidate and amend tha
Church-building and New Parishes Acts. The Irish
Attorney-General has now brought in a bill of 383 clauses,
filling altogether 135 folio pages, a bill for the Amendment
of the Practice and Pleading in the Common Law Courts
at Dublin.

MACKEREL.—Daring the past week enermnus
quantities of mackerel have, as during the previous
week, been transmitted from Cornwall to the metropolitan
and other markets, On Wednesday alone the quantity of
fish sent off per rail exceeded 70 tons. The Mount's Bay
boats have been again very fortunate. One boat took about
10,000, and many averaged from 5,000 to 7,000 each.
Splendid mackerel ware sold at Newlyn on Wednesday night
as low as 4s per six score, The catches on Thursday and
Friday were not large. The old fishermen do not remember
such large catches of makerel as have been taken during
the past fortnight or three weeks in any previous similar
period. The sea south-west of the Scilly Isles is said to be
almost of a blood colour with the vast shoals of mackerel
under the water. An east country boat lost her nets on
Tuesday night, and on Thursday found them with 4 ,000
fish enclosed. The local markets on Saturday were al,,un-
dandy supplied.

PRESIDENT LINCOLN.—" Manhattan" says—'
have good news from the President. He is getting in a
healthy condition. Facing the rivers of blood that fire soon
to flow in Virginia, he has not perpetrated a joke for two
weeks. lie says that if he is saved from Lee this hitch ho
will never make fun any more. The cradle in which Mr.
Lincoln was rocked when a babe has been given by him to
the Baltimore Fair. Many ladies who are in an interesting
situation are anxious to get it, hoping that it will rock more
future Presidents.

ROSSINI AND MEYERBEER. -- Rossini having
learned on Monday morning that Meyerbeer had
been rather worse the evening before went to the Rue Mon-
taigne to learn how the patient had passed the night. En-
tering the house, he inquired of the concierge how M.
Meyerbeer was that morning. Without any precaution the
man replied that the great composer was dead. Akt this
terrible anmuncement the visitor staggered and would have
fallen had not the other supported him. He remains d for
nearly ten minutes incapable of movement, and whe n he
recovered a little, requested to see a member of the family.
One of Meyerbeer's daughters came down, and Rossini,
when he saw her, burst into tears and embraced her affec-
tionately. He spoke at great length of the deceased, And it
was a considerable time before he was in a state to return to
his own residence. Rossini and Meyerbeor had been ac-
quainted for upwards of 50 years.
MONTENEGRINE WomEN.—Unquestionably in
Montenegro, woman is the chief beast of burden
and the hardest worker of the two sexes; she is in fact the
slave of the man ; but though humble, she is not humi-
liated; she is respected in and from her chastity. For
this reason, and because of her being of the weaker sex,
and therefore never attacked by a stronger, a woman is.
always given to the traveller as a guide : wo be to the
stranger who should attempt to take advantage of her
weakness. We have seen that even the life of the prince
will be taken should the honour of a Montenegrine woman
be outraged ; and I believe that most of the Montenegrincs
have the same feeling as that of the true Bedouin, that
no woman who is not of their blood and bit thplace is good
though to Lecotne his wife. Like the Bedouin, the husband
walks or rides first ; the woman follows, carrying the goods
and chattels of the family, or the burden of the traveller :
she labours in the field while he roams over the mountains
or cleans his arms. Naturally, from this mode of life, the
women of Tserna Gora are not remarkable for beauty—they
arc bony and robust, and they look old at a very early ago.
Their complexions are dark and muddy.—The Eastern
Shores of the Adriatic, by Viscountess Strangford.

ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.—Up to the 28th ult. only
12 public acts were passed in the present section, and only
a few local statutes.