The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-16 00:00:00

INDIA.

We take the following from the Calcutta Eng

lislinan of the Bth of April :—" The first train has
pissed over the More Ghaut incline of the Great
Indian Peninsular Railway. On the 30th of March
Colonel Rivers, Government Consulting Engineer
for Railways ; Mr. Graham, Chief Engineer of the
Great Indian Peninsular Railway Company; and
Mr. Cortazzi, Locomotive Superintendent, ascended
the incline in a train consisting of two locomotives
and three carriage, the train being driven by Mr.
Cortt. zzi, while the two engineers inspected the line.
The engineers who have accomplished this great
work are Messrs. Adamson and Cloude.

CHINA.
The following is the letter of the ?Imes Hong-
kong correspondent :

HONGKONG, April 1.

Time, in its onward march, seems to be correct-
ing some preconceived ideas touching the rebels
and their doingß, and to be weakening the convic•
Lion of many that the maintenance of the Imperial
power is possible, even if expedient. The belief
that wherever the rebels are industry and agrical-
ture universally disappear, and give place to misery
and desolation, is passing away, if the accounts of
high cultivation and abundance in rebel districts,
now furnished by Shanghai newspapers of opposite
opinions, are to be relied on, Debateable ground,
held alternately by Imperialists and Taepings, where
the unhappy population is exposed to all the
horrors of Chinese civil war, necessarily becomes a
wilderness ; but where the rebels have been long in
undisturbed possession it sterns to be now ad-
mitted that the condition of the country is much
the same as in other peaceful districts.
Other subjects of more immediate interest to the
foreigners tare rapidly becoming of urgent import-

ante, and one of them is the irresiponsible poweis
conceded to the foreign. Customs' establishment.
Public attention is now directed to the attitude
assumed by that body in relation to the restitu
tion of duties illegally levied on silk at Nawning
by the Chinese authorities. Mr. Consul Meadows
represented the case last June to her Majesty's
Ministers at Pekin, and his Excellency decided
that the exaction was illegal, and authorised the
Consul to obtain a deduction of the amount
from the first duties payable by the claim-
ants. The Superintendent of Customs refused to
recognise the arrangement, and the Consul, being
powerless to enforce it, again referred the matter in
August to Mr. Bruce, who has ever since allowed
it to sleep. The right of uncontrolled confiscation
of property for breaches of the revenue law is
claimed also by these officials; and it is vain to
apply to the consuls to investigate any such case,
for they, acting, no doubt, under instructions from
Pekin, refuse to entertain these applications. The
Supreme Court here has no power to intervene, and
it is felt that, in cases of oppression, the sole remedy
lies in an appeal to the Privy Council.

Fiom Nir.gpo the evacuation of Shaou-shing by
the rebels is confirmed ; and, under date of the
26th ult., it is announced that they have also aban-
doned Shaou-shan, and have retired across Hang-
chow Bay, thus leaving the country on its Ningpo
side quite free of them.
At Shanghai the protected territory is peaceful
and recovering itself; but beyond, at Foo-shen and
Changbhoo, the Imperialists are striving to oust the
Taepings, apparently with indifferent success.
Gen. Burgowine has gone to Pekin to seek redress ;
and Major Gordon, of the Royal Engineers, has
relieved Captain Holland in the command of
Ward's force. Under the peculiar manipulation
of Chinese Mandarins, that body of men is
being fast disorganised, and will soon become more
dangerous to its employers than to their enemies.
One of the Chinese lieutenants is now awaiting trial
for endeavouring to induce two companies to desert
to the rebels.

No intelligence of much interest comes from
Japan. The arrival of Admiral Kuper there is not
yet announced ; but the Japanese continue to bring
steamers from foreigners, and from documents now
published, if authentic, it would appear that the
Mikado was well informed of the trea.y negotiations
with foreign nations, when in progress, and was not
insensible to tin., possible necessity of concluding
these conventions.