The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-28 00:00:00

r~r~.

THE OV.

B MAIL.

We have received our letters from. India and China
by the Overland Mail. The dates by this arrival are,
f as stated in our telegraphic summary on Monday last--
- Calcutta, May 16 ; Madras, 21st • Hong Kong, 6th ;
-Singapore, 15th ; Penang, 18th ; Galle, 26th ; Bombay,
' ' 23d b;
Burmah, 3d.
The following is from the summary of the Bombay
rimes :-
6

PUBLIC WORKS IN INDIA.

The most important news we have to mention in
connection with Bengal is the completion of the elec-
-
trio telegraph between Bombay and Calcutta. All
r
a the difficulties have now been overcome, though as
yet there has been little more than an exchange of com-
a pliments, by means of it, between Lord Elphinstoneand
1 the Governor-General. The locomotives for the Bengal
e railway have arrived, by ship from England at Calcutta,
but there is no prospect of the line being ready for them
before next cold season. Colonel Cautley's success in
the formation of the Ganges Canal called forth a public
meeting in Calcutta ; and before its close 1,250 rupees,-
s
bad been subscribed in order to procure a bust of the
colonel. lie has retired from the service, and, is on his
return to England. The Governor-General of India has
.issued an order of the day of a most complunentary cha-
r
racter upon the occasion. The colonel's labours a, e de-
clared to have brought lasting honour on the British
name. In the courso of the order the Governor-General
ir says:-
_ '

Constructed over more than five hundred miles, within
a period of eight years broken by wars anu encumbered
with difficulties, the Ganges Canal already stands un-
equalled among works of its class and character through-
out the world. It is to Lieutenant-Colonel Cautley that
the British Government mainly owes theaccomplishment
of this gigantic enterprise. The Governor-General in
Council requests that he will embark on board the Go-
vernor-General's yacht from Chandpal Ghaut, on Mon-
day, the 15th inst. at six a.m., and directs that on his
way to the packet he shall receive as he passes a special
salute of 13 guns from the ramparts of Fort William.
FORTIFICATION OF BOMBAY.
Government has issued orders requiring the fortifica-
tions of Bombay to be put into a state of greater effi-
ciency than they have been for many years. This order,
together with rumours concerning the Russian fleet, has
excited great alarni among the lower orders of natives ;
and at Madras, Ponddicherry, and Singapore like fears
'were entertained. No certain intelligence had arrived
of the whereabouts of the Russian fleet lately in the
Chinese seas. Little more is known than that it had
been refused shelter at Batavia.
THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
The first meeting of the new Legislative Council of
India was to have taken place on the 20th inst. Mr. C.
Allen and Mr. Cecil Beaden are mentioned as nominees
of the Lieutenant-Governors of" Bengal .and the North-
West Provinces ' • Madras is to send Mr. Daniel Elliot ;
and Mr. Arthur Malet has already left Bombay to take
his seat.. The number is completed by Sir L. Peel,
the Chief Justice, the Hon. Mr. Peacock and Mr. Mills,
ot the Calcutta Sudder Court. The Indian Law Com-
mission has been asked to take into consideration the
question of the amalgamation of the Sudder and Supreme
Courts ; and since Mr. C. H. Cameron, the original pro-
poser of the amalgamation scheme, is a member of the
commission, there can be little doubt that the subject
will receive due attention. Mr. Frederick James Halli-
day has assumed charge of the new office of Lieutenant-
Governor of Bengal. The emoluments are to be a lakh
of rupees per annum, an official residence, and an esta-
blishment of attendants, at the cost of 600 rupees
monthly. The Secretary to the Government of Bengal
is to draw 36,000 rupees yearly, and. each of the two
under-secretaries 15,000 rupees. The Lieutenant-Go-
vernor will carry on his duties in direct correspondence
with the government of India, but reports are to be made
direct to the home government. He will have autho-
rity over all the territories hitherto under the authority
of the Governor of Bengal, excepting the Tenasserim
Provinces and Foga. Mr. John Peter Grant has suc-
ceeded Mr. Halliday in the council- of India, but will
only draw 80,000 rupees per annum.

• BIIIMAH.
The report that Meeaday had been burned was alto-
gether incorrect. An attempt was indeed made to plunder
the bazaar by a bandbf robbers, and an officer was fired
at about a mile outside of the stockades, but otherwise
peace had been unbroken. Mong Bo had an army of 3,000
men encamped on the'frontier not far from Meeaday, and
, . the dacoits who attacked that place, and were repulsed by
the.garrison, are supposed to have left his camp. On
the .23d of .Aprii a tremendous hurricane, or cyclone,
broke over Rangoon and other places in Pegu, de-
stroying much property. Many boats were destroyed
by it on the Sitang river, and not a few lives were lost,
• especially of men belonging to the 36th Madras Native
. Infantry, which regiment was proceeding northward to
-one of the military stations. A subadar and eleven men
of that regiment reached Pegu in a state of great exhaus-
tion saying they had been wrecked themselves, and that
.• they, did not know what had become of the other boats.
Lieutenant-Colonel Johnstone, who was proceeding to
join his regiment at Tonghoo, had seen ten boats with
soldiers in them go down, overwhelmed by the bora.
The Burmese, however, were of opinion that many of
those missing, when accounts left, might yet turn up,
from creeks in which they may have sought shelter. The
troops all- over the province continued in a very healthy
state, and there had been no very warm weather. Large
and thriving villages are springing up, and the capabili-
ties of the-country are exciting great expectations.

MINA AND CABUL.
The correspondence of the Delhi Gazette continues to
furnish our Indian contemporaries with an unfailing
Supply of marvels from Central Asia. The Gazette has
now a -"new correspondent," who has discovered that
the Russian troops have not only reached Shiva, but
have built several forts within its territories. The Khan
found himself unable to resist, and deemed 'it best to
close an alliance with the Emperor of Russia, the more
so since in doing so he followed the example of Persia.
It is also reported in Cabul that the King of Bokhara
has allied himself with Russian agents, to induce Ameer
Dost Mahomed Khan to enter into friendly negotiations.
The Ameer, however, refuses to have any intercourse
-with his Majesty of Bokhara ; but does not abso-
lutely refuse to treat with the Czar through the agency
of Persia.

To complete the mystification we are told that Nazir-
Zhairoola Khan had written to Dost Mahomed inform
lig him. of persons sending news to the English papers,
'which might produce much mischief. "The consequence
was that Mirza Nubbee was seized on suspicion of being
the news-sender, bnt was dismissed after clearing him-
self by oath." The Friend of India makes the very
probable suggestion that these correspondents of the
-Delhi Gazette may be agents used by Dost Mahomed,
in order to increase the value of his offer of amity to
the British Government. _

CASUALTIES BY DEATII IN INDIA SINCE MAY 10.
Bombay.—Surgeon Gillanders, Ist Grenadier Regt.
N. 1., at Baroda. Surgeon W. F. Babington, at the
Presidency, on the 10th of May. Captain Wardell, sth
N. 1., at Dharwar.
Bengal.—Lieutenant C. C. Bean, 25th Regt. N. 1., at
Chowringhee, on the 2d May. Second Lieutenant A.
Tolremache, 3d company 3d battalion Artillery at
Umballa, on the 28th April. Colonel C. Coventry,
70th Regt. N. 1., at Barrackpore, on the 7th May.

- CHINA.
HONG KONG, May 6.—lt is rumoured that the sove-
reign de jure of China is about to divide the kingdom
with Thae-ping-Wang, the insurgent chief, but the
rumour is not generally credited. At Nankin the in-
surgents are settling down, and assuming the character
of a settled Government. Shanghai still holds out
against the Imperialists, and appear likely to do so. At
Aindy preparations were going forward for another en-
deavour on the part of the insurgents to retake the city,
Which, if vigorously followed up, will probably be suc-
cessful.