The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-02 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 2, 1853.

INDIA AND CHINA.

We (Times) have received by our ordinary semi-
monthly express from Marseilles our letters and
pApers in advance of the Overland Mail, which left
Bombay on the 29th of January.
The following is the letter of our correspondent
at Bombay :

Since the dispatch of the last mail nothing new
of consequence has been reported from Burmah.
General Godwin's voluminous dispatches concern-
ing the relief of Pegu have appeared, and are any-
thing but creditable productions. General God-
win's own account of his mauceuvres before that
town are alone quite sufficient to show that he is as
incapable of handling troops under fire as of writing
correct English. " First, he tells us," says the
Calcutta Chronicle, "that he inclined to his right
in order, to attack their left, which was their
weakest point ;" then "he changed his mind, and
determined upon attacking their right,..because it
was their strongest ; then he would lead us to infer
that Major Seaton ' pitched into' the enemy's out-
posts, `exchanging musketry' with them ; then he.
dispatched Major Seaton to attack the enemy's
right ' • then he recalled him, thinking the point
aimed at too strongly guarded (all this, by the bye,
within 400 yards of the enemy's position) • then he
paused to count his reserves, awl. to admire the
' interesting sight' of 4 our little columns moving
up to this host of people so strongly posted, and in
a plain where every object was visible ;' then the
attack was made—how, whence, or by whom, we
are not informed; andosAftex,tho.alittian, the troops.
restedin'the shade of the 'tope for an hour."' The
general impression regarding these operations is,
that, notwithstanding the absence of artillery and
cavalry (for which deficiency he was himself only to
blame), he could have brought on a close action, in
which the Burmese would have suffered severely,
had it not been for the indecision he manifested in
altering his plan of attack two or three times when
within 400 yards of the enemy. It is said that
the Burmese right was so closely stockaded in rear,
flank, and front, that had he persisted in his ori-
ginal intention of attacking their left flank, which
was completely open, he would have hemmed in a
large 'proportion of the Burmese force ; whereas,
by attacking their right, he left the open end of
the position clear for their retreat. General God-
win states that the Burmese force he attacked were
known to be the flower of the Burmese army, and,
with the intention of conveying as high an idea as
possible of their-courage, he says, that " some of
the men that were drawn up before him had been
killed on the walls in their assaults on Pegu." In
military circles, Major Hill's defence of Pegu is
much praised, and spoken of as the only brilliant
exploit of the war.
General Godwin left Rangoon for Prome on the
29th of December. No intelligence has been as
yet received of his arrival at Prome and subsequent
operations, but it is reported that the Burmese
force which threatened Prome, and the conquest
of which the General had reserved for himself, has
evacuated its position, and retired on Meaday.
Another rumour is current that there has been a
revolution at Ava, but it is not generally credited.
The expedition which I mentioned in my last as
likely to be dispatched by General Godwin all the
way by land from Moulmein, for the attack of
Shoygeen, has left Matarbar. The dispatch of
this expedition by so long a land route, through
thick jungles, against a place which can be ap-
proached by water by way of Pegu, within some
40 miles, is generally condemned. The com-
mander of the expedition, General Steel, is,
however, considered the most able officer of his
grade with the army of Burmah. The bri-
gade of elephants required for the land carriage
of General Godwin's guns, in the expected
advance on Ava, are only now passing
Arracan. Major Maling, who is observing the
Burmese force occupying the Aeng pass until rein-
forcements arrive which will enable him to force it,
is making every effort to occupy the enemy's atten-
tion until he can pass the elephants along the rear
of the British posts. Unfortunately, throughout
the whole march of the detachment southward,
their left flank will be exposed to attacks from the
numerous pathways which diverge from the diffe-
rent passes. Major Maling has, however, rein-
forced the elephant escort by 300 of the Arracan
local battalion. The Burmese force occupying the
Aeng pass is stockaded on a ridge said to be 4,900
feet in height, the only ascent to which is along a
narrow spur completely commanded by the fire of
the stockade. They have two guns in position, and
are expecting nine more. Their position is impreg-
nable except by shelling. Major Maling has made
au attempt to turn it, but after two days' efforts
he found the jungle too dense to be penetrable.
Meanwhile his little force is suffering very severely
from jungle fever. The Governor-General is, how-
ever, shortly expected at Arracan, and will doubt-
less expedite the dispatch of the artillery that
Major Maling requires. Sickness is on the increase
among our troops in Burmah.
The little war in Assam is over. The Thibetian
force • being awed by the preparations made to re-
ceive it have hot ventured on an invasion. Their
General has sent an humble message to the Com-
missioner, begging him to forward the head and
hands of the defaulting Thibetian that he is in pur-
suit of, and if that is considered objectionable, that
he will at least " report that the defaulter is dead,"
in order to enable his force and himself to return
to Lassa with credit and safety. This request has
been, of course, refused ; and cholera is said to
have broken out among the Thibetian troops.
The north-west frontier is at present tranquil.
Sir Henry Lawrence, President of the Punjab
Board of Administration, has been appointed agent
for the Governor-General in the Rajpootanah
States, in succession to Colonel Low, transferred
to the Nizam's at Hyderabad, on the retirement of
General Fraser. The Nizam's financial difficulties
continue to increase, and every sort of disorder
prevails throughout his dominions.
Mr. Wyatt, of the Bengal Civil .Service, Judge
of Rungpore, has been suspended for corrupt prac-
tices. The Calcutta press blames the Bengal Go-
vernment for not having taken this step much
earlier, as it is alleged that the Rungpore Court
has for years past notoriously had the character
throughout Bengal, and among all classes, from the
highest to the lowest of " being venal and corrupt
almost beyond credibility." Cases of this sort are,
happily, very rare among the civil servants of the
East India Company, but it is the opprobrium of
that service that, whenever they do occur, the
offenders are either screened from inquiry, or else
let off far more easily that} either the uncovenanted
or military servants of the State would be under
similar circumstances. For instance, about a year
ago, a high civil official in Bengal was convicted of
having directly, by letter, offered to sell the, pa..
tronage of his office to a native gentleman for a
pecuniary consideration ; and though he was re-
moved from the service he was allowed to retire on
his pension of 1,0001. per annum. Under similar
circumstances a military officer would have been
inevitably cashiered with every circumstance of
ignominy. Many similar instances might be
cited. In one of them, which occurred some years
ago at Bombay, a member of the civil service
of considerable standing, and holding an im-
portant political appointment, directed a very
young subaltern, in command of a detachment
about to proceed in pursuit of some insurgents, to
give them no quarter if he came up with them, and
the subaltern obeyed the orders, shooting the men
0 hti Theml Courteery a
n reflectedt
under
he caught ; he was tried by a court-martial,
very severely
and
ountttehrley rouiivniledp.
unfortunate boy had acted, but
• risdiction over him. He was merely
they had no jurisdiction cashiered,
months, and declared unfit to
suspended for a few .
be employed in future in the politicaldepartment,
whose orders the
but he was transferred to an equally lucrative d
by the, last mail, to the
A report which arrive
be renewed
ap-
pointment in the revenue branch of the service.
effect that the present Charter was to
for one year only, in order to give Parliament time
for fuller inquiry before the passing of the new
Act, has given universal satisfaction throughout
India. The feeling is general among all classes, in
the service as well as out of it, that the Charter of
the last 20 years .is altogether unsuitable to the pre-
sent advanced and advancing state of India. The
witnesses already examined by Parliament are gene-
rally thought to have been purposely selected from
those interested in the maintenance of the present
order of things. I forward by this mail the peti-
' tion of the Christian inhabitants of Calcutta and
Bengal regarding the renewal of the Charter. The '
petition confines itself to pointing out existing evils
and abuses, and asks for a year's postponement of
the Charter to give time for fuller inquiries regard-
ing them ; but it leaves the remedy to the wisdom
of Parliament. The Friend of India, which well
merits the high character for moderation and talent
given it by Mr. Willoughby, in his evidence
I before the Lords' Committee, and which, being
,;onducted by a Government stipendiary, has
a leaning in favour of the existing state of
' Ithings, is compelled to admit the general
correctness of the allegations contained in

the Calcutta petition ; but states, in extenuation,
that " no allowance has been made for the all insu-
perable difficulties of the Indian Administration."
The following is from the Friend's review of the
petition :

" That there is much truth in many of the statements
no one will gainsay. The police, more especially of the
lower provinces, is in a most lamentable, if not disrepu-
table, condition. Great big Zemidars collect armies of
clubmen in open day, almost under the eye of Govern-
ment, and disturb the peace of the districts around Cal-
cutta, and the law cannot, or does not, reach them.
Dacoitios (gang robberies) are, or we; of nightly occur-
rence, and life and property were thereby rendered more
insecure in Bengal ti In in the Punjab. The police re-
quires a thorough reformation." . . "The civil
courts cannot be said to dispense justice, and they are a
source of infinite vexation and expense to suitors ; but
this is becanse, first, we have followed the model of the
English courts ; secondly, a native is far more gratified
when he gains his cause by his success in intrigue than
on the ground of its intrinsic merits ; and, thirdly, there
is no truth in the country and no credibidty in evidence.
We might in the same manner go over nearly all the
paragraphs in the petition, and show that, with some
exceptions, there is generally a substratum of truth in
the assertions with which it abounds, although the sub-
structure too often exhibits the morbid feeling of the
writer. The colouring is so deep and sombre as to leave
an involuntary impression on ":e. mind that the petition
does not give a fair representatio— 'lf the case, and that
it makes no allowance for the all but instr; 'rable difficul-
ties of the Indian administration."

If these are the admissions of a friendly witness,
it must be allowed that.it • ;_the duty of the Impe-
rial
Pa
Goiernent44-4 wry

• N,
raym. "7-1
adistiation than
any that has yet taken place, before it confirms the
existing order of things for so long a period as 20
years.

The London Mail of the 24th of December ar-
rived at Bombay on the 26th of January by the
East India Company's steam-frigate Queen. Though
the weather was calm, and there were no accidents
to the machinery, the Queen took 14 days between
this and Aden, being at the rate of something less
than five miles an hour, and the other Government'
steamers are just as slow. In the European seas
there are steamers (the Banshee for example) which
have kept up a speed of 16 miles an hour on the
average of a year's running, and from two to three
times the speed of the Bombay Government mail
steam-boats is now constantly attained by the Ame-
rican Atlantic 'steamers.

P.S. The following are extracts from the Cal-
cutta Englishman, and Bengal .Hurkanu received
by the post just arrived :
"By the Berenice we have received the Rangoon
Chronicle, a new paper; to the 12th inst., in which we
find the following intelligence, but no particulars of the
important event announced :--

"By the Hon.. Company'is steamer Proserpine we
have received news from Prome of the downfall and de-
thronement of the King of Ava, and the desertion by its
defenders of the town of Yathay.. General Godwin, it
is said, intends to destroy the defences at this place, and
immediately follow the enemy to the town of Meaday.
"`Ye have the following, per Berenice, from Rangoon,
and dated the 13th inst.

" General Steel's column left this for Martaban on the
4th inst., and he was to make his advance about the
14th, not before, owing to the want of carriage and
other arrangements. The enemy, about 8,000 or 10,000,
came down again the other day to Pegu with the view
of harassing the garrison. They attacked the picket on
the bank of river near the Commissariat Wharf, killing
some of them. They had planted themselves on the
opposite side of the Pegu river, behind a long brick wall,
which protected them from our men. On the Bth or 9th
the whole force of the enemy were seen going off in the
Shoygeen direction, forsaking Pegu. No doubt the know-
ledge of the arrival of General Steel's column at Marta-
ban had caused this retreat. A steamer came in from
Prome yesterday, the 12th. The stockade at Ithimen is
deserted, also that at Meaday. There has beeen a sort
of revolution at Ava. The King has gone off ; the heir
apparent has taken possession of the place and recalled
his troops from the above-mentioned places, and directed
hostilities to cease ; still it will be a long time before we
can look for peace. The province of Pegu must have
more troops here to do this. Sickness at Prome is
great. Lieutenant and Adjutant Miller, 40th Bengal
Native Infantry, died of dysentery. Every steamer
nearly brings some poor fellows going away on sick
leave. In time this will be a very agreeable spot, but
much is required to be done in it."

lirs. to lr. 14ans. The stock in the market is consider-
able..

Saffron has further declined, and is difficult of sale.

Pepper.—Bhutcol has declined to 65rs. to 66r5., and
Tellicherry to 61rs. to 62rs.
Linseed is in good request. Sholapore at 3rs., and
Khandeish at 3rs. 9ans.

Woollens.—The market for these is very dull.
Marine Stores.—Canvas dull of sale, both brown and
bleached. Twine in demand. Cordage dull. Paints
without change. Turpentke and oil of linseed dull.
Coal tar is scarce, and readily saleable at'2ors. per bar-
rel. Pitch, lirs.

Spirits.—Brandy in wood and bottle in demand. The
same remark applies to gin.
Cotton-wool.—Little has been doing in this market,
and for old prices have somewhat declined. Of the new
crop only OornraWutty is arriving, and that in small
quantities, considerable purchases of new " to arrive "
are daily being made, the rates are—for Dliellera, 94rs. ;
for Surat, 96rs. to 98rs. ; and for Oomrawutty, 94rs. to
95rs.

Opium.—Although discouraging accounts have been
received from China, the market continues firm, and
prices have slightly risen.
Tonnage.—ln consequence of several recent arrivals,
freights have declined for Liverpool to ' 41., and for
London to 41. For China engagements have been made
with clippers at 251 r. ; for ordinary vessels the rate is
23r. to 25r.

Exchange.— Shortly after the departure of the last
mail the rates for China-drawn first class bills opened at
2s. lid. and gradually declined to 2s. lid., but in con-
sequence of advices since received it has begun to rally.
The rates on England now are, for credit bills, 2s. lid.,
and for document 2s. Lid. to 2s. lid. On China, 218 rs.
.per 100 dollars, and gn Calcutta .98Ars. at_ 60 days'
sight. ' 7

CALCUTTA, JAN. 19.
(From the Bengal liurkaru.)

The Government overland Bombay express, bringing
London news to the Bth of December, arrived early on
the morning of the 13th inst.
There has been very little change in our export market
during the fortnight under notice. The shipments of
indigo to all parts from the Ist inst. are 3,490 chests,
chiefly to France. Sugar transactions remain on a
moderate scale. Raw silk has been sent forward
during the first half of the month to a full average ex-

tent ;'and silk piece goods, especially corahs, continue to
attract considerable attention. Transactions in salt-
petre are moderate to all parts. Rice has been exten-
sively shipped to Great Britain. Business done in lac-
dyes has been on rather a slender scale, as compared
with the large transactions in this article of late. Shellac,
however, has been in good request. Hides, for all
quarters, have been in good demand. Oil seeds remain
in active request, notwithstanding present high prices.
Castor oil and jute appear to be both attracting more
attention of late. Nothing doing in cutch.. Raw cotton
continues to go forward to Great Britain more freely
than to China. Rum is being freely shipped to Sydney,
while there is nothing doing in the article for Great
Britain. •

By the Lady Mary Wood steamer, which arrived off
Garden Reach about noon on the 9th inst., we are in
possession of China dates from Canton down to the 22d
of December. The opium market had fluctuated a good
deal, but on the above date the following were the rates
quoted :
Patna ... ... ... $473i per chest.
Mplwa ... ... ... 475 per chest.
Benares ... ... ... 495 per chest.
Turkey ... ... ... 330 per chest.
The raw cotton market, especially for good sorts, re-
mained firm. Exchange on India, 230 rs. per $lOO.
The first sale of the season 1851-52 took place on the
10th inst. when the following was the result --

Patna...
Benares

Chests. Highest. Lowest. Average. Proceeds.
. 2,205 1,000 965 979 5 3 21,59,420
. 1,085 1,000 970 979 6 4 10,62,650

This shows a considerable falling off in prices. A
large portion of the above has been dispatched at once
by the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Bom-
bay, which left yesterday. Stock in the go down after
the sale—Patna, 2,580 ; Benares, 1,120 cheste.
MONEY MARKET.—The money market here continues
in an easy course, ample supplies at moderate rates being
now, as for some time past, its chief characteristics. The
share maket continues as follows ;

Bank of Bengal Shares, Co.'s Rs 6,000 to 6,050 each.

Agra Bank

ditto

India General Steam ' ditto 500 do.
Bengal Coal Company ditto 600 do.
Bonded Warehouse ditto 260 to 275 do.

Quotations of Government Securities are :

Transfer Five per Cent Rs, 9 0 0 to 9 2 0 pm.
New Fives /8 0 0 to 8 2 0 do
Old Sicca Fives 5 0 oto 5 2 0 do

Co.'s Its. Fonr_pgr Cents. 5 4 0 to 5 G 0 dis.
In our import market there is not much change, but,
unfortunately, that little change is on the wrong side.
for prices are certainly lower for several descriptions of
goods than they were a short time since. The sales of
the period under notice are decidedly moderate, consi-
dering supplies, stocks, and moderate prices. The up-
country buyers still keep aloof, and there is therefore no
outlet for goods in large quantity, and consequently no
means of sensibly reducing stocks so as to raise prices
at all corresponding to home rates. There is something,
but not very much, doing in lappets and mulls, while
books are wretchedly dull, and the sales reported quite
insignificant. Turkey red goods, twilled and plain, are
saleable to a fair extent. Printed goods are dull at pre-
sent, and likely to continue so for some time to come.
Mule twist has only sold to a small extent of late,
prices are tolerably firm, but not higher than they were.
Turkey red yarns are saleable at former rates. Orange
moves out with rather less freedom. Green continues
in good demand.
The metal market has been extremely flat, only a few
sales of copper and iron being reported.

Exchange.—Not much aiter;.tion in the rates. The
following are the quotations of the day :—.lst class cre-
dits, 2s OP to 2s ld per rupee; ditto documents, 2s ld
to 2s lid ditto.

Freights.—Quotations of the day are to London—
Sugar 31. 10s, saltpetre 31. ss, rice 41. to 41. 2s 6d, jute
and cotton 31. ss, hides 31. 10s to 31. 12s 6d, oilseeds
41. 2s 6d to 41. 4s, shellac 31. 15s to 41., lac-dye 41. 10s.
To Mauritius.—Company's rupees U. 14s per bag, pay-
able there at 50 cents.

Indigo.—During the fortnight several public sales
have taken place. There is no alteration in the market ;
low and good consuming qualities of indigo can be bought
at from October rates to 2d and 3d above, while any-
thing really good or fine realised from 6d to 10d advance
on October prices.

CANTON MARKET REPORT.
HONG KONG, JAN. 11.
' We have little change to notice in our report of the
28th ult.

Cotton has receded, owing to the scarcity of money
and forced sales.

Cotton Yarn.—Little has been in this article, and
prices are lower. _

Longcloths have been in better demand, but importers
have been compelled to submit to a reduction in prices.
Woollens are -without change. Long ells, assorted,
$6 35c. to $6 60c. ; scarlet, $6 50c. to $6 75c.
Iron is firmer.

Turkey opium, $320.
Tea.—Prices of congou have been fully maintained,
and the Bth of November advices from London, received
yesterday, will probably effect an advance. In green
tea the principal business has been for America.
Exchange on England, ss. ld. to ss. per dollar, but
latterly ss. was the best rate ; on India Company's ac-
cepted paper, Rs. 234 to Rs. 235 per $lOO.
Freights have ruled at 2/. 15s. to 3i.
From Shanghai our advices are to the 3d inst. The
import market was dull. The price of exports had
advanced.

Tea.—On receipt of the October mail from London,
on the 24th ult., an advance was established of about
one tad per pecul.
Silk.—Purchases continued to be made freely, and
rates were $5 to $lO higher.
Longcloths.—Lately a decline of 2c. to 3c. had taken
place on these goods.
Woollens.—From the heavy supplies the value had
receded considerably.
Exchange on England, for clean credits, at 6 months,
ss. 2d. ; India, Company's accepted paper, 245 r. per
$lOO. •
Freights.-31. ss. for tea and Si. 15s. for silk. Ton-
nage wanted.

PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris is
about at par (according to the new tariff), which, at
the English mint price of 31. 17s. 100. per ounce for
standard gold, gives an exchange of 25.17 ; and, the
exchange at Paris on London at short being 25.071, it
follows that gold is about 0.38 per cent. dearer in Paris
than in London. By advices from Hamburgh the price
of gold is 429 per mark, which, at the English mint
price of 3/. 17s. 101 d. per ounce for standard gold, gives
an exriange of 13.7 ; and, the exchange at Hamburgh.
on London at short being 13.6, it follows that gold is
0.47 per cent. dearer in Hamburgh than in Londmi.
COURSE OF EXCHANGE AT NEW YORK.—The course
of exchange at New York on London for bills at 60
days' sight is 1101 per cent., and, the par of exchange
between England and America being 109 23-40 per
cent., it follows that the exchange is nominally 0.67
per cent. in favour of England ; and, after making allow-
ance for charges of transport, the present rate leaves
a profit on the importation of gold from the United
States.
ABDICATION OF A FOREIGN PRINCE.—The German

is thoughtili
Journal of Frankfort, under date of Jassy 4th, says :
" The reigning Prince Ghika, has abdicated, in conse-
quencethe treaty of Balta Liman which states that, in the
of the state of his health. There is a clause in
event of the illness or death of the reigning prince, a
provisional government shall be established, composed
of
e the ME:
en
ei
ps tee
dr
as r oofn tthh ee
1I
6n
tthe r i
Jour,
n,
eJ, ulsBt4i c9e. , na Eoreg
Affairs, which shall last for 7 years. Prince Ghika was
that the Russians will enter the Principalities."-
eltcd