The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-10 00:00:00

ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY.

The first meeting for the session, which was very nu-
merously attended, was held on Saturday at the house
of the society, in Grafton-street, when, in the absence
of the Earl of Auckland, the chair was taken by General
Galloway. Amongst the company were Sir Henry Pot-
tinger, Sir E. Colebrooke, Admiral Sir Charles Malcolm,
Sir Claude Wade, Right Hon. Holt Mackenzie, and se-
veral other distinguished members.
A letter was read from the Earl of Auckland, accom-
panying a communication from Dr. M'Clelland, on the
cultivation of cotton and on other native resources of
India. With regard to the former, the advantages had
so long been in favour of America, that notwithstanding
all the care and patronage which Government could be-
stow upon it, the Indian would never be able to come
into succesful competition with the American markets.
At the same time the Ryots, more particularly in the
Bengal Presidency, found it much more to their interest
to appropriate their land to the culture of sugar, in the
manufacture of which their great and growing establish-
ments were so successful that it was not possible to say
what would be the results for the country if they were
permitted to enter into fair competition with the West
Indian markets.

General BRIGGS, and some other members, spoke on
one cause of the failure of the cotton crop being owing
to the cultivation of varieties which were not suitable to
the Indian soil, the former giving an instance in which
some from Guzerat was lately sold at Liverpool as high
as ls. 6d. per lb.
The letter also communicated the discovery of fresh
mines of coal and iron in the Bengal Presidency, the
former of which would be found highly serviceable for
internal steam communication, whilst three samples of
the latter sent over for assay to this country yielded re-
spectively 68.18, 51.38, and 38.13 of iron, particularly
suitable for manufacturing purposes.
A communication was read from Sir John Davis, Go-
vernor of Hong-Kong, accompanying some details by the
Rev. Mr. Gutzlaff, of the present condition of that and
other parts of China. At Hong-Kong great improve-
ments were being made, the town being crowded with
Europeans, amongst whom were adventurers of all na-
tions ; whilst at Chusan the English had left behind
them a character for integrity which could not fail to be
extremely beneficial in our future intercourse with that
people. The exertions of the missionaries were being
attended with great success; many Mandarins are now
amongst the inquirers, and Christianity was being taught
by many eloqueat natives.
Amongst the presents announced was a volume of the
" Transactions of the Chinese Medico-Chirurgical So-
ciety," and some translations of various Turkish ac-
counts of Poland.

THE MURDER AT DAGENHAM.—During the past
week circumstances have transpired which, it is hoped,
will lead to something being done with reference to
bringing the mystery which envelopes this murder to
light. Several of the witnesses have, it is said, been
sent for to Scotland-yard, and among them Mr. Collin,
the medical gentleman who made an examination of the
body of the deceased Clarke, but the object of having
them up there has not been ascertained. The police-
constables aro still under surveillance at Dagenham._
Observer.

THE ROYAL STAGHOUNDs.--In consequence of
the extremely heavy fog which hung over Uxbridge-
common on Friday morning, it was fully expected that
the hunt would be postponed. There were, however,
upwards of three hundred horsemen present, including
Lord Anson, Captain Seymour, Messrs. Cox, Woorley,
&c., and a great number of officers from Windsor,
Hounslow, and Hampton Court. The Earl Granville,
in order that the large field which had assembled should
not be disappointed had the deer, which was an untried
one, uncarted shortly after twelve o'clock, having waited
till that time in the vain hope that the fog would have
cleared off. Upon the deer being turned out in Long-
lane, it took away to Ickenham Marsh, and there headed
back to Pale hill, again to Ickenharn, crossing Mr.
Newdegate's farm, on nearly to llarefield, circling to
the left to Denham Marsh, and was taken in the Canal,
after a run (during which there were lots of spills and
duckings) of about an hour. A second deer, the cele-
brated Rory O'More, was in the deer-cart ready to be
turned out, but another run was not attempted in
consequence of the fog.
THE MODEL LODGING•HOUSE, ST. GILES'S.—This
erection, situate in George-street, St. Giles's, is proceed-
ing very rapidly towards completion, the building having
already attained the third story, and it is expected will
be opened for the accommodation of the poor at the com-
mencement of the ensuing year.