The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-12 00:00:00

AFFAIRS OF EGYPT.

ALEXANDRIA, AUG. 30. —His Higness Mehemet Ali,
who left Constantinople on the 17th instant, arrived at
Alexandria on the morning of the 24th, after calling at
Cavalla and Candia on his way.
The same Turkish steamer, the Esseri Djedid, which
took his Highness to Constantinople, brought him back
to Alexandria, accompanied by the Egyptian steamer
Siout, which ccnveyed the Viceroy's suite.
His Highness was saluted by all the forts in and
about Alexandria, and all the shipping in the harbour,
with manned yards, and dressed, at three different times
—on the steamers making their appearance round the
lighthouse-point, on their coining to anchor in the har-
bour, and on the Viceroy's setting foot on shore. Three
thousand troops, in their best attire, with clean stockings
and blue jackets, were drawn up in front of the palace to
receive the Viceroy witn military honours on landing.
His Highness wore on his breast a most brilliant vizieral
decoration, and a miniature portrait of Abdul IVledgid,
given to him by the Sultan himself; and all the mem-
bers of the Viceroy's suite, including his two Greek
merchant friends, were decorated with the Nishan Ifta-
char, a Turkish order.
For three nights after the Viceroy's arrival the whole
town of Alexandria, all the shipping in the harbour, and
the Palace at Ras-el-Teen were illuminated. The Frank
quarter, and particularly the houses and gardens of the
Pacha's Greek favourites, were very splendid with trans-
parencies and Turkish and Arabic inscriptions, amongst
which the most conspicuous were the following :
" Mehemet Ali, thou art the protector and hope of
Egypt ; thou art the soul and light of commerce."
" In war thou art a lion, thy namo is everlasting."
" 0, Mehemet Ali, do live a thousand years."-
" He went with glory and respect, and returned with
power and good fortune."
" May the Government of Mehemet Ali and his pos-
terity remain for ever."
Mehemet Ali drove about the town in a most gorgeous
new carriage and six horses, which he has recently got
out from France, and which cost him 3,0001. sterling.
His Highness seemed very well pleased with this demon-
stration of goodwill and respect on the part of the resi-
dents of Alexandria, especially as he went about with' a
Turkish Pacha, who accompanied him to Alexandria
from Constantinople, and his Highness no doubt expects
that, on his return to the capital, he will relate with
what affection he is treated in Egypt.
The Viceroy stopped for a short while at the houses
of his Greek merchant friends, where he partook of ices
and coffee, and he was vociferously cheered by the Frank
population.
During the whole of the three nights, both the Arab
and Frank populations of Alexandria were walking about
the town enjoying the brilliant scene, which was height-
ened by calm and pleasant weather. Mehemet Ali
seems highly gratified with thd splendid reception given
him by the Sultan at Constantinople. His Highness has
come back in the Turkish dress, which is neither
European nor Asiatic, and is far less becoming than the
genuine Nizam dress. Whoever has travelled in the
East, and has seen the old Pacha in his Nizam dress,
and still more, in the full robes and ample turban of the
Matneluke style, will be grieved to think that the pre-
sent ideas of Turkish court etiquette should compel his
Highness to wear close-fitting European trousers with
straps, and a stock! But the Pacha will, no doubt, put
this ungainly costume on one side, and return to the one
he has been so long accustomed to. The Viceroy's navy
at present wear the Turkish uniform, consisting of tight
trousers and jacket; it is to be hoped that this non-
descript dress will not be introduced in the army, as the
present full robes are far more befitting the Arabs.
It is known that the Viceroy has expended, during
his stay at Constantinople, at least 50,000 purses
(50,000/. sterling, or 1,250,000 dollars) ; and it has
been remarked that his Highness would have done sonic
good indeed had he given a dollar to each of the
1,250,000 of- poor miserable fellatio who inhabit Egypt,
instead of throwing away 'his money most lavishly at
Constantinople, upon people who only, show an outward
feeling of friendship towards him, but in their hearts are
his bitter enemies. •
However, his Highness has always shown himself a
very clever and intelligent man ; and the largesses of
the Viceroy at Constantinople were certainly not made
for the sole object of display, but for some other purpose
unknown ; perhaps, to obtain the pashalic of Syria or
Candip..

The month of Ramszan, during which all good Mus-
-1 sulmans fast between sunrise and sunset, begun on the
22d inst. Mehemet Ali, being no rigid Mussulman,
never observes this rule, and makes no distinction be-
tween Eamazan and any other month of the year.
Mehemet Ali went up to Cairo on the 27th inst.,
where he will meet his son Ibrahim Pacha for the first
time after the return of the latter from England.
On the arrival of Ibrahim Pacha at Cairo, a fortnight
ago, Abbas Pacha, who had ad interim held the reigns of
Government, at once put himself under the orders of the
heir apparent, and now that Mehemet Ali has returned
to Egypt, his Highness has become the head again, and
things will go on as usual.
The Nile having now risen to its proper height, the
works Of the barrage are partly suspended, and most of
the soldiers have been marched down to Alexandria, in
order to work at the stupendous fortifications that are
being erected by the French round the town.
The Hon. East India Company's steamer Akbar ar-
rived at Suez on the 26th inst., having on board Sir
George Arthur, late Governor of Bombay, and family.
Sir George Arthur will proceed to England by the
steamer Oriental, which will sail from Alexandria on
the Bth or 9th of September.
By the Ahbar we have received intelligence from
Bombay up to the sth of August. The-news is not of
importance. The cholera had fortunately subsided.
The mail brought from Bombay by the Akbar, con-
siAing of nineteen iron and six wooden boxes, proceeds
this day to Malta, in charge of a special messenger, by
the French steamer.

SPEECH OF HIS EXCELLENCY

THE GOVERNOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES.

By the packet-ship Mayda, arrived yesterday, advices
and papers have been received from Hobart Tow❑ up to
the Bth of April. By this arrival we are in possess►on
of the speecli of his Excellency the Governor of New
South Wales, on the opening of the Chamber on the 24th
of March. It is as follows:

" Gentlemen—lt was not my intention to have called
you together until I should have been enabled to lay the
estimates of 1846 before you, had it not been desirable to
pass certain Acts of a local character which I thought
right not to be delayed any longer.
"Among the Bills which I shall lay before you will be
one for constituting a court of justice at Norfolk Island,
for the trial of prisoners, which is made necessary in
consequence of the former Act being disallowed. I wish
to take advantage of the opportunity of the Comptroller-
General being about to visit Norfolk Island, in a Govern-
ment vessel, to send a court there also by the same
opportunity.
"You are aware that, in consequence of the Legisla-
tive Council being reduced in number, on the Ist of No-
vember last, below what was necessary to constitute a
legal meeting, the estimates then before the Council did
not pass.
"On the 16th of January in this year I received a
dispatch from the Secretary of State, dated the Bth of
August, preceding, intimating to me the views of her
Majesty's Government on the financial state of the
colony. And on the 10th of January I received a dis-
patch from the Secretary of State, dated 4th September
following, transmitting to me an Act to exempt Van
I)iemen's Land from the provisions of an ' Act for regu-
lating the sale of IVa,te Lands belonging to the Crown
in the Australian Colonies,' and instructing me at the
same time that his Lordship would take an early oppor-
tunity of explaining to me at length the motive in which
the Act originated, and the manner in which advantage
is to be taken of its provisions ; and in the mean time
directing me to suspend bringing it into operation until
I received further instructions from home.

" From the information thus conveyed to me by the
Secretary of State, it appeared to me that a great altera-
tion in, as well as assistance, might be expected to the
financial state of the colony ; and therefore that, until I
received further instructions, it would be advisable for
me to delay the estimates of 1846.
" I therefore, with the advice of my executive council,
continued acting on the estimates of 1845, and intend
continuing to do so some time longer, in the belief that
no very long time will pass over without full instruc-
tions on the finances of the colony. But as I have been
obliged to continue the expenditure of 1845, and thus
have been unable, with some few exceptions, to put in
force the reductions contemplated in the estimates of
1846 ; and as, in addition to this, there have arisen
some unexpected and unforeseen demands upon the
colonial treasury, particularly the discharge of a debt
due to the commissioners for immigration in 1842, which
has taken and will continue to take the whole of the
surplus of the land fund, .after paying the legal claims
upon it, I met the immediate pressure on our funds by
deviating from the usual practice of paying the salaries
of the Government offices monthly, and postponed the
payment of all salaries above 2001. per annum to the
end of the quarter.
" It is necessary for me, therefore, to ask your ap-
proval and assistance in some temporary measures to
meet these payments until I received the instructions to
which I have alluded.

" I have considered, therefore, with the advice and
recommendation of my executive council, that the best
way of affording this assistance will be by issuing
negotiable securities of the nature of debentures or
Exchequer-bills, not exceeding a given sum, bearing in-
terest, and chargeable on the revenue, and to be pre-
sented to the treasurer, or in payment to the Customs
for duties, at the period to which the state of their ex•
piration is affixed.
" The amount due for the salaries alluded to by me is
8,8601., which, with 7,0001. due to the ComMercial Bank
at the end of 1845, amounting to 15,8501., is the sum re-
quired, and as it is intended to issue only what is abso-
lutely necessary, I do not request a larger sum, though
perhaps it might be deemed advisable to fix the utmost
limit as not exceeding 20,0001.
" The Colonial Secretary will therefore ask your con-
sent to a resolution to this effect, which, if you assent to,
will be followed by a Bill to carry such resolution out.
" It is gratifying to me to be able to congratulate
you upon the improved state of the colony in its internal
and external trade, and on the marked and progressive
advance it is making its every branch of enterprise and
industry.
"The Customs, from which our chief revenue is de-
rived, show an improvement. In comparing January,
1845, with January of this year, I find an increase of
above 600/. In comparing February, 1845, with the
corresponding month of last year, I find an increase of
above 8001.; and though I am not yet able to make the
same comparison with the present March with the March
of last year, yet I find the same progressive improve-
ment; and if this continues, the annual receipts of this
year will realise the calculation made in the estimates
which I lately laid on the table of the council in the
preceding session.
" The Act of the Bth Victoria, No. 17, which exempted
foreign whalers from port charges, has also had great
effect in inducing them to visit our port for the purpose
of refitting and repairs.
" I shall not enter further into the financial affairs of
the colony, as the fittest time to do so will be when I lay
the estimates on the table; but, if in the meantime you
wish for information, the Colonial Secretary will be at
all times ready to afford it to you."