The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-02 00:00:00

EGYPT.

ALEXANDRIA, MAY 23.
The Bombay mail of the 28th of April arrived at
Suez on the 15th inst., and some intelligence from
India was forwarded to England by a French
steamer on the 17th. The Calcutta mail arrived
at Suez on the 20th, and the Ava leaves to-day on
her return voyage to England with the India and
China mails. The steamer Hindostan, which
brought the mail from Calcutta, got on shore about
60 miles from Suez, and was floated again after
eight hours, by throwing overboard 150 tons of
coals. Fortunately, she grounded on a sandbank
and received no damage ; but if the accident had
not happened just where it did sho would have
met a coral reef and suffered considerably.
Said Pasha has expressed his intention of viv-
rously pushing the works of the railway in the
desert between Cairo and Suez after the termina-
tion of the present fasting month of Ramadan, so
that the line may be completed in the course of
next year. His Highness has also given orders
for the digging of a navigable canal, about 22
miles long, across the lower part of the Delta, be-
tween the towns of Senaenhond and Fouah, which
will be of vast advantage to the country, and will
bring into cultivation large tracts of land hitherto
abandoned.

Said Pasha, with all his faults, does occasionally
evince good intentions for the benefit of the country;
but his Highness does himself great injury by wish-
ing to do everything himself, and by not having
about him proper servants and ministers to whom
he could confidently intrust part of the several
duties devolving upon the government of an im-
portant country. It is notorious that an extensive
system of smuggling is now being carried on in this
port, principally by Greeks. All Egyptian produce
ought to pay on shipment an ad valorem export
duty of 12 per cent., but many shippers succeed in
evading this duty, and thus not only defraud the
revenues of the country, but drive honest mer-
chants out of the field by being enabled to deliver
their goods in England at a lower price. With
proper Custom-house officers, appointed perma-
nently, and induced to take an interest in the
honest performance of their duties, the smugglers
might easily be put down. All good Mahomedans
are now fasting, but the -Viceroy does not conform
to this—one of the principal tenets of the religion
he professes to follow.

Great festivities and a grand review of all the
Egyptian troops are to take place next month in

commemoration of Said Pasha's advent to the
pashalic of Egypt.
The Nile being just now particularly low, the
water in the canal has not risen to the extent ex-
pected, so that but little produce can be brought,
and trade is dull. Vessels get very low freights.
The railway between Alexandria and Suez being
a branch of the Government administration, the
present company is the first of the kind in Egypt
which has been formed under the direct patronage
of its ruler, with an European administration and
a mixed body of European and native shareholders,
for the important purpose of developing the re-
sources of the country.
The Mahinoudieli Canal has just been deepened,
and among other duties devolving upon the new
company will be the keeping up of a sufficient sup-
ply of water for navigation and the irrigation of the
adjacent lands by means of steam pumps, to be
placed at its junction with the Nile. The company
has further iu view to open the canal to the sea by
a lock for the passage of lighters, so as to expedite
the loading of ships very considerably.
The formation of this company, under the auspices
of the Viceroy, is a step in the right direction, and
it is to be hoped that it will be the precursor of
further internal improvements.
Exchange on L'ndon has again risen to 100
piastres per £ sterling.

ODESSA., May 18.—At present vessels arriving at
Odessa are not obliged to keep quarantine, although
its abolition has not been made known officially.
General Lochner, who constructed the fortifications
at Ismail and Iteni, is now employed in blowing
them up. There are 200 vessels in the road, but
no corn for export.

THE F3ENCII GOVERNMENT AND THE
BELGIAN PRESS.

The Paris correspoident of the Times (Second
Edition), in his letter, dated yesterday, says :
"The difference between the French and Belgian
Governments, which has led to a certain degree of
estrangement between them, is, I am told, in a fair way
of settlement ; or, rather, is already settled as far as the
Cabinets are concerned. The latter has engaged to
bring in a bill to render more stringent the provisions of
the law on the press. The great difficulty was in the
Chamber, but the Belgian Government, it appears,
makes sure of having a majority to pass the measure.
It can do no more ; but what will be the consequence if
its hopes of a majority are disappointed? The question
was ar unfortunate one to touch at all."