The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-13 00:00:00

COMM ERCIAL.

CALCUTTA, MARCH 10.—Produce Market.—Business
continues to be done only in fulfilment of tonnage engage-
ments. The small supplies of produce enable holders to
sustain prices, but there is no animation in the market. We
still are unable to mention a single article of export that is
not above home rates.

Import Market.—The beginning of the last fortnight
showed marks of a revival in piece goods, but suddenly
the long prevailing tightness of the money market
became greater and this checked business to a high degree.
Not only the transactions have been very limited, but prices
generally have receded a little.

Exchange—Rates of Exchange on London have remained,
with some slight fluctuation, at previous rates—say, 2-11
to 2-1 a for Bank bills, and 2-1 i to 2-1 a for credits. Docu-
ments at 2-11.

Freights—We have no change to notice on freights to
Europe since the departure of last mail.

CHINA.

The flow/ Kong Mail of the 28th Feb. says :
" From Shanghae the most important intelligence
is the departure, under sealed orders, of H.M. ves-
sels Sampson, Actaeon, Algerine, and Dove. Doubt-
less they have gone to survey the state of matters
at the mouth of the Peiho, and we have heard it
whispered that they have been sent with the special
intention of taking a strip of land in the Gulf of
Pechelee and the province of Shantung, for the pur-
pose of forming a depot. This is ♦ery probable, as
a depot in the gulf will be absolutely necessary in
the event of warlike operations being entered on,
and we understand there is one strip so situated
that a single gunboat could guard the communica-
tion with it. Kweiliang, the Chief Imperial Com-
missioner, had asked permission to retire from public
service on account of failing health, but this request
had been denied to him. We hear it rumoured
that the Chinese have withdrawn the guns from
the Taku forts, in order to strengthen with them
the fortifications of Tien-tsin.

" Affairs in Japan remain in an unsettled
state. Mr. Alcock, H.B.M. Plenipotentiary has
again been lecturing the British community there,
on account of their preference of Yekohama as a
place of settlement to Kanagawa. His letter will
be found in another column. It is said that a Ja-
panese servant of Mr. Alcock has been murdered at
Yeddo, while playing with some children; and as
a Japanese forfeits his life by leaving his own coun-
try, and the man in question had been to the United
States, it was thought by some that he had been
made an example of by the Japanese authorities.
The Japanese authorities, however, attended his
funeral, and profess themselves desirous of bring-
ing his murderers to justice.

" The census of Hong Kong, taken at the close of
1859, gives only 1,034 European and American in-
habitants, against 1,109 the preceding year; but
we are not satisfied that complete returns have been
made, or that there actually has been any decrease
of this portion of the population. A great many
persons, however, went home last year, others re-
turned to Canton, and the Superintendency of Trade
was removed to Shanghae. The tJhinese population
continues steadily to increase in numbers, respecta-
bility, and wealth, there being now about 85,000 of
them upon the island.

" The collision at Swatow between the barque
Chin-Chin and the Customs' House boat is
being investigated before the Magistrates' Court
in this colony, and will probably be referred to
the decision of the Supreme Court. The case
consists of a charge of murder brought against the
captain of the Chin-Chin ; and there is all likeli-
hood that it may open up several difficult questions
as to the present anomalous position of Europeans
on the coast of China.