The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-19 00:00:00

TIM SOUND DUES.

COPENHAGEN, August 14.—1 t cannot be denied
that the report of the special committee of the
British House of Commons on the Sound Dues
gives on the whole a correct view of the case, and
affords a proof of impartiality tile Danes are not
accustomed to find in others. This is the general
impression the Blue Book has made here. It is
not to be wondered at that the inhab: tants of Elsi-
nore, and especially the merchants and numerous
ship agents, are most violently opposed to any
change of system, and particularly to the capitali-
sation of the duty, as they live by it, and, in
tact, make such good pickings out of it that their
profits, in many instances, are equal to the amouDt
received by the Danish exchequer. A sort of counr
ter-statement, or protest, has been lately drawn up
and published at Elsinore, in which they invite the
Danish press to republish it in their colums. But,
independently of the arguments used being extreme-
ly weak, the Danish journalists, with but few excep-
tions, have sufficient tact to see that the Sound Dues
are doomed to destruction, and that it would be►
the most infatuated Don-Quixoteism to take up the
cudgels at this time of day in defence of a system
virtually defunct. It is not impossible that some
of the witnesses examined have exaggerated the
sums stated as the maximum amounts charged by
the ship agents at Elsinore, or rounded them of
too high into English money; but even this would
not justify the attack made by the Elsinore people,
in their pamphlet, against the committee and the
British envoy at this court. It is perfectly true, as
stated in the report, that the merchants of Elsinore
often sell to passing captains articles of stpres and
ship chandlery of inferior quality at 10 per cent.
higher prices than they could obtain on shore from
anybody else. lam even able to state that this is
BO notorious that many Government officials are in
the habit of obtaining their articles of daily con-
sumption by the steamers going to Elsinore from this
city every morning, as they get them in this way
better and cheaper. But if the mercantile spirit of
the Elsinore people were to be directed into a pro-
per channel, there would be no reason to entertain
any fears of their reason, seated as they are in a most
favourable position for carrying on an extensive
commerce with other countries, at the entrance of
one of the great water-roads to an unbounded field
for active operations, and surrounded as they are
by a well-cultivated and fertile district densely
populated by wealthy inhabitants.
The new dry dock for ships of war, for the lock-
gates of which the King will lay the foundation-
stone most likely to-morrow, will not be finished
for more than a year, and even then it will require
some time to deepen the channel outside so as to
make it accessible at every state of the tide. The
whole undertaking is a colossal submarine work,
which has several times had to be suspended on
account of the water oozing through, besides other
technical difficulties which had to be overcome by
our enguieers. The dock itself is 250 feet long and
the entrance lock is 58 feet wide. The depth is
29ft. 6in. The plans were made by Mr. A Geddes,
an engineer of London, and executed. under his
superintendence by Captain Tuxen, of the Danish
Engineers. The granite blocks for the inner face
of the basin and locks were brought at a very great
expense from the quarries on the coast of Scotland.
The whole of the work has been contracted for to
the tune of three millions of rix-dollars banco:

PXPBCTED ARRIVAL OF Tril3 QUEEN

DOWAGER OP OUDE.

SOUTIWIPTON, Monday.—The Peninsular and Orien-
tal Company's steam-ship Indus, Capt. Brooks, which
left Alexandria on the 6th, and Malta on the 10th inst.,
has on board the following distinguished personages :
The Queen of Oude, with nine ladies and one eunuch ;
the Heir Apparent of the King of Oude, Mirza Wallee
Ahud Babadoor, and nine native gentlemen ; General
Sicunda Hushinah, the King of Oude's brother, and
eight native gentlemen ; Moulve Musseeordeen Khan
Baliadoor, Equerry to his Majesty the King of Oude ;
Moon bee Mahomed Rufee, Secretary ; Jallescod Dow-
lah Syed Allee Khan Babadoor, aide-de-camp to his
Majesty the King of Oude, 67 followers ; Capt. J. R.
Brandon, interpreter to her Majesty and the Princesses
of Oude ; Newab Nazier Mahomed, Jovreet Allee Khan,
Meer Turzand Allee Khan, Harmusjee Berzerjee Moo-
dee, &c., principal officers and ladies in attendance on
her Majesty. Ten native servants in attendance. The
Indus may be expected on the 20th inst.