The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-27 00:00:00

INDIA AND CHINA.

The Overland Mail brings us letters and papers
from Calcutta to the 16th, and Hong Kong to the
sth of July ; our previous advices having been of
the respective dates of July 2 and June 22.
On the subject of the local European troops the
Hurkaru has the following remarks : . .

" In our last summary
.we gave it as our opinion
—and many of our contemporaries held similar
views—that very few of the ex-company's Euro-
pean troops 'would avail themselves of the offer
made them by Government of their discharge and
a free passage home. It appears, however, we were
mistaken. No official information has yet been ob-
tained on the subject, but from pris ate sources it is
calculated that from 5,000 to 6,000 will take their
di,charge. Even from the 2d Fusiliers at Delhi--
the regiment that was engaged at rustic sports
whilst their naughty brothers at other stations
were mutinying—about 450 men are about to
leave ; and from the battery of that station 80 or
90 men, leaving only about 20 men to do duty.
The number given does not include the men at se-
veral stations in the Bengal presidency, and if
many of the staunch men at Delhi are ready to
leave the service, we may expect that the offer
will be accepted by a considerable number of the
Indian army n the Madras and Bombay presi-
dencies. The European troops at Berhampore
have not yet been admitted to the benefit
of the discharge order. Thirteen of the.
mutineers are to be tried by general courts-martial
and when the trials are over we conclude the pri-
vilege will be allowed to the sth Fusiliers.
"The Governor-General has written a letter to the
ex-King of Oude informing him that he is released
from confinement, and can leave thefort whenever he
pleases. His suite are also released, but some of
them will be liberated on certain conditions. The
ex-King had been upwards of two years a prisoner
in Fort William. The policy of arresting, him in
june,.1857, cannot be gainsaid, nor of releasing him
now that peace is restored. It is said that the de-
posed monarch has at-last consented to take a por-
tion of the pension offered by the Indian Govern-
ment at the time of the annexation of Oude.
" From another official document it appears that
certain individuals have obtained money from the
ex-King for the purpose of procuring his liberation,
and were likely now to claim further sums, against
the payment of which Mailer Herbert is directed
to warn his Majesty. The Governor General has
also requested that the names of the parties be
given up to him..
" In the Legislative Council, on the 2d inst., a
bill to consolidate, amend, enlarge, and generally
to enforce, the laws relating to stamps was read for
the first time. The chief object of the bill is to
increase the revenue derived from this source of
taxation. Legal stamps will gradually be raised,
receipts and drafts are to bear one anna stamps,
and bank-notes are to be stamped at the rate crf
five annas per cent. The bill is not very popular,
and, if carried at all, it will no doubt be consider-
ably modified. On the same day a bill to collect a
duty of excise on salt manufactures in the presi-
dency of Fort St. George passed its first reading.
By this statute the Government monopoly in salt
will be stopped, and the manufacture is declared
free to all, subject to an excise. It would be well if
the provisions of the bill were to be extended to
the other presidencies.
" By the present mail will be transmitted to Par-
liament the petition of the merchants, traders, and
other residents of Calcutta, on the finances of go-
vernment, the policy of guaranteeing loans, the new
Customs' Duty Act, and the Legislative Council.
This petition embodies the resolutions passed at
the meeting of the inhabitants of Calcutta, hi-id at
the Chamber of Commerce, on the 26th of March
last.

" The committee appointed to draw up the peti-
tion have not favoured the public with any expla-
nation as to the great delay that has taken place in
drafting it.
" On Friday, the Bth July, the Calcutta Sacred
Harmonic Society held its first subscription per-
formance in the Town Hall. It was numerously
attended by the elite of Calcutta, and the perform-
anco was a ' great success.' It is intended to have
an orator 7,3 once a quarter, and ere long the Town
Hall, or some other public building, will have an
organ. A meeting was held on Thursday last, at
which the Lord Bishop presided, to adopt measures
for procuring one.
" Another ship has been destroyed by fire off
Calcutta. The American ship Brutus, which lately
arrived from Bombay, was discovered on fire about
eight o'clock on the morning of the 9th inst. Some
of her cargo, which consisted of salt, coir, piece
goods, and cotton, was not discharged. The flames
rapidly spread, and, abandoned by the crew, she

grounded off Cossipore. The wreck was sold to a
native on Wednesday last for 1,500 rupees."

CALCUTTA COMMERCIAL.

The money ;nailiei is gradually getting easier. The Bank
of Bengal has made a further reduction of 1 per cent. all
round in discounts and advances, and it has reduced the
margin on loans on 4 per cent. paper from 35 to 30. During
the fortnight a great improvement has taken place in go-
vernment securities. The present quotations are—Fours
from 20 to 201 ; Fives, 91 to 9/ ; and Fives-and-a-Half, 5
to 52 per cent. discount. A good deal of business in first
class credit has been done at 2-oi. Local bank bills have
been sold 2-02 ; documents, at 2-0/.