The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-31 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CALCUTTA, Nov. 23.—Our produce market has shown
no great change during the last fortnight, although sup-
plies of the principal staples have been on the increase,
great caution has been shown in operation since the re.
ceipt of advices by the last mail. In indig t few private
sales have taken place. In silk scarcely any transactions
have taken place. In sugar hardly anything has been
for Great Britain. _ _ _

The money market is improving gradually, and the
last published report of the Bank of Bengal shows an
increase of cash balance which may lead to an early re-
duction in rates.

CHINA.
(From the Overland China Mail, Nov. 14 )

The most important occurrence of the fortnight
has been the arrival, on the sth, of Mr. Reed, the
United States Minister, and suite. Beyond what
is already known at home about the peaceful in-
tentions of the Americans with regard to China,
nothing has transpired to give us an inkling of
the peculiar policy to be pursued by their pleni-
potentiary. The representatives of the three
Western Powers are now assembled on the field
of their future operations ; two of them have
large forces at their c immand, and are resolved
to use thorn, and the foreign community aro
anxiously awaiting the result.

The British naval force goes on increasing.
The Imperatrice with 550 marines and 50 boys,
arrived on the sth, and sailed for the river on the
7th ; the gunboats Watchful and Woodcock, in
tow of the steamer Furious, arrived on the 4th ;
the store steamer Hesper and floating factory
Volcano on the 10th ;, and gun-boats Janus and
Clown, and dispatch-steamer Surprise on the 13th.
The steamer Adelaide, which left Portsmouth on
the 15th Aug., with the remainder of the Marines,
is hourly looked for. There has been no alteration
in the French force ; the American now consists
of the steamers Minnesota and San Jacinto, 50
and 15 guns ; the sloops Levant and Portsmouth,
18 and 16 guns. The Mississippi, another fine
steamer, is expected. The Americans will, never-
theless, greatly feel the want of small steamers
suited to river navigation.

There has been less done in the river, except

' perhaps in the way of preparation, since our last
Overland, than for some time back during a like
period. A note dated Nov. informs us that Gen.
Ashburnham and staff arrived per Coromandel in
the upper part of the river on the morning of
that day. He proceeded into Raglan Creek and
remained there some time, and afterwards, iu
company with several naval officers, visited the
S ,ymour and Macao forts, remaining at the
latter the greater part of the day. Our corre-
spondent adds, that Chuenpee fort, which was
abandoned, is now being destroyed. Another
note just received mentions nothing except that a
Chinese baker, who had taken up his quarters off
Sixty-six Point, had had his wife carried off, to-
gether with some money and a cargo of flour, by
the mandarin'. The wife, however, had been
offered him back for a ransom of 200 dols. The
following is the disposition of the ships :—Elk and
Bittern at Sixty-six Point, Highfiyer, and Sampson
at Hamilton Creek, and Acorn at Escape Creek ;
the two troopships and Nankin, at Wangtong
Fort, and Sybille at Tiger Island. All the vessels
are to be in the river by the 26th, except the
Sybille and Tribune which will remain at Hong
Kong.
In Hong Kong, everything wears the aspect of
busy preparation, and it is confidently affirmed
that the first step towards the investment of Can-
ton will be taken on Tuesday, upon which day the
Calcutta, accompanied by the gunboats and
steamers now here, will proceed up the river. The
greater part of the small military force here will
likely be required to assist in the attack upon
Canton, and upon the naval force will principally
devolve the protection of the colony.
Various rumours reach us from Canton ; some
say that Yeh has left the city to proceed against
the rebels in the North of the province ; and
others that he is about to go. The rebels are giv-
ing Yeh sad trouble. He has memorialised the
Emperor, requesting that no more troops be
draughted from K wamgtung into the other prc-
vinces ; and troops have been sent from the
Northern provinces in foreign vessels to Swato,
whence they will probably be sent against the
rebel. Some think that these internal troubles
will make the city yield to us without any fight-
ing ; but we anticipate a short struggle and look
anxiously beyond it to the state in which the pro-
vince will be when, much more than now, at the
mercy of the rebels.
It is still said that the French intend to assist
the British force, but whether actively before
Canton, or only in protecting Hong Kong, thereby
euabling us to make the best of our force, is mat-
ter of doubt. At all events, no active movement
has as yet been made by the French with refer-
ence to Cochin China ; and the greater portion of
their fleet is still anchored at the Brothers, whet()
Baron Lo Gros al+o is.
H. E. Sir M. Seymour has been promoted from
the rank of Rear Admiral of the White to that
of Rear-Admiral of the Red. The alteration in
the flags was made yesterday, under salutes from
the ships of war.
The Russian war steamer America arrived from
Shanghai to-day, having on board his Excellency
Count Pontiatine,AmbassadorExtraordinary, who
is reported to have failed in his attempted nego-
tiation at Peking. Her Majesty's steamer Hornet
is also in from Ningpo, and the Spanish steamer
Don J. Juan from Manila.
The Neleus, with 180 military and naval inva-
lids on board, left to-day for England. She was

towed out of the harbour by H.M.S. Inflexible.
We understand that General Ashburnham, with
several of the heads of departments, will proceed
to Calcutta in the Ava on the 18th inst.

We have just received information of the wreck
of the Dutch schooner Helene, Captain Hogins-
troutor, at Breaker's Point. Shortly after she got
ashore she was attacked by pirates, a,:n plundered
of everything. The crew arrived at Swatow, on
the 11th, altuoe. naked, add were there provided
for on board the Twee Cornelissen.

The loss of another vessel (the Portuguese ship
Man Hun, from Hong-kong) on the coast of For-
mosa, and the plunder of the crew by the native 3,
will doubtless remind tho Government of the
necessity of making provision for such cases. The
Chinese Government at pie3ent have certainly not

the power to control the natives of Formosa, and
we shall have to tru,t in a great measure to our-
selves. In the expected opening up of trade, that
of Formosa is likely to meet with great attention,
and an txpedition to the island to put matters on
a proper footing may be lo•ked for. The state of
affairs, too, at Swatow—a place where a consider-
able trade is done, but which, like the places on
the coast of Furmosa, is not a treaty port—is
such, it will be seen, 8,3 requires some attention.
From Amoy we have advices to the 9th No-
vember. The demand for imports was undimi-
nished. Patna was quoted 735 dols. ; Benares
725 doll. ; Java rice, 2 dols 60c. ; Arracan, 2
dols. ; and Formosa 2 dols. 95c.

Our latest advices from Fuhchau are to the 3d
November Very little had been done in teas, and
the stock of congou unsold was 95,000 chest. A
decline of two taels on finer qualities four t,) five
taeli on medium, and three to four taels on com-
mon had taken place. Patna was quoted 790 ;
Benares, 770 ; and Malwa, 860. The Rose of
Sharon and Spitfire had sailed for London ; the
Resolution and Golden State for New York ; the

Kremlyn for Boston ; and the Gertrude for Syd-
ney. The Queen Margaret, bound to Liverpool,
was ready for sea. In addition to the vessels men-
tioned in our last Overland issue, the Chapman
and Veloz were in the berth for London, and the
B Luca was loading for the colonies, and the Wy-
naud for Cowes for orders. The authorities, in

answer to a petition regarding the currency from
the native bankers, bad forbidden any difference

being made between the two dollar!.

Th s

cisiou had met some opposition, bu►t at the latest
date had every prospect of being successful.
The principal incident in the north has be n a
notification at Shanghae from the Chinese Govern-

ment, prohibiting foreigners from going beyon•i

treaty limits in their excursions into the interior.

Tne Peking Gazette of October Ist contains

a memorial from Yeh praying the Em-
peror to allow the usual inspection of the
Kwangtung troops to be postponed until a

more seasonable time.

A letter bas been received

by the Shanghae Chamber of Commerce from Lord

Palinerston, conveying his thanks to that body,
for their approval, expressed at the public meet-

ing held at Shanghae on the 26th May, of the

Government measures in the Canton affairs.

Yeti's memorial, which we take from the North
China Herald of NOT. 7, is as follows :
" The Peking Gazette, dated Oct. 1, 1857, gives
the following memorial from Yet,-wing-chin, Mini-
ster of State, and Governor-General of the Two
Kwang :
"I, Yeh-ming-chin, humbly memorial:se your
Majesty, respecting the impracticability of inspect-
ing, as eitabbshed by law, the military of Kwang-

snug during the current year ; and request that
your Majesty will grant permission to defer the in-
spection till the military are less actively employed,
when I will examine them as to their abilities, and

then act in obedience to your Majesty's commanth;
I therefore pray your Majesty to cast your august
glance on this my respectful memorial."
I received a despatch from the military borrd,
forwarded by the Privy Council, informing me
that on the 19th Feb., 1857, it had received an
Imperial edict as follows :
" The period has again arrived when it has be-
come necessary the Fulikeen, Ohekeang, Kwan-
tunr). and Kwangse military should ba examined
and inspected. We have, therefore, appointed
Yt h-mina-chin to inspect the militaryof Kwantung,
and select those soldiers who are fit for duty, and
discharge those who are unfit. If men are found
in the ranks who are unable to peiforni their ex-

ercises, and incapab!e for military use, then tie
offic,nl in charge of them must be degraded and
reported. Do not view this matter as of no im
portance. Respect this.
" It is accordingly my duty to examine into the
state of the liwaugtung military, and take steps
accordingly ; but I find on examinatiiin that, dur_
ing the last few years, the military of Kwaugtung
have ben actively employed ; and that several
of the regiments were sent to other provinces,
where they have been since employesl on active
service.

" Since the autumn of last year, when the British
barbarians first commenced to create iroube at
Canton city, the Manchoo and Chinese troops,
togetln r with the river and sea force., have been
still more moved from one spot to another, and
although at pment the barbarians are a little

quieter than before, still it would be in the present
state of affairs wrong to recall the troops from de-
feuding CAnton. I find that there are in the whole
province of Kwangtung 31 military cantonments,
the troops of which ate being every now and thou
removed from one station to another, as there is
fighting going ou everywhere. Hence I cannot re-
call the troops frcm the stations ; and consequently
cannot pow exercise and inspect them.
"Ma I therefore pray your Majesty to be
pleased, in consequence of the troops being at pre-
sent actively engaged in defending the city of Can-
ton, and in destroying the barbarians, to allow that
the usual inspection of the Kwantung military be
put off till the times are quieter, when I will exa-
mine and see them Perform their exercises. Should
there be any useless soldiers, men who cannot de-
fend the nation nor destroy the barbarians—l shall,
when I inspect them, de rade the officers or dis-
miss them from the service. I shall not dare to
show them any protection."

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
IMPORTS.

COTTONS.—Shirtings : In the early part of last month,
sales to a moderate extent were effected at prioes
quoted in oar lasi report, but the demand soon
subsided, and latterly the market has been quite at a
stand. Advices of large transhipments from Calcutta
have made the principal holders eager to sell, but at
present there are no buyers even at our quotztions which
are 15 to 20 candareens lower than last month's, and
as considerable supplies must be close at band we look
for a tur.ho-r decline. The arrivals from Great Britain
are the Isabella Herons and the Abdul Medjid, which
have brought about 77,000 pieces. The deliveries frOm
sth to 314 ult. amount to 51,000 piecEs of grey and
11,000 pieces white, and the stock in foreign warebowea
may be estimated at 315,000 pieces grey and white.
OPIUM--Malwa, 590 t. a 575 t. Sbanghae silver; Patna,
535'. a 530 t., do vn ward tendency. Stock on 2I Oct.
was— 3,080 chs. Malwa, 900 ch', Patna. Arrivals since
Oen are-1,665 ohs. Malwa, 1,312 cbs. Patna. Tola'—.
4,745 cbs. Malwa,/ 2,212 ohs. Patna. Deliveries since
ditto-515 chs. Mal wa, 408 Patna. Present stocks—.
4,230 cbs. Malwa, 1,804 Patna.