The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-25 00:00:00

INDIA AND CHINA.

tc-day.

The Ripon is not yet in sight.

The Government of Hong Kong had increased
the police force, and were taking precautionary
measures against incendiarism.

Shanghai exchange, Gs. Bd. Prices of tea had
advanced. The stock of black tea was small.

Total silk settlements, 68,000 halos.
depressed.

Freights

Exchange at Hong Kong, 4a. 81d. to 45. 9d,

Total exports of tea to Great Britain, about
41,000,0001b5., against 54,000,0001b5. last year.
The intelligence from Bushire is to the 17th
January. The troops were still unmolested by
the enemy. An attack had been made by a de-
tachment of cavalry and horse artillery on a depot
of Persian stores and ammunition, 22 miles from
the camp. The object was attained without loss.
The despatch of re-inforcements had been com-
menced, and the Government had opened a new
Five per Cent. Loan for three cro res.

The Bank of Bengal had raised its discount to
11 per cent, on private bills.

Exchange on Bombay, 2s. Id. Money mar-
ket easier. The demand for imports continued
active. Exports generally firm.
Freights advanced at Madras ; imports in mo-
derate request. Indigo again risen. Freights
slight decline. Exchange 2s lgd.

The Paris correspondent of the Times (second

edition) says :

"The definitive settlement of the Persian quar-
rel has been so often announced and so often con-
tradicted that it is right to speak of it with caution.
It is, however, once more affirmed that there is
every probability of an arrangement satisfactory to
both parties. If I may credit the information that
has reached me matters have gone on so well within
the last day or two that a draft of a convention
relating to the points in dispute has been this day
sent off to London. Of this draft Colonel Ouseley
is said to be the bearer. According to this ac-
count, the islands of Karrak and Ormuz will be
ceded to the English, who will evacuate Bushire,
while the Persians will, in turn, give up Herat.
The dismissal of the Shah's Prime Minister will
not be insisted upon, nor also the other demand
relative to the manner in which Mr. Murray is to
be received at Teheran, and which was considered
derogatory to the Shah's dignity. It is added that
Persia has agreed to receive Consuls in those places.
where Russian Consuls are established. The infor-
mation as to these various points is not of such a
Aare..tor as would iistify me: in positively affirm-
ing the exactness of each. What I have little hesi-
tation, however, in stating is, the great probability
(if an arrangement. The draft of the convention
has, of course, to be first submitted to the approba-
tion of the English Government." •

MR. HUMPHREY BROWN, M.P., AND
THE ROYAL BRITISH BANK.

TEWIKESI3I3RY, TUESDAY.
A. public, dinner was given here last night, followed
by a presentation of plate, to Mr. H. Brown, M.P. for
the borough, and a director of the Royal British Bank.
The testimonial consisted of a handsome silver centre
piece, valued at 250 guineas, and bearing the following
inscription Presented to Humphrey Brown, Esq.,
M.P., by the tradesmen and working classes of Tewkes-
bury, in testimony of their regard for him as an inde-
pendent member of the House of Commons and a
townsman. February 23, 1857. 1,013 subscribers,"
Mr. Blizard, corn merchant, presided at the dinner.
After the usual introductory toasts bad been given,
The CHAIRMAN gave the health of-Mr. Brown.
of
conductß Ro w ar, in h i o
ri r
es f eer
epoly, oeaddressed
ohoi
omoseel f
ot
itoo a defence
nwi t
with
the
Royal British Bank. He complained of the slanders
which had been heaped upon him by a portion of the
press, and with reference to the statement that had gone
forth to the world that he owed the bank a sum of
70,0001., said that the statement had been put forward
by Mr. Coleman for the most dastardly purpose—that
of creating in the mind cif the public that he (Mr. Col--
man) was the man to bring people to book. It was a
disgrace to Mr. Coleman, and was a downright lie. The
time must come when his transactions with the back
must be revealed, and at the fitting time he was
ready and willing to reveal them. But when
twitted with his dealings with the bank, he
dared not reveal them wiliont a breach of confi-
dence, which would have been disgraceful to him and
ruinous to scores of others. (Hear.) As a director, he
had made a declaration in the nature of an oath not to
tfrei
cult t the
rn
tb aal k
fromto
roc
etb
vhaeemar
lbipne
ergo,
pct
fhere:
co ub divulgejme se tta beingn we
eh a
wt
thoi hadcph r
ewtvroeauonitsdpa
bi
nreye dd
de in
Mr. Brown went on to make an explanation as to a
sum of 41,0001. which had been transferred to his debit
on account of the expected insolvency of another party.
He declared that a sum of 4001. had been spent in the '
attempt to make him (Mr. Brown) a bankrupt, with
the view of obtaining information from him ; but
the solicitor to the assignees, who was a very clever
man, had found out the mare's nest, and that he
really did not owe the money. It was now left to
arbitration under an agreement of reference, the arbitra-
tor being a gentleman of high standing, who was not
only to report with reference to the commercial, but
also as to the moral character of his transactions with
the bank. He defied any director of a joint-stock bank
to know anything more of its affairs than tha manager
chose to let him ; and this remark applied with greater
force to the bank with which he had been connected,
which had 6,000 or 7,000 accounts and some 150
clerks employed in the establishment. It wasim-
possible for a director to get further than the
heads of each department. It was lamentable to
see an establishment like that crushed as it had
been ; and it was more lamentable to see the havoc
and misery which the management of that establishment
had caused. The bank had no doubt been very badly
managed, and he reproached himself for having joined
it. It ought to have (tamed business when its insolvency
became apparent; but whether he was a director of the
bank at that time or not, he was not going to tell them.
After some further remarks on the affairs of the Royal
British Bank, Mr. Brown addressed himself to political
subjects, and expressed himself favourable to direct tax-
ation rather than to taxation through the customs and
excise, which threw the burthen upon the poorer
classes.

A great number of persons, majority females, attended
,he presentation of plate later in the evening.

A report that a new Austrian loan is in conternpla.
ion was formally Contradicted from Vienna this morn.

At the meeting of the Namur and Liege Railway
proprietors yesterday the convention for leasing the line
and appurtenances to the Belgian Government for the
whole term of 84 years, was ratified unanimously.
STATE OF TRADE.--MANCRESTER, Tuesday.—There is
little or no change in this market to-day. Spinne*
are firm in their quotations of last week, which has the
effect of somewhat- checking business, but no conces-
sion is made. In cloth the same feeling prevails, and
few transactions have taken place. Altogether the
market is firm and quiet.
At a meeting yesterday of the committee appointed
by the tea trade to concert measures for obtaining a set-
tlement of the duties it was unanimously agreed that a
deputation should wait upon Lord John Russell, re-
questing him to place an amendment on the books of
the House of Commons, proposing a fixed duty of is. 4d.
for three years, then to be reduced to is., instead of the
sliding scale of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
THE GOOD SEEVICE PENSION.— General G. Beatty
(1855), of the Royal Marines, has been selected by the
First Lord of the Admiralty to receive the good service
pension vacant by the demise a General Sir John
Owen, KA: EAR'

(BY BRITISH- AND SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.)
TRIESTE, FEB. 25.
The steamer America arrived at 6.30 a.m. to-
day in 113 hours from Alexandria.
ALEXANDRIA, FEB. 20.
The India mails have arrived with advices from
Hong Kong, 15th Jan. ; Calcutta, 24th Jan. ;
Madras, 27th Jan. ; Ceylon, Ist Feb. ; Bombay,
2d Feb.

The Valetta, just arrived, sails for Marseilles

No change had taken place in the position of
affairs in China. The Chinese had made an un-
successful attempt to retake Tea Totum Fort.
The Europeans on board the steamer Thistle,
in all 11 persons, had been treacherously mur-
dered by bravos in disguise among the native pas-
sengers. The steamer was carried off, and
abandoned, after being dismantled.