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 hasthe following remarks : .
In our last.sum:nary 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 private sources it is
calculated that from 5,000 to 6,000 will, take their
di•ebarge. 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 'arse 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 deesnot 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 he accepted' by a considerable 'number of the
Indian army n the Madras and Bombay presi-
dencies. The''Eni:Ppean 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-Geheral has written 'a letter to the
exLKing of Oude informing him that'hq is' released
from confinement.tind can.leave thefort whenever be.
pleases. His suite are also released, but some of
them will be liberated'i:M !certain cOnditions.- The
ex-King had been upwards of two years n, prisoner'
in Fort William. The policy of arresting him ins:
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. Meijer '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
then force, the laws-relating to''stamPS was read for
the first time. The chief. object of -the bill is to,
increase the revenue derived 'fiord this souree'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 of
five annas per cent. The bill is not very popular,
anct, 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 tovernment monopoly in salt
will bo 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
olher residents of Calcutta, on the finahces of go-
vernment, the policy of guaranteeing loans, the new
Customs' Duty Act, and the Legislative Council.
This petition embodies .the, resolutions passed at
tilt meeting of the inhabitants of Calcutta, held at
the'Cliamber 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
Hai monic Society held its first subscription per-
formance in the-Town Hall. It was numerously
attended t-iy the c/ite of , Calcutta, and the perforni-
;ince was a great success.' It is intended to have
an oratorio 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
fur 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, amf.cotton, wasnot discharged. The flames
rapidly spread, and, Abandoned .by the crew, she