The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-18 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CHINA.

At Tien-tsin the people are very anxious to begin
trade in the spring, and in the meantime amuse
themselves by taking as much of the indemnity
money back as they can possibly get out of the
foreigners' pockets by levying high prices on their
articles. It is possible that the garrison at Tien-
tsin may be broken up by May.

RAIL WAY INTELLIG ENCE.

The railway proceedings last week have been un-
important. At a meeting of the Caledonian the pro-
posed dividend at the rate of 51 per cent, per an-
num was agreed to. The maintenance of way during
the past six months has cost £14,000 more than in
the corresponding period of the previous year, owing
to the increased renewal of road. A sum of £27,000
has also been laid out on new plant. The Amal-
gamation Bill now before Parliament, if carried,
will, it was stated, save the three companies
£30,000 or £40,000 a year in their working ex-
penses. The Caledonian and Dumbartonshire
Junction have declared a dividend at the rate of
5 per cent. per annum. The receipts in the past
six months have been £8,594, and the expenditure
£3,250, :showing a respective augmentation of
£969 and £270. At the Llynui Valley meeting it
was stated that the traffic during the half year
presents a falling off. The balance of revenue was
£3,313, of which £3,155 would be required for the
ordinary 5 per cent. preference dividend. A bonus
of 2 per cent. to the ordinary shareholders, how-
ever, was declared out of the reserve. The appeal
against the award of the arbitrators in the Brogden
suit has terminated adversely to the company, in-
volving a loss of about £lO,OOO. The distribution
of the Llanidloes and Newton was at the rate of
4", per cent, per annum. The completion of the
Oswestry and Newtown line so as to admit
of the carriage of goods and minerals is
stated to have proved highly advantageous to the
company. At a meeting of the Edinburgh and
Glasgow a dividend was ordered at the recom-
mended rate of 44, per cent. per annum. The
revenue in the last six months has augmented by
£7,924, of which £1,919 was from passengers, £5,414
from goods, and £591 from parcels. In the capital
account £12,223 has been expended in providing
202 mineral waggons and one break-van necessi-
tated by the increase in the traffic. The report of
the %Vest Hartlepool states that the receipts in
1860 amounted to £220,344, which, added to the
£3,796 brought from the preceding account, made
a total of £224,140 against £200,022 at the close of
1859. The available balance was £41,855, out of
which a 5 per cent, dividend has been declared.
The progress of the traffic has been very satisfac-
tory. The Portpatrick line has been opened from
Castle Douglas to Stranraer. The shareholders of
the Calcutta and South-Eastern have authorised
the raising
of £50,000 in debentures. A further
section of the Madras Railway has been completed,
making a total of 207 miles now open from Madras
to Salem. At the monthly meeting of the Railway
Companies'; ssociation the committee reported that
it is expedient to abandon for the present the
attempt to frame by means of this association a
measure for the amendment of the law under which
railways are rated.

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CALCUTTA, FEB. 7.
PRODUCE INIARKET.—The same remarkable tone
continues in the market as before reported.
Holders do not give way, although the home mar-
kets are all so depressed, and there is consequently
little doing in our principal staples. Indigo is in
demand, sugar firm, saltpetre high, rice stiff, raw
silk easier, piece goods nothing done, jute lower,
shellac firm, oilseeds firm, hides held firm, opium
higher.
IMPORT MARKET.—No material improvement
has taken place during the last fortnight. Piece
goods remain in the same languid position, without
any improvement in prices. On the contrary, some
sales are reported at easier terms. Yarns show an
inclination to improvement in demand, as also in
prices. Metals in steady demand, at 41-8 to 41-12
for sheathing copper.
GOVERNMENT SECURITIES.—The transactions in
Government securities have been limited to small
amounts on local account, and rates are almost
nominal.

By this mail we receive intelligence from Hong
Kong to Feb. 1, and Shanghai, lan. 24. The fol-
lowing is from the summary of the China Mail :
" Letters have been received from Tien-tsin up to
7th ult., which report everything quiet at Pekin.
The Emperor was not expected to return from the
Yehol until spring. The Empress is said to have
come back to the capital in bad health. Sang-ko-
lin-sin is reported to have met and been defeated
by the rebels about the south of Shantung, where
they have become troublesome. The troops at Tien-
tsin find amusement in skating, shooting, hawking,
and running sledges. The boundary of the foreign
settlement there has been defined. It gives an area of
about 60 acres, on the east bank of the Peiho, not far
from the city. Of course nothing has yet been done
about the sale of lots. Mr. Wade has gone to Pekin,
and Mr. Morrison to his post at Sang-chow. The
coast in the Gulf of Pechili is still ice-bound and
unapproachable. The expedition for opening the
Yangtsze to trade, and which so much interest at
present centres in, is being organised under the
auspices of Admiral Hope, and will be ready to
start, it is said, in a few days. The rebels are
reported to have been defeated at Ehsien, which
has been retaken by the Imperialists, and also at
Wen Chang, in the province of Sze- chuen. The
Governors-General of Chekiang and Fokien hare
urged the Emperor to make a levy of money in all
the provinces, accompanying their request with a
subscription of 3,000 taels to begin with.
" The recent treaty is continuing to receive pro-
mulgation throughout various parts of the Empire.
In some cases the posting of it up is reported to
have given offence, but as yet those cases appear to
be quite exceptional. The Chinese are said to show
an aptness for discovering and applying any of its
clauses that are to their advantage.
" A correspondent who writes from Tien-tsin
via Che-foo and Shanghae, describes the place as
unapproachable, or nearly so. A mail had
reached the Gulf, and many attempts had been
made to land it, but without success, save in the
case of two boxes which were got ashore. Only a
few of our friends there had received their letters.
They expect to be shut up till spring. The ice, at
present, is a foot thick. There is scarcely a
single vessel outside, all having gone to the Mia-
taou Islands or to Che-foo. At a later date the
Plover is reported to have arrived at Tien-tsin, but
without any likelihood of being able to land.
In answer to a memorial praying his return to
the capitals the Emperor is said to have threatened
the memorialists with severe punishment in the
event of their repeating the offence. The effort to
raise the indemnity money has led to a stoppage of
the soldiers' pay and a depreciation in the value of
paper money.

The Isis, 44, Capt. E. L. Barnard, fitting at
Chatham for Ascension and the coast of Africa, has
nearly completed taking on board her stores, and
is expected to be ready to leave Chatham harbour
for Sheerness in the course of a few days. Direc-
tions were received from the Admiralty for the
Isis to be fitted with Capt. Kynaston's boat-lower-
ing apparatus, but on Saturday orders arrived
from the Admiralty directing that, instead of
Kynaston's, Clifford's apparatus was to be sup-
plied to the ship.

The Hussar, which has been placed in No. 2
dock at Chatham, where she has been under-
going some alterations and repairs to adapt her
for a target-ship, has been found to be so de-
cayed that the plan originally intended, of affixing
iron plates to her side, has been abandoned. Since
she has been in dock she has been recoppered with
old copper, and thoroughly painted. In consequence
of the obstruction at the entrance to the second
dock by the sinking of a barge, the Hussar will not
be able to leave the dock until the next springs,
when she will be towed to Shoeburyness, where she
is to be stationed.

The screw steamship Princess Royal, 91, Capt.
C. Fellowes, flag of Rear-Admiral R. Smart, K.H.,
Commander-ia-Chief of the Channel Fleet, from
Portsmouth, arrived in Plymouth Sound on Satur-
day evening, and yesterday morning saluted the
flag of Port-Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, which
was duly acknowledged by the flagship Impreg-
nable, 104, Capt. Lord F. Kerr, in Hamoaze.
The apprentices' brig Nautilus, 6, Lieut. B. Grant,
was taken on Saturday to the sheer hulk Kent, in
Hamoaze, where her foremast was removed. The
Nautilus was then placed alongside the hulk Dublin.
The screw steam gunvessel Nimble, 5, was towed
on Saturday from the hulk Lively, in Hamoaze, by
the tug Zephyr, and placed at the Rubble Bank
moorings.

The hulk Endymion, having been repaired and
caulked, was put out of No. 4 dock in Devonport
yard on Saturday, and placed at her berth in
Hamoaze.

The frigate Daedalus, fitting for a receiving watch
ship at Devonport, was put into No. 4 dock at the
dockyard on Saturday to have her bottom over-
hauled and repaired with despatch.
The screw steamship Gibraltar, 101, was put out
of the lock in Keyham steam yard on Saturday
morning, and placed alongside the hulk Bellona.
The Gibraltar will go outside Plymouth Breakwater
to-day for a trial of her engines and speed at the
measured mile if the weather is favourable.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. John B. Creagh to
the Princess Royal, additional, for service i n the
Porcupine tender ; James E. B, Bruce, midshipman,
to the Jason ; Henry Chase Carre has been nomi-
nated to a naval cadetship; Charles Mosley, chief
engineer, to the Indus, for charge of the machi-
nery of the Himalaya ; Benjamin S. Jackson,
second master, to the Weser; and James D. Her-
vey, clerk, to the Conqueror.