The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-22 00:00:00

THE BOMBAY MAIL.

We have received by extraordinary express, in
anticipation of the Overland Mail, our letters and
papers from Bombay down to the 27th ult. The
following is from the Bombay Gazette of the 25th
ult.:—

The items of China news which reached us by
the last mail are but slight. There is an impression
that the authorities at Pekin are now prepared to
receive all the ministers in a friendly manner, and
that there is no intention to throw difficulties in
their way, at least so far as their mission is con-
cerned. Notwithstanding, however, such assur-
ances and promises from the Chinese, whose word
we may now take for what it is worth, we are
evidently on the threshold of a war with that
country. The death of our countrymen, and the
hope of victory for our flag, clearly point to a
struggle with China such as shall end in humiliat-
ing her, and placing our commercial relations
on a sure and permanent footing. There is no
room for negotiations, and therefore we must
obtain peace by fighting for it. We are in the war,
and we must go through it, demanding not more
" military glory," but more effectual securities
than we should have been content with before we
had spent a shilling or shed a drop of blood.
An application has already been made to the
Indian Government for about 15,000 troops, and
we believe a few European regiments have already
been despatched to China. Her Majesty's 67th
Regiment is under orders for China ; it will be
followed by the 99th, in which the vacancies
caused by the number of soldiers that have taken
their discharge are likely to be filled before„, it
starts, so that it will be raised to its proper strength-
About 300 men have volunteered from one militia
carps for this regiment. Recent events have un-
fortunately reduced our military resources to such
an extent that it would scarcely be a wise mea-
sure to remove the European regiments from the
country, unless their places can be speedily sup-
plied by troops from England. There is not much
scope here for raising troops by voluntary enlist-
ment from among the East Indian European popu-
lation.

Rumours have recently been circulating in Bom-
bay to the effect that some of the native regiments
are likely to be employed on field service. This
would be a good opportunity for testing their de-
votion to tl e service ; but it is hardly to be supposed
that the men will regard a journey to a distant land
in any other light than that of a temporary banish-
ment from the country. The Sikh and Goorka re-
giments in the North-IVest may be depended on, as
they took up a decided position on the side of
order and loyalty throughout the late dis-
turbances; but it would be well to ascertain the
feelings of the men before taking steps to get them
off to China. There is a solitary example of a
Bengal regiment volunteering for service in China
in the 70th Native Infantry, the men of which
towards the close of 1837 were re-armed and des-
patched to that country, where they gave every
satisfaction to their officers. The Bengal army has
ceased to exist, the remnant of it having just been
disposed of by the disbandment of nearly all the dis-
armed corps and portions of corps that kept aloof
from the rebels. We do not know if in the case of
the Goorkas and. Sikhs their employment on foreign
service constitutes a condition of their enlistment ;
but we think that if sufficient inducement were
placed before them, they would not, perhaps, hesi-
tate to go to China.
It is difficult to say what has taken the Governor
General of Eastern Siberia to the mouth of the Peiho;
but the fact that he is to be followed by no less than
four Russian gun boats is certainly no indication of
peaceful intentions. It is almost certain that
Russian agents are travelling in the interior, for it
, is stated that the Russians exchanged ratifications

with the Chinese four or five months ago; thus

securing the privilege of visiting any part of the
country. Russian agency in China is a permanent
and übiquitous institution.

The state of affairs in the North-West remains
devoid of any great interest. Central India is still

in an unsettled state, and letters from Gwalior
mention that a large number of rebels are shrAtered
in the scattered towns and villages, where they are
screened by the native officials of the district. In
Shansi, the fugitive sepoys are yet troublesome,
and in Bundelcund, Feroze Shah has taken the field
at the head of a large body of rebels, whose wan-
derings extend over a wide tract of wild country.
_ _

In Northern India the frontier districts of Ne-
paul are still occupied by the Nana and his 10,000
or 12,000 adherents. It is singular that Jung Ba-
hadoor does not interdict their residence in his ter-
ritories ; at any rate, why he does not send his
troops from the north, to scatter them along the
plains, where they can scarcely hope to evade the
vigilance of our soldiers. So long as the operations
against them are directed from the south, they
are only driven into the mountain fastnesses
higher up, where it must be extremely
harassing to follow them. The quiet inhabitants of
the district are severely ill-treated, and it would not
therefore be anything wonderful if in the despera-
tion of their rage they should excite one another to
rise. The ill-usage to which the population are
subjected may either have this effect or compel
them to abandon the country.

The campaign must be resumed very soon, and
we believe the preparations for it have already
commenced. But it is clear that the operations
against the rebels must be conducted on some
system different from that hitherto adopted—some
plan that must lead to a speedy and successful
result. These pests have too long held their
ground in Central India and Nepaul, and they are
now holding it in spite of great difficulties. They
want the command, the morale, the discipline,
the supplies, the ammunition, or all these things,
to maintain an effective resistance ; and yet

they have not retired from the field. We be-
lieve that a great deal of harm is caused by offering
pardon to those who, after having done all the mis-
chief in their power, are willing to surrender them-
selves to avoid a worse fate. It is a bad example
to the others, who can lay the flattering unction to
their souls that they might desolate the country
without running any great risk, and yet hope in
the end to be pardoned. Are we to be allowed to
believe that from a sentiment of humanity such men
should be pitied, who perhaps a few hours before
their surrender were attacking villages, and killing
thousands of people ? And must we, by giving
them the benefit of the amnesty, shake hands with
them as enemies who respect each other. A more
energetic policy on the part of the Government, we
are firmly persuaded, is the only step capable of
accelerating the conclusion of a peace so ardently
desired by all.
In our presidency the events are few. Mr. Har-
rington's Licensing of Trades and Professions Bill
is likely to meet with considerable opposition in
commercial quarters. We believe the Bombay
Chamber of Commerce regard the tax in the same
light as the Bengal Chamber—as unjust and indi-
cative of a mistaken financial policy ; and a com-
bined effort is being made to oppose its introduc-
tion. The progress of the movement, we should
think, would be successful, if carried out with
spirit and determination. Taxation is largely re-
sorted. to in these hard times, as a means of raising
the revenue; it is at least as much one of the great
questions of the day as education or administrative
reform, perhaps as the war itself, for it springs
directly from the late disturbances in the north-
west.

The second reading of the bill occasioned a good
deal of discussion among the members of the Legis-
lative Council, the exemption of officials being the
principal objection to its provisions. The objection
was met by the addition of the following clauses :
" Every civil officer and every military officer shall
pay a tax at the rate of three per cent. per annum
on his pay, and that the same may be deducted by
Government from his pay, provided the pay of such
officer exceeds Rs. 100 per mensem. That every
military officer on the general, divisional, brigade,
or personal staff shall pay a tax at the rate of 3d.
per cent. on the aniount of his 'pay and allowance;
and that the amount may be deducted by Govern-
ment from his pay, provided that the salary of such
officer be not less than Its. 100 per mensem. This
conces ion, however, does not remedy the exclusive-
ncss of the tax. It falls unequally on the several
classes of people, and while the industrious have to
bear the burden, the wealthy fundholders, land-
holders, and other classes are left alone. It is on
this ground that the Bengal Chamber of Commerce
have already protested against the bill.
At the last meeting of the justices of the peace
in the Town Hall, Mr. Hutchinson was elected
Municipal Commissioner, in the room of Dr. Buist,
resigned. Dr. Buist left this for Calcutta last week,
to take up his new appointment as Superintendent
of the Government Press at Allahabad.
There are strong expectations of risings in the
districts belonging to the Guicowar. The insurrec-
tionary movement in which the Waghers are chiefly
concerned, is rapidly spreading. A force is to be
despatched to the scene of the disturbances. A con-
temporary mentions amongst the regiments who are
now under orders for the service are ll.M.'s 28th
Regiment, at present quartered at Colaba, and the
6th Native Infantry, now en route from Poona.
The expedition is under the command of Lieut.-
Colonel Donovan, of her Majesty's 33d Regiment.

The following is from an extra of the Bombay
Standard, dated Sept. 27 :
Mr. J. D. Inverarity, Rev. Corn. S. D., is to go
to Scinde as Commissioner. It is an invidious office
to succeed so well graced an actor as Sir Bartle
Frere. Mr Inverarity has long experience, know-
ledge of business, and very conciliatory manners.
It is supposed that Mr. Rose, Collector of Sattara,
will succeed to the vacant revenue commissioner-
ship.

The Panjauhee regrets to hear that Dr. James
Barber, Senior Surgeon, died on the morning of the
15th instant at his residence in the Citadel of La-
hore. The deceased gentleman was 57 years of age.
A correspondent of the Lucknow herald says—
" We expect some changes during this winter and
some stirring events on the frontier, for which, one
in the Commissariat says, they are quietly making
preparations."

A severe storm visited Bombay yesterday. It
was disastrous to the cutter Nerbudda, Indian
navy, and the American ship IVaban. The light-
ning struck the topmast of the Nerbudda, splinter-
ing it to pieces, and then, passing down the lower
mast, struck a Lasear, who was seated with four
or five others under a tarpaulin, and killed him
almost instantly. The Assistant Surgeon of the
Victoria was speedily in attendance, but his skill
was of no avail. The injury to the Waban was still
greater, but happily without loss of life."