The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-21 00:00:00

POTATOES.

Supplies of English potatoes are very short, owing to
the employment of all available labour in harvest work.
Prices are consequently very firm. Best Regents, £8 to
£9; do. Shaws, £7 to £8; middling; £5 to £6; Chats,
£2 to £2 10s. Supplies of French aro large, six or seven
cargoes have arrived since Tuesday, and sales progress
rather briskly, at £6 10s to £7. A few arrivals of Jersey
and Guernsey kidneys sell at £8 to £lO per ton.

COTTON.
LIVERPOOL, July 21.—Sales prObably 6,000 bales.
Market heavy, declining.

THE INDIAN I, URLOUGHS.

SIMLA, June 17.
The great event of the week has been the passing
of the furlough rules. A special council assembled
on Monday and another bas met to day to give them
the final impress. They hAte been passed in nearly
the same form in which they were sent to England
in December last. The only main alteration that
has been made is that which permits a civil servant
while on furlough to draw 50 per cent. of his ave-
rage receipts for the three years prior to his leaving
India. This rule was passed to afford compensation
to acting officers, who otherwise would have found
their interests seriously affected, but it has been
pronounced so good as to be extended to all. It is a
fair rule and will work well. I believe it was attempted
to apply the rule to the military, but it was stated
that their rank stood in the way. It has been ap-
plied, then, to those only of the officers who are in
civil employ, or who may draw consolidated salaries.
The civil rules will, I apprehend, work far more
evenly than those for the military. This arises from
the very varying nature of the appointments held
by military men. Thus, men hold appointments
some for five years only, some " during good be-
haviour," some temporary offices. Now, according
to the rules as they have been passed, those officers
only will draw full benefit from them who hold
the appointments during good behaviour under
the Supreme Government. An attempt was,
understand, made by the committee to remedy this
injustice by providing that an officer should draw
while in England the amount to which he was en-
titled on leaving India for the two years of his fur-
lough, but though strongly backed it was struck
k out. The consequence will be that while the whole
of the appointment-holders under the Government of
India, the regimental officers, and the holders of
civil appointments will benefit largely by the rules,
those holding offices the tenure of which is but for
five years, and those whose appointments are of a
nature at all temporary will derive but small bene-
fit from them. There is yet time to remedy this blot
on rules otherwise so liberal. They will be pub.
lished next Saturday "subject to the approval of the
Secretary of State." Now, if Sir Stafford North-
cote will only extend to the military the advantages
granted to civilians, and will rule that whatever
may be the actual position of an officer he may
draw while on furlough 50 per cent. of the average
of the allowances drawn by him during the three
years prior to his leaving India to take furlough, he
will make the rules equal for all, and will be blessed
by more than half the deserving officers in the
country. Should he not do this, the rules will im-
mensely benefit the Military Secretariat, the Com-
missariat, and others, but will. Icovt of little prac-
tical advantage to many others.
There is positively no news.

The course of exchange at New York on London for bills
at 60 days' sight was on the last date about IWI per cent
At this rate there is seariulj, any profit on the invortation
,Q; g9141:9/1% 410 vattca Mates,