The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-02 00:00:00

THE BOMDARD.IfeNT OF CANTO v.

The following letter has been addressed by " A
Merchant" t- the Editor of the Times :
Sir,—During the late debates on the China ques-
tion no argument in opposition to the course
a•lopted by our authorities was found more effec-
tual, or used more freely, than that contained is
eloquent and pathetic descriptions of the destruc-
tion of life caused by the wanton bomb trdmeut of
the most populous city of the East, and the murder
of thousands and tens of thousands of innocent
men, women, and children entailed by thvt un-
heard-of act of bar!iarity, in revenge for, at the
most, a trivial insul'.
It so happens that I have rece:ved by the mail
that has just arrived a private letter from H ng
Kong, dated March 6, and wri,ten by a person in
every way qualified to speak on the subject,. in
which this very point is alluded to. I subjoin a
abort. extract for the information of your readers,
merely premising that the date of the letter proves
that it is not " gat up" in reply to the charges in
question, as the report of the debates would not
reach Canton till nearly two mouths afterwards
•
" The loss of life at Canton has been very small, the
Admiral having also spared the people. The Chinese
say that only 23 persons were killed within the city by
the bombardment. This is probably too small a num
ber, but the Americans killed a far greater number than
the English in their attacks, with reference to the farces
engaged."
On how rotten a foundation has a vast superatruc.
ture of declamation and invective been raised I

THE LEGION OF HONOUR.

Front the Supplement to the London Gazette of Friday.)

WHITEHALL, APRIL 30.

The Qneen has been pleased to give and grant unto
the under•mentioned officers and men in her Majesty's
service her Majesty's Royal licence and permission that
they may accept and wear the insignia of the several
classes of the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour,
astached to their respective names, which his Maj sty
the Emperor of the French hsth been pleased to confer
upon them as a mark of his Imperial Majesty's approba-
tion of their distinguished services before the enemy
during the late war, and that they may enjoy all the
rights and privileges thereunto belonging.
[Here folows a list of tha names of the officers and
men on whom the insignia have been conferred, as pub-
lished in our columns on Friday, April 24.)
MEMORANDUM.—The name of Colonel John William
Gordon, C. 8., of the Royal Engineers, is inserted in
substitution er that of Colonel Alexander Gordon, of
the same corps, who was included by mistake in the list
of British officers and men appointed to the order of the
Legion of Honour, published in the Supplement to the
London Gazette of the let of August, 1856. Lieut.-C.d.
George Steevens, who died on the 4th of February,
1857, was named to the sth class of the said order, and
would have received her Majesty's permission to accept
and wear it, had he survived.

[Advertisement.]
TO THE

SHAREHOLDERS OF THE OTTOMAN BANK
GENTLEMEN,—The profit of the first half-year of the
Ottoman Bank was nearly 18,i per cent., although it bad
to contend against great prejudices, and the united
efforts of the native bankers to thwart its establishment.
Ten per cent. given as dividend to the shareholders.
Seven and a-halt per cent. carried on to the next half-
year.
One per cent. nearly, put aside towards preliminary
expenses.
These results have been attained because all the ar-
rangements and appointments are good.
Mr. Layard, the chairman, is the right man in the
right place, and has the personal acquaintance of the
lelinisters and of the influential and trading community
of Turkey.
The directors are all connected with other undertakings
which are successfully managed, two of them being
directors of the Union Bank of Australia, which pays
42 per cent., and two others being partners in two
of the oldest established banks in the city. Mr.
Falconnet (he manager), is acknowledged to be a
person of the greatest experience in the mode of
banking in the East ; whilst Mr. C:leman. (the pub-
lic accountant), guarantees the correctness of the ac-
counts, and vouches that no advances are made of an
illegitimate character.
The scrip certificates having been called in for regis-
tration, shareholders who had borrowed on them have
been obliged to sell in order to pay off their leans, and
these simultaneous sales have been the cause of the mar-
ket value of the shares being depressed ; but, as the
shares of several other banks (which have paid only
half the dividend of the Ottoman Bank, which have
no public accountant as auditor, nor the advantage of
limited liability) are selling at a high premium, it is
quite certain that when the public are satisfied, and it
becomes generally known, that the Ottoman Bank is
daily adding to its sources of profit, that it will not
only continue its dividend of 10 per cent,* but aug-
ment it, and that the shareholders are protected by
royal charter with limited liability (and these facts
will bear inquiring into), this property will be eagerly
sought after, and will rise 50 per cent. in value.—l air,
&c. A SHAREHOLDER.
London, April 29, 1857.

* It will be well to observe that there is no other in•
vestment quoted which can be bought to pay this rite of
interest,