Glasgow Courier. — 1864-08-18 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

INDIA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIA.  The letters by the last Calcutta mail bring no news of much political importance. The Bhootan affair, which the public at home, tired of petty wars with uncivilised nations, has been watching with some anxiety, has made no progress since the last advices, nor does it appear likely to end in war. At any rate we are told that Sir John Lawrence is doing all in his power to avoid such a result. The question, boweyer seems to be a difficult dilemma for the Indian Government. Even if the Bhooteas do not attempt to enforce the treaty they extorted from the Hon. Ashley Eden it is the duty as well as the interest of the Government to dispute and endeavour to annul it, and in either event it is not easy to see how hostilities are to be prevented. No other kind of danger appears to threaten British India, except some of those endless little Mahomedan conspiracies which are constantly coming to light, and which can be suppressed only by unceasing vigillance, together with occasional examples, such as that given by the execution of the conspirators at Umballa. The order of Sir Hugh Rose, by which the daily allowance of spirits to the troops , is diminished, is said to have been received generally with approval, although it was a step which no preceding commander-in chief had been bold enough to execute. _ _ _  The adv.-ices from China speak rather less sanguinely than before of the prospects of suppressing the Taeping rebellion. The rebels are, it is tine, confined within a very few towns, but these are strongly fortified, and may offer a protracted resistance to the feeble Imperial troops, and even to those that have been disciplined under European officers. The besiegers.of the town 0: Hoochow have hitherto, it is said, been able to do little more than hold their own against the Taepings, who have not only- acted on the defensive, but have formed a camp outside the walls, and occasionally made sallies against the Imperialists. Nankin is also still in their hands, and very little impression has been made upon it. It is even yet possible that the rebellion may again blaze up and spread, and the China Mail admits that though there are no good reasons for supposing that it will not eventually' be crushed, yet there is room to fear that the troubles connected with it are far from being at an end. According to the accounts last sent it was not at all certain that Colonel Gordon would not again, take up arms in the Imperial cause. It he does, however, the British Government will not be responsible for his acts, as he will have ceased to lag an officer in her Majesty's service. The accounts last received from the Australian goldfields are on the whole very favourable. The state of affairs in New Zealand had deterred many of the miners from leaving Victoria for that country, and labour at the gold diggings had been plentiful and produced profitable results. Nuggets weighing 50, 60, and 120 ounces respectively had been found at Ballarat, and the success of viany of the diggings had enabled some of the mining companies to pay good dividends. Of the crimes which usually accompany the growth of wealth there had been an unusual number. At Melbourne a bank had been robbed in broad day by four men armed with pistols and daggers, who adtually attacked the clerks at their desks. The same party, it is supposed, entered a grocer's shop at eight in the evening, bound and gagged the storeman and assistants, robbed the place and got clear off. A murder was also committed by a man. named Harrison on his partner Marsh, the cause having been the refusal of the la,tter to sign some papers discharging the former from liabilities he had incurred. It is satisfactory to hear that in all these cases the criminals were arrested.  The fetes which are to be given in honour of the King of Spain on his approaching visit are, it appears, to surpass not only those that were offered to the Queen of England, but any that have taken place since the time of Louis