Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Saturday 22 August 1874, page 2


INDIA AND THE EAST.

Ceylon, July 31.

Governor Gregory is expected here on the 15th proximo, after four months' absence in England.

Major-General Strut, C.B., has assumed the com-mand of the troops in Ceylon.

Mr. Richard F. Morgan has been knighted. He is

the first Ceylonese whom the Queen has so spe-cially honoured. Sir Richard is to be sworn in as Acting Chief Justice next month, and it is likely he

will permanently succeed Sir Edward Creasy, who is now at home on sick leave.

The revenue of Ceylon for the half-year shows an increase of £50,000 over that for the same period of

last year.

A limited company has been started to erect an hotel at Colombo similar to the Great Eastern Hotel

in Calcutta.

Professor Minayeff, of St. Petersburg, and Mr.

Beresford Hope, junior, have been travelling in Cey-

lon.

The public of Bombay and the Chamber of Com-merce of Colombo have petitioned the House of

Commons not to sanction the revised mail contract with the P. and O. Co., asking for a greater acceleration of mail speed by three days. Much strong feeling is entertained in India on the moving for greater speed in the P. and O. lines, and unfavourable comparisons are made between their services in this respect and that of all other great ocean steam lines. The Bombay petition has been entrusted to Mr.

Fawcett, M.P., whilo the Colombo merchants tele-graphed to Sir James Elphinstone.

The steamer Tinnasserim, homeward bound from Rangoon, and the ship Royal Family, have both been wrecked off Cape Guardafui

The,Viceroy of India is to hold a Durbar at Deccan

in October.

The famine, or rather scarcity of rice, may be said to have closed. The crop prospects are generally all that could be desired, anxiety only being felt about Western Bengal.

Sir R. Temple is still travelling through his dis-tricts. The weather is most favourable to agricul-tural occupations. Nearly all the people have left

the relief works.

Mr. Forsyth and the Yarkand Embassy have returned to Calcutta, after successfully accomplishing their mission. Mr. Shaw is to be resident Minister

at Yarkand.

The Chinese have already invaded Eastern Turke-stan, and if, as is rumoured, Russia is to aid the Yarkand ruler, Britain may be drawn in. The Pan

thay rebellion has. not yet been crushed by the

Chinese.

Sir Hope Grant is spoken of as the probable suc-

cessor of Lord Napier of Magdala as Commander-in-

Chief of India.

Lord Salisbury, in reply to the Parsee memorial about the Bombay riots, gave but faint praise to Sir Philip Wodehouse and the authorities, declaring that the troops ought to have been called out earlier, and the atrocities of which the Parsees complain promptly suppressed. He praises the Parsees for their loyalty. The Parsees are to hold a ceremony of prayer for the Queen. Great excitement has been caused amongst them by the news of the dispatch of

the Challenger, which vessel is expected to visit

Calcutta.

Mr. Archibald Forbes was reported from London as likely to come out as the editor of the Calcutta

Englishman, but the latter denies the correctness of

the rumour.

Mr. Walter Hooper, of Madras, barrister, is to suc-ceed Dr. Smith as editor of the Friend of India.

The troops of the Ameer of Cabul are stated to be verging on rebellion.

Tne Dutch continue to be resisted by the Achoneese. The Japanese propose colonizing Formosa, but complications are likely to arise between China and

Japan.