,, The English mail of the 13th April arrived late on Saturday night, by the 'P. & 0. air. Kashgar.
'A mail leaves to-morrows for Europe, by the MIN. str, dea.
Tele have been received, saying trated on the middle Danube,—A demon. 85,000 Roumanian troops are being concenstration of Softas has been made at Constantinople, to demand ministerial changes.—Tone of semi-oficial German journals towards the French Ministry, is ile. Bismarck has returned to Berlin, and active diplomatic intercourse with Italy has, since beén_ going on.—The Russian Ambassadors at London, Berlin and Vienna have gone to St. Petersburg; and the German iron-clad fleet has been ordered to the Levant.—Ardahan has been recaptured by the Turks, The last London telegrams quote Silk firm; No. 5, 16s, 9d.—Canton new teas 1d. decline.—Consols 95}; Silver 533d. Council drafts have been allotted "at Is, 8d. 9; by telegraphic transfer.
We reprint, in another column, a report of a meeting held at the Polytechnic Institution in London, to witness some phe-nomina connected with'the polarisation of light, and other branches of optics, as shown by a new apparatus intended for the Polytechnic at Shanghai. We are unfeignedly glad to hear this institution is so active, and is being s0 actively pressed on by the Chinese; as the lecturer informs us. We had feared it was falling perfectly flat The annual meeting of the Shanghai Gas Company was held Monday. During the year an increased consumption of gas was reported, and the net profits had amounted tos. 26,917, of which Tls. 18,000 haa been devoted to dividends. It was expected to clear off the Gas-holder loan during the current year. Byirregularitiesat the Works, during the absence of Mr. Yeo, the Company "Shad sustained a loss of Tls. 1,530 in the coal account and Tls. 152 in the coke account, It is satisfactory to learn from the Municipal Minutes, that there is at last a prospect of completing the widening of Nanking road in the section between the Kiangse and Honan roads, by acquiring the ground in'front of the old V.-C. Herald office. Ts. 10,000 of the 1872 loan are to be paid off on the Ist November next; the debentures to be repaid will be. drawn by ballot.—A report has been drawn up by the Acting Surveyor and Mr. Lester, regarding the means of egress from theatres.—The outline of a project for making a floating bath in the Soochow Creek, between the Boat-house and the Bridge, has been Inid before the Council, but with insufficient details.—Consideration of the Water Works' scheme is also deferred, for further plans—The most important subject, however, which the Board had under consideration, was the reply of the Chamber of Commerce to their letter regarding the deterioration of the Hwang-poo. We are glad to find that the Chamber purpose bringing the subject again before the Foreign Ministers at Peking, and also calling to it the attention of the British Government, with a view toits being pressed upon the notice of the Chinese Ambassador in London.
A Volunteer Parade was held on Thursday. About eighty riflemen assembled opposite the Custom House, at 5.15 p.m., and after an inspection of arms had been made and a few preparatory movements gone through, the men were marched down the Bund to the Consular Compound, preceded by the band playing lively tune. About an hour's active drill, principally battalion and company movements, was there executed and considering the few parades that have taken place during the last six months, the men acquitted themselves most creditably. Returning to the Custom House the men were dismissed shortly after half-past six o'clock. Although the parade was shorter than usual, the men apparently were not displeased when it was over, for the atmosphere was warm and sultry, and active 56 To Nagai." 73 og) 5 8 Nagasaki, 10},
100 5 25 40 To Woosung. 10 5, 9.1 1 20 1 2 ToGutaag..00 " 2 "Ras 62h, 0 Gutalaif... 0 i00 10 30.25 202), 20 2
This is a continuation of the false policy which dictated the groat rise in rates between this and Europe which both Companies inaugurated some time ago, and does not seem justified in the case of the Great Northern, to judge from the last report of the year's operations. The chatige to a word rate is a concession which would have proved remunerative to the Company as well as advantageous to the public, if the old rates had been adhered to, The increase in the number of short messages would have more than compensated for the first loss on their cost. Comparing, again, the rates charged with those prevailing at home; the rate, say from London to Rome, which is about the same distance as from Shanghai to Hongkong, is 7s, Gd. for 20 words, or rather less than $2 against $8; or, if it be objected that this is chiefly by land line, and comparison with a Cable route be preferred—3s. a word is, we believe, the present charge from London to New York; that is, roughly, 75 cents for 3,000 miles against 40 cents for 800.
The difference scorns greater than the greater expenses incidental to the East would necessitate.
We have much pleasure in acknowledging receipt of $1,000, by the Hon. Treasurer of the Shantung Relief Fund, from Messrs. C. T. Wong and Ca., of Ningpo. The fund is entirely Chinese and has been originated and entirely carried through by Chinese, and we trust the example will be followed at other ports.
We are requested to acknowledge $500 from the Fung Hing Hong, and $100 from the employes of the same hong, for the Shantung Relief Fund. The same has been paid to the Hon, Treasurer, G.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.