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37G THE LEADER. [No. 469, March 19,1859.
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NOTES ON INDIAN PROGRESS. The grant of l...
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Russian View of our Ixdian Affaiks.— An,...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Latest Indian Intetaagr^Ce. The Cnk'utta...
the police everywhere else , and replaced" them by armed and drilled constabulary after the Irish plan . Each . divison- ^ -a division contains usually three counties—is occupied by a regiment of mounted police , and three regiments of infantry . The cities have a police of their own , aided by a corps of trained detectives , and commanded by a kotwal or mayor . The police are forbidden to receive confessions or take evidence , the only successful precaution against torture , arid the investigation is . left exclusively to the civil magistracy . The landlord s are compelled to give information of all crime on their own estates ; and the village police , a band of ruffians who are the curse of Bengal and the North-West , though
not abolished , are ignored . The magistrate , it proclaimed , will look to their master , the landholder , and not to them . The new system is , of course , experimental , but it contains many elements of success , and at all events rids us of the wild traditionary police , who had neither discipline , courage , organisation , nor honour . The new' force is to be deprived of its muskets as soon as the population is disarmed ^ and compelled to rely on the sabre , the pike , and its superior discipline . The civil officers , I understand , are not pleased with the change . Men ¦ who have grown up under any system , however bad , are seldom delighted -with its sudden and total abolition . "
PItOSELI'TJSM AND 3 IISSIOXAEIES . Mr . Russell writes : — " The people , in fear find perplexity , seem awaiting the event which is to force them to become Christians . . Of the belief in our intentions to convert them no act or saying of ours can divest their minds . Strange to say , such forced conversions as they seem to be looking for are not at all unusual , or rather were not unknown , in Odde ; arid it has been recorded that the Mahomedaris here , made many converts to their creed by the simple process of surrounding a village arid threatening to kill all the inhabitants unless they embraced the true faith . There are \ some people who think the Quean could make many millions . ' of
Christians here " by proclamation , " or by " Act of Parliariierit , " and would advise her Majesty to try the evangelising process , if she were unfortunate enough -to have such councillors . It is unquestionable that the efforts of learned missionaries , well versed in the native languages , acquainted with the dialectics of the Hindoo and Mahdmedan , zealous , pious , and patient , would meet , while the people are in this state of mind , with an amount of success which would be as surprising as it would be gratifying . And here let me observe that these much reviled natives show a temper and moderation which we do not find among self-styled Christian and civilised nations nearer home . So long as a Christian
minister can argue with a moulvie or a pundit with patience and ingenuity , he will be listened to with interest and . respect ; he will be permitted to expound the Scriptures , and to warn his hearers against the errors of their faith , provided that he refrains from insulting , contemptuous , and irritating language ; but if he be a mere ignorant , illiterate zealot , withou t any qualification ( temporally speaking ) except a knowledge of Hindostanee and good , intentions , he may bo exposed to the laughter , scorn , and even abuse of the crowded bazaar , in " consequence of his manifest inability to meet the subtle objections ; of liis keen and practised opponents . From what I have heard , I regret to state ,
my conviction is that no considerable success , so far as human means are concerned , can bo expected from the efforts of those who are like the anoicnt Apostles in all things but their inspiratioii and heavenly help . The differences between Christian missionaries—the Roman Catholic , who tells the natives that the commissioner , the collector , the Judge , and the . chaplain oro not Christians ut all , and , that ho is the only true teacher—rand the clergyman of the Church of England , and the Scotch Presbyter , and the American Episcopal Methodist , and the Baptist , and the Unitarian , do not present n very encouraging front to tho Hindoo or ^ Mussulman would-be neophyte . "
Indian Kbvbnub . —The total amount of tho not revenue of the empire in India ( all provinces included ) in the year ended tlio 30 th of April , 1857 , was £ 28 , 730 , 698 , viz ., £ 11 , 708 , 102 in Bengal , £ \ 9 l 7 , 514 in tho North «¦ Western Provinces , £ 1 , 254 , 022 in tho Funjaub , £ 5 , 019 , 786 in Madms , » n < j £ 4 , 776 , 704 in Bombay . We subjoin the items of the revenue , via ,, land , gross rovenue , £ 17 , 717 , 580 ; exciao ( sayer , abkarrbe , and nioturpha ) , gross ro-TCnrue , £ 1 , 421 , 304 ; gross revenue fro ; u tho foregoing , £ 10 , 138 , 944 ; not rovonuo from tho flame , £ 16 , 934 , 808 j salt ( not ) , £ 3 , 903 , 453 j customs ( net ) , £ 1 , 025 , 237 ; and , miscellaneous ( not ) , £ 4 , 02 i . > , r > 49 . That Important article , opium , yioldod , a gross ror « nuo of £ t } t QQQ , lQ' 2 , and a not rovonuo of £ 3 , 861 , 151 .
TUo improvement of tho police system of Oudo , by tho virtual oxtlnotion of the old police , ia a very much bettor measure . f
37g The Leader. [No. 469, March 19,1859.
37 G THE LEADER . [ No . 469 , March 19 , 1859 .
Notes On Indian Progress. The Grant Of L...
NOTES ON INDIAN PROGRESS . The grant of leave to Europe goe ? on upon an extensive scale , but the hill stations are well frequented . From ¦ • Darjeeling a consideiable detachment of recovered men and invalids , who have benefited by the beautiful climate , has been despatched to _ the plains by Major Hopkins , the commandant . ' . Lieut . Vandeleur , H . M . 35 th , is to . . command , arid Assist .-Surgeon De Chaumont takes medical charge . At Bhauguipore the detachment was to divide into two —one proceeding to Calcutta ; under Lieut , Grajme , H . Kl . ' s 37 th , and the other , under Lieut . Vandeleur , to the upper provinces . Lieut J . Jerdan , 43 rd N . L . I ., is ordered to do dutv with the Darieeling depot . i
Mr . Hyde Glarke , the author of Colonizaton , Railways , and Defence in our Indian Empire , has been appointed by the British settlers in the Darjeeling country , in North Bengal , their agent , to represent their interests before the Council for India , and the Colonization Committee . On Thursday , he had an interview with Lord Stanley at the East India'House , to present a memorial from Darjeeling in favour of granting an immediate guarantee to the Northern Bengal Railway . Mr . Clarke will receive other memorials from the cities of Calcutta , Dinajepore , Rurigppre , Mald ' ah , & c . At Dehra various appointments have been made . Assist .-Stirgeon M . B . Lambe still . officiates as civil surgeon , 'until the return of the Goorkha . regiment , now on its march back . They are looking out for some European deserters from ISIynee Tal .
the other hand , the stipendiary-system checks the political growth of a country , and entails enormous expense . . ¦ : ' . ' One symptom of the improvement of India is the very great increase in the expenses of living in Calcutta . This partly arises from the influx of English for whom there is riot adequate special accommodation , and partly from the change taking place in prices throughout India , and which will in time retrieve the Government finances . In Calcutta they are straitened for land for improvements . . In Bombay the same complaint ismade . " God Save the Queen "; has been translated into Marahtta , and extensively circulated .
Upon those distinguished men , Lieutenant-Colonel Baird Smith and Major E . Strachey of the Engineers , the Governor-General has bestowed the compliment of appointing them menibers of the senate of the University of Calcutta . Sir John Lawrence complains , and not without reason , Of the inefficient state of the . Public Works Department in his government . The accounts arc in confusion , there is no substantial control , the bridges do not stand a second rainy season , and the roads are perpetually wanting repair . This must always be the case , so long as the public works are left to uneducated military engineers and officers , and while India is deprived of a body of independent professional men .
The new cantonment at Lucknow is in progresscn a natural ridge , admitting of good drainage . The people are awaiting the authorisation by the Government of the Ou . de Railway . At Bombay the company called the Vieg . as Patent Slip Company is fully constituted , but they want a better piece of ground , in which they are supported by the municipal commissioners , but it is doubtful if the Government will accede to the request . The steamers are now running on the Indus , 800 miles from Mooltan to Kurraeheef but the complaints are great that they are inadequate to the traffic , overloaded , and take thirty days to get up the
stream . .. ,, . .. - . . The Madras Chamber of Commerce has taken , in hand a most important ineasure in consequence of the present confusion of native weights and measures , and that is the establishment of English standards , as in the rest of the empire , and sous to work uniformly with the United States , and thus have the benefit of conformity with the great seats of commerce . In Bombay , notwithstanding the facilities for gettinglabour , rates of wages have so risen that arrangements are in progress for obtaining Chinese workmen from Hong-Kong . In Ceylon a scarcity of labour for public woTks is likewise felt , but the railway is proceeding with
vigour . The receipts of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway on the section . opened shows a profit of upwards of 5 per cent , for the half year .
Ensign IVH . Alexander has six months ' leave to the hills north of Dehra . At Mussobrie the winter has been extraordinarily mild , and the rhodbdendroris are a month and a . half in advance . Some fears a ' re .. expressed of a change in the weather . Captain Reid , 50 th B . N . I , has extended leave to Mussoorie . Assist . Surgeon John Bell , 93 rd Highlanders , has received medical charge of the Dugshaie depot , but Surgeon D . Macrae remains in the superior charge of Dugshaie and Soobalhob .
Ensign F . G . Coleridge , 42 nd Highlanders ,-has been appointed station staff at Nynee Tal . Staff Assist . Surgeon A . W . P . Pinlcerton has medical charge of the convalescent depot . Captain E . W . E . Walker is appointed to do duty with the Landour depot . Assist .-Surgeon A . S . A . Wilson has been sent to Almorah to take charge of the Goorkha depot there , the jail and civil station , in th e place of Surgeon Lee , M . D . Brevet Major J . H . Cox , II . M . ' s 75 th Foot , has been appointed to the command of the depot at Murree . Brevet Major D . D . Muter , 60 th Foot , has left Murree for Kurrachee . There are strong rumours of expected disturbances from the hill tribes of the Sind frontier * in consequence of General Jacob ' s death .
For the Neilgherries Lieut , Whitlock , aide-de-camp to General Whitjlock , has leave till the end of the year . Captain J . G . Cookson , 8 th M . L . C ., has leave for six months . Ensign , H . S . Stewart is doing duty with the detachment of the 1 st Madras Fusileers , at Jackatalla . Captain J . C . McCaskill , 51 st M . N . I .-, has leave till September 15 tli . Assist .-Surgeou C . W . White has six months' leave to Bangalore and the west coast of Madras . We regret to observe that a convalescent depot has been established at Allahabad , when every exertion should be used to send men to the hills .
Mr . Ewart's Committee on English Colonization and Settlement in India , mot in No . 18 Committeeroom . on Monday and Thursday , at the House of Commons . Assam was tho subject of inquiry , on which Colonel Veitch . and Mr . Paterson iSaumlcrs brought forward important evidence . The Hon . G . J \ Edinonstone has taken ofHce as Lieutenant-Governor of tho north-west provinces . There is a strong report in India of what is justly regarded as a retrograde stop—the abolition of the honorary magistracies , under , jit is said , orders from home , whereas the Lioutenant-Governor is satisfied they aro doing well . Tho reason assumed for this unfortunate measure is the assumption that thii
honorary magistracy makes an Invidious distinction between Enropeans and nativos . It might just as rationally be proposed to aboHuli justices of noaco in Canada on account of tho IiYenqhi in tho Capo and Guiana on account of tho Dutoli , r » r in Trinidad on account of tho Spaniards , or in India itself to abolish the justices of the presidential cities . Why cannot natives work with Europeans ns magistrates-ami what can bo a bottor political training tlyvn to associate ono or two natives with each European , making tho latter onb of tho quorum ? In this way , too , preparation would bo made for courts of . quartor session and general session . The system works well in all our colonies of mixed raoe , and there ia . no roasonablo ground against its working wll in India . On
Russian View Of Our Ixdian Affaiks.— An,...
Russian View of our Ixdian Affaiks . — , article from t \\ Q Si . Petcmburyskceja Vaidomosteer entitled " England in India , Italy , and Greece , remarks : — " On considering the most recent events in India , we cannot but say that England s senconfidence must have been greatly increased by the issue of the late revolutionary movements , Jne suppression of the Indian mutiny , it is true , lias greatly told . upon the finances and forces of England , and for thirty or even fifty years to come , the country of the Hindoo ought to be considered ns a lieapof smouldering nshes , from whence at wry moment flames may arise threatening tho whole l * nu with- destruction . In spite of all this , the result ot tho last struggle bears testimony to tho ample resources of England . In tho short space ot ( i year oi iiui
and a half , England , for tho recoiuiuost Asiatic empire , has boon strong enough to sustain tho loss of an amount of money and men o . qua to that originally required for its subjugation during : tho course of a whole contury . Never in former tunes has Groat Britain commanded a sufficient force loi efforts so gigantic abroad , without hazarding >« r _ position amongst tho European states ; and wi » a & ought to bo specially borne in mind , all these exertions have been ntado immediately at tho alou ot J war , devouring an Jinroonsp amount of wealth , anw about 5 Q . 000 of tho flower of her army . J- K" ' ^ two ways for the demonstration ofnaUonal povci . One empire covers itself with tho glories ol » l 0 « > conquest , antf the laurels won in a continiiou sou « . » of battle-fields 5 whilst another State roilocins iw fainft ' bv a oniftk rflnurrootion from misery . i-liv
worth and renown duo to tho latter are by no means inferior to those of tho former . As a orovij ing point of England's merits , wo must not ovoriioic tho faqt that , owing tp the solidity of tho lW"JJ character and institutions , no very extraoniuw measures have boon resorted to in tho Jro-oBtnw »»" mont of her Indian aomlnion , nor has her debt boon greatly inoroasod , or tho assistance ot stwn « ° * woedoa , "
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 19, 1859, page 24, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19031859/page/24/
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