The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-07 00:00:00

INDIA.

DISTURBANCES IN THE BOMBAY
PRESIDENCY.

The Overland Express Mail from Bombay,
which arrived last Saturday night, has brought
dates from Bombay to Dec. 12, and from Calcutta
to Dec. 3.

The Bombay Gazette of Dec. 12 gives the fol-
lowing general summary :

PROGRESS OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL TO CEN-
TRAL INDIA.—The Viceroy has left Calcutta on his
journey to Central India, having prefaced his departure
with another act of clemency, namely, the pardon of all
except the most bloodstained and refractory of the con-
vict mutineers. Great indignation was expressed that
"•., Away Thakoor, who was indirectly, at least, guilty
of the murder 0: Captain Monck Mason. should lie res-
tored to his power and estate., without any security for
his futtire good eonduct, It is won u::ed, that, if the
murder of a officer he thus easily com:.2"d' we
should not lie surrised at iblielliott and massacre be 10.5
lightly estbeined dy the pedpi6:
THE PENAL CCDE OF INDlA.—the tegisiatiVe Coiiiieii
has resumed its labours. The most important measure
to be brought under its consideration is the Penal Code,
which is already the laughing-stock of the country.
Some of its provisions are absurdly severe, others quite
unintelligible. But it is consolatory to find that the
attempt to impose a Black Act on the Europeans o
India is now altogether abandoned.
INCOME-Tax RIOTS.—We regret to report some dis-
turbances in the Bombay Presidency on account of the
income-tat. At Surat, on the 29th ult., the people
assembled in thotisands in att opah part of the city, and
began to clamour against the. taX, dedaring
.that they
would shut up their shops and cease all busin6es
the act was repealed. The magistrate, Mr. Li:
Ravenscroft, behaved with great promptitude and
decision. Colletting a body of police, horse and foot,
he quickly dispersed the Mob, arrested thirty of the
ringleaders, and condemned twenty-file to six months'
imprisonment with hard labour, the other fife tting
acquitted for want of evidence. Mr. Ravenscrofes
energetic action was successful in at once restoring order.
All thought of opposition ceased; and the returns of
income are now rent in with praiseworthy regularity.
At Bassein the pepillaf discontent has assumed an even
mote ifiadierit farm: The deptity,niandgef, Mr. ittniterf
was assaulted While sitting in his office; and with dift.
culty made his way through a crowd of tiotets to the
pier, where he jumped into a boat and escaped to 'Nom&
Very numerous arrests have since been made at Bassein,
and it is to be hoped that some signal punishment will
mark the sense that Government entertain of the
gravity of the offence committed. If this be not done,
it is certain that the life of every civilian in an up-
country station will be endangered. In Bombay there
is no change worthy of notice in the position of
affairs. The native merchants, having been convinced by
some heavy fines of the folly of refusing to send in their
retutns have now changed their tactics. The assessors
have no longer any reason to complain of disregard of
the law—though; *lien the collection of the tai itself
comes to be made, some further ol)p'ositien may be
expected. But, with a determihatidn and unity that no
one anticipated, the natives continue td abstain from all
dealings in English goods, and the European tiierebants
are becoming seriously alarmed at the combinatioi:
There is no doubt, however, that in the natural course
of things self-interest will force on the natives the aban-
donment of this plan of striking work.

THE VOLUNTEERS.—The Bombay Volunteer Corps,
under its commanding officer, Lieut.-Colonel North,
now numbers nearly one hundred members, and its
popularity continually increases. Drill will be com-
menced immediately, the povernment having given its
cordial approbation to the istablishment of the corps.

LORD BROUGHAM AND AMERICAN
SLAVERY.

To a curious letter from Boston (U.S.), inviting
him to a convention on the anniversary of the
death of Captain Brown, Lord Brougham has
returned the following reply :

BROUGHAM, Nov. 20.

SIR,—I feel honoured by the invitation to attend the
Boston Convention, and to give my opinion upon the
question " How can American slavery be abolished ?"
I consider the application is made to me as conceiving mo
to represent the anti-slavery body in this country; and I
believe that I speak their sentiments as well as my own in
expressing the widest difference of opinion with you upon
the merits of those who promoted the Harper's Ferry ex•
pedition, and upon the fate of those who suffered for their
conduct in it. No one will doubt my earnest desire to
see slavery extinguished ; but that desire can only be
gratified by lawful means—a strict regard to the rights
of property, or what the law declares to be property,
and a constant repugnance to the shedding of blood.
No man can be considered a martyr unless he not only
suffers, but is witness to the truth; and he does not
bear this testimony who seeks a lawful object by illegal
means. Any other course taken for the abolition of
slavery can only delay the consummation we so devoutly
wish, besides exposing the community to the hazard of
an insurrection, perhaps less hurtful to tl a ~..ter than
the slave. When the British emancipation was finally
carried it was accomplished by steps, and five years
elapsed between the commencement of the measure in
1833 and its completion in 1838.
The declaration of the law which pronounced a slave
free as soon as he touched British ground (erroneously
ascribed to the English courts under Lord Mansfield,
but really made by the judges in Scotland), may seem to
be inconsistent with the principle now laid down. But
I am bound to express my doubts if such a decision
would have been given had Jamaica touched upon the
coasts of this country. It is certain that the judges did
not intend to declare that all property in slaves should
instantly cease, and yet such would have been the in-
evitable effect of their judgment in the case supposed,
which somewhat resembles that of America.
In the elevation of your new president all friends of
America, of its continued union, of the final extinction
of slavery by peaceful means, and of the utter immediate
extinction of the execrable slave trade—all friends of the
human race must heartily rejoice. They will, let us
hope, find in him a powerful ally, as his country may
expect to find an able, a consistent, and an honest ruler.
I have the honour to be your faithful servant,

BROUGHAM.
James Redpath, Esq., Boston, United States.

THE WEATHER.—For the last few days the weather
has been severe and changeable. Up to Saturday morn-
ing there was an intense frost, and in the afternoon.
decided symptoms of thaw set in. The atmosphere
was low and thick. Sunday was sunshining, and in the
evening there was a sharp frost.
CORONER'S INQUESTS.—Ou Saturday, the Coroner
held the following inquests :—On the body of a child,
named Jane Flynn, eight months old, that was suffo-
cated in bed in a court off Banastre-street, in the usual
way, by overlying by the mother. Verdict accordingly.
On the body of a child that died in consequence of
injuries by scalding. Verdict accordingly.
MINDERS'S GREAT MENAGERIE.—This extensive and
wonderful collection arrived in town on Friday, and was
opened on Saturday evening to delighted thousands. It
is one of the most extraordinary collections ever seen in
Liverpool, and the exhibition is most attractive. We
have to-day only time to allude to the exhibition briefly;
but we cannot help saying that the Lion-hunt, and other
astonishing representations with live animals, possess
more interest than we have seen heretofore. This great
exhibition cannot fail to prove most attractive to all
lovers of natural history, and to the entire public.
THE MAYOR AT ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCII.—The anni-
versary sermon on behalf of the Liverpool Church of
England Sunday-school Society was preached yesterday
in St. Michael's Church, Pitt-street. In accordance
with a custom which has prevailed for some time in this
town,
,his Worship the Mayor (S. R. Graves, Esq.)
honoured the occasion with his presence. He was
attended by a large number of Town Councillors and by
about 300 members of the first Lancashire Artillery
Volunteers, under command of Lieut.-Colouel William
Brown, who, having expressed a wish to show their re-
spect for our much-esteemed chief magistrate by accom-
panying him in procession to the church, were permitted
to do so. The procession, composed of the Mayor, his
office bearers, the members of the Town Council, the
Volunteers, and a number of the Fire Brigade, formed
outside the Town-hall at half-past ten o'clock, from which
it started at fifteen minutes before eleven, and marched
to the church. The central seats in the body were allotted
to the procession, and the galleries and other parts of the
spacious edifice were well filled with a respectable con-
gregation. Prayers were read by the Rev. A. Lawson,
after which the Rev. 11. Carpenter (incumbent of the
church) ascended the pulpit, and preached from the 4th
chapter of Deuteronomy, selecting the 7th, Bth, and 9th
verses as his text. Towards the close of his discourse
he enlarged upon the special claims which the Church of
England Sunday-school Society had upon the public of
Liverpool. After the sermon a collection was made,
which amounted to £25,