The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-22 00:00:00

T It ES S, AUGUST .0, 1857.

Court of Directoes is well known ; and we see that, had
his views been carried out, India would now be in a state
of repose enforced by the presence of available British
bayonets, whereas at the present moment, even here in
Calcutta, we do not know but that this may be the last
peacable hour we shall have for months to come. Every
Englishman in the city has armed himself, and will fight,
if necessary, to the last for the possession of the land won
by our fathers. These are the men, however, it is pro.
posed to coerce by the introduction of the Black Act, a law
which will render them amenable to courts presided over
by Museuhnans and Hindoos, and by the servant, of the
East India Company, who are untrained as judges. If
we object to be tried by English gentlemen, how much
more so should we object to be tried by natives of any
creed, possessing at the very best but the most limited
knowledge upon any subject except the acquisition of
money?
Our liberties have been further attacked by an act just
passed to gag the British press. A memorial against this
is in course of preparation by our able advocates at the
Black Act meeting, and we have no doubt it will receive
the warm support of every independent Englishman in
Bengal.
The financial position of the country, and the more
speedy progress of our railways, demand the immediate
attention of Parliament. The present losses from plan.
dared treasuries, deficiency in opium, deficient collections
of revenue, expenses of moving European regiments and
the introducing fresh ones, cannot be under ten millions
sterling, or a permanent additional tax of half a million
annually. It may be received as a fact that, if the East
India Company opened another loan of even six per cent.,
they would get no money here. Our hope is in England,
and in the opening there of en East Indian four per cent.
loan, guaranteed by the British Government, for our
urgent requirements.
The resources of this vast empire are so great and mag•
nificent that, with good government and an open represen-
tative council, there is no burden—by way of interest on
loans for the present emergency, be the amount ever so
great—that the country coull not meet. There is no
article of commerce produced by other countries that India
cannot supply, and, when the want of any is felt at home,
British India comes to the rescue. The war with Russia
saw us indented on for seeds; we responded by an export
of 39,83,805 mounds in 1855.6 and 31,08,172 maunds in
19516, against 1,63,199 mann& only in 1835.36; and
wheat, cotton, sugar, end tea would meet with a like re-
sponse whenever the home necessities demanded our help.
With better laws, and land tenures giving encouragement
to English enterprise, it is not in times of scarcity alone
that our resources would be made available, but a laudable
competition with other producing countries would be a rale
in the trade of India, and not an exception, only called
forth by exorbitant prices,

The disturbed position of the country is retarding the
arrival of up-country produce, and many just fears are
entertained for our rice crops. These, coupled with the
heavy exports of rice to China, exceeding 10,000 tons,
within the last fortnight have greatly increased the local
value, and given rise to fears of scarcity.
The import market is at a standstill, the whole Hoon-
dian finance operations of the Marwarrees and Shroffs
being disorganised, and all postal communication towards
the north-west cut off or uncertain. Natives are exchanging
bank notes for cash, and secreting it for safety.
The treasure in the Bank of Bengal amounts to
Rs. 1,65,00,000, or a million and a half sterling, but will
now be daily diminished by withdrawals.
The King of Oude, and his Prime Minister, Nawab Alee
Nuckee Khan, are prisoners in Fort William, it having
been discovered that the latter has been a chief mover in
the late sepoy revolt; the complicity of the old King of
Delhi in the conspiracy is also certain, and the Nawab of
Moorshedabad and others of less note are believed to be
likewise implicated.
Delhi is still held by the rebels, bat news of its fall is
hourly expected.
We solicit your active aid with the British Parliament
for the protection of your fellow-countrymen's rights„life,
and property in India.
From this, at least, may be gathered the real feel-
ings of the English residents and of the native
people, and we doubt if much that is satisfactory or
consoling can be extracted. But to hasten to the
seige of Delhi and the preparations for the first
campaign.
Before Delhi the statements relative to the ad-
vantageous position we were declared to hold are not
unanimous. The Times correspondent writes :
We have nothing from Delhi later than the 27th or 28th
of last month. But wo learn from various points of the
Punjaub that at that date reinforcements of troops of all
arms were rapidly converging upon Delhi. By the end of
the month the general expected to find himself strength.
ened by fully 3,600 men, including the Bth Foot and a
wing of the 81st, a troop and two batteries of artillery,
and some Punjaub and other irregulars, horse and foot.
Within a week or ten days from his receiving this aug-
mentation to his force—that is to say, in all probability
two or three dais ago—he would, it is believed, deliver
the grand assault. No regular approaches had been, or
would be made. there has not been strength enough for
that ; the affair would, I am credibly informed, be managed
by blowing open a gate and entering at the point of the
bayonet.

This "blowing open a gate," and " entering at the
point of the bayonet," looks simple upon the face of
a Bombay correspondent's letter, but fortified cities
in India, ordinarily defended and well supplied, have
not, from the days of Seringapatam down to Delhi,