The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-29 00:00:00

BENGAL AND THE NORTH-WEST
PROVLNCES.

It is now reported that the Governor-General has
at present no intention of resigning his post. The
Hon. Sir J. W. Colville, puisne judge of the Supreme
Court, has been on a visit to the Madras presidency.
The opium sale held at Calcutta on 20th of July
realised upwards of 315,0001. It is authoritatively
stated by the Agra Messenger that Agra is in future
to be tho seat of the supremo government, but we
have so often before been told the same story, that
we are loth to pay any heed now to it. Mr. Robert
Fulton, of the Sultangunge factory, was drowned
on the 12th ult. by the upsetting of his boat, when
returning from Baugulpore. Cholera has been com-
mitting fearful ravages at Benares and Cawapore,
where several officers and a large number of men of
her Majesty's 70th had been cut off by it. Dr.
Spilsbury had left the latter station for Calcutta to
take his seat at the medical board. The Rev. D.
Jones, of the Tallygunge mission, died at Calcutta
on the 10th of July. Government has contributed
1,0001. towards a fund for building a new Sailor's
Homo at Calcutta, and intend continuing its yearly
allowance of 1201. to the institution, but decline
giving a piece of ground on which to build, though
more than one could be so without inconvenience.
A monster meeting of the natives of Calcutta took
place in the Town Hall on the evening of the 29th
July : at least ten thousand people are said to have
been present. The following are the resolutions
passed on the occasion
1. That while this meeting considers it the duty as well
as interest of the native British subjects of India to remain
faithfully attached to the British government, it is at the
same tints of opinion that on an occasion like the present
every legitimate and constitutional means ought to be em-
ployed for the redress of the grievances. 2. That this meet-
ing having deliberately considered the ministerial scheme
as developed in the speech delivered by the Presid. nt of the
Board of Control in the House of Commons on 3rd June
last, is of opinion that that scheme is not satistactory, and
will greatly disappoint the just and reasonable expectations
of the native community. 3 That while this meeting acknow-
ledges with thankfulness that some improvements have
been introduced into his scheme by the President of the
Board of Control, it deeply laments to notice more espe-
cially among other defects the absence of any provision for
the extension of public works, the admission of even a single
native into the legislative council, and the virtual exclusion
of the educated natives from the civil service by the contin-
uance of the Haileybury College as the exclusive medium
into that service. 4. That the following petition to parlia-
ment embodying the sentiments contained in the above re-
solutions be adopted. 6. That the chsirman be requested
to sign the petition on behalf of the meeting, the interval
between this day and that one of the next mail not admit-
ting of its being signed by the community at large.

The Rev. W. 0. Ruspini died at Calcutta on the
let instant, after a period of twenty-four •years'
service. The Lieutenant-Governor North West
Provinces and staff intend passing next hot
weather at NaMee Tal. A slight shock of
an earthquake was felt at Peshawur, Lahore, and
over the greater portion of Northern India, on the
30th July. Heavy rain fell all over the north-west
about the same time, and many portions of the
Punjaub were inundated. Mr. -William Coates
Blaquiere, an honorary magistrate, and the oldest
European inhabitant, died at Calcutta on the 15th
of August in his ninety-fifth year. Sir Wm. Gomm
is to proceed on a tour in November via ltoopur,
Loodhiana, Ferozepore, &c., to Delhi, from thence
to Itohilkund, and so ong—retuniing in time to wit-
, nen the opening of the Ganges Canal. The Jeypore
Rajah is on a visit to the Lieutenant-Governor at
I Agra. The North-Western Bank of India has de-
dared a dividend of seven per cent. for the first six
months of the present year. The Saugor and Itier-
buddah territories are hereafter to be under the ja
risdiction of the Agra presidency ; the measure wag
contemplated long ago, and only defcrrtd till the
Commissioner, Mr. Bushby, could bequict ilit.posed
of in some other berth. The Resident at !adore is
to have charge of Scindialis dominions and Bundle-
khund, and is to be styled Governor-Genera :6 Agent
for Central India.

IIUItMAH.
The chief item of interest to be transmitted by the
present mail from tho newly acquired province of
llurmah is the total lose of the H.C. steam frigate

mo,..iatfer, which occurred on the 16th July, of
shah disastruns event I enclose a full account.
General Godwin and his stall returned to Cal-1
ear's ors the Bth inst. fax gallant officer is not, it is
said, to go back to Burmah, but takes up his corn- I
,0,,1 in the provinces. Ilia parting from the
aiti.crs at Rangoon is said to have bcen a very cos-1
deal one, and in the speech made by. the general he' I
hinted that in all the operations just concluded he
acted according to orders! if this be so, the
isfaut officer is exonerated from all the blame and
coma, .o liberally showered on him by all parties in
ladcs oud at home. General Sir John Cheap° will
ap..st prolably assume command in Pegu. AU was
quiet in Burnout. One of our sepoys had been ear-
n, J of from I'rorae to a camp 45 miles off, but bad
been released by the chief whose force was stationed
there, and sent back under an escort. Great scarcity
appears to exist in the country, and the poor people
were furled to resort to plunder to maintain them-
pleas. A party had gone out from Prome in search
of s gang of rubbers, but had come back as they
went. The steamer 'Medusa was at 51eaday toassist
the small garrison in case of need. 'f he Calcutta
EugtisAutua says:
The population of Pegu are in a state of the utmost des.
titaness—famine ram theta in the face, rice is sold at 3
sail 1%1.'41 the rupee, and the people stern to subsist un
fYaale rows, plaiataiia leaves, and stalks and many other
miserable substitutes for vegetables. Cholera is raging in
=iffy plc. So though the town of Itangoon is free from it.
}row Tenehoo, Shuy-geen, Sitang, &e , the reports of the
/if 044.4 amongst the Burmese of this disease were appalling,
Lie- particularly at, end around the former station, where
for nearly a month the inhabitants had been carried off in
va‘t numbers daily. The villages along the banks of the
river had become charnel houses, and were very generally
dreerted by the survivor, who took to their boats cud wan-
dered, they cared not whith r in search of food, sad exemp-
tion (rum the terrible scourge, which seems to be attribut-
alavest entirely to the scarcity of the common nemes-
saries life. Were it otherwise, who could account foe
the exemptioa of the well fed troops. amongst whom
eel one (fatal) cue had occurred at Tonghoo in thirty
day., whilst the average number of deaths witbia
the tort walls during that period was 10 daily, and that
amonget a very scanty population ? Sickness, principally
diseases of the bowels and lunge was on the increase, and
we regret to learn that the Ist Bengal lusilien had buried
23 men during the month of July, and had 160 in hospital
at It engem, Peps, and Shuygeen about the middle of that
tooth; their total lon in Burmah appears to have beam
1a:. rank and tile. lt.M. 19th Royal Irish had lost 315
men by disease and the enemy up to the 20th July, and
H.M. 51st tied 90th Regiments have buried 653 men be-
twee them since the commencement of the war. TM
most healthy corps appears to be the Ist Madras Fusilien,
whose losses had been remarkably light; amougat the,
native regiments the 19:h Madras, was the most healthy
sad the sth M.N.I , the least so ; the former had loot
only I I men, the latter 116, had sent an equal number away
sick to India. and had upwards of a hundred in hospital at
Rangoon and Tooghoo. More than a fifth of the Ravildan,
sad a fourth of the native officers, have died in Burnish.
The 9th M. N. I. had lost 67 men, sent 100 away sick, and
bad about 60 in hospital. The 35th M. N. 1. are reported
elthy, with the exception of the European officers, who
have suffered greatly. General Godwin seems to think they
retain their health by drinieiog potent liquors, to which,
like the S.ppere and :diners, they are prone. The Bengal
utile corps have not suffered so severely, we are glad to
taking their strength into consideration. In com-
paring them with her Majesty's and the Madras sth sad
9th Regiments, the number sent away sick was, perhaps,
'inter in each corps, bat the deaths fewer. The 10th
D. N. I. bail lost as minty men as the 9th M. N. 1., had sent
140 to Calcutta sick, and had 40 in hospital.
The Fox frigate quitted Rangoon on the 13th July
for Trincomalee, the departure of her officers being
much regretted by all.