The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-30 00:00:00

THE INDIA AND CHINA NAILS.

By the arrival of the above mails we have advices
from Bombay to Oct. 4; Madras, Sept. 28 ; Singa-
pore, Sept. 29 ; Hong Kong, Sept. 11; Shanghae,
Sept. 4, &c. The advice, from Calcutta are no
later than those published in our impression of the
22nd instant. .

Our last advice, from Madras mentioned that grain
riots had extensively prevailed in that city, obliging
the civil authority to call in military aid, both ma-
the and European, as the police force was no longer
able to restrain the growing violence of the mobs,
which gathered simultaneously in different parts of
the town and suburbs, and thereby rendering it
impossible for the commissioner of police to con-
centrate sufficient strength at so many points of
danger. That officer's report on the late disturb-
ances has been made public by government, and
seems to show that most serious mischief would
immediately have ensued had the action of the
military authorities been leas prompt and decided
than it was.
' "

" Madras has thus passed easily and quickly 4
through a popular crisis (says the Madras ...tithe-
skrum) unprecedented, we believe, in extent for
generations past, and which might have ended very
seriously had the riotous disposition not been
crushed in the bud." It adds :
There is indeed no saying what might have happened
had the civil power displayed less vigour and promptitude
than it did. As far as matters went, no great mischief
was done ; nor do the mobs appear to have been so far pre-
pared for any beyond bazaar looting. Major Hearn states
that " in some places a few sticks were carried, but this
was rare. Stones and brickbats flew occasionally during
the riots, but to no great extent. No great violence to
person was used, and only two cases have been re-
ported in which it was necessary to take sufferers
to boapital from injuries received. About 130 she's
and houses were looted in all." As far as he has been
able to ascertain, the total value of property plundered is
under2s,ooo rs., but " most exaggeratedreportsare made,"
which was naturally to be expected where natives suf-
fered, and may hope for reimbursement. Of that plunder,
about 1,500 rupees' worth has been recovered, and more
will be traced out by the police. It consisted chiefly of
grain, but in some instances money, jewels, and other ar-
ticles were taken, showing what might have been looked
for had the disturbances continued. The arrest of 256
persons is mentioned, whose cases are undergoing investi-
gation. We may well feel thankful that we have nothing
worse than the foregoing to record. though it is painful
enough. Had the outbreak been suffered to gain head for
a little while, it would most likely have resulted in
wholesale pillage and destruction of property ; very pos-
sibly in bloodshed and conflagration, and a terrible retri-
bution.
The Athenaeum takes but a gloomy view of the
future. It fears that Madras will have to endure
severe privation for a long while yet, u there is
no likelihood of any present importations of grain
large enough to occasion a material reduction of
prices. " From our provinces (it adds) the ac-
counts are on the whole improving, though to no
great extent, but Bellary, Coimbatore, and Madura
still send in very bad reports. The Joint Relief
Funds had reached a total of Rs. 1,51,400 on the
24th inst. We lament to say that the horrors of
famine and its concomitants, disease and death,
continue unabated in Cuttack and the ad-
cent districts, and the behaviour of the
BBengal government provokes the severest animad-
versions. The manifest evils that have resulted
from Sir Cecil Beadon's absence during such a
frightful season of calamity may be taken as an
earnest of what would happen to the Indian
provinces generally if all the chief seats of govern-
ment were permanently transferred to hill stations.
There in Bengal, unnumbered tens of thousands of
their fellow-creatures are dying the most miserable
of deaths, while the Lieutenant-Governor and the
Viceroy recreate themselves at Simla and Darjeel-
ing, instead of being on the spot to take per-
sonally all possible measures for the relief of those
who still survive. Lord Napier acted very dif-
ferently with referer.ce to Ganjam."
The Times of India has the following article on
the famine in its number of the 2nd inst. :
The periodical recurrence of famines in some agricultural
districts of India would seem, under the present state of
things, to have assumed almost the certainty of • natural
law. At nnoertain intervals, but under certain well un-
derstood conditions, we may confidently expect them; and
unless some grand alteration is made we shall be in the
same predicament for many years to come. If famines
are preventible, it is plainly our duty to address ourselves
without • moment's delay to the teak of putting a final
stop to them. And that they are preventible, that they are
more or less the natural consequences of our own neglect,
can hardly admit of a question. Where irrigation is defective
famines will, under certain climatic conditions, inevitably
ensue. An unusual drought, or a severe inundation, will
naturally produce scarcity. A want of good roads will
, enhance the severity of the catastrophe, ashes been the case
in Orissa to a fearful extent. Without means of communica-
tion between the starving distiicts and others more fortu-
nate, the abundance of the latter will be powerless to ale-
' viate the distress of the former. It is unnecessary to
enlarge upoa these points, as they are pretty generally M-
I mined. Conscious as we are of our ability to reduce
the occurrence of famines to a minimum approaching
' almost to an impossibility, we are without excuse if we do
I not aetabout the precautionary work at once. Of course it
will was years to complete it, and therefore we are forced