The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-04-29 00:00:00

INDIA,

We extract the following intelligence from the summary
of the Bombay Times, of April 2nd :—The opening of the
hot weather is a period of the year proverbial for its bar-
renness of intelliget,ce. The Santhal insurrection is not
only completely quieted, but the malcontents, lately spread-
ing terror through the districts, are quietly, and of their
own free will, earning their bread as railway labourers,
improving the country they lately ravaged. Oude con-
tinues as tranquil and orderly as any of the oldest
provinces of the empire, and the erganisation for the
new a ;ministration of affairs is all but completed.
The late King has got as far as Cawnpore, on his way, it is
said, to England, without the most remote chance of
securing one atom of public sympathy. The a !Ration in
parliament against annexation, is received with ridicule and
contempt in India, for of the hundreds of petitions
prepared annually at each of the presidencies, we have
ninety-nine against the tyranny of native princes for one
against the misconduct of the British government, and no
occasion is ever let slip, by educated natives, of proclaiming
the vast superiority of English to indigenous rule. Our
Punjaub mountain frontier continues infested with robbers
and murderers, but there has been no outburst of
the mountainers in force for many months past, and
on the whole we have throughout the year been enjoy-
ing as much tranquillity as could perhaps under the
circumstances be looked for. The alarm that our new
acquisitions in Burmah would prove a burden on the empire
has been dispelled by the publication of the balance-
sheet of Pegu. In the third year of our possession,
with a defective population, and its resources undeveloped,
we find an expenditure of .L 170,000 a year, and an income
of £230,000; or if we deduct extraordinary expenditure,
and accept only net receipts, we have a balance in favour
of £lO,OOO a year. The revenue during the past year has
risen by a quarter of a million sterling, while the expen-
diture has hat little advanced, and already the province,
which it was feared might prove ruinous, yields a contri-
bution of £lOO,OOO a year to the general resources of the
State, or nearly ten per cent, on the gross charges of the war.
Rangoon has been visited by one of those unintelligible panics
which seem occasionally to inflict all native communities:
A rumour was spread abroad that a number of Malays
were in the town securing human victims for slaughter.
No man would stir out after nightfall, or permit his
children to move out of his sight. Prome has been utterly
destroyed by fire. It broke out about noon on the 25th of
February, and in less than four hours consumed the entire
town. Over a space of some 300,000 square yards nothing
but ruins are to be seen. The place contained few brick
houses, and will be readily re-built, but the loss of property
must be very great. The principal sufferers are of
course the merchants. As in the fire at Rangoon,
the Burmese lent no assistance in putting out the
flames. Everything continues uncertain in reference to the
occupation of Herat, and the state of matters in Affghanis •
tan. The treaties of 1854, which have been published,
show that we are in no way bound to assist Post Mahomed
unless in so far as it meets our conveniency. The most
profound tranquillity continues to reign throughout British
India. Our railway operations are proceeding rapidly.
The Madras railway is expected to be opened for traffic to
Arcot, a distance of seventy miles, in the month of July.
The Governor-general and Governors local are at the seats
of government.
Lord Elphinstone is not intending to leave Bombay till
towards the eud of the month, and then for a new lull-
station, called Matherdu, which is coming a good deal
into vogue. Sir H. Somerset leaves for Mahableshwur
after the arrival of the next steamer. Since the termina-
tion of the native holidays, a fortnight since,- trade has
worn an improved appearance. Exchange on England
has declined.

Our money market has not improved during the fort-
night, and all descriptions of securities are dull of sale.
Little business has been done in imports, and prices gene-
rally have not yet advanced. Freights are firm.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE
THE CALCUTTA MARKET.
(From the Calcutta Englishman, of March 22.)

. _
Our produce market is rather in a languid state, shippers
not feeling safe to operate at present prices, and the dealers
being unwilling to reduce, as they can mostly afford to hold,
and know that by firmness, as ships must be loaded, they have
a chance of getting their demands conceded.

Indigo is in most active demand at the full value under
late home quotations. Sugar is being freely taken both for
Great Britain and Australia. Silk, also, is wanted for ship-
ment, and corahs aro enquired for. Seeds are still being
taken for America. Rice is not being shipped so freely.
Wheat neglected. In hides a good business doing, In jute
low freights have tempted purchases. Most of the minor
articles are quiet, except castor oil, which is again receiving
attention.

The Government opium sale of the 10th instant realised
nearly 35 lacs to the Treasury, or an increase on the February
sale of 2,2,5,775 r. This increase was mainly owing to the
usual gambling operations in this market, arising out of an
opinion generally current, that there would be a short supply
of Patna for the ensuing year.
We have been somewhat surprised during the last few days
at perceiving, among our exports, the prohibited article of
saltpetre being cleared for France in French vessels.

Some heavy arrivals have rather fl rttened our piece goods
market, but as stocks are far from heavy, and the markets
above in an equally sound position, unless sales be forced, we
see no reason to anticipate any reduction in prices. Twist,
though rather dull at the moment, is also in a healthy position ;
stocks have rather been increased latterly, but are still far from
being heavy. Metals continue very (lull.
The Money market has experienced no change, nor can we
hope for any, until the Bank of Bengal is in a better position,
and can afford to lower its rates of interest and discount, but
which we do not look for until the close of the Burmah rice
season, when the drain of specie for that quarter will cease.
EXCHANGE : The rates for this mail are below the average,
and may be quoted at 2,21- to N for credit, and 2.28 to for
document bills at six months' sight.
FREIGHTS : For some days the heavy arrivals created a sort
of panic in the market, and any ship, requiring to fill up in a
given time, had to arrange to do so on very low terms, jute
being taken at £2. This, however, soon rallied the shippers,
and rates revived a little, but buQiness is still rather dull.

BOMBAY MARKET, FROM THE 19TH MARCH TO IST APRIL.
Our money market during the fortnight has shown no
symptoms of improvement.

IMPORTS : Although during the past fortnight there has
been an active demand for grey goods, transactions have not
been extensive, as prices have not advanced sufficiently to
induce holders to give way.
_ _

EXPORTS : Cotton Wool—Prices have improved since the
arrival of last mail, and new supplies from the districts are now
coming forward freely.
EXCHANGE : Tho mail steamer having brought 30 lacs
in silver, buyers got frightened, and best bills were done
as low as 2s lid ; after a few days the demand slackened
and local credits went at 2s 2d to 21d, and documents at
2s 2id to 23 2-id, and the rate at this date has an advancing
tendency.

Court's bills on Bengal are rupees 93Z.
60 day's sight on China, rupees 218.
30 day's sight on Madras, rupees 99.
Freights are firm, and we now quote 44 is 6,1 per ton for
cotton, and for oil seeds £4 15s per ton.