The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-27 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

INDIA.

We have received advice* from Calcutta to July
22, awl from ➢ladra* to July 28.

The License-tax has been imposed, the currency
Bill has been passed, and income-taxpaytrs have
been allowed the option of paying at the game rate
in the coining as in the expiring financial year,
without further returns.

A large number of Engliah and native honorary
magistrates have been appointed in Calcutta.
The part of the Indian Councils Act which re-
fers to the Governor• General's legislative council
ham been received with disfavour.
The 31alisond Wu?corms have submitted.

The first symptoms of any mitigation in the
severity of the famine have appeared in Meerut.
The relief committee, reporting on the operations
during the past month, " believe that the destitu-
tion in the district is greatly ameliorated. They
are led to the conclusion by the personal appear-
ance of the applicants for admission in the
poor-house, who, although their numbers steadily
increase, do not display that emaciated appear-
ance which was so painfully evident be-
fore." There has been a great decrease in the
mortality. Almuet all the agriculturists found
occupation in the fields after the first fall of rain.
Those still in the poor-house are chiefly artisans
and their families. The people who deserted their
villages had begun to return in great numbers.
" The large sum so generously contributed by
England," observes the Friend of India, " will
now be found probably too small to relieve the
hopeless poverty in which the people who have
been rescued from starvation find themselves. At
least a million of families, or four millions of
people, chiefly agriculturists, have to bu enabled to
begin life again, to find seed, ploughs, cattle, even
a roof under which to shelter themselves."

The Indian government continues to publish re-
ports from the officials all over the country on the
cotton-producing capabilities of each province and
district. The general result is that, but for the
want of roads and a steady demand at a fair
price, India would produce any amount of cotton
wool. In the great district of Nagpore, for in-
stance, which is open ou the south to the Godavery,
and which the Bombay Railway will pierce iu three
years, the quantity produced annually is estimated
at 20,000,0001ba. The extent of laud under
cotton cultivation is 281,214 acres, or 439 square
miles. The produce of each acre is 301 be., and
the entire yield of cotton tr•ol is 8,436,4201b5.,
equal to 1-30th of the export from all India
to Great Britain in 1859-60. The average
price of the Hinginghat, Arwee, and Oomra-
wuttee cotton in Bombay in 41d. per lb. Mr. H.
Btanbrough submitted to government in March,
1859, • memorandum on the cotton cultivation of
Nagpore, with which he waspractically acquainted.
He upholds the view that the cotton should be
carried down the Godavery to the sea. He was
establishing a regular transit for goods by this
route by means of large boats, when the distur-
bances of 1857-58 broke out. The natives clean
cotton for 11 annas per 231 be. One person cannot
clean more than this quantity in a day. In the
meantime roads are wanted to facilitate the carriage
of cotton. The mileage of feeders required is 300
milts', on which it is proposed to spend 250 rupees
per mile. A considerable sum of money is avail-
able from the accumulations of the road fund, and
this will be supplemented by government.

All Calcutta had been inWielded iu the trial of
the Bev. J. Long, of the Church Mission, for
at the instance of the editor of the Englishman'
newspaper. The cue eaten on in the criminal
court before Sir M. Wells on the 19th July, and 11
continued for two days before a special jury. Mr.
Lang was charged with publishing a pamphlet
called the Nil Darpan, the preface of which declares
that two of the daily papers which have advocated the
interests of the indigo-planters have sold themselves,
like Jude' Iscariot, for • thousand rupees, and seve-
ns' passages of which libel the whole class of
indigo planters. The prosecution, though at the
instance of the editor, was really conducted by the
Landholders' and Commercial Association, which
represents the planters. The printer, the editors
of the Elqiidnan, and Ilurkant, and the official
iu the Bengal office who circulated the pamphlet
under the frank of government, and by order, were
examined the first day for the prosecution. No wit-
noises were produced for the defence. Mr. Long
was found guilty on both counts and sentence was
reserved.