Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-22 00:00:00

language. And your petitioners will ever pray, &e
" Calcutta, August 3."
And the following is a formal account of the
proceedings
:
"Proceedings of a meeting or the European
inhabitants of Calcutta, held this thy, the 3rd of
August, at the rooms of the Chamber of Commerce,
to consider the propriety of addressing the British
Parliament upon the subject of the present state
of the country, and to adopt such other measures
as might seem desirable and necessary; Sir
A. D. H, Larpent, Bart., in the chair.
" The Chairman briefly stated why the present
meeting had been called, when
" Mr. A T. T. Peterson addressed the meeting
at length upon th 3 present state of the country.
the position of Englishmen in India, and the
objects which the petition had in view.
" Mr. W. H. Abbott then read the rough draught
of the proposed petition, which was fully discussed,
and some alterations unanimously agreed Co.
" It was then proposed by Daniel Mackinlay,
seconded by Andrew T. T. Peterson, and unani-
mously resolved—' That this meeting adopt and
fully approve the petition, and direct that copies of
the same with sheets of parchment, for the signa-
tures of Europeans and other members of the
Christian community, be left at the Chamber of
Commerce, Trades Association, Masonic Hall,
various libraries, auction marts, hotels, and other
places of public resort.'
" Proposed by Mr. A. T. T. Peterson, and
seconded by Mr. John N. Ballen,—"rhat the
following ventlemen be appointed to carry out the
views of ' this meeting Grant, D. Malkinlay,
D. C. Mackey, L. Clarke, R. Doyne, A. B• M'lntesh,
W. H. Abbott, James Church, jun., Sir A. D W.
Larpent, Bart , A. T. T. Petersop, and Seth Apenr,
with powers to add to their number, and three oi
such members should form a quorum.'
" Agrecd to unanimously.
'4 Proposed by Mr. A. T. T. Peterson, seconded
by Mr. Seth Apcar,--• That the petition be intrusted
to Mr. Henry Mead, and that the committee be
authorized to make arrangements with that gen-
tleman. for his services, and to .receive subscrip-
tions for defraying his expenses, and otherwise
carrying out the object of the petition.
'f Agreed to unanimously.
"Proposed by Mr. W. Grant, seconded by Mr.
D. C. Mackey,—' That the thanks of the meeting
be given to the chairman,' which was agreed to
unanimously.
" A subscription list was circulated at the meet-
ing, and liberally responded to."

DELAY OF INDIAN NEWS.

MALTA, Sept. 15.

Had proper arrangements been made, a great saving in
time might have been effocted in the transmission of the
last Bombay mail (15th August) from Egypt to England.
On its arrival at Suez there was no steamer to convey it
on, as the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
had to wait for the arrival of the Calcutta mail, not ex-
pected for some days. It was therefore sent on in the
first French steamer that happened to be going to Malta.
On its arrival there, her Majesty's ship Wanderer, in a
rew hours, started with a telegraph for Cagliari, the most
rigid measures being taken to prevent the agents of the
press sending anything to the Loudon papers. The
Wanderer had fine weather, and will, it is hoped
make a fine passage ; still our government ought to caus-
the passage to be made in much less time than Reis pos-
sible for the Wanderer to make it in. She is not built for
speed so much as for war purpeses ; and what is required is
speed. We are right, we believe, in stating that her Majes-
ty's ship Wanderer has never made the passage at a quick( r
rate than Eight knots the hour, an 1 generally averaged
much less, on one occasion being some fifty hours on her.
passage. All the summer months the weather is fine, the
sea smooth, and at all times it must he comparatively an
easy passage to make. Why, then, does not. the govern-
ment, with all the magnificent steamers at their disposal,
cause the passage to be made, at all times, at a not less
speed than twelve knots from Malta to Cagliari. If the
government cannot do it, there would be no difficulty in
getting a private company to do. it, for it is easy of
accomplishment. At a time when the news from India is
of such vast importance, would it not be advisable for
the government to put on two such vessels as the Caradoc
and Banshee to convey the telegraph from Egypt to
Cagliari, by which, with common management, from five
to seven days would be save i on each mail from Egypt to
England ? The writer of this has calculated all the pros
and:cons, and is acquainted with the subject, and feels
confident of its being of easy accomplishment.
Let a fast steamer always be ready at Alexandria to
start for Cagliari the instaet that the telegraph can be
obtained from Sucz, and start direct for that port, and
permit the press, or their agents, also to send their
despa' &les.
The government of the country will in every way
benefit by this, for the agents of the newspapers will
I always manage to obtain more news than the governeuent
servants, who are iu no way qualified for it—have no
zeal, for to them it is a matter of indifference, not being iu
tact within the sphere of their duty.
Their real object, in truth, is to prevent the agents of
the press sending any news to their London employers—
much more than it is to obtain news for government.
If the steamers were thrown open to the agents of the
London newspapers, it would be speedily seen how inucfi
better and fuller information they sent to England than
the servants of government, and this would expose their
own shortcomings, to avoid which they do all in their
power (and unfortunately they have the power) to retard
the newspaper correspondents sending the information
they obtain. This is more generally the case with the
understrappeys than with the principals.
By their opposition and jealousy they succeed in retard-
ing the news for England, or send it in such a mangled
Mate as to be almost unintelligible. It is the people of
England, the people interested in India, those who have
their dearest ties there, that suffer by this ; and surely
the government de not wish this iniquitous system to
continue.

VV
....
On the late occasion, had the Caradoc started with the
telegraph news from Aleianiria to Ca;liari as goon as
the Bombay mail arrived at Baez, the news wouli, doubt-
less, have reached England five days earlier•

SUCCOUR FOR INDIA.

SOUTIIAMPFON, Sept. 20.

The following are the steamsrs belonging to the Penin-
sular and Oriental Compauy, now in the Indian Sals,
which have been employed by the Gjvernment for the
conveyance of troop in the Persian war, and which are
now, no doubt, available for the conveyance of troops
from Suez to Calcutta :

Names of Ships. Tonnage. Horse-power.
Precursor
Oriental ... l,800
Puttinger
Malta
Chusan
Azof .
Manilla

The Ripon, which left. to-lay with the Indian mail, will
take 200 infantry troops from Malta to Alexandria, to be
sent to India through Egypt. The Indian mail packet
Colombo, which leaves here on the 4th proximo, and the
Australian mail packet Australasian, which leaves 'this
port on the 12th proximo, will, it is expected, take out
several hundred troops, each for the same destination and
route. Two regiments have already been sent to Alex-
andria,. _ . .

The Ripon, which left here to-day, took out 134 passen-
rers. Amongst them were Colonels Bentitick, Benson,
B Taylor; and Franks ; Lieutt n in'-Colonels Hagart,
Spottis wood, Salmon, and Wears ; Majors Black, Rose,
and Roberts; Cap►ains Goff, Gordon, Parr, Robinson,
Rownc, Francis, Niblott, Price, Thompson. Gossett,
Morton, Veung, Ayrton, and Lecken. Sir William Reid,
the governor of: Malta, also went out in.the. Ripen.
Amongst her cargo was specie to the value of £663,986.
In consequence of her carrying troops, the paasengers for
India vi/ Marseilles will not join the Ripon, but will be
taken to. Alexandria
,in the Marseilles and Malta mail
packet.