The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-16 00:00:00

poiice version of the matter upholds this theory.
But it appears from the testimony of European
eye-witnesses, that the unfortunate wretches
flung themselves under the wheels, and the
shouting crowds around them testified to the
same effect. The chief part of the festival
is the progress of the immense cars, of which
most persons in this country have seen some kind
of representation. They are about 60 feet high,
built in four storeys, and are moved on six wheels.
They are drawn by means of ropes which the fanatics
eagerly dispute the honour of dragging, and being
crowded with the Brahmins of various degrees who
escort the idols are of no light weight. It certainly
would not seem to a European to be a very attrac-

tive mode of committing suicide, to be cru3hed

beneath the wheels of this slowly advancing mon-
ster. There have been not a few distraught mortals
among ourselves who have flung away life and care
before an express train, but the swiftness and cers
tainty of the death might not be without its fasol-
nation. The suicide remains to be found who
would prostrate himself before an omnibus. The
worst part of the affair is, that it affords us another
proof of how strong a hold the fanaticism of their
creed still has over the Hindoo mind, and it shows
us how much yet remains to be done of our most
important task, It is well to introduce English
capital and enterprise, to encourage commerce and
stimulate the dormant energies of the people by
opening fresh channels for industry and developing
the resources of the country, but England's work in
India remains incomplete while such spectacles are
possible. Our public works, when fully carried
out, are likely to prove substantial blessings to
many an Indian generation. The parched and
famine-stricken lands will gather fresh verdure and
fertility from the waterworks projected by English
science; the trader and agriculturist will send his
goods down the canal on the highway which Eng-
lish enterprise has opened to him ; while the
marvels of steam and electricity will bring their
blessings to the people ; but so long as suttee, in-
fanticide, and human sacrifices form part of the
Hindoo code, our task will not be done. There is
nothing more difficult than to uproot an ancient
faith, and to substitute a new one in its place ; but,
as the old Latin adage tells us, " truth is great and
must prevail." It is the ignorance of the Hindoos
that is the stronghold of their superstition, and as
the advancing tide of civilisation removes the bul-
wark, the fanaticism itself must surely give way.
Our duty as a Government is, undoubtedly, to leave
the work to time and tolerance, not to interfere
harshly or violently with native prejudice. But
we have manifestly a right, in the maintenance of
public order, to repress with the strong hand of the
law such atrocities as those of the Juggernaut pro-
cession, the suttee, and others which offend our
national code of Christian morality. It is to be
hoped that :or the future the authorities will watch
the proceedings of Juggernaut and his votaries a i

little more closely, and make some person, or per
ions, responsible for the proper and orderly conduct
of the great procession of the cars.

The Last Year of the Old Fire Insurance
Duty,

As the year 1863 was the last in which the uni-
form duty of 3s per cent. was levied for the whole
period, the Parliamentary return on this subject,
just issued, has a special interest. From it we find
that the Sun is the largest insurance company hav-
ing its principal office in London, and the Royal is
the largest whose chief establishment is in the pro-
vinces. The next companies is order of magnitude
to the Sun and the Royal are the Pl:ccaix and the
London and Liverpool. The amount paid by all the
London companies was £999,971, and by all the
country ones £715,152 ; the total being £55,207 in
excess of the previous year. This inerecee is, how-
ever, very unequally distribated among the different
offices, some having contributed a material advance
of business, and others showing a decrease. The
largest increase is again exhibited, as in several
previous years, by the Royal Insurance Company,
which, indeed, figures for nearly one-fourth of the
whole. Of course, the year 1861 will show a great
diminution in the duty collected by all the insurance
companies, as the reduced rate on stock commenced
in April of this year.
Annexed is a table of the respective increases and
decreases in the duty payments of all the offices for
1863 as compared with 1862:

INCREASES.
Royal £12,934 8 10
L'pool London.lo,7lo 5 2
North British and
Mercantile .... 7,981 1 5
London Lancas 6,01) 17 7
Queen 4.897 1 4
Commercial Union 4.363 15 5
Northern
Imp rial
Alliance 2,505 11 5
County
Phcenix..
Law ... 1,71512 8
Scottish Union
London
General 1,020 11 8
Provincial
Law Union 9lO 10 9
Royal Exchange 702 1 0
Hand in Hand
Caledonian ....• 663 16 7
Scottish Provincial 550 15 g
Yorkshire 605 16 7
B.rmingham .... 320 2 4
Lancashire
Leeds & Yorksh re 315 2 8
Midland Counties 140 18 9
Globe
Kent
District
Royal Farmers

Church of En;land £177 11 5
Guardian
Scottish National l5O 11 3
Sheffield
Essex and Suffolk 12) 2 8
Norwich Union
Manchester 1.,9 16 2
Tcwn and County
(Dundee)
Shropshire and

North Wilts 98 13 R
Volunteer Service 88 7 7
Notts d Derby,. 79 1 t 5
z.alop
Emperor
West of England 36 511
NorwiehEquitable 14 2 2