The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 11, 1863.

MINNOW.
is in every way commend' fth(i bw, are not sot ry i lATEST INTELLIGENCE.
that an Address, siglied by many influential names,
should have
r''Ssive of the general satisfaction
Government exp yesterday presented to the ?tali:
of Ose passing of a law likely to
atb e
the
fruitfulp r es, prevention ond
isastrotsa results. The noblemen
and gentlemen whose names are affixed to the
address, after thanking the Secretary of State for
objecting to the draft of the new law, go on to say
that they deprecate such legislation as injurious to
the best interests of India, and contrary to sound
principle. It is evident that at an epoch when the
condition of the debtor in England has been so
greatly ameliorated, the harshness of regarding a
debtor as a criminal in any other part of her
MAJESTY'S dominions is open to the charge of in-
consistency, as well as of cruelty. The evil results
likely to follow from the adoption of the proposed
measure, the oppression, the injustice, the tyranny
which it will encourage, are strongly dwelt upon
by the framers of the address. The great hardship
of the case lies in the relative position of planter
and ryot. The abject condition of the tenant
classes in Bengal—two-thirds of them being
unable to read or write, and totally devoid
of means—places them entirely at the mercy of their
landlords, and if these choose to become creditors also
they arc not in a position to reject the proposed
advance. There is doubtless much dishonesty and
trickery practised by the ryots, but the remedy for
this evil should surely be found in simplifying
and economizing the working of the law, not by
adding the terrors of crimnal law to civil jurisdic-
tion. The draft act presented for consideration was
we are told, especially designed for such contracts
as aro entered into between. British planters and
Bengal ryots. But, surely, this is not the way to
encourage the cultivation of land under British
auspices or to render the native tiller of
the soil ready to work under English influence.
The sentence of imprisonment with hard labour
would always be an unduly severe one for a civil
offence, but in the present instance it is the more
harsh that the ryots are confessedly admitted not to
freo agents. If either party to a contract is not
wholly a free agent, says the address, the weaker
one will inesitably seek to escape from the burden
by any possible evasion. It is not, of course, pos-
sible that the law can be expected to tolerate
the non - fulfilment of contracts, but if
the punishment for the offence is so dis-
proportionately severe, it affords encourage-
ment to those capitalists who, for their own in-
terests, would force the ryot into an inequitable
contract and bind him to strain every nerve for its
fulfilment to avoid the terrors of the new law. Such
legislation as this is not the way to consolidate our
Indian Empire ; it in not the way to render our
dominion and our countrymen popalar ; still less is
it the way to hurry forward that extension of
commerce, and that development of the resources of
India, so desired on both sides of the Pacific.
Surely our legislators are capable of adapting the
means at their disposal to just and temperate deal-
ing with these contract cases or, if not, this among
other points of our Indian administration will pro-
bably be brought under the consideration of Par-
liament.

[REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.]

FRANCE.

PARIS, FEB. 11.

In the Chamber of Deputies yesterday, after the
speeches of MM. Keller and Granier de Cassagnac
in favour of Rome, M. Billault replied to M. Favre.
" He said it was easy to prove that the Italian
policy of France was neither powerless nor equi-
vocal. It was requisite that the interest of France
should be the first matter of consideration, and
not the Italian or the Catholic interest. Those in-
terests should be protected by France. She could
never suffer the Pope to be a slave. France also
desires to protect religious interests as a social right.
The interest of France requires tranquillity upon
her frontiers, and if she only consulted her ad-
vantage she would prefer a federation of '
Italian States, but France had raised no
opposition to the unity of Italy." M.
Billault next inquired whether Rome was
necessary to Italy. He said that, to France,
Rome represented one of the foundations of the
independence of the Holy See. Rome, as the
capital of Italy, is of secondary interest to France.
The speaker then proceeded to show that France
had never promised Rome to the Italians, citing
documentary evidence, and stating that the course
of policy now pursued was alw lys the same.
Recalling what France has done for Italy, he said
that the political and religious interests of
France are opposed to the abandonment
of Rome. Until, therefore, a liberal and
politic combination was discovered, France
could not sacrifice herself to a single pretension.
Alluding to the position of England in the Italian
question, M. Billault recalled the uncertain attitude
taken up by that Power in the beginning, and said
that England, at a later period, strongly recom-
mended Italy to keep away from Venice. In 1860
England made propositions, by accepting which the
French would have left Rome, and Austria would
have remained mistress of Italy. Were the French
to leave Rome, the Pope would be enabled to ask
assistance of Austria, and France, having guarded
Rome herself, would be unable to offer any opposi-
tion. M. Billault did not believe that Piedmont
would then be able to resist alone, and concluded—.
" Italy has before her two different courses. She
can make an appeal to revolution or lean upon
France while completing her organisation. The
Emperor will continue to labour at reconciling
Italy and the Pope. He will bring to the task the
greater perseverance the more the passive resistance
he has to encounter, convinced that in that direction
lies the interest of Italy and the interest of the
Pope, assured that to that end is directed the desires
of the Catholic world, and, above all, the prayers of
France."

14; Cape Palmas, 16; Sierra 1.::one, 21; Bathurst,
25; Tenerife, 31st ult,; and Madeira, 2d inst.

She brings 27 passenger:, 2,BJlez. of gold dust,
and a very full cargo.
In consequence of the "smokers," the steamer
was unable to communicate with Catneroons or
Old Calabar.

Don Pantaloon had arrived at Fernando Po on
an exploring expedition.
Two large fires had taken place at Lagos, one
of which destroyed over 200 houses.
The King of Cape Coast Castle is dead.
Yellow fever was disappearing from Teneriffe.