The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-31 00:00:00

INDIA.

We have received our letters and newspapers
from Calcutta to Feb. 22. The following is an ex-
tract from the Overland Friend of India :
For the future of India the most important event
of the fortnight is the introduction of the Hon. Mr.
Ritchie's bill to punish by penal damages in the civil
court all breaches of contract committed in bad faith.
The bill was referred to a select committee after a
very long debate, which resembled those that gave
interest to the proceedings of Lord Dalhousie's legis-
lature. Unlike Mr. Beadon's measure, extinguished
by Sir Charles Wood, Mr. Ritchie's bill applies to
all kinds of contract. As Mr. Laing expressed it,
the principle of both is the same, that breach of con-
tract tainted with fraud should be criminally
punished whether the contract related to indigo or
cotton. Even the opponents of the bill acknowledge
that it is of so "mild and gentle" a character as to
be more favourable to the repudiator of an engage-
ment than to the capitalist. The phrases " bad
faith," "reasonable excuse," and "substantial con-
sideration," all of which must be proved by a plain-
tiff to the satisfaction of the court, are defined so
much in favour of the repudiator, that a crotchety
judge would seem to be invested with power to de-
feat the object of the bill. Its great recommenda-
tion is that it will either stop altogether or greatly
mitigate the curse of all mercantile transactions in
India—cash advances. This it does by refusing to
take cognisance of any cases except those in which
a substantial consideration, in cash or otherwise, has
been given by the capitalist. If its provisions are
found strict by the peasant or artisan, he can avoid
them by contracting without any consideration at
all. And from the security given by the bill the
capitalist will be able to make advances, where
demanded, at low rates of interest, and may thus
drive out of the market the usurious money-lender
and zemindar, who think 50 per cent. too trifling
interest on the money they advance to the ryots to
enable them to raise their crops.
OfAssam, Cherrapoonjee,and Sylhet we have little
to report. Gen. Showers, who commands the divi-
sion, has left for the scene of operation, with another
native regiment, the 33d, from Barrackpore. The
last telegram reports :--" Magistrate of Sylhet
writes that Lieutenant Udny and his party are all
safe. Major Rowlatt writes up to 12th February
that only four stockapded villages are taken and
burnt.l LOur loss two killed and 17 wounded.
Rebels' loss 15 killed ; number of wounded un-
known. The rebels still hang together in large
bodies. A few have returned to their homes, but
none as yet have surrendered or been captured." In
Sumbulpore matters are at last quiet, and Major
Rattray, who was commanding the force of mili-
tary police, has left. The greatest haunt of Tantia
Topee and the rebel chiefs of Central India in
1858-59 was the Lullutpore jungle. We have in-
telligence that on the 7th inst., Duriaow Sing, the
Thakoor outlaw, was killed at his ancestral village
of Deeram ,in this district, by the military police
and the detachment of the Bareilly -fevy stationed
at the thannah of Murowra. He set fire to his but
so that, according to RAjpoot honour, he and his
...tkighLretisb... together. flames were
somewhat subdued his body was dragged out, and
it was discovered that a bullet in the head had
killed him. His death will tend greatly to settle
thii,part of the country, which he and other outlaws
have kept in a disturbed state since the mutiny.
Only two other Thakoors now remain in out-
lawry, Davee Sing and Gundrup Sing, a relation of
Duriaow. Gradually in Central India and at Sum-
bulpore, the last relics of the mutineers are being
picked up. None but Asiatic freebooters and muti-
neers would have so long maintained a desperate
and hopeless contest.

CALCUTTA COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
CALCUTTA, FED. 18,

On the 10th inst. we received via Bombay, the telegram
of the 18th January mail; and private telegrams to the 25th
January were received on the 11th. The steamer Candia
with the mails of the 10th January, arrived here on the
14th. The Bombay Express delivered the mails of the
18th January on the 16th inst. The telegram of the 26th
January mail come to hand, via Gallo, on the evening of
the 21st inst.

MONEY MARKET.—The rapid decrease in the available
balances of the Bank of Bengal has induced the directors to
advance the late 1 per cent all round. The amount of un-
employed capital in the hands of other banks and capitalists
has been also very considerably reduced, and an improved
demand is evident.