The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-07 00:00:00

of the jury system. Great excitement prevails in
the usually tranquil Legislative Session of Calcutta,
and a very strong opposition is being organised
against the measure. The feeling of the non-

official world is said to be decidedly adverse to the

proposed change, and now that the merchant and
planter classes have so largely increased, their opin-

ion has more weight than of old. It is undoubtedly

a difficult thing to legislate for a mixed community
like that we govern in India. Not only is there
the difficult and dangerous combination of two
totally different races and religions, but the Euro-

peans have among themselves almost as many divi-

sions as the castes of the Hindoos.

What with the

official, the non-official, the civil and the military,

and even the different branches of the same service,
there are rivalries and antagonisms enough to
puzzle the wisest legislator. There is no doubt that
the settlers have, as, a general rule, been forgetful of
the rights of the native, especially in the earlier
days of our dominion ; neither is there is any doubt

that it is extremely difficult to legislate for natives
who do not obey our moral laws, and to whom
truth and honour are often empty words. Under

these perplexing circumstances the authorities have
not always pursued the wisest possible course, but
we should hope that in the present instance some
compromise might be arrived at. The grand juries
might be retained, whether as an ultimate appeal or
otherwise circumstances might decide, while some
of the inconveniences attending them, according to
the present routine, might be removed. It is always
a pity when a Government feels itself compelled to
carry a measure in face of a determined popular
opposition, and it will be only weakening the na-
tional prestige and authority among the natives to
let them see divisions in the camp of their rulers.
It is a pity, too, to disgust independent English-
men with Indian life, and the great advantage of
securing their presence in the country is worth
some sacrifice, so long as it does not tend to in-
justice and oppression. It is very seldom
that a mixed body of Englishmen offer strenuous
opposition to a measure without some good and
substantial reason, and therefore the Calcutta au-
thorities would do well to give their attentive con-
sideration to the arguments against the bill. From
Bombay we hear that matters are not improving in
Cabul. UFZUL KHAN'S uncle, MAHOMED JAN, has
succeeded in getting together a large army—it is
said, with the view of making an attack upon the
Ameer. The son of UFZUL KHAN has taken refuge
in Bokhara, and the King refuses to surrender him.
Cabul is in an agitated and uncertain condition,
and it is feared that an interference may be neces-
sary before tranquillity is restored. The
Bhootanese affair does not give ground for
much uneasiness, since it is confidently ex-
pected that the enemy will yield before long ;
and even should the submission of the Government
be withheld, the people will, it is thought, put them-
selves under our protection. Our force was to ad-
vance on the Ist of December, in four columns by
the Bhootan Dooars, and it was hoped that a
speedy settlement of the troublesome and vexatious
affair might be looked kir. It reminds us that India is
still in many respects a primitive country, and that
the reign of civilisation is not yet universal, to learn
that the Central Provinces have been suffering very
severely from the depredations of wild beasts, of
which more than 2,000 have been killed during the
past year, all of them more or less dangerous to
human life. The wild elephants are so numerous
that the people have in some places been driven to
abandon their houses and crops, so that the
Zemindars have applied for a reduction of tribute.
Whether the evil has been exaggerated with this
end may be doubted, but it appears to have been
serious. Here is work for idle sportsmen, since,
when life and property are threatened to this ex-
tent, it is time some active steps were taken. The
North-West has suffered from drought, which has
affected the food crop and the indigo crop. We
may hope as the railways are carried out more fully,
and the canal system distributed throughout the
country, that these oppressive and paralysing
droughts may be robbed of much of their dangers.
It is satisfactory to find that some of the native
princes through whose territories it is proposed to
carry the line from Baroda to Indore have given
ready consent to as much land being used as may
be requisite. It is evident that the native mind has
been fully impressed with the marvels of steam
locomotion, and that they are acute enough to com-
prehend the great advantages which it will confer
on the country. The general aspect of affairs is
satisfactory in the North-West, although the small-
pox is raging with great violence in some parts,
despite the introduction of vaccination. We should
suspect that it had not been practised to a full ex-
tent, but that native prejudice or some other reason
has stood in the way.
Ird