The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-25 00:00:00

INDIAN FINANCE.

Mr. GRANT DUFF, in making the annual statement on
the financial position of India, explained that although
the accounts a few years ago shewed a deficit of £2,800,000,
in the year ending March, 1870, the surplus was £120,000,
and in the year which was now ending there would be a
surplus of nearly a million. The receipts last year shewed
an improvement over those of the preceding year of
£638,393, but there had been a decrease £500,000 in the
opium revenue. If the opium duty were removed India
would not be lightened of an impost, but robbed of a
splendid revenue. The income for the past year was
about £51,000,000, and the expenditure rather over
£50,000,000. The country was increasing in wealth, and
peace had prevailed, though under the surface there were
several elements of unrest. The relations with the natives
were friendly and satisfactory, the administration of
justice was improving, and there was no department in
which intelligent natives evinced a greater interest.
The merits of the budget were discussed by Mr. S.
Cave, Mr. Fowler, Sir C. Wingfield, Mr. Eastwick, Mr.
Dickinson, Sir F. Goldsmid, Mr. H. Burke, Sir T.
Bazley, Sir J. Elphinstone, and Mr. Macfie ; after which
Mr. Grant Duff replied, and the accounts were then
ordered to be laid on the table.

The House adjourned at five minutes past twelve
o'clock.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE
POPE.

A blue-book has been published giving remarkable

items of correspondence between our Government and
their officials in Rome, respecting the Roman question, the
existence of which was unknown until now. , Many of
the papers relate to the action taken by Her Majesty's
Government to insure due respect from the Italian
Government for the property of British subjects
in Rome. Upon this subject Sir George Bowyer
says that " the just and truly liberal course "
pursued by her Majesty's Government " deserves
the cordial gratitude of the Roman Catholics of
the United Kingdom." The following instructions in a
dispatch from Lord Granidlle to Mr. Jervoise, the British
representative in Rome, were written when it seemed
possible that the Pope might think it advisable to with-
draw from Rome :—" Foreign Office, August 21, 1870.
Sir:—The withdrawal of the French troops from Rome
may possibly be followed by disturbances which may
endanger the safety of the Pope, or at all events make
him desire to retire elsewhere. It is not improbable that,
in such an extremity, his Holiness may turn his thoughts
towards a temporary refuge in some possession of the
British Crown, and that a communication may be made
to you on his part, in order to ascertain whether
he would be likely there to obtain it. I need scarcely
say that her Majesty's Government have no desire for
such a result, and would not wish spontaneously
to offer to receive the Pope in any place of her
Majesty's dominions ; but at the same time, her Majesty's
Covernment would certainly not refuse, if requested by
the Pope, to afford his Holiness an immediate asylum on
board one of her Majesty's ships of war, and having
ascertained his wishes as to the place he would desire to
proceed to, they would consider how far those wishes, if
they pointed to his temporary residence in any place
within her Majesty's dominions, could properly be com-
plied with. In order to provide for such an emer-
gency a powerful ship of war has been ordered
to proceed at once to Civita Vecchia, with the primary
object of affording protection and a place of refuge for
any subjects of her Majesty who may seek to escape the
dangers which any popular outbreak may threaten them
with. But this ship will also be available as a place of
refuge for the Pope if he should be compelled to seek one,
and on board of it his Holiness would be in safety, and
might securely await the reply of her Majesty's
Government to the expression conveyed to them
through you of his wishes in regard to his i
future movements. I have already telegraphed to you
to this effect, and I now inclose a copy of the instructions
given by the Admiralty to the Commander of the
British ship of war, together with the original
thereof, to be forwarded by a safe messenger to her
Majesty's Consul at Civita Vecchia, who will deliver it
to Captain Salmon on his arrival. The instructions
that I have for your own guidance are as follows :
You will not volunteer any offer to the Pope of an
asylum either on board a British ship of war or in a resi-
dence in her Majesty's dominions; but if any communi-
cation should be made to you on behalf of the Pope, either
by Cardinal Antonelli or some other person speaking
unquestionably at the dictation of his Holiness,
you will make known to him the presence of the
Defence at Civita Vecchia, with orders to receive
him as above stated, and to await the answer of her
Majesty's Government as to the wishes of his Holiness
for his future movements. You will, of course, telegraph
all that may pass on this subject, and, if necessary, send
a special messenger if your despatches are too long to be
compressed into a telegram. You will communicate fully
and confidentially with Captain Salmon on the subject of
this despatch.—l am, &c. (Signed), GRANITILLg." It
does not, however, appear from the despatches that his
Holiness ever expressed, directly or indirectly, any desire
to avail himself of the presence of the Defence at Civita
Vecchia.

On the 22nd September, 1870, Mr. Jervoise wrote
to General Cadorna, of the Italian army, stating that
the Irish College, situated in the Viadi Santa Agate, had
been visited by four or five persons, who required to go
upstairs and examine the apartments, and that, being
refused, they threatened to return in great numbers,
,peaking of this occurrence, Mr. Jervoise remarks to the
General;—" The Irish College being one of the Catholic
ecclesiastical establishments under the protection of the
British Government, the undersigned has the honour to
bring the above circumstance to the knowledge of his
Excellency General Cadorna, and to request that means
may be adopted to secure the inmates of the Irish College
from injury to their persons or property."
A. meeting of Roman Catholic members of Parliament
w3e held on Thursday afternoon, at the residence of
Archbieluop Manning, York-place, London, for the pur-
pose of considering thp propriety of proceeding with a
motion in Parliament O 4 the occupation of Rome by
the King of Italy, of whig 4 Mr. Miles
O'Reilly, the member for Longford, bad given
notice. After some discussion it was resolved that
the matter should be adjourned until after Easter,
ostensibly on the ground that the papers on the subject
haci only just been delivered to Parliament, and that many
Irish meNakcrs would be absent. I, however, says the
correspondent of a contemporary, have reason to think
that the real motive for this step was in order that time
should be afforded to the French Government to take
action in the matter befoie the English Parliament is
awed to express its opinion upon it: • •