The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-23 00:00:00

OVERLAND MAIL

INDIA.
(From the Bombay Timm.)
SUMMARY. The advancing season brings the
usual phenomena of increasing temperature and
its concomitants along with it, and movements,
singularly sluggish before, are not likely to be in-
creased in their energy or vivacity with the thermo-
meter in the sun at 150 deg., or in the shade at 90
deg. The most important items of our intelligence
continue to be commercial. Judgment has been given in
the Supreme Court at Calcutta in favour of the
validity of post-bills issued to the extent of above a
million sterling, by the Union Bank. Though not
only not recognised by the charter, but in contravention
of its provisions, the existence of post-bills was known
to the shareholders—their issue was acquiesced in by
their accepting a share of the profits realised on them,
and their validity was believed in by those who accepted
e
of them, and therefore in equity they are held valid. Tat.
soundness of the views of the Court seem generallyquiesced in, though at variance with the opinionsor
extend
previ-
ously given by counsel. This will maintain
the responsibilities of the shareholders in
a.proportionion as it
protects the interests of the bill-owners. The ppects
the share-
of the bank seem to darken on every side •
holders hold back in stolid apathy, while the
Creditors are
beginning to push their claims with relentless determina-
tion. The debtors of the bank, and those who
.have lite-
rally made away with a couple of millions of its funds,
d with a gentleness and forbearance which
acoie
ntrtasretate singularly with the warmth with which the un-
happy shareholders are urged on. Mr. Ayrton, attor-
ney, has been sent rour d by the Commercial Bank of
Bombay, to insist on early payment of the 40,0001. of
its funds appropriated to their own uses by the
Union Bank wheu sent to them for the purchase
of bills ou England. The members of the Cal-
cutta Bar have unanimously refused to hold briefs
along .with Sir Thomas Turton, one of those most
deeply implicated in the bank transactions. Sir
Thomas was, it may be remembered, secretary to Lord
Durham in Canada in 1838. He was a barrister of much
repute and high practice. Shortly after his return to
India he became Ecclesiastical _Registrar of the Su-
preme Court, with a salary of 6,0001. a year.
While in this position he speculated largely with
the funds committed to his charge—the deficit amounting
to some 50,000/. On these coming to light he resigned
his appointment, with a view of resuming practice at
the bier, ween his brethren refused to accept of briefs
along with him. Mr. Gre.nt.;son of the late Chief jus-
tice Sir John Peter Grant, seems to be in not much
Bette: favour, and for kindred reasons. The firm of
Carr, Tagore, and Co., of Calcutta, have become insol-
vent. The liabilities of the house amount to 254,6201.,
and the assets to 290,2951. Inability to meet present
demands upon them has been the cause of the
firm . suspending business.—The error in the Act
(No. VI. of 1847) repealing the duties on all
goods .4hippedefrem •port to port in the Company's
dominions, has been detected and amended, as we ex-
pected that it would. The Act is now in operation.
—The houses of Barlow and Co. and H. Adam and Co.,
at the Mauritius, have declared themselves insolvent.
Their liabilities respectively are 337,965 dollars and
2,378,293 dollars, _ and assets 107,800 dollars and
1,043,580 'dollari.—lslam Khan, the Boegtie Chief, who
surrendered himself in September last after the brilliant
action of Lieut. Merewether, and who had been located
by Government on the rich lands near Larkanah,
has fled with his family to the hills. He is expected to
be joined by all the members of his tribe, and it is
apprehended that he may give us souse trouble on the
AwfissrHgrealunanitientnilllgnEttileutgepg:
prietor, Mr. Von Geyer, late clerk in the Commissariat,
having been placed in confinement on suspicion of pecu-
lation from Government. Some improper allusions
having ten months since got into our paper through
inadvertence in reference to this gentlemen, he was
allowed some months' leave from the late Governor
of Sinde that he might proceed to Bombay and
prosecute the Bombay Times. Every reparation that
could be desired having been voluntarily made
the instant it was discovered that injury had been
done, the idea of legal proceedings was dropped,
much to the disappcintment of Lbw who had encquraged
ite---Sindenthroughnnt has become for the:present trans-
formed from one of the most sickly to one of the most
salubrious of the provinces we possess ; it still re-
quires . seventeen thousand men to guard it. The
Commissioner, Mr. Pringle, returned two days since to
the Presidency on domestic affairs—he and his family will
shortly return to Kurrachee.—The Dewan of Mooltan is
said to' have agreed to surrender to the Lahore State the
lease by which he at present holds this very valuable
districta:L-Mr. Vans Agnew was to proceed thither, Capt.
Lumsden joining him from Peshawur. Her Majesty's
10th Regiment of Foot had moved into the new barracks
built for them at Anarkullee. The weather was warm,
but the health of the troops was excellent.—A public
meeting, numerous and respectable almost without
precedent, took place in the Town Hall on the sth for
the inauguration o!' the Mechanics' Institute lately estab-
lished amongst us. The Chief Justice, Sir Erskine
Perry, presided, and delivered a very excellent address
on the occasion. '1 he other speakers were Professor
Giraud, Mr. Crawford, barrister, Mr. Conybeare, civil
engineer, Lieut. Burke, Mint engineer, Dr. Buist, Dr.
Downes, Deputy Assay Master Mint, Archdeacon
Jetferies, andahe Rev. Drs. Stevenson and Wilson. Go-
vernment and the community generally, have done
everything in their power to promote the interests of
this promising and praiseworthy institution; the Chief
Justice has subscribed 100/. to its funds. • Some discus-
sion has occurred on the subject of uniting the institu-
tion with the Native General Library, an admirable
institution, over whose. interests the Chief Justice also
presides; to us it appears that the two are much more
likely to be useful separately than combined.
A subsciption for a testimonial to Lord Hardin e is
presently in progress throughout the northern division
of the Bombay army. Upwards of 1 0004 has in the
courso of the past fortnight been subscribed in the
Bombay presidency to the fund for the reliefof the
family of the late Captain Stokoe, murdered by the con-
victs under his charge while commanding the ship
General Wood.
The troops have been directed to withdraw from the
hill country during the 'sickly season. His Highness
the Raja of Sattara died on the sth instant, in the 46t1:
year of his age; he had occupied the throne since the
deposition of his brother in 1839, and ruled wisely and
well. He leaves no heirs behind him, and the country
lapses to the British . Government : its net revenues
amount to 150,0004 a year. It will for the present, it is
understo6ci, be placed under a Commission.