The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-01 00:00:00

OVERLAND MAIL

INDIA.
We have received from Marstilles our dispatches
in advance of the overland mail.
India continues perfectly tranquil throughout its
whole extent; the subjugation of the Punjaub is now
considered so complete that the Court of Directors
have thrown open the ranks of the army to all classes
of population, Seikhs, Hindoos, and Mussulmana.
The regiments stationed in the country of the five
rivers are ordered henceforth to be recruited wholly
from the Punjaub, and the measure is generally con-
sidered a politic one. The predatory hill tribes of
the Affghan border will probably long continue to be
ur.quiet neighbours to the garrison of so rich a pro-
vince as Peshewur. The passes through their coun
try are still unsafe, but a strong outpost which has
been established between Kohat and the salt mines
appears to have had a geod effect in overawing its
neighbourhood.
The health of the troops in the Punjaub and Upper
India is very slightly, if at all, improved. Of the
garrison of Lahore, consisting of 7,471 rank and
tile, 1,192 were in hospital at the date of the last re
port published. One regiment, the Ist European
Fusiliers, had then 396 out of 819 in hospital, and
the 71st Native Infantry had moved from Peshawur
into camp at Chumkunee, a few miles on the Atok
road, with 600 men in hospital. In the Delhi
Gazette of the 23d of November it is stated that the
three regiments there stationed are totally dis-
organized for all purposes of discipline by the pre-
vailing malady, which appears to be low intermittent
fever, occasionally accompanied with dysentery.
During the months immediately succeeding the
rainy season fever is always very prevalent in
India, and this is, as might be expected, more par-
ticularly the case in districts lying low and subject
to inundation, but as the surface of the country is
now every day becoming drier, and the weather
colder, the health of the troops may be expected to
improve daily. It is a fact well known in India that
all newly-established stations are (as those in Sinde
were) proverbially unhealthy for the first few years
of their occupation, and this is generally attributed to
the defective or incomplete state of their barrack ac-
commodation. There is no reason, therefore, for
supposing that the stations in the Punjaub will
eventually prove unhealthy. They have hitherto
been remarkably free from cholera, dysentery, and liver
disease, and the number of deaths appears very small
in proportion to the large number at present in the
hospital.
Sir Charles Napier presented new colours to his
regiment (her Majesty's 22d) at Dugshai, on the
18th of November. He was to have left that station
on the 21st for Ferozepore, where he will remain till
the arrival of his successor is announced, when his
Excellency embarks on the Sutlej for Kurrachee and
Bombay.
The Bombay and the Bengal railways are both
progressing satisfactorily ; contracts have been con-
cluded for the construction of 40 miles of the latter,
and tenders are to be invited for from 60 to 80 miles
more. The Postal Inquiring Commissioners of the
three Presidencies have now sent in their several re-
ports, and are about to meet at Calcutta to confer
with each other and the Supreme Government as to
the measures to be finally adopted. In the course of
the inquiry it has been ascertained that in the Bom-
bay Presidency the post free packets, franked " on
service" by the servants of Government who enjoy
that right, constitute 70 per cent. of the total weight
of the mails. The newspapers, which scarcely pay
for their own carriage, 20 per cent., and the private
letters only 10 per cent.
The court-martial on Major Barth/man have found
him guilty of " disgraceful conduct," in endeavouring
to seduce the wife of a brother officer, and sentenced
him to be cashiered, which sentence has been con-
firmed by Sir Charles Napier.
Mr. M'Chlery has been removed from his appoint-
ment to Benares by the Lieutenant-Governor of Agra,
who states that he is altogether unable either to in-
vestigate or punish Mr. MtChlery's participation in
the late affair of marked cards, and that his removal
is therefore only intended as a punishment fur his no-
torious habit of gambling.
The Indian press, with the single exception of the
Delhi Gazette, is unanimous in condemning the con-
duct of Government with reference to the claims of
the great army contractor, Jottee Persand.
Affairs continue in state quo in the Nizam's do-
minions. Shams-0011-Oomrah, " the light of nobles,"
has continued firm in his refusal of the Ministry,
but has suggested to the Nizam measures which, if
adopted and effectively carried out, would at once re-
lieve him of his difficulties. He has recommended a
forced contribution or property-tax from all his
Highness's wealthy officials and subjects who have in
his service acquired that wealth by means fair or
foul. A list of contributors has been made out,
showing a result of 45 lacs. Were this plan effec-
tively pursued, and another also, proposed by
Shams-001-Oornrah, and at the time acquiesced in
by the Nizam—viz., the sale of a portion of his
jewels, amounting to 50 lacs, his Highness's debt
to the East India Company would be more than
liquidated; but neither these nor any other
remedial measures are likely to be carried out effec-
tively, while the Nizam continues to retain in his
own hands the functions of the Ministry. .He at
present consults with everybody, from the first
nobleman of his realm to menials of the lowest grade,
male or female; resolving on the adoption of certain
measures one day, and abandoning them on the next.
The levying of the contributions recommended by
Shams-001-Oomrah is being carried on in a most de-
sultory manner, and greatly shorn of its fair propor-
tions. Contributors assessed at 1 lac (10,0001.), by
bribery of male and female menials, get off for a
payment of less than one-fifth of that amount. All
profess willingness to pay, but nothing is heard of
any actual payments ; at any rate, nothing has been
recived in the Residency Treasury in payment of the
great debt to the company.
The Madras Spectator says it is now no longer a
matter of speculation, but an admitted certainty, that
his Excellency Sir eorge Berkeley has tendered his
resignation of this command, considering it deroga-
tory on his part, as a senior officer, to serve under Sir
William Gomm.
The Buckinghamshire, with Sir G. Anderson,
C. 8., on board, anchored off Ceylon on the 7th of.
November. Sir George landed as a private indivi-
dual, and will continue to remain so until the arrival
of the Royal Commission, which was expected by the
ensuing mail.
Mr. 11. B. Frere, of the Bombay Civil Service, is
appointed Commissioner of Sinde, but is not as yet
gazetted.
The Mahomedan festival of the Mohorum occa-
sions among that sect in India a degree of fanatic
religious excitement which frequently occasions loss
of life in the cities of the native states. In the Com-
pany's territories the armed processions are not
allowed, and the population is generally kept
in check during the festival by precautionary mea-
sures on the part of the police authorities. Not
withstanding such precautions, four men have been
set upon and cut to pieces during the recent Moho-
rum at Bombay. The affair rose out of a schism
in a sect of Mahomedane called Kojahs, who had
a club-house in a suburb of Bombay called Mahim.
The Kojahs were converted to Mahomedanism about
two centuries since by a Persian Prince, an alleged
descendant of whom (Aga Khan) has recently arrived
at Bombay, and set himself up as head of the sect,
which he has endeavoured to lay under contribution.
About half the sect have acquiesced in his claims, the
other half resist them. The Aga's followers have
long been anxious to dispossess their rivals of the
upper room in their joint club-house at Mishit!), and
during the great day of the Mohorum, while the bulk
of the population and all of the police were engaged
in the procession of the Taboots to the sea-beach, a
body of the Aga's followers, some of them armed with
swords, proceeded to the club-house and literally
hacked' to pieces four of the chief men of the opposite
party whom they found there. The coroner's inquest
have returned a verdict of " Wilful murder" against
20, 19 of whom are in custody, and have been com-
mitted for trial.
The Nepaulese Ambassador left Bombay for Cal.
cutta on the 23d of November, and the Bishop of
Madras sailed for his diocese on the 25th.
Sir Jemsetjee Jeejeebhoy has offered to erect a
lying-in hospital at his own cost, and on ground he
also gives for the purpose, immediately adjoining his
noble institution the Jemsetjee Hospital. Sir Jem-
setjee's contributions to charitable objects during the
last ten years have probably more than quadrupled
those of any other of the Queen's subjects.
Lord Falkland, with his family and staff, arrived at
Bombay from the Mahabuleshwar hills on the 25th of
November. The cold season has commenced in earnest,
and promises to be a very pleasant one.
The China mails arrived in Bombay on the 24th of
November. The rebellion in the vicinity of China
had not as yet produced any serious results, but her
Majesty's ship Phhiethon and the United States man-
of-war Marion have been moored off the factories for
their protection, if required. The reports on this
subject are very contradictory ; nothing seems certain
concerning the acts or intentions of the rebels, ex-
cepting that they levy a tax on the tea-boats and other
Produce of the interior on its way to the Customs. It
however, stated, and generally believed, that the
Commissioner Seu had attempted to effect a pacifica-
tion by distributing money (100,000 dolls.) amongst
them, and that 3,000 troops he had sent against the
insurgents had fraternized with them.
The Rustorejee Cowasjee is still missing. It is
generally supposed that, after being disabled by the
gale, she fell into the hands of pirates. This sup-
position J. grounded on, the fact of 1,500 cheats of