The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-16 00:00:00

OVERLAND MAIL

INDIA AND CHINA.
(From the Times.)
We have received by express from Marseilles our
dispatches by the overland mails from Bombay and
Hong-kung, the substance of which appeared a
few days ago, in a telegraphic dispatch from Trieste.
The following is the letter of our correspondent at
oml:pay, dated May 14:—
"India is tranquil throughout. The Governor-
General was to be at Simlah by the 10th or 12th
of May. It was expected that he would thence pro-
ceed to Kunawar, his former residence in the Hima-
layslas, and it is decided that ho visits Calcutta next
cck weather.
"The western frontier of the Punjaub is still
threatened by the cis Indus hill tribes, and there
seems to be no intermisaion of the robberies and
murders committed by those very troublesome neigh-
bours. They have, in tact, been accustomed for ge-
nerations to look upon the plains adjoining their
hills as their own peculiar hunting-ground-, whence
they may periodically obtain by force what nature
has denied them in their mountain fastnesses, and it
cannot be expected that they should all at once desist
from the pursuit of their accustomed and here-
ditary amations. The payment of black mail, in
some parts of the immense line open to their depreda-
tion, has proved a failure ; it has afforded encourage-
ment to those who receive to further acts of aggres-
sion in the live of receiving still more, and to those
who do not, In the belief that the douceur will be
extended to tlem. A hope was entertained, founded
on the necessity of the case, that some decided meat-.
sures would have been organized by the Governor-
General during his stay at Peshawur ; but that hope
has been disappointed, and matters appear to be in
nearly the same position as they were six months
ago, with the exception that more troops are on the
extreme frontier, which has, indeed, been of late
much strengthened by concentrating in the Deejerat,
and in the hill country to the north, near Kobat,
nearly the whole of the troops that were raised for
special service in the Punjaub (and beyond, if neces-
sary), and which were previously scattered over the
face of the country. All the attempts made by the
hilimen have been met and defeated by these new
levies with an uniform determination and success
which will, it is hoped, go some way towards con-
vincing the Beloochee tribes that there is nothing but
hard knocks to be got by invading our territories.
The prevailing opinion, however, on the frontier is,
that military operations against their villages would
have been the quickest way of bringing them to this
way of thinking.
"Government have seen fit to abandon all their re-
maining cases against Jotee Persaud, who is under-
stood to be nevertheless pressing forward his suit
against them in the Supreme Court of Calcutta. I:
will be remembered that 10,000 rupees were illegally
taken from Leila Jotee Perseus(' by the magistrate at
Agra on the ground that he had forfeited the recog-
nisance imposed by the Supreme Court at Calcutta.
These 10,000 rupees are still withheld, on the plea
that it must be considered as a fine to the Court at
Agra. This, if persisted in, is likely to lead to a col-
lision between the Supreme Court and those of the
Company, as it is admitted that the latter have no
right to escheat a recognisance imposed by the former.
" The North West Bank's affairs are again be-
coming a subject for comment in the North West
papers. The lifofussilite, of May 6, contains a report
of the directors of this Bank, which occupies eight
columns of the paper, wherein it is stated that the
estimated deficit in the bank's assets is in round num-
bers eight lacs of rupees or 80,000/.—no inconsider-
able portion of the Lank's capital. The directors re-
commend the shareholders to forego a division of
last year's profits,' and to consent to reduce the no-
minal value of their shares.
" Sir Win. Gomm has purchased a house at Sim-
lab, and it is understood that be intends to make that
sanitarium his residence during his term of service in
India.
" The sheriff's officers, who illegally seized and
carried off Mr. Aratoon for debt from the French ter-
ritory of Chandernagore, have been tried by the Su-
preme Court at Calcutta, and seatenced to fine and
imprisonment.
" There have been storms of rain and hail through-
out the north-west provinces, in Bengal and at
Madras. Near Calcutta the hailstones were of the
size of hen's eggs and did much damage. The rain
bas, however, everywhere tempered the heats of May
very agreeably ; and at Madras has been most season-
able in filling some of the tanks and relieving the
inhabitants from a scarcity of water, which was be-
ginning to be severely felt.
" The Ardaseer, a Bombay vessel trading between
this port and the east, was destroyed at sea by fire on
the night of Thursday, the 10th of April, about 100
miles off Penang.
" No alteration has taken place in the condition of
the Nizam's territories since the dispatch of the last
overland mail.
" The murderer of Lieutenant Johnstone, of the
3d Madras Cavalry, is still at large, and the officers
of the regiment have offered a reward of 1,000 rupees
for his apprehension.
" At Bombay the event of the fortnight has been
the discovery of the perpetrators of the robbery of
Bank of Bombay notes, committed at the Oriental
Bank on the Bth of February last. The principal
culprit is a young Parsee of very good family, named
Dorabjee Hormasjee, the author of a book of tables
(the " Oriental Calculator") universally used in
India. The most unlimited confidence had always
been placed in him, and he was never suspected in
the slightest degree. An attempt on his part to sell
the stolen notes to native money brokers led to his
detection. The Parsees bare hitherto enjoyed a
very high character for honesty, and Dorabjee's de-
linquency is felt to be a misfortune to their whole
caste,
" The commission for investigating the frauds
committed in the collection of the municipal taxes
under Government officers, has finished its labours.
The result is unsatisfactory ; for though it has been
clearly made out that all the native employs are
rogues, and that the public have been defrauded of
a very considerable amount, the only evidence (that
of the culprits) is so contradictory that there is little
chance of succeeding in legal proceedings against
any of them individually. The inquiry has disclosed
an amount of " laxity in business matters, on the
part of various public person• of distinction," incon-
ceivable even iu India. A. native of exceedingly
damaged character was given, without authority
from Government, and on the understanding that he
was to act without remuneration, the supreme charge
over the collections, and while so employed became
the private cash-keeper of a magistrate of police,
whose orders for money drawn upon him became
most disagreeably mixed up with vouchers for the
disposal of these public funds.
" Lord Falkland is detained at Bombay by the
pressure of public business.
" No requisition has as yet arrived for troops for
the Cape, but two Queen's regiments are holding
themselves in readiness for such a summons at Cal-
cutta and Madras, and steam-frigates for their con-
veyance are prepared to start from Bombay at a
moment's notice: