The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-13 00:00:00

INDIA.

The only events of any great importance in India
since the date of the last Calcutta and Madras mail
are, firstly and secondly, the fact of the new income
tax coming into operation, and the lamented death
of Sir Henry Ward, governor of Madras (both
which facts were made known to us last week by
the Bombay mail) ; and, thirdly, the equally de-
plorable loss of Mr. Jas. Wilson, financial member
of the Governor-General's Council, which was com-
municated here by private telegraph.
Of the first-mentioned subject we read as follows :

The income tax has received the assent of the
Governor-General, and is now in operation all over
India. The mode in which it has been introduced is
characteristic. Telegrams were despatched to the
various Governments telling them that the act had
passed, and calling on them to deduct the tax from
the incomes of Government officers immediately,
that is, to deduct it from the salaries for July paid
on the Ist August, although it appears (from the
reports of the debmtes in the Legislative Council,
for the act itself has not yet reached us) that the
time fixed for the coming into operation of the act
was from the 31st of July. It is repotted in
Madras that a high legal functionary has refused
to receive his pay, under the circumstances, minus
the amount of the tax; and it is rumoured at Bom-
bay that the Supreme Court Judges have expressed
an opinion that the authority conveyed in a tele-
gram is not legally sufficient. It is also said that
the natives of Madras are in a state of great indig-
nation, more especially the money-lending portion
of the community, and that they have held meet-
ings among themselves to consider the best means
of evading the Government demand: At Bombay
there has been a more open demonstration of dis-
satisfaction, the Hindoo merchants having resolved
to shut up their shops.
We take from the Madras Atheneum the fol-
lowing details of the loss of the two eminent public
men whom India and England have to deplore :
We announce with the deepest regret the deaths
of our Governor, Sir Henry Ward, and of the
Right Hon. Mr. Wilson. The first named melan-
choly event took place at Madras on the evening of
the 2d of August, and the disease which proved
fatal to our late ruler was that fearful scourge, the
cholera. So sudden and so sad a termination to a
career but just begun has filled all classes with pro-
found regret. It is no exaggeration to say that he
has fallen a martyr to his sense of duty. From the
time of his arrival to within a day of his death he
had been in ill health, and his medical adviser had
strongly urged upon him the necessity of moving
from Government-house, which was not considered
to be surrounded by a healthy atmosphere, to
Guindy-park, a few miles distant. But Sir Henry
steadily refused, saying that a residence at Guindy ,
would interfere with the despatch of public busi-
ness, and that that must be attended to before all
things. So he remained at Government-house, and
only left it to be carried to his grave. He was
buried inside the Church of Fort St. George, with
all the ceremony befitting the high position he had
occupied among us; and it is scarcely necessary to
add that the past week, at the request of the acting
governor, has been observed as one of general
mourning. The death of Sir Henry, sad enough in
itself, is peculiarly unfortunate at the present time.
Just as the income tax is introduced, and a state of
affairs may arise requiring a clear head and firm
and delicate hand to grapple with, he who possessed
these qualities is snatched from amongst us. Un-
like the present able head of the government, he
was uncommitted to any opinion against the policy
of Mr. Wilson's scheme of taxation, and was there-
fore in a better position to carry that scheme out.
No one doubts the ability of the present Government
to deal with a crisis, should ono arise, hut it is not
to be denied that their position is a very peculiar
one—required as they are to carry out taxes which
they have condemned in the most unqualified man-
ner.

With regard to the death of Mr. Wilson all that
we know at present is that the melancholy event
took place on the night of the 11th of August, at
ten o'clock, and that he was to be buried on the
evening of the following day. The sad news was
conveyed to Madras in a government telegrm, dated
Calcutta the 12th. Mr. Wilson has been ailing for
some time past, and was so indisposed on the 28th
July as to be unable to attend in the Legislative
Council. Rumours have been current that he was
about to proceed to the Neilgherries, there to recruit
his shattered health, but man proposes and God dis-
poses. It is not mentioned in the telegraphic
message of what disease Mr. Wilson died, but it is
rumoured here that it was acute dysentery, and
this, under the circumstances, we think highly pro-
bable. It is unnecessary for us to remark on the
loss to the empire, perhaps irreparable, which this
event has occasioned, for it is too much to expect
that the Calcutta blunderers will be able to carry
out the scheme of financial re-organisation which
Mr. Wilson had inaugurated; or that another
English financier of the same ability and reputation
will be induced to risk his life in the same cause.