The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-02 00:00:00

THE BENGAL MUFINY.

Total £405,074 17 8
The shares issued during the past year were 2,361. The
sum of 42,4231. lls. 6d. bad been received on investment
shares, of which amount 26.0751. 13s. 6d. were for shares
paid in full. The sum of 24,3201. 198. 11d. bad been repaid
to sharehelders, with compound interest thereon at the
rate of 5 per cent. per annum ;in all ca-es immediate
payment had been off-red, which enabled many to obtain
greater advantages from their investments than they
could have done if the required term of notice had been
adhered to. The subscription shares had been credited
with the amount of interest due thereon up to the 30 h
April last, and any shareholder would be supplied with
a copy of his account on application at the office. The
interest on realised shares and deposits was paid ,on the
30th April, the total amount of interest paid during the
year being 5,4401. 13s. 11d., or 1,4481. 14s. 6d. more
than in the previous year. The total receipts on share
accounts during the whole period of six sears was
180,3631. 13s. 5d., and the repayments 73,0101. 2s. 11d.
From the ascertained surplus profits of the society the
directors had been enabled to pay off a tenth portion of
the preliminary expenses ; also to appropriate ten per
cent, of the profits to the reserve fund, and to add to the
subscription shares a lednus equal to one and a halt per
cent. interest on shares that had been in existence twelve
months or more. The amount received ;n the deposit
department during the past year was 26,8071 168. 10d.,
being 6,8221. 7s. id more than in the pr,,eot year. The
receipts during the six years had been 108,8561. 16s. 7d.,
and the payments 81,5981. 4s. The issue of deposit
books bad been found to work satisfactorily, and the
directors bad arranged to examine tee depositors books
with the ledger accounts during the first week in Novem-
ber in each year. Arrangements had been made by
which any ruin could be deposited at 4 per cent , and
every facility afforded for the prompt withdrawal of such
sums. The sum of 46,4381 had bean advanced upon
the mortgage of freehold, copyi old, and leasehold secu-
rity during the past year. The amounts advanced on
mortgage had been, during the first and second years,
26,7481. 7s. Bd. ; the third and fourth years, 68,0741. 3s.
; fifth and sixth years, 95,8031, 15s. 4,1. ; total,
190,6261. 6s. ld. The sum of 1,9791. 198. had been ad-
vanced to shareholders during the year upon the deposit of
their share certificates with a promissory note, interest
being charged at two per cent above the amount allowed
upon the shares ; and the business transacted by the town
and country egents had neen greater during the past than
in previous years. The cash statement for the year ending
April 30, 1857, showed that the receipts (including a
balance in hand of 8811. 17s. 7d.) amounted to 124,942/.
11s. Bd., and the expenditure to 123,131/. 143. 10d.,
leaving a balance of 1,8101. 173. Bd.
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the adoption of the re-
port, said that at the period when this company was
established there was no means of investing money which
fully answered the want either of the middle or of the
poorer classes. The want which existed was supplied by
the establishment of building societies. He did not say
that other societies of this nature did not afford the same
advantage as this; but he did say that this possessed ad-
vantages which did not exist in societies of any other
kind. Congratulating the shareholders on the favour-
able prospects of the society, and the satisfactory state of
its affairs—as shown by the report—he went on to ob-
serve that it was not desirable to extend its business be-
yond a legitimate extent, but rather they should take
care to keep within the limits of safety. Such bad been
and would be the policy of the direction. He also ob-
served that it was very desirable that the shareholders
should take an interest in the affairs of the society. They
should not say—" Oh, it is all going on very well—it
can go alone," but should inquire into its affairs. They
might also forward the interests of the society by recom-
mending it amongst their friends, for every member
1 might be a walking advertisement, cheaper and more
effectual than advertisements in the papers.
Dr. FOSTER, in seconding the motion for the adoption
of the report, said he did not agree with the chairman in
his observations respecting advertisements, for he must
tell them that in his 6wn, case the value of advertising
wa. shown, for it was in consequence of reading three or
four of the advertisements of this society in the papers
that he had joined it.
The resolution was then put and agreed to.
John THOMPSON, Esq.. moved, and the Rev. GEORGE
Goa LRY seconded, a resolution, expressive of the sa-
tisfaction of the shareholders of the society at its
posi-
tion ,and recommending the shareholders throughout the
c eintry to co-operate with the directors and agents
extending the several departments of business.
This resolution was also carried unanimously.
The three retiring directors—Messrs. R. J. Millar,
Daniel Pratt, and S. Jennings, were re-elected ; as was
also Mr. T. Miers, asiditor-; and thanks having been
voted to the chairman and secretary, the meeting sepa-
rated.

A supplement to Mr. Locke King's return of electors,
published yesterday morning, shows that the total num-
ber of registered electors in Great Britain is 1,045 506 ;
of whom 556,391 belong to counties, and 489,115 to
boroughs.

(Extracts from the Letter of an Officer to his
Friends in England.)
CALCUTTA, SATURDAY, May 16.
To conceal the condition of India any longer is
now impossible. The disaffection that has existed
so long amongst our Sepoys from one end of our
Eestet n possessions to the other has at length die-
played itself in all its meaning. You, doubtless are
already aware of what has-taken place at Barrack-
pore, a station 15 miles distant from Calcutta. One
regiment, the 10th Native Infantry, about 900
strong, has be-n disbanded, and seven companies
of tee 34th Native Infantry, about 700 men, have
shared the same fate, making in a 111,600 men, who
with their wives and families have been turned
adrift to plunder and murder ; for the men are
not fit for labour of any kind, and their families
and selves must be fed. This, for a time, quieted
Barrackpore, as the diseraced men were passed
over the river and the banks guarded by European
-entries toprevent their return. Other disturb ances
however, in the north west were soon reported,
and yesterday morning, by electric telegraph, the
Government received news of alarming outbreaks,
with great loss of life, about Meerut and Delhi.
That which has be •n slumbering. since the time
of Sir C. .Napier has broken out in full vigour, and
ere another mail reaches England it is not impos-
sible that the European population of India, from
Celcutta upwards, may beconsiderably diminished.
Tleis is an astounding assertion ; nevertheless it is
no exaggeration. The government suppresses every
kind of information it receives that is likely to cre-
ate alarm, and even, it is said, pays heavily to our
daily papers to do the same. It is consequently
difficult to arrive at the truth, or even a kuowledge
of what is going on.
Shortly after the Barrackpore affair, the 3d Ca-
valry at Meerut showed symptoms of disaffection ;
about 80 men were tried by court-martial, sen-
tenced to a long term of imprisonment and hard
labour. The sentence wasreadon the parade ground
in presence of the regiments stationed at Meerut,
and the men were ironed immediately after, and
marched off to prison. During the process the
native troops appeared sulky and restless, but not
a word was said. About midnight of the following
day, however, their feelings being worked up to
boiling point, the whole of the Sepoys and Sowers
stationed at Meerut left their lines and proceeded
straight to Delhi. These consisted of the 11th, 15th,
20th, and 74th Native Infantry, and the remaining
troops of the 3d Cavalry. On reaching Delhi they
were joined by the 38th and 54th Native Infantry
and the Native Artillery at that station. Here the
most atrocious acts were committed. Headed by
the 38th, they attacked every house containing an
European, and killed every man and violated and
killed every woman, including Mr. S. Fraser, the
Commissioner, Rev. —. Jennings and daughter ;
the death and sufferings of the latter are said to
have been such as no'pen can describe or heart
conceive. Dr. Balfour and Captain Douglass,
commanding the Palace Guards, were killed ; and
every officer of the 38th and 54th present with
his corps, and visitors and residents in the place,
shared the same fate, except the following :—Major
and Mrs. Abbott, Captain and Mrs. Wallace, Cap-
tain and Mrs. De Teisser, Mr. and Mrs. Hutchin-
son, the insurgents then proceeded to the Delhi
Bank, " looted" that and retained, possession of
the building ; also the Treasury, which was well
supplied. Lieut. Willoughby, in charge of the
magazine, seeing all this, at once blew it up, and
wefeaa has perished by his own hands. Had this
magazine fallen into the hands of the insurgents,
there is no calculating the mischief they might have
effected. The devotion of Lieutenant Willoughby
is' beyond praise. God grant we may hear he is
still alive. At present he is missing.
The insurgents now hold Delhi. The Comman-
der-in-Chief is said to be on his way from the hills
with three European corps and a Gooika regiment.
L rd Canning is frantic, and a general panic per-
vades India. The steamer Alma, which ought to
have left to-morrow morning with the mail, is
posponed with the hope tV at better news may arrive
on M nday. The nrobabili'y is news more alarming
will reach us. Other regiments may have risen,
and other massacres be reported. To protect the
capital (Calcutta) General Hearsey has been in
communication with the Governor-General(General
Low is utterly useless), and a plan has been de-
vised which will be carried into effect to-day or
to-morrow ; it is, I hear, to concentrate our troops
in Calcutta as far aapossible. The above are facts,
and I have every reason to say may be relied on
with confidence. We only fear for our wives and
daughters ; if they were safe our work would be
ea-y.
Such news as this coming suddenly upon you, it
will naturally be asked, " Bnt how has all this hap.
pened ?" It is easily answered, such feelings as at
present possess our native army have for the last
three or four years been gradually but steadily en-
gendered, and what was regarded as the unex-
ampled ministry of my Lord Dalhousie is now be-
coming exposed. It is too long a story to show
how his lordship is to blame for all this ; suffice it
at present to remark that Lord Dalhousie was as
sure of what was about to happen as I am that it
has occurred. The whole burthen of his mal-ad-
ministration Lord Canning has had to bear, who
to a certain extent has been made a tool of by his
predecessor. Of course everybody here , blames
Lord Canning for his apathy and want of decisiou
at the first outbreak at Barrackpore ; but I do not
think he deserves so much censure as is heaped
upon him, for this reason, that he has been en-
tirely in the hands of his staff, and to them he has
list eued on all matters connected with the native
army. When Lord Dalhousie left India he intro-
duced his aide-de-camp—one Captain Bowie of
the Bengal Artillery—to his successor, as a person
who thoroughly understood the native character,
and more particularly-the Sepoyas to his habits and
peculiarities, and stated in all such matters he (Cap-
tain Bowie) might be referred to with great confi-
dence. Lord Canning in consequence dubbed him
his aide-de-camp, and to this officer's counsels it is
that so much mischief is to be attributed. It is
certain that no mili ary appointment has taken
place here without his being consulted. Now what
Lord Dalhousie could see in Captain, now Brevet-
Major Bowie, no one can conceive. But Lord Can-
nine must and will be recalled, and his staff scat-
terebd; before all goes well '? and General Anson
must accompany him in his homeward passage.
All we want is an independent, active man as Go-
vernor-General, and an energetic Commaeder-in-
Ciiief—a Governor General who will keep his
establishment at arm's length and introduce into
India as secretaries men of known ability.
I am no alarmist, but I am notoblind ; the many
years I have spent in India, the observations 1
have had numerous opportunities of making from
from one end of 'edit). (Bengal Pt esidency) to the
other, tells me British India will cease to be unless
speedy and energetic measures are resorted to, un-
less some noble-hearted, honest-minded, and inde
poident nobleman is sent to our relief. The power
of the Governor-General is absolute ; he can make
or mar the prospects of hundreds : and it is worse
than criminal to leave us at the mercy of ignorant
and puffed-up secretaries and aides-de-camp.
SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 16.
Since writing the above a Government notifica-
tion has been issued confirming almost everything
herein detailed.

MONDAY EVENING, MAY 18
As expected the telegraph is in, and the news
for which the mails have been detained has reached
us. Nothing, that I can learn, frOm Delhi. From
Meerut we have the fullowiug :
On the evening of the 10th the troops rhosNe,aatsiviet
were, en masse. The 11th, 15th, an 2Owt
with
mer-
Infantry, and the 3d Light Cavalry? fell
feathnidtrrry. wounded.
coi
those
oe
ss se furykille
don w
e theirha v
zoiffite
the
officers,
fronsofiaainndo
ttwersytrhgo,ym:i_ciogaeeprevotssei:oariaynnupedeTim.
amvaynicioly:r.
of each regiment ; some contrived t
nis, 11th, killed ;
of they 20th Native In -
OnA also killed, and many
Chamber,, 11th Niv.lat,inv
.ld ,
r3iCtnhrrsiy.:trel,iootfelt-he 3rd Cavalry, mortally
and CapacDtnoardui. n AiDonald,
keeper, and all her chil-
dren, with several ladies and women killed. How
these poors souls died no one knows. It appears
the men of the 3rd Cavalry that were t)onfined in
gaol were liberated by the insurgents, by whom
the greater put of Meerut bas been consumed by
fire. Many Europeans have been destroyed, whose
names have yet to be published. The excitement
here is fearlul in the r xtreme. The Governor-Gene-
ral is, of course, most unpopular, but more so his
advisers—his staff. As I before remarked, nothing
but a thorough change will do now ; the old Dal.
housie clique must be expunged ere tranquillity
can be restored to India. It is now midnight, and
the mail leaves early to-morrow morning.

LIEUT. WILLOUGHBY.—Lieut. Austin, of the 60th
Queen's Rifles, writes from Meerut to his sister, and
states that Lieut. Willoughby bad got to Xarnaul
much burnt, put