The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-01-03 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER:

ISFAVTICIDE IN THE PUNJAB,

(FROM THE FRIEND OF INDIA.)

ANOTHER chapter in the black history of Indian crime.
It is not the least among the many obstacles in the path
of the Indian Government that it is called upon to con-
tend with crimes which have become almost national
customs. Founded, like Suttee, upon superstition, like
infanticide, upon a social prejudice, or like Thuggee,
upon the mere love of plunder, they have spread in the
course of years over whole races, and have become part of
the daily life of organized communities. It is not that
the strength of the Government is unable to cope with
them on account of their magnitude, for Government
could have exterminated the Thugs in a twelvemonth.
The difficulty is the utter impotence of the ordinary aids
to authority. It receives no information, for the entire
people is guilty. It can gain nothing by treachery among
the criminals, for, in the people's idea, there is nothing
to betray. Its European experience is of no value, for
the European theory supposes that natural affections are
stronger than social prejudices. Its European agents are ,
at fault, for the proofs of good character and of heinous ;
crime are often united in the same person. The respect-
able, well-born, intelligent Rajpoot who governs his
estates with an ability which extorts the admiration of
the collector, has murdered his female children, and
would have assisted to burn his mother alive but for the
law. The wife who would kill herself rather than allow
a European to see her face, and towards whom her sons
express the deepest respect and affection, has consented
to the slaughter of her own children. The manner in
which a native retains occasionally, amid great virtues, a
criminal side to his character might form one of the most
curious chapters in psychology.
We make these observations, which many of our Indian
readers will consider somewhat trite, because it is the
dogged adherence to English ideas which renders our sys-
tem so unintelligible in England. To proceed to facts :
Late in the year 1851, Major Lake, Commissioner of
Goordaspore, in the Punjab, became aware of the exist-
ence of infanticide among a class in his own district. He
reported the facts to the Board of Administration, and in-
quiries were immediately commenced. All the commis-
sioners received orders to report upon the prevalence of
the crime within their respective jurisdictions, and to sug-
gest measures for its removal. Considerable delay appears
to have occurred in collecting the information required,
but at last it was obtained, in a form which enabled the
Judicial Commissioner to report upon it. It was found
to prevail more or less in the Umballa, Ferozepore,
Jellundur, Hooshearpore, Lahore, Mooltan, Jhelum, and i
Lela districts—in fact, over a tract of country as large
as a European kingdom. It was not, however, prac-
tised by all the inhabitants. It is confined chiefly to the
Bedees or descendants of Nanuk Gooroo, men generally
of great wealth and influence, and to the Rajpoots,
generally poor, but among whom the custom is one of
itnmernorial antiquity. The Khetrees, however, some
Bramhuns, and even several of the Mussalman tribes,
maintain the practice, and the higher the rank the more
certain are the female branches of destruction It is be-
lieved, also, by the most experienced officers, to have in-
fected all classes in a greater or less degree, and we may
readily imagine that even where the motives which influ-
ence the highest class -were absent, the lower orders would
acquire from their example a elegreeof carelessness for their
children's lives. The motive for the crime differs among
the different classes. With the Rajpoots of the Pui;jab, as
among the Rajpoots everywhere else, it is simply pride.
They must marry their female children, and they must
marry them to their equals. This is occasionally difficult,
and they slay them to avoid the inconvenience. Then, even
if they find bridegrooms, they must give a dower more than
proportioned to theirmeans. Theirextravagancesometimes
reaches a point which is almost incredible among a parsimo- ,
niceas people. One chief gave his daughter 17 Sacs of rupees,
another expended 10 bes, and a third gave Rine to his niece
married 'to a poor Bramhun of the plains. Their insane
pride, to which that-of the Highland chief is almost humi-
lity, forbids them to diminish its amount. It is a question, 1
as Major Edwardes has observed, between the father's wealth
and the daughtees life, and the life is taken and the
wealth retained. Then, again, in some instances, it is
regarded simply as a means of proving .he purity of their
race, a mere 'habit of imitating the upper classes. The
Mnnha Rajpoets, for instance, when in the hills, are the
lowest of their tribe, and their children are consequently
safe. But in'ihe plains they become the highest; and, in
order to prove 'that they are such, they slay their children.
tet the Rajpoets are the noblest of the Indian races.
The same causes are in operation among the Mussalmans.
The highest tribes, jealous of the purity of their.lincage,
are jealous tiLso of their wealth, and the fernalethildren
are sacrificed to save them from an unequal marriage, and
'their fathers from too liberal donations. Added to all this
the princiPle of consanguinity is pushed to the 'wildest
extreme. Almost every Rajpoot is the relative of every
other • all who are descended from one. common ancestor
consider themselves blood relations after the lapse of cen-
turies, and, down to the last dertie, marriage is forbidden.
Every Rajpoot Campbell considers himself not only the
kinsman of the Duke of Argyll,'but within the forbidden
degrees. it is among the Bedees. only that a, different set
of motives appears to come into:operation. 'They are the
descendants of Dhurrn Chund, the grandsondf the great
Nanuk Georoo, and consider themselves or the priestly
caste—the Lovites of the Parijab. 'They murder on the
strength of tradition, and odd occasionally a mocking
ceremony to the crime. The n'sild .is buried; a piece of
coarse sugar is put between its lips, and a hank of cotton
in its hand, and the father cries:—

" Fat your Boor and It.-in yourthread.
But go and send a boy instead."
Be the motives what they -may, it is certain that in
hundreds of families in the Punjab there has been no
clang:liter' barn for -generations. It is certain that in
thousainkinfanticide is a (nista-into which no-member of
them probaLly would hesitate to allude ; that, allover the
Punjab; there is a disproportion in the number of female
births not to be accounted for by ordinary causes, and
that in certain districts thisdisproportion rises-to a height
which implies the extinction kif the female sex. The evil
must be remedied, and the authorities have resolved upon
the means. They are utterly .opposed to English ideas.
A London magistrate would redouble the vigilance of
the police, and, if possible; increase the certainty of punish-
ment. Snell measures by themselves would be useless iu
India. Itis the social police- which in England prevents
crime, and we have no social police, The authorities,
guided, we :imagine, by Mr. ilaikes, whose success at
Mynpoorie has given him -a 'European reputatk,n have
attempted to strike the MLitt:its root. They hare taken
advantage of-the dawning abhorrence of the crime among
the people themselves, and have endeavoured to induce
them to remove the temptations to it. The people are to
be distinctly informed that the practice is regarded by
their new rulers is a crime ; a vensus is to be drawn up,
distinguishing the male and female children ; and lastly,
a great meeting has been called of the chiefs of 'districts,
aided by the Cc mmissioners of tlie Jullundur, Lahore, and
Cis-Sutlej divisions, and presided over by the Chief Com-
inissioner. Ali the native chiefs who can be expected to
attend will be invited, and new rules for marriage and
other ceremonies will, it is hoped, be formally adopted.
The meeting is to take place on the 29th and 31st of
October, in the holy city of the Sikhs, and can scarcely
fail to produce the result intended—viz., an unanimous
declaration of opinion against the practice.

Tna Cousxas DU CAI-LA.—MC heirs of M. Birthey,
a dentist, yestertlay
.brought an action before the Civil
Tribunal against- the Princess de Craon, as heiress of the
late Countess du Cayla, who was so famous in the Restora-
tion for her beauty .and wit, to recover 20,000 fr., the value.
of twelve sets of teeth, supplied to the countess from 154,1
to 1852. In support of the demand, several letters, writ-
ten by the Countess.:to M. Birchey, about her teeth, were
produced. The princess resisted the claim, on the ground
-that as the countess 'had declared in her-will that her debts
-were not considerable, (though in reality they exceeded a
million,) she had most likely paid M. Birchey for his
~services, especially as :she Was very particular about her
teeth ; and that M. Birchey had only made his demand
When he found the cotratess had not, as she, according to
'his account, had promised, left him 'a legacy. The prin-
.oess further represented that the demand could not be
maintained in law, inasmuch as the plaintiff had allowed
more than a year to pass without claiming it. The Tribunal
;held that the last objecti4.,n was valid ; mid it therefore
dismissed the case, subject, however, to the Princess de
'Craon taking oath that she does not -believe the sum of
,go,oofr. to be really due.---Calignani.

:,SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALL'S.—TnunSDkr.

The room was re-opened pnrsrant to notice, butmving to
the very.scatity attendance of subscribers, the business that
was transacted was cantined to the following bets:—

CHESTER, CUP. 4854._

1000 to 15 aget Mr. flOCvartiVii

THE DERBY, 1854.
1800 to 200 .egat Baron Itotbschild's 'King Tom—taken.
500 to 25 Mr. Merry's Wild Flentsman—taken.
10)0 to 45 Mr. J. Acikms's Ruby—taken.
250 to 10 Lord Derby's Acrobat—taken.
1000 to :30 Mr. Morris's Knt. of St,. George—taken.
1000 to 25 Mr. St. George's Bro. to Chanticleer—taken.
1000 to 25 Mr. Howard's Scythian taken.

THE CHARITIES.—(IVeekIy Reports.)

INDUSTRIAL RAGG ED SCHOOLS, Sotio.ST.—Dec.2B.
On the books, boys 89, girls 52; average attendance, boys 84,
girls 47 ; sick list, boys I, girls 0; obtained situations, boys 0,
girls 1.

ROYAL INFIRMARY. Dec. 31.—ADMITTED: In-patients,
36; out-patients, 9; casuals, 21.—Dtscu A ROED: Itl-patients
cured. 13 ; relieved, &c.,8; made out-patients, i ; irregular,
1 ; dead, s.—Remaining in the house, 156.

NORTHERN HOSPITAL, DEC. 31.—Anmirrito: Acci-
dents, 46; Medical and Surgical Cases, 14; Total, 60.
DISCHARCRII: Cured, 17; relieved, &c., 5; outpatients, 30;
irregular, 1 ; died, 2.—Remaining in the Hospital,lo3.

THE LONDON GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1853.

BAstmturrs.—Thomas Wilkinson, Openshaw, Lancashire,
builder, Jan. 9, Feb. 6. at twelve o'clock, at the Manchester
District Court of Bankruptcy ; solicitors, Messrs. Hall and
Taylor, Stalerbriclge ; and Messrs. Sate, Worthington, and
Shipman, Manchester • official assignee, Mr. Fraser, Man-
chester.—Thomas Henderson, Newcastle-upan-Tyne, draper.
—J. Smith, Brighton, and King-street, Snowhill, stationer.—
John Green, Partsea, draper.—William Honey, Gillingham.
Kent, builder.—Duncan Jenkins, Mile-end-road, licensed
victualler.—John Dent, Homerton, carpenter.—Jas. Turner,
High street, Whitechapel, and John's-row, St. Luke's.
cheesemonger.—William Bower, Pickering, Yorkshire, tailor.
—Henry Dawber, Lincoln, butcher.
PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVE 0.-111ingaud and Ca pstick. Li ver-
pool, estate agents.—J. Mallahy and J. Townsend, Liverpool
and Birkenhead, attorneys-at-law.—Laing and Dale, Glasgow
and Manchester: and R. Lying and Co., Liverpool, mer-
chants.—J. Rylands and J. Buckland, Manchester and
Prestwich, cotton-spinners.
DID DENDS.—Jan. 17, E. Hollinworth, Mottram in-Long-
endale„ Cheshire, woollen manufacturer.— Jan. 28, J. Dicken,
Hodnet, Shropshire, woolstapler.
PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS.—T. Lawson, Bury, Lancashire,
deeper—second div. of -Bd, on Tuesday, Jan. 10, or any sub-
se uent Saturday, at Mr. Fraser's, Manchester.
CERTIFICATE. Jan. 19, R. Heap, Manchester, silk
printer.

PRICES of STOCKS for the WEEK.

BRITISH FUNDS.
Tusday.!Wnsday. Thrsday Friday. Satdy.
Bank Stock .... 220 I 217,1
trigFceenntiltnAsnonis. 94. 3. ! 41 194.*..3.1 I 94.-t t
4 931 a
NioenifFt3itrnCe.,t.. 95!..2...2 952
4'954
5 41
9 shus2
2•
4 951•
42
D0.,30 years,lBs9 .... • - • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
D0..t0 years,lB6o • • • - • • • • • • • •
India Stock ... 2:142 9 2153 • • • • • • • • • • • •
1n.80nd5,.e1,00:3 .• . • • • • • • ••••
Do. under 'l,OOO
Sontli Sea Stock.
Do., Old Ann. .. 592 .• • • - • • •
Cona.forAccount 9432414.931 4 31,931 2 2 932 4 32 931
ei,ooo R.8i115,2(1 3 6 pm . 4 7 pm, 5 8 pm ; 5 8 pm
,e3OO ditto, 2 1: . 36 pm 63 pm V 4 pm ; 58 pm 5 8 pm
'Ditto Small, 2d.. 36 pm 163 pm 74 pm I 5 8 pm , 5 tun

some large sales were made at an improvement of Is per
bushel. Indian corn receives more attention, and .ell per
ton has been paid for some parcels of Galatz.

CATTLE MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL, JAN. 2.—We have had a moderate supply of
stock at this day's market. which met a very ready sale, at
very high prices. Good beef, 6ad to 71 per lb ; mutton, 7d
to lad per lb.
SALFORD, DEC. 28.—The attendance of buyers was nu-
merous, and beasts met a rather brisk demand at a shale
under last week's quotations, but a few were left unsold.
There was again a small supply of sheep, which changed
hands at an advance of fully ad per lb., and a good clearance
was effected. Of calves the supply was limited, and the rates
of last week were fully realised. The following are the quo-
tations :—First class, sid to 6al ; second, 54 to 5a.1; inferior,
4*d to 5.1.; sheep, 6d to `lad; calves, s*d to 7d. Number:
beasts, 1,522 ; sheep, 3,876 ; calves, 46.
DUBLIN, Dm. 29.—For the holidays there was a fair
supply, especially of sheep, of which the greater number were
inferior. Notwithstanding the supplies laid in at Christmas
the butchers bought readily at full prices, say—beef, Ms to
65s per cwt. in sink; mutton, sad to 6ad ; top lots, 7*d ; veal,
7ad to Bad per lb. in ditt i ; house lambs, 32s to 33s each.
Pigs, a small market ; prices, 47s to 486 each ; pork s*d per lb.

LATEST DATES AT LIVERPOOL.
Indirect. Direct. Indirect. 'Direct.
From China ..Nov. 11 .. Fm. M. Video Nov. s=
Bombay.— Nov. 28 • • Maranham Nov. 4 ..
22
. Calcutta.... Nov. 18 .. Pernambuco Nov.
Mauritius .. Nov. 12 .. Rio Janeiro Nov. 14
Australia .. Oct. 9 Barbadoes Nov. 26
St. Helena.. Nov. 2 .. ' Demerara .. Nov. 25 ..
C. G. Hope .Nov. 6 . • Havana .... Nov. 23
Lima Nov. 10 .. Jamaica: Nov 26 ..
Valparaiso.. Oct. 31 . • Charleston Dec.. 13 ..
Vera Cruz.. Nov. 3 . • Mobile Dec. 3 • •
'California .. Nov. 11 .. N. Orleans Dec. 3 ..
Bahia Nov, 20 Savannah .. Dec. 17
B. Ayres.... Nov. 2 , New York .... Dec. 18

SEABORNE MAILS.

COUNTRIES. I 1

11a). when made
up In Gen. Vost-
office, London.

America(by Br. p)t.)..
America(by U.S. p.)..
America(ll U.S.p.).
Attatratia (via South-
ampton).
Ditto (via Cp. of Good

Every Friday....
10th of Jan. ....

4th of Jan. ....

. .
Hope)
Africa (West Coast)
Alexandria

123rd of Jan. ...
4th of Jan. ...
17th of Jan. ...
Daily ..... .... •

From what' When
Port due in
despatched I,,nr.land
Jan. 9
Jan. 4

.Bahamas
Belgium
Brazil
Buenos Ayres
Canada
Cape of Good Hope
Cape de Verde
Ceylon
Channel Isles
Chili
,China (see India)
'Constantinople
'Continent of Europe
Egypt (see India)
France
Gibraltar .
Greece (see India)
Greytown
Hamburg .
Havannah
Holland
Honduras

124th of Jan. ....
12th.of Jan. ....
14th of Jan.
14th of Jan. ....
14th of Jan.
Mon. Wed. & Fri.
17th of Jan.....

Liverpool.
Liverpool.
Soutliamp.

ISoutliamp,

Liverpool.
Plymouth.
Southarnp.
Souttiatnp.l
Dover ....
Liverpool
Liverpool.
Liverpool.
Plymouth.
Plymouth
Plymouth ~
Soutbarup.!
Southam I). j,

,Feb. 4

9th of. Jan.
1 *ice daily

ITwice daily
14,7,17,20,27 of mo

rziouthamp.
,Dover

itp c. 2S
I.l:tn. 4
linn.
11)aily

2nd & 17th of mo.
Tuesday* Friday
2nd of Feb.
Wedues.&.atur.
17th of Jan.
4th of Jan.
14th of Jan.
'Nice daily
7.17 &27 of month
9th of Jan.
23rd of Jan.

Nov. 26
Nov. 26
Nov. 26
T. Th. Sa.
,Jan. I

Dover
Southainp,

Southamp.
London ..

ndia(viaS'ampton)
India
lonian Isles (see I ndia)
Irelsnd ...
Lisbon
Madeira
Madeira _ .

Soutliamp.
Loudon ..
Souttunp.
Souttuunp.
Plymouth.

Holyhead
Southamp.
Sonthamp.
Plymouth .

IJan. 9
.Twicedia.

Twice da.
Jan. 9

Jan. 1
Tue. Sat
Jan. 1
1 ou. Th.
Jan. 16
Jan. 4
Noy. 26

Twice da.
Jan. 4
Jan. 16
Dec. 28

17,17,19,27&340fm

14th of Jnn.

2nd of Peb.
5, 15, & 25 of mo.
17th of Jan. .....
5, 15, &25 of mo,,
7, 17, & 27 of mo.
17th of Jan. ....
II idiot Jan. ....
5, 15, & 25 of mo.
5, 15, & 25 cif mo.
jl7th of Jan.

12nd &17th of ma

I.Tan. 9

Nor. 26
Jan. 1
Jan. 9
lan. 1
Jan. 9
Jan. 4
Jan. 1
Nov. 26
Jan. 9
Jan. 9
Jau. 1

Jan. 1