The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-01-18

Continued Famine in India.

lhe hdpoIe correspondent Ol tue Lou
don Times, writing on the 9th of Noyem
her, says that the intelligence from the
centre of the starving Orissa is still of the
gloomiest character. He remarks:
"The one hopeful fact is though the
early rice crop suffered by the floods to
the extent of one halt, the late crop will
yield three-fourths of the average qrauti.
ty. From une, fourth to one-ffth of the
whole population Of 8, 100000 are believed
to have died but the continued refusal of
the Bengal authorities to ask for, and of
the government of India to send special
commissioner to Orissa, makes ali such
statements conjectural. The cholera and
dysentery which have resulted from star.
walton have carried off more than actual
famine. The problem now is, how to get
the mass of idle paupers re-absorbed into
the population. In one village in the in
terror, containing &C houses, there bad
been up to three weeks ago 204 deaths
from starvation. The latest official re-
turn represent the deaths daily, in hospi,-
al alone as 104 in Midnapore, 10 in
Pooree, and 1873 in Balasore. The total
number fed by public charity outside of
Calcutta duly in the first week of Octo.
Der was 101, 1868, of whom only 26,O20
were able to work for pay. Whereas, on
the 10Th O: September 1858 were fed
at Balasore (the worst station on the 9th
of October it had risen to 42,7l7. The
com mission telegraphs that the famine
has not only not abated along the coast
of the interior the board publishes moth
ing but the sale and distribution of the
government rice must be extended
"The public ought to calculate on the
necessity for liberal relief till the end of
the year, and for considerable assistance
to orphans, paupers, and destitute there.
after. The loss to the State Of 80 MANY
peasants and laborors alone is something
in a country where more than half the
revenue depends on the land-tax. Fam
ines are very dear to the government in
this light, apart from the cost of relief, and
the public will not be satisfied until a re-
ally liberal and effective system of irrga-
ton works is carried out, and the fxity of
tho land tax gives the landlord an inter.
est i'll improving his estates.
DIN Calcutta the usual fate has attend.
cd all etfolts to bring about the harmoni-
GUS cooperation of the authorities with
the public committee. The latter has very
wisely come to the conclusion, after USE
less correspondence with Sir G. Baadon
and Mr.. A. Eden, to follow its own way
of relief, unfettered by the conditions im-
posed by men who have 80 lamentably
failed in their duty, and seemed to be
aroused when it is too late by the severe
censures of public opinion in England as
well as in India. The Calcutta commit.
tee have been forced to cease sending
paupers to their homes, as they convert
the clothes aud vessels they receive into
money, sell the rice, and return to Cal.
cutta. The latest accounts from Midna-
pore are more cheering. In Cuttuck, the
least afflicted of the three districts of Oris.
sa, there are 43 centres of relief, 10000
people are fed daily, 800 children are in
three orphanages, and 1000 paupers die
week. Oue third Of the population
have died, and emigration, in addition to
this, has reduced them by more than one
half In one place the distress will con-
tlnue three or four months longer, in an.
other six weeks"