Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-11-26
THE FAMINE IN INDIA.
Government sIeasarGs 10 EKeet
the Canine.

The Times correspondent, writing on
the 5th ult. from Calcutta, says But the
dearth In Rsjpootana and some parts OF
Central Indis is terrible, and oennot be
prevented now. Deserted villages, dy-
ing and dead cattle, and 2 whole popula-
ton emigratiDg TO more favored regions,
old and young t0ttering along half
starved, and fieeced by the suhoTdlnstes
Of our feudatOries of the little money on
which they had TO eubsist fOf weeks
such is the spectacle presented In such
States as Msrwar, Jjiksneer, Sheka~ut-
tee and Jessulmere, the worst governed
not only in India but in Asia. In the
city Of Jou&hpore, the capital OF Mar
war, where there is simply no govern
ment, the Ranees and Court fa70Fitss in
terfere with the food market, and the
Door manage to live only by carrying
water from distance at 24d. per gurrsh,
or earthen pot. Marwar,n says the
highest authority On the spot, twill
shortly be q Wilderness" while the pop
ulation who remain just manage to live
till next rainy season, or July. The
chief, who has been officially reported as
utterly incapable of governing, and
whose vsssals ere kept from open rebel
lion against him only by our political
agent, was, ! regret to say, honored with
the highest GLASS of the most exalted Or
der OF the Star of India at the Agra Dur
bar. His principaiity is as large as Scot
land, with half the population OF that
country, and his revenue Is SI75,ONO u
year his sons live by highway robbery.
Col. KestiDge is carrying out relief works
wherever he can do so. The purely
British districts OF Ajmere and Mhair-
wsrs, the latter of which Joudhpore
would like to absorb into his ill-governed
State, will be saved only by the tanks
which were made long ago by Coils. Hall
and Dixon. The Mhairs, once dreaded
savsges, have been developed by Us into
q noble and a loyal race, who can be-
trusted to help thsmEelVea.
The Times correspondent, writing on
the oh of October from CaicQtts, saws
that In its "resoiHtion the Govern
ment Of India contenplates, not Only
the destruction Of the kkureef, or autumn
crop, which In many places is now in
evitabla, but that more dreaded failure
of the Sfsbbee, orspring crop, of which
wrote Bome weeks ago. The pressure
will increase till November, before
which time We cannot be certain regard
ing the future. Even if the worst be
realizsd, the famine will not be suddenly
developed. so that grain may be poured
into the afflicted districts By tine rail-
ways which traverse or border them, ex-
cept in feudstory States. Prices show
that there is good stock OF wheat in
the Doab between the Jumna and the
ttanges, but the cost Of the two grains
which form the staple or the peoples
food, .jol0er and bagres, doubled between
January and July, and went up still fur
thsr in August and September. What
this means for millions OF the laboring
classes who live from hand TO mouth,
you may imagine. Not only have rail-
ways spread, Lahore and Umritsir being
almost practically linked on TO Delhi,
but the area irrigsIed by the Ganges
canal has nearly doubled since the last
great famine Of Ia60-6l. The Doah Is ia
all respects unlike 0rissa, being so open
to markets on Ell sidss that the law Of
supply and demand may be trusted to
operate unchecked almost as In Eng.
land, which depends on the rest OF the
world for It's food quite as much as
famine stricken district in india. 40.
cordlngly, relief, If required, had best
assume the form of money paid for pub
lie woFks, and the local govern ments
have been told 10 begin such WORK
wherever scarcity develops itself, aud to
call In the aid Of civil, mlIltsry and rail-
wsy officials II necessary. The projseted
railways and canals In Dude, Rohilcnnd,
the Doab, Bnndeleund, and elsewhere,
are to be utilized and pushed on in this
way. Government is to give rupee for
every rupee contributed by the public,
In addition to all this. Altogether, the
orders Issued are mastery. and they
have been prompt. We may rest as
snred that mortality and intense suffer-
ing will be confined to native States.