The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-13
L1EE IN INDIA.

Calcutta in regard to the peculiar institutions,
customs, oreeds, and general condition of
British India. He says:-
''The progress of statistical inquiry, which
is identified with that of good government,
promises to be very satisfactory in India. We
shall have census of the whole of our eastern
empire, except the feudatory States, which
cover one-fourth of it, in 1871. But mean
while we have very reliable returns of the
population of the northwestern ana central
provinces. census of Punjaub was taken
at the beginning of the year, and we now
know roughly that the population there has
increased from 15 600, 900 to 1000, 900. The
detailed results are now being compiled and
generalized.
ADMINISTRATIVE STATISTICS.
tIn 1868 an Anglo Indian journalist induced
Mr.. LaiDg to obtain Lord Elgin's sanction to
the establishment of statistical committee,
| to compile uniform tables of trade, finance,
justice, and general administration for all the
ten provinces which publish annual admins
trative reports. The trade statistics, on the
English system, are now regularly published
every month, though the migration of the
government to Simla somewhat delays their
appearance. The financial statistics will ap-
pear at the end of the year, extending over a
long series of years. The judicial and admin
istIative tables form the basis of the annual
reports for the year 1867-6S for the first time.
1.-THE FIVE great divisions are-Statstics Of
/, y,
/ Protection, Of Production and Distribution, of
instruction, and Of Life. The first includes
physical geography, or the area character Of
v the surface and climate, political relations
with native states, civil divisions, and ma
chinery of British territory, population, classi-
fed as far as possible and fiscal statistics, iu-
cluding survey, settlements, land tenures,
and land revenue. The second division en-
braces legislation, the courts, civil and crimi-
] nal, prisons, police, the army and the marine.
Under the third division we have finance,
public works, railways, agriculture, prices of
| produce and labor, mines, manufactures,
! trade, coinage and currency, and charitable
institutions. In the fourth division we find
an ecclesiastical head, including places of wor-
ship and ministers of all creeds, education, and
literary and scientific societies and publica-
tions. The division of vital statistics has
three beads-births deaths, and marriages,
hospital returns, and vaccination returns.
CONDITION OF THE SOIL.
"Half of the cultivable area of the central
provinces would seem to be still covered with
jungle; there are 81 ,l56 such square miles
against 80, 7S6 under the plough, and AZ, 299
incapable of cultivation. But under the vigor-
ous rule introduced seven years ago by Sir r.
Temple, cultivation is spreading fast. No less
than las, 1856 acres of waste land were sold or
granted last year.
"Of Il 37S, ,215 cultivated acres, only 1884,
050 are irrigated. The cultivation yields a
gross revenue to Government of G604, 6SS
year, or thirteen pence per cultivated and
seven pence per assessed acre. One settlement
has raised the value of land already from one
| to six and nine years. purchase. Twenty per
cent. Of the tenantry have occupancy rights,
| and let at reduced rents. The table contains
record of every tenure, the number by whom
| it is held, and gives the unit of loans during
| the year. AS years pass on, all the old infor-
nation will be made both more extensive and
more accurate. Except in Bengal proper
there is no reason why the great state land
lord should not obtain and publish more per-
feet agricultural and social statistics than it is
possible to obtain.
EDUCATION.
"The neighboripg people of Sumbul ore
living in their old seats, aud long under Brah-
minical domination, have become almost
fanatical for schools. Mr.. Browning, the
Inspector General, reports: schools increase
so rapidly that schoolmasters cannot be found
for tbem;' IAN examination is like some vii
lage fair. Girls sit side by side with boys
till there is no room left. In six years the
4 number of schools and scholars among the
I rude and priest-ridden agriculturists of this
most backward portion of India, which so
troubled us during the mutiny, has increased
from ano 95 to 249 and l3, ,276 respectively
Besides two per cent. on the land tax, the
4 people have contributed G2, 692 for schools.
''The more pOpulous parts of Hindostan
proper have been relieved from the immediate
fear of famine, though not of scarcity. Not so
Bengal, parts of Central India, and Raipoo-
tana Silently, so as not to give the grain
dealers excuse for suddenly raising their
prices, Sir w. Muir's government have or
dered relief works to be undertaken in the
district OF Sullutpore in the former. It is
singular that similar works, but from the very
opposite reason of inundation, should be going
on in the districts to the south of Calcutta,
the zemindars of which declared that the
people would manage to live somehow by
giving up their 'luxuries.' All over North
ern and Central India the autumn harvest
will be very bad:' the only hope is that rain
may so fall as to allow the ground to be
ploughed for the spring crops. In two days,
before rain fell, the plice of wheat at ALA
habad rose from one shilling for sixteen pounds
to one shilling for eight pounds. Rajpootans
will suffer most. In Marwar, Bikaneer, and
Jeysuinere, on the great desert between Raj
u pootana and Sindh, over an area greater
than that of England and Wales, grass anG
water were so scarce that the people were
emigratipg with their cattle. The price OF al
stock bad fallen One-half. In many parts o
that worst administered State in India, Mar
war, water was selling at / ID. a pound.
CASTE.
''The Chumars, or workers in leather, ar,
despised and oppressed by the other eastes
A community Of this caste seem to have emf
grated from the scene of their disgrace in tn,
4 northwestern provinces TO the fertile bu
sparsely populated plateau of Chutteesgurh
m fh1 aA- -Nua tor nj hn Mahannddu Thar