, 1873-12-25
THE FAMINE in BENGAL.

THE FAMINE IN BENGAL.
A FriElltfu1 prospect for Thirty N1fl-
lions Of pcop1c-.propOsc&l Measures
of IIclief--Ono Hundred MILLIONS
Wanted.
Correspondence ef the london 71,,,es,
CALCUTTA, Oct. 31.-1 a1n afraid wo are about
to endure famine in Bengal a,,ch rs has noyor
before. bcon experienced in tho history Of
our rule. The rains ceased prematurey in tho
III 1866, while tho previous fall had bocn ull-
preccdcntly Light. Tho result is tint Tho
great Amun rico crop, on which tho people
defond in tho main, las failod almost all
over Bcnga1:, and nothing. like All average eight
not all. The drought Inns utterly prevented tho
sowing Of tho spring CROP and NC haye to face
twelve months during which tho people will have
to 10 maintained out OF tho food reserves in tho
country plus this miserable failure Of tho Amun.
Tho drought was folt over very small area of
the country in 1865, wlo this yenr 1t Inns marked
tho Whole country from the Bay Of Bengal right
up to the borders Of Oudo. l believe was tho
first to wake up in tho real Significance Of tho
weather reports, but MI arc now equally alarmed
alike. Tho worst tract i'll the country iB tho ono
that ia most denReypopulated aud tho poorest Of
them al. Bonar, with ieary SO, ,0D0, 900 people to
bo fed. Owing to our miserable laissez faire no.
tions in tho past, ne hayo left the Zernindar aud
tllN A6ulGE " 1EtllCo LuH }lEuFHH III ruEltlF4
slavery. Tho Zc.nintlur aud his amtah (under-
linga) take ten-sixtcenthB of tho ryots' crops
imngine that !-and tho usurcr steps in and
takes tho other eix-sixtconths. and tho people
live upon the advances OF tho Inter from ONO
years end to the othcr. Growing the most
magnificent harvests of wheat, rico. opium,
indigo, they themselves Btaryo OH the coarBest
millots, and nro NJ poor and miserable as can be
conceived. In theso circumstances hnye urged
privately, and with all tho force could COM
it1 tt4o4x
d worry nwful calamity, viz, tho empowering the
ryot to tako tho crops now in the field und tho
cold weather crops, sCsponding all Claims upon
him for rent, advances, roycnto, &C., for
twelve months. II tho customary misnppro-
priation Of thcso crops bctwcen zomiudar and
insurer takes place this year, nothing will sayo
tho people, an persuaded, from perisl1ing by
millions. They have all been nursing tho iope
that rain might got fall. but ] have shown them
BY meteorological rotur1aB of many years past
position at last beginB to dawn upon them nil.
Campbell is ut patua; the Viceroy is on his way
down to Calcutta. and all that can bo done no
doubt will be.
London correspondent. under tate OF the 4.l,
finds four points involved in tho problem Of re-
liof: first, tho quantity Of food 1t will he neceB
sary to import from without iuto tie distressed
districts; sccoud, where this is to como from;
third tho possibility Of collecting and
tho :, famine arca in sufficient time ;
fourth, tho probable expense. 1t appears that
OH the most favorable slipponiion food must 10
imported for population Of II, 100000 or 49,
000, 900. and That these numbers will hnyo to bo
At ono pound por head per dny. which iB tho
least that tho Orisaa Famine Commission (or
which Sir G. Campbell wau tho clioD consider
sufficient, this ropulatiou would require for nino
land it is moro tl1an doubtful whethor ricc can
be laid down within reach OF ail ut TINT rata),
would cost tho country about .E19,0o0,000. How
mucl. of this will bo provided by private
speculation OF bonovolenSso; wllether the
pressure upon tho zcmintlars to whom
tho permanent settlement has 30 rechlesaly
sacrificed by far the creator pnrt Of tito
profits Of the land for nearly century past. as
Mll compel thom to disyorgo 4 lair portion Of
antry, is quito uncertain. Thoae who know what
Inns actually come to light In The Inst two years
in regard to tho illegal cosseB loyiod by the GEM
intarn Of OrtsHa, and ronember tint In tho ter
tlons, nctaally oxnctcd full rents from their
starving tenantB. though the Whole of their own
1ents wore remittod by tho Government, will nut
little faith IN tue Associations talk about "pri-
yato bonovo1oncc." We lnny sa!oly assume that
tile Government will hive to meet ut loast hnlf
tho expense, and that tlcy should NOW be pur~
chasing grain to tho unlount OF cl0.000,o COO Or
E14, 4,00U,0 QUO sterling. II il u6olcHs and woreo to
wait for certaiity, upon this point. Some ossi-
mate must be u1nto, mud tint forthwith, and tho
Secondly, where aro 1,400,0 tons Of food to lie
got from? 1nda, believe Gnu supply the
whole Tho exports IN ordinary years aro nhout
1.000,0f0 tons, and e,,rcly tllo ba!anco Gnu 10
bleaaod with good crops. l,ut il 10 lilo Govorll-
mont must at once lay ts hand upo,. tho ayail-
able surplus, whothor by prohibiting exports. or
by offering to intending exnortelu bettor prices