, 1877-02-24

greatest. 1t demands many troops and
great expenditure, and produces in return
absolutely nothing.
The accounts from Southern India are
very bad indeed. Lord Carnarvon, in a
despatch dated January 10, and intended to
recapitulate all the facts, declares that
the drought covers a territory Of so 900
miles in Madras and 81 1000 in Bombay,
Inhabited altogether by %, 900, 900 Of PEG.
pie. Already 1000, 900 persons are on
;he relief works, aud it is calculated that
by April this number will amount to
nearly 5000, 900, while the distress cannot
seriously decrease TIL August. The Gov
m OF India report that if the people
are relieved the cost will be &c, 500, 900,
and W. understand this to be exclusive Of
the Consequent Deficiencies in the land
revenue. Altogether the loss to the State
will hardly he less than eight millions, even
if private dealers, rs at present, send down
sufficient grain. The reliceOce which has
been observed in Iadia bout this famine,
which has been coming on for mouths, is
startling, an If i%IctateI by any reluctance
To interfere with the ceremonial at Delhi,
inexcusable. We do MT understand,
either, why the Duke of Buckingham does
not return at one to his endangered Pre-
sIdency The TINES correspondent, who
teIegraphson tho l4th inst, says he 5 going
on a tour through the cities OF the North.
He might as well be in London.
A sketch Of the Constitution Of China
has been forwarded to US, obviously by
some very we'll informed hand, which con.
talns something quite uew-an estimate
Of the actual revenue of China. 1t is
believed to amount to 925, 900, 600, raised
by taxes on land, grain, the transit Of goods,
foreign imports, and a few other subjects,
and by the sale of ranks and degrees. OF
this amount ELS, 600, 600 is believed to be
spent in one way or another upon the
army OF course, these amounts are irres-
pective OF local dues, of acquisitions in
kind, and of direct plumber, and Judging it
by the old revenues Of India, it may be
accurate. The remarkable fact in the ac-
count is the small! amount raised by the
land-taX-less than &c 900, 900 sterling
The School Board Of London have car
ried, by a majority Of 80 to lO-or, to
speak more strictly, that was the majority
against the amendment to refer back the
report to the Committee for consideration
"a report in favour of establishing a special
school for corrigibIe %truaats, not for
vicious or semi criminal children, but
children beyond their parents control,
who need a little sharp discipline before
they can be got TO submit to the yoke of
regular education. The scheme which is
to be submitted to the Home Secretary
proposes that such children, if between
the ages Of eight aud thirteen. should be
committed by the magistrates order,-
though never without their parents
consent,-for a period varying from six
days, in the first instance, to IA maximum
of a month in case of repeated truancy, to
this school for corrigible truants, where
conversation between the boys will be
strictly prohibited, and drilling will be the
substitute for play in the way of muscular
exercise. This plan has answered well in
Hamburg, and much is hoped from it in
London. The objection made by the
minority that it would interfere with the
liberty of the subject " is very unmeaning.