INDIAN INTELLIGENCE.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 84, 19 October 1870, Page 3

INDIAN INTELLIGENCE.

[From tho Englishman, Augnst 6 to 27.3 Tho Duko of Argyll's recommendation that the Income-Tax should becomo a permanent institution in this country has been received with general dissatisfaction. Energetic attempts aro being mndo to organise a brigade of Volunteers in Calcutta, to consist of Artillery, Cavalry, and Infantry. The two native officials in Madras charged with cruelly torturing a boy havo been found guilty, and sentenced to four yoar's rigorous imprisonment, and a fine of 500 rupee's each. ' Fifty persons have been drowned by the upsetting of two native passenger boats on tho Godavery. Tho experiments in growing Carolina rico ia British Burmah have all failed. The rainfall in Oudh has been heavier than any known for many years. Several buildings in Lucknow have fallen, and tho Cawnpore road baa beeu washed away in places. Eight native Artillery men in the Bombay Presidency have been sentenced to transportation for life for a gang robbery. Two women have committed Buicido in Chota, Nagpore, on© because her husband called her untidy, and tho other because she was asked to nurse her own child. A rule nisi has been granted by the High Court to show cause why tho two Calcutta hide merchants, imprisoned since July last year, was connected with the Wahabees, should not be brought up before tho Court for trial. They havo commenced actions in England against Lord Mayo and Sir W. Grey for false imprisonment. The people in tho Punjab and tho North-West aro exhibiting a growing discontent and dislike to British rule. The tea planting in Chota Nagporo is likely to provo a failure, as tho climate is too hot and dry for the plants. _ Tho Bengal Chamber of Coinnierco has memorialized the Government for the reduction of tho Income Tax from October next, on the grounds that a surplus has been admitted for last year, that business is very bad during tho present year, and is likely to get worse owing to the war, and that tho estimated revenue from opium and other sources will be largely exceeded. The Madras Chamber has adopted the same course, and the Local Government has suspended all collections in that Presidency untill an answer is received. Tho floods in tho Dacca district have destroyed nearly tho whole of the autumn rice crops. Numbers of children wero drowned inside tho houses, where tho water was several feet deep. Tho cattlo aro suffering from want of fodder. Prices of rice have not risen much ; and as the peoplo are well off, it is not thought that relief measures will 'bo necessary. The Lieutenant-Governor reached Dacca on the 6th instant. Mr. Moss deputed by the nong-Kong Chamber of Commerce, has explored tho West River for a distanco of 700 miles. He reports that the cultivation of opium is directly encouraged thero by the Chinese Government. The receipts of tho Madras Railways still continuo to show a great falling off as compared with last year. Prince Gholam Mahomed has added another £10,000 to the fund established by him for the relief of the poor of all denominations, and for the assistanco of those leaving hospital. , Silk culture is to be attemped in the Central Jail at Coimbatore in Madras. Fever of a violent type is raging in Mozuffernuggur, and tho Sanitary Commissioner has been ordered to proceed there at once. A severe outbreak of cholera has occured in the Jail at Cnttack, fourteen deaths occurring in a few days. During 18G9, 227 persons wero drowned, 158 killed by snakes, and 133 by wild animals in the Cuttftek district. 116 persons committed suicide. Captain Edwards of tho 3rd Madras Cavalry is supposed to have been drowned whilst crossing a nullah on horseback at Saugor. His hat was found in tho stream, but the body has not yet been recovered. Seventy-four children and ono woman were either killed or wounded by wolves in the Patna Division during the first threo months of the present year. Dr. Oldliatn, the Superintendent of the Geological Survey in India, says that there is not a shadow of evidence that coal is to bo found anywhere in the Madras' Presidency. Tho crops in many parts of the country have been damaged by heavy floods. In Sernjgunge the loss of the autumn crop is estimated' at one-half jin Moorshedabud tho summer crop has been destroyed in many places ; near Midnapore, tho country is under water for some distance, and tho telegraph posts and wires have been carried away ; and in tho Garrow Hills, tho people are likely to suffer severely, as the rice crops on the low lands havo been destroyed. Tho Bishop of Calcutta has reached Mandalay in safety. lie was to have been received by tho King of Burmah on tho day of the departure of the laßt mail, and his Majesty has placed ono of his steamers at his disposal to enable him to visit tho places of interest in tho neighbourhood, and to convoy him buck to Rangoon. A Mr. Edge has started a new religious sect at Rangoon called the " New Lights." His doctrine is that thero is no need of Clergymen as all true Christians are saints and priests. Large flights of locusts have passed over Lahore, and in Sinde they have done much damage to the indigo crops. Heavy rains have injured both the rice and cotton crops in the Central Provinces. The health of the people was oxcellent. An extension of eighty-six miles of the Madras North- Western Railway will be opened on the 15th September. The post between Calcutta and Madras, a distance of BSS miles, still takes seven days in transit. The crops in Sinde are at present flourishing, the locusts have already attacked the indigo, and the cultivators fear they will also attack tho other crops. All leave of absence to officers in Ceylon has been stopped in consequence of the war. Fifteen convicts have made their escape from the Andaman Islands in an open boat in daylight, in the presence of the whole body of officials. The whole of the Europeau employes on the Great Indian Peninsular Railway are being enrolled as a Volunteer Corps. Light stores for India are in future to be sent via the Suez Canal, and all the old or useless stores are to bo sold or destroyed. A flood in the Krishna- has destroyed upwards of 600 houses at Sangleo and the adjacent villages. Major-Generals unemployed drawing full pay in India, may be allowed to draw half Indian pay in Englaud for three years. Owing to the heavy rain having ceased in the Central Provinces, the prospects of the cotton and other crops had improved. The health of the people continued good. The railways in Madras consumed 55,000 tons of wood fuel in 1868. The Government is about to increase tho forest reserves to meet the increased demands. The native women are to be instructed in practical midwifery at the Dacca Hospital.

A curious case is reported in Brooklyn, of two children in one family being killed by a rat. The mother had occasion to leave the room for a few minutes, and while absent she heard her child, which sho had loft asleep in its cradle, crying very loudly ; she hastened back, and as she entered the room,alargo rat sprang from the cradle and ran away. The child was bleeding from a bitten vein, and the blood flowed so freely that it could not be stanched without great loss. The child sickened, and died in a few days. Soon after, a child belonging to the woman's sister was in the same cradle, and was left alone with exactly tho same result. All efforts to capture the rat were unsuccessful. Two or three years ago, a case was known of a young lady being bitten twice whilo asleep, and in both instances a vein was punctured. The suspicion is that rats which make bites of this I kind havo acquired a taste for blood, and know ex* I ttctly whore to look for itr-AmtraUan paper.