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1166 THE LEADER. [No. 449, October 30, 1...
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NOTES ON INDIAN PROGRESS. There is littl...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Emigration To India. And Emigration To O...
the main road in repair . The province of Auckland , in . New Zealand , gives a bounty of forty acres of land to a settle !' . In India grants of even a thousand acres may be obtained in healthy districts suitable for tea or coffee plantations , ' with one-fouxtli of the land exempt from tax for ever , and the remainder at a small and gradually increasing land tax . So that India presents much greater advantages to the emigrant wishing to become a landed proprietor or cultivator on free terms , The grant of free passages to the colonies is much less liberal than is supposed . In New South Wales bounty emigrants can only be nominated by settlers resident in the colony , and must l ) e mechanics , domestic servants , or labourers , and tlie
bounty does not exceed 12 / ., so that the difference has to be paid by the emigrant in Victoria . Like regulations prevail in South Australia ; some free emigrants are sent out , but the majority arc bouiity etnigrants . The like regulations prevail in Tasmania . The Cape of Good Hope sends out some free emigrants , but for Natal , bounty emigrants alone are sent out , and they have to repay the amount of their passage-money by yearly instalments . These are the only colonies to which there is assisted emigration , and this is limited to domestic servants , agricultural labourers , gardeners , country masons , bricklayers , blacksmiths , farriers , wheelwrights , sawyers , and for South Australia a few miners . A preference is in all cases given to married men . of the labouring and mechanical classes .
It will be observed that domestic servants , agricultural labourers , and most of the others named , are not the classes most desired in India at present , so that for the classes for whom i here is reallj an opening in India there is no more encouragement in any other colony , but they must in all cases pay their passages , as they will if they go to India . Now comes the question , What is the position of the men with small capital and some energy , or the men with a trade of luxury , or the men with energy , industry ; arid good character only going to one of the other colonies or to India ? In Canada , of these classes there is only a scope for the man with small capital , and he can do little as a shopkeeper , for ia all the best towns business is already a matter of connexion and large capital , and
everywhere the old settler has advantages . In the new settlements the small shopkeeper has not customers enough to get a living . Farming is therefore the main chance , and as a man can get more land than he can cultivate for four or five pounds , and can get his neighbours to build him a loghouse , there is no labor to be got , for every labourer of the first year is a farmer of the next . The position of the farmer is therefore in most cases that of the cottier , unless he has some special advantages from a great town springing up , and his being able to turn to market-gardeniag or dairy farming . As to getting employment as a clerk , or foreman in one of the Canadian cities or bailiff on an estate , the sons of the shopkeepers take everything that comes in the
way . The Australian , colonies present much the same prospect . Melbourne , Sydney , Adelaide , Geelong , Hobart-town , Goulbourn , Launccston , or any of the towns , require of the shopkeeper as much capital or credit as ia London , and there is no chance of getting employment in a counting-house , warehouse , or shop . Stoiie-breaking is the employment the applicant gets if he is very lucky . Gold-digging is an occupation precarious enough , but that requires some small capital to get to the diggings and find a mouth ' s provisions . As shopherds , thore ia a field for any kuid of men who can learn tho work , and in time he may get a tlock of his own after many years of discomfort aud hard lubour .
Indeed fow know the hardships by which tho comfortable settlor attains to a position of oase . Tho Australian Legislatures are right : what they want is men with capital , married agricultural labourers , and woman servants . New Zoaland docs not afford gold-diggings , and the emigrants are ohiefly agricultural ancT pastoral , so that the settler must bo cither employer or labourer , and whatever his brains , without capital , till lie 1 ms capital the lot of the labourer must bo his , as many ft young man knows to his cost . In South Africa , shopkeoping is on tho , same footing os elsewhere ; fanning is on tho same terms of oapital , or tho powor ofr holding on till the ground is covered and crops come up > and there ia employment ia hording cattle and sheep . There is , however , there , Caffre labour available , which
materially assists the settler . In Natal , too , there is scope for sugar-plantings coffee-planting , cottongrowing , and the arrowroot cultivation . All these require some capital- —sugar-works considerable capital—and coffee-planting some time of expectation before the trees bear . A steerage passage to New York can begot for 5 / . or 8 / ., and to Quebec for the like sum ; but this cheap passage is no consideration for the emigrant , who looks out for the land of promise and pays more . To the Cape or Natal he can get for 12 / . or
15 / . ; to Melbourne for 15 / . or 18 / . ; to Sydney for 15 / . or 18 / . ; to South Australia , 17 / . to 20 / . ; to Western Australia , IS / , to 20 / . ; to Tasmania , 177 . to 25 / . ; to New Zealand , 26 / . ; and to California , 30 / . The cost of a steerage passage to India , Ceylon , or Hong-Kong , is IS / , to 20 / ., or about the Australian standard , and when emigration flows freely in , on account of the number of ships on the berth , a Calcutta passage will cost no more than a Melbourne one . Once " in India , a young man has better chances than in any other of our colonies .
Were the Emigration Commissioners to give information to Messrs . S . W . Silver and Co . to include India in their Emigration Guide , or enterprising shipowners to advertise " Emigration to Indiasteerage passage 18 / ., " there would be no want of passengers to India , and an effective emigration would take place .
1166 The Leader. [No. 449, October 30, 1...
1166 THE LEADER . [ No . 449 , October 30 , 1858 ,
Notes On Indian Progress. There Is Littl...
NOTES ON INDIAN PROGRESS . There is little news from the northern hills . What we have chiefly refers to the gallant capture by Mr . Knox of the Sepoys who escaped f ^ pm the Cashmere Rajah , and were laid hold of near Spiti , one of the dependencies of Kulloo , on the borders of the Chinese territory . This feat was accomplished by one Englishman , at the head of a party of Sikhs , many dsys' march from Simla , among the rugged peaks of the western Himalayas . From the southern hills . we , have' gratifying progress in the annual report of the Conservator of Forests in Madras , which gives much interesting information of the progress of English settlement . His forests are being rapidly cleared by the cofFeeplanters . In the Sissipara , Perarnbady , and Surapngee passes vast clearings are being made . In the
Coonoor Ghaut six large plantations may be seen , and in the Wynaad there are above thirty large holdings , which the commissioners expect will from year to year increase . The coffee-plant has succeeded admirably in Mysore , and there are patches of cultivation in Madura and even in North Caniara . The conservator expects that the rich valley of the Koondhas will be brought under coffee cultivation . He reports very favourably of Mr . H . Mann ' s tea plantation near Coonoor , in the Neilgherries , There are now about two thousand vigorous plants , a small plantation ns compared with Assam , Dnr . jeeling , or Kumaon , but quite sufficient to test the plant under a planter so intelligent and enterprising as Mr . Mann . A supply of workmen is now wanted for the manufacture .
The progress of the coffee plantations has necessarily directed the attention of the conservator to the effects on the forests . Ho is altogether favourable to the cultivation , but he is taking measures to preserve the timber trees , tho teak , ebony , and peon trees , and likewise tho fringe along tho crest of mountain ridges , to maintain the climatic operation . As those mountain crests are not suitable for the growth of coffee a restriction on their cultivation can do no harm . From Ootacamund we learn that attention is still being given to the establishment of a Lawrence Asylum for the children of English soldiers ; but tho committee are by no means agreed as to the basis of constitution . This is much to be regrqtted , as such an asylum is much wanted , and would do great good in the Madras territories , and increaso the resources of Ootakamund .
Assistant-Surgeon F . S , B . F . do Chauinont procoeds to Darjeeling to take medical chargo of that station . One of the hill corps , which have rendered such efficient service during the revolt , haB received distinguished honpurs . Tho Sirmoor Battalion is to bo named tho Sirmoor Biflo Regiment , with the Avord " Delhi" on mi extra regimental colour , and tho appointment of one colour havildar per company , and an extra jemadar to carry the regimental colour . Prom the growing port of Akyab , in Burmah , we learn they koep up their nowspanor , tho Jiiaing Star , but hrtve only one compositor , as tho other , 1 ms boon drowned . The paper fa now published only once instead of twice a week . The distance between Allahabad and Cawnpore , now opened by tho East Indian Hallway , hus beon run in three hours and a quarter .
The East Indian Railway meeting was held on Thursday . We have referred to the proceedings elsewhere . The important intelligence has been received that the submarine cable across the Gulf of Mauaar , between India--and Ceylon ,-has been laid , and trial signals sent . The line from : Kurraehee- to Bombay was completed on the 19 th of September , and will be soon opened to the public . As Scinde is under the Government of Bombay , this measure is of the more interest , while it will enable the merchants of the growing port of Kurracliee to get early English advices from Bombay on the mail touching there .
It will be taken as an evidence of the increase of engineers in India , and a most gratifying fact fop the progress of the country , that for the situation of Superintendent of Repairs under the Municipal Commissioners of Bombay , which we are sorry to say is likely to be given to the assistant engineer ia the garrison engineers' department , there were three candidates : Mr . G . D . Dempser , late . architectural engineer to the Great Indian Peninsular Railway and a well-known writer on engineering , Mr . R . C . Rowlands , C . E ., and Mr . James Rose , surveyor and builder .
The inconveniences of the silver standard are severely felt in India , and although some members of the Government , and the less enlightened Hindoos , are opposed to a change , the best authorities require an assimilation to the English standards . We trust the time will not be long before the rupee and florin are made identical , and the rupee decimalised . Constant inconveniences arise from the present standard . The Bengal and Bombay official returns of the trade . of 1857 do not show such bad results as were expected , but nevertheless the revolt did seriously interfere with trade , antl this year will inflict a further loss on India and England . Bengal indigo , sugar , gunny , hides , mustardrseed , and saltpetre , all show a falling off .
The cotton export from Bombay , it will be seen by the Cotton Supply Association with pleasure , has , in . the last official year , greatly increased . The export to England in 18 . 57-8 was 229 , 907 candies ,. worth , at the official value , 3 , 133 , 603 / ., and to China 376 , 6467 . The quantities are largely above tho average of the foregoing five years . The Galway Li ^ je of Steamers . —So far as the Gal way' Atlantic Steam Company aria concerned , a satisfactory explanation , with respect to the advertised tonnage and steam-power of their vessels , lias been published in the City Article of the Times , from Messrs . Cake , Adam , and Co ., the Company ' s ship-brokers . and agents . Messrs . Bake and Co . state that they are
responsible for the advertisements , and they plead custom as an excuse for giving the gross tonnage and effective steam-power of the Galway vessels , instead of tl \ o registered tonnage and nominal power . We have referred to tlie advertisements of other steam companies , and find by a reference to tho " Shipping Register" that what Messrs . Bako and Co . slate is the case . In addition to this , they say that , according to the custom which they have adopted , they have in some instances under and not overstated the efficiency of the Galway line steamers . We consider with the Times , that the custom itself is " better honoured in tho broach than the observance ; " but it is a pity that rivalry and jealousy should have seined hold of so poov nn excuse ht to mand the
for attack . Tho Galway line oug com suffrages of every well-wisher to our mercantile prospects and greatness . Eventually it will extend tho commerce and dovolop the resources not only of IrolanO , but of Liverpool and Southampton , and every trading port in the United Kingdom . Wo nro sorry to see narrow-minded and short-sighted accusation * so iihIustriously and cngorly disseminated . The Galway ( . ompnny can well afford to keep within tho strictest limits of correct and reliable assertion , whilst it would bettor beBoem older and long-established companies and shipowners to refruin from evil and hostile insinuations niui accusations ngainst a young and flourishing undortuKin , * , which Government has warmly rucofcfiiiscid , «« u « 't ( l which such important interests and magnillcont projects
are bound up .- ^ JSaaoo ? u . . . Coi'pqr Minks of Sodth Australia . — 1 ho pnncipn . * coppoi 1 mino now being worked is that of tho Win-: Burrn , which pays nt the rato of 400 por cent , po » annum to its original shareholders , tho oro yielding on nn average 22 to 24 per cent , of copper . Tho Iviipun" . of which tho working capitnl la only 0000 / ., » t w «""'' produces at tho ruto of 25 , 000 / . p « r annum , «»<¦ f only 15 nor cont . of copper from tho oro . At U » umllOftVUnt
bera ' a Mino , an entirely private ontorprlso , <> l , !' , ' ? yield is equal to that of tho Kurra Burrn . A" 0 x * y Lincoln , already proved to bo highly productive am * rich Iff yiold , now lies inactive , from tho apathy oi in " present private owners of tho land . Two more mint « i groat promiso aro now being opened up , Ull ° ' f North Uhlno of South Australia , gives , on n P / oduco o » about . 200 tons , an average yicW of 27 to 10 imrwij of doppor ; anil tho other , tho Bon Accord , although iiob yet returning , gives good indications of early yluw . Mining Journal .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 30, 1858, page 22, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_30101858/page/22/
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