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THE NEW ALPHABET FOR INDIA
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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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their application for arms has imposed most - factory conditions . The police regiment , consisting nrincipally of Ghoorkas , Nepaulese , and Lessehas , raised by Dr . Campbell at Darjeeling , 900 strong , have neither arms nor uniforms . Mr . Thomas Login , the Government engineer , is busy in the neighbourhood with his surveys and operations for the road from the Ganges to Dar-Je it is feared the Supreme Government will refuse to lay down the telegraphic line to Singapore via Rangoon , which is much to be regretted , as , both on Indian and English accounts , communication with that gate of the far East is most desirable . Much of the trade of India is with China .
It is lamentable to see that a considerable number of the European overseers of the Department of Public Works are corporals and privates in the army , who are taken from the ranks of the artny jind returned to it , as occasion serves , and who want the energy and rewards of civil life . The necessity for increasing the staff" of overseers in India is evident , arid yet there are persons , who contemplate the extension of the military system instead of encouraging the immigration of individuals by whose means the
Government would obtain the same independent resources as in England . A good foreman would rise , become a sub-contractor , and in time a contractor , and might make a fortune , while the private or corporal has scarcely the prospect of the rare prize of a quartermastership or a lieutenant ' s commission . Really , the organisation of the Public Works Departments throughout India will require the care of Sir Proby Cautley , and the sooner he is created 1 resident of the Board of Works for India the better . announced
Two of these assistant-overseers are as dismissed and returned to the ranks in one Gazette . The new church at Trevandrum in Madras is rather expensive for an Indian church , as with fittings it will cost 640 / . ; the Government grant : s 261 / . The Government have directed the formation of a library of Oriental works in the North-West Provinces from the books confiscated at Lucknow and elsewhere—a very laudable design- ^ but the libraries of the British Museum , Dublin , Oxford , Cambridge , Edinburgh , and others at home might have been thought of . Such a measure of encouragement to Oriental literature , which is now receiving greater attention , wo . ule not have been untimely or unprofitable . ¦ . . .
The head pupils of the Government school at Ajmcre have formed a fund of two hundred sub-Bcribers of 1 / . each to establish an Oordoo and Hindoo newspaper . We hope it will be in Koman As a specimen of the boasted Court documents of Bengal , a native decree of the Sudder Dewanny Adawlut of Moorshedabad has been exhibited before the Indigo Planters' Association . This cumbrous Bengalee scrip was extended to the length of 005 feet . it is not wonderful that the Association aro converted to the system of employing English in the law-courts . .
We must chronicle , as a step in progress , the abolition of the expensive Calcutta Madrussah , which now turns out a few Arabic scholars , whp are not wanted , and the funds of which will be available for the purposes of education . There will be no want of training for Mahometan priests without the Madrussah . The attention of the Indian Governments has been called to gangs of Arabs and gipsies who prowl about the country and kidnap women to sell them into slavery . General Jacob has just punished a gang whom he caught near Jacobabad .
The Santhal jungles liave been opened up by ronds , so that there is every prospect of the district being brought under the domain of civilisation .
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THE INDIAN CHARACTER . Go where you will over that vast continent the leading features are exhibited ; want of method a » d of a thought of consequences . The rajah allows mud huts to be built against the walls of hi 3 palace , and drives out occasionally with , his silver harness tied together with , pieces of rope . Inside liis dwelling you will see the cushions of a costly sofa thrown on the filthy floor to serve as pillows for the domestics—a silver spittoon on a cracked table of malachite—a self-acting piano ready to crumble at a touch from the ravages of white ants—a magnificent oil painting hung up by the side of an eighteenpenny print , and both equally valued by the possessor . I have seen the Rajah of Bhurtpore riding about in a new
carriage made by one of the first London makers , from , which he had scraped off all the varnish , for the some what sensible reason , by-the-by , that none of hi-European friends would ask for the loan of it . The Nabob of the Carnatic , who had received an English , education , paid a very high price for a picture of what may be termed his coronation , painted by Lewis . The whole of his principal courtiers were introduced in the painting , and as , of course , there were a couple of factions amongst them , it occurred to the weaker party lhat considerable satisfaction might be had if the eyes of
the victorious set were put out—; on canvas . The scheme was approved of and carried into effect , and the Nabob , when showing the picture some time ^ afterwards , which was hung up in his throne-room , roared with delight as he pointed out to his English guests that the mutilated Minister s had taken their revenge by boring holes in , turn through the eyes of the opposite party . In every condition of life the same rule of recklessness holds good . The soldier will light his iire if permitted close to the powder magazine ; the sailor would willingly lash the helm , and go to sleep whilst the ship is afloat . —Correspondent of the Star .
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SARAWAK . The special committee of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce , appointed to consider the communication from the East India and China Association respecting the territory of Sarawak , liave issued a report in which they state that they have confined their inquiries to the question , What are the commercial advantages which would accrue \ o this country from our possession of Sarawak ? They recommend that a petition should be forwarded to the House of Commons , praying for a full inquiry into tho whole subject , and that a memorial should bo addressed to the Earl of Derby , praying his lordship not to take any steps committing the country to the acquisition of , or granting a p rotectorate to , Sarawak without full parliamentary inquiry .
A correspondent of tho Times makes the following suggestion ;— "The East India Company and tho | Hudson ' s Bay Company began as small mercantile companies , and attained to great dominion . They -were chartered by tho Crown . Why should not the merchants of London , Manchester , Liverpool , nnd Glasgow \ dxo wish Sarawak to bo secured for England charter themselves as ' Tho Borneo Company , Limited ? ' They could do so under tho Joint-Stock Companies Act . And why should they not attain to as groat dominion in the Eastern Archipelago as if they wore chartered , at the outset , by tho Crown ? It need not be long before they raado thoir own terms with tho Government at homo . "
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and Shahjehanpore brigades of the army of Rohilcund move eastward , the first clearing the country along the left bank of the'GangesMown to theCawnpore and Lucknow road , and the second sweeping the north-eastern face of Oude in the direction of Lucknow . It is hoped that by these movements the enemy may be compelled to stand and fight , when the ' result of one or two battles would doubtless decide the great body of landowners in our favour . . Queen Victoria ' s Proclamation to the " princes , chiefs , and people of India , " announcing that her Majesty had assumed the Government , with the title of Empress of Hindostan , was read in Bombay on the 1 st of November , the hall
from a platform erected on the steps of Town-. The civil , military , and naval officers of Government , having met the Governor , a procession was formed . On arriving at the platform , a nourish of trumpets was blown , and the Royal Proclamation was read in English and Mahratti . At its conclusion , the royal standard of England was unfurled , the bands struck up " God save the Queen , " and a royal salute from the ramparts of Fort George proclaimed that Victoria I . had assumed the sovereignty of India . The cheers from the platform were taken up " by ten thousand voices from the crowd . In the evening the whole town was illuminated ; the scene was one of great splendour . All classes of the Rommunitv seemed to vie with each other in their
demonstrations of loyalty . Copies of the Pro were distributed , as well as of a supplementary one by the Governor-General . The native population have numerouslj' signed a most satisfactory memorial to the Queen , expressive of gratification that her Majesty has assumed the sovereignty of India . The Royal Proclamation announces that all treaties and engagements made with Indian princes are to be scrupulously maintained . There is to be no extension of our territorial possessions ; the right and desire to impose our renounced
religious convictions upon the natives are , while all under authorities are strictly charged and enjoined to abstain from all interference with the religious belief of others ; and to all who have not committed murder , or who have not sheltered murderers knowing them to be such , there is the announcement of unconditional pardon , if the rebels will return to their homes and peaceful pursuits . Nothing could be more dignified or more becoming the British Crown than such a Proclamation . It is the foundation of all future government in India . The Commamler-in-Chief is still at Poona ; the Governor varying his residence at the Presidency by an occasional trip to Malheran .
INDIA . Letters from Bombay bring tho explanation of tho confused telegrams of last week . Tantia Toneo ' s army , wluch ia described as consisting of budmashos and mutinous Sepoys was rapidly dwindling away . Ho himself is surrounded in tho Nizam ' s dominions , and suing for terms ; so that the rebellion in Central India may bo conaidQrcd to bo virtually suppressed , as tho people generally aro very well affected towards us . It is said that his life will bo spared . Lord Clyde was in motion to oxecuto his plans for
tho reduction of Oudo . Towards tho ond of October ho was advancing on Shunkorporo , to attack Boni Madho , by fear of whom a largo number of tho Zemindars in Oudo aro restrninod from making thoir poaco with us . Bonl Madho has a forco of 14 , 000 men and ton guns , nncl eommnnda tho support of Foograj , 0 Ingh Najalm , with 0000 mon . It is calculated that Jftont Madho would have no difficulty in raising his forco to 20 , 000 mon ehould ho think it advisable to defend himsulf in his ontrouchod junglo at Shunkorporo , That position is onu of groat strength . Whilo tl > o Connnandor-ln-Chiof advancoa on Bonl Matlho ' s fortified Boat , tho Futtohghur
The New Alphabet For India
in honour of his nuptials at night , not knowing whicl of the two events had occurred . The above is a ver frigid and tame account of some of the difficulties whicl attend what may be called the Insha' i Har Karan , o general correspondence in India . Now as life , leisure and vision are all limited , it does seem an utter absurdity to hesitate about the adoption of an easy substitute for the abominable scrawls used by the natives . The English alphabet , property adapted to express the Indian letters , is that substitute , and to " Indophilus "
THE NEW ALPHABET FOR INDIA . The Persian running-hand is , as is well known to all Indians , hard to decipher , and by no means such that he that runs may read . Some may think tliat it is called Shikastah , or " the broken , " because he that attempts to read it will rend the collar of patience and break the strings of perseverance . India was long afflicted with the curse of this inscrutable character , and only greybearded munshis , who in learning it hail forgotten all else , could penetrate its mysteries . At length time , the great medicinor , produced the decree which swept it , for ever it is to be hoped , from the offices of the Sahibim i'Alisban , that is , of the English gentlemen , and from general use . Unfortunately , the same decree substituted a dozen curses for the one defunct , in prescribing the use of the vernacular dialects . Of these the Urdu" is tho least formidable , being a very mild approach to the terriblo Shikastah . The written character of the Hindf , however , compensates amply for all that is gained by tho comparative facility of the Urdu . It is called the Kaitbi , from the Kayasths , or writing class of natives , who use it , and who , if they can read what they write , must bo men of extremely subtle parts . Tho difficulty of tho Kaitht , ngain , is barely equal to that of the written character in the south of India , where tho Telugu , Kanarcso , and Tamil rejoice in a system of scratches which can bo made revoltingly obscure . All these , however , inust hide their diminished heads before the Mod , or letter character of tho Marrfthi . This ingenious mode of torment is said to have been invented by one Hiniar Pant in the end of tho eighth century , A . u ., who , if ho was really sensible of tho misorios ho was
about to inflict by it on a largo family of mankind , must , indeed , have been a fiend in human shape . Some ingouioua persons , with more imagination than etymological truth , have supposed tho name Mod to come from a word signifying " an ant , " a nd to imply that tho character is such as if ants , escaping from an inky grave , had run ovor tho paper and blottod and scrawled its fair surface . But Mor , " ant , " ia a Poraian word , and tlio odious Mod is Mardtlrf , from a Sanscrit root , which eigniliea "to twist or break . Mod , therefore , in Maruthf , corresponds in sense to Slilkustnh in Persian , and hopelessly illegible as it is , sinks into uttor insignificance in that respout when compared with tho Mtfrwarf and Sindhi . Con corning those latter scribbling * many strange taloa aro told , as of ft ploaaant gontloman who , having received a letter announcing something undecipherable that had happened to his eon , wont through the coromony of lamenting for his decease in tho morning , and gave a / Vto
is due the gratitude of all parties for recommending it . This is not a question as to the disuse of the Indian languages in business transactions and official proceedings . Such a proposal would be preposterous ; but it is simply a suggestion for an alteration which would be as convenient and beneficial to the natives as to ourselves . We are well aware , indeed , of the difficulty attending all such changes ; but , in the mean time , we give to the proposal of " Indophilus " our heartiest good wishes and support . — Homeward Mail .
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A Hisjutuw Jouunau—Tho language in which the Law of Moses was written five thousand years ago is being made tho instrument for convoying the most recent news of tho day in a small town of Eastern Prussia . A Hebrew gazette is being published nt Lyck , on tho Russian frontier . Its nnnie is f / anMf / ff id--An $ noo rh Sptaka—and its aim is to fffvo information of current events to tho very numerous JWfl of Kussln and Poland . Those noonlis although * ' »« tformnn—or rather , ft corrupt dialect , of Southern Gonnany—is their vernacular tongue , yot invariably prefer roniUng and writing In tho language of their IVwoi ' ntheia .
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Ko 455 , December 11 , 1858 . 1 THE . LEADEB , 1361
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 11, 1858, page 1361, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2272/page/25/
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