leaning of his mind, essentially Oriental and despotic. To make a country like a regiment, was his beau ideal, and that of his school, Malcolm, Elphinstone, and their followers. not that they deliberately wished the misery of the Natives; on the contrary, they were more attached to them than to Europeans. After their own pure fashion, they wished to employ the Natives in offices of some respectability, responsibility and small emolument; but all this was to be done by Government and for Government. Any thing like independence, or property not derived from the countenance and employments bestowed by the state, they hold in abhorrence, for the same reason that they abominate Colonization, or the existence of Europeans, not servants of Government, in India. Pure but ' enlightened' despotism is their theory of perfection; a union of all powers, judicial, revenue, political and military, in the hands of a set of chief employés, each ruling absolutely his little circle of territory; that is their beau ideal of Government.

Munro's talents will be very differently estimated by different parties. That he was a man of vigorous, active mind and disposition, cannot be doubted; and his rise from a cadet to be a governor, though effected in a great measure by a party, to carry through his forced revenue system, which no one else could be found hardy enough and strenuous enough to accomplish, is a strong prima facie proof that he was no common man. As a military man, perhaps, his talent was of a higher order: the opportunities had not occurred for testing this on a great scale; yet his operations in the Deccan, at the head of a handful of half armed and half disciplined men, gave promise of no mean ability in the line of his own profession. His habits were simple, straight-forward, and severe. He was capable of infinite labour in public business, although his penchant was far more for administrative details than for any mental centives of a higher order. His bodily activity too was great, and his frequent journeys into the interior, although mainly actuated by the absolute necessity of keeping up his artificial and vexatious regimen, by increasing inspection and urging forward of his instruments, show that he never spared himself. His exertions in aid of the Supreme Government, to push forward and equip his contingents for the Burman war, were most praise-worthy and effectual, and such as none but a military man of talent at the head of a government was likely to have carried into effect. He was impartial in the ordinary administration of his government; and his favouritism, such as it was, was occasioned by the particular bias of his revenueloving mind, the all overwhelming consideration with him. tact, however, made him at all times somewhat of the chief of a party; and those who disliked his measures, obtained little favour or even justice, and made him obnoxious to many zealous and honest men. His manners were any thing but popular, but he did not want for address, and, on the whole, contrived to keep well with

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the chief military authorities, notwithstanding all the jealousies nafural to his situation as a junior officer, to those who were his subordinates in office, though at the head of the military force of the state.

But such a man and such a mind are not of the first order, whatever his numerous partizans may say. He took no large, comprehensive and grasping views of men and things. He was any thing but a political economist, a legislator, a philosopher. His minutes and despatches about the Press are the merest nonsense, addressed to the vulgar fears of his interested employers, affecting political alarms which even his mind was too enlarged really to dread; but adroitly chiming in with the prejudices of those he addressed, and keeping in the back ground the real causes of his fear and hatred of the press, common to all in authority, in particular to all despots, and to the civil service of the Company; namely, their dread of independent strictures on bad measures, and exposure of local and provincial abuses, and extortions and tyranny. His evidence before Parliament, however, on the impending renewal of the charter in 1813, stamps the quality and dimensions of his mind, or shows the interested features of his character, if we suppose him insincere. Nothing was ever more completely falsified by events than his political prophecies on the evils of free trade, and resort of Europeans to India. They are worth republishing with those of Malcolm and others his compeers, as guages of their fitness and that of their school for civil employment.

GENERAL LETTER OF NEWS FROM MADRAS.

To the Editor of the Oriental Herald.

SIR,-A meeting took place on the 21st ult., for taking into consideration steps for handing down to posterity the memory of Sir Thomas Munro. As is usual on such occasions, there were one or two fine speeches, extolling the character of the deceased; after which, the proposition of a subscription for erecting a monument was announced. It was immediately entered into, and has been going on ever since. It amounts at present to upwards of 50,000 rupees, and a considerable deal more is yet expected from the Interior. It is truly ridiculous to see the subscription-list, as published in the Government Gazette' here. I know not how public servants, at the heads of offices, can allow it. Poor native writers, peons and taties, all are called upon to subscribe, as, if they do not, they incur master's displeasure, or, in other words, they lose their situation. The consequence is, that many a poor wretch, who receives 5 rupees a-month, gives 2 from it towards the erecting of the Governor's monument, for which he has his pride flattered by

seeing his name in print along with many other great fellows; but it is at the expense of his family having only one meal of rice, in place of their usual two, for six weeks or two months after.

The cholera made considerable havoc among the late Governor's party before they returned to the Presidency, although they came direct from the place he died at. Captain M'Leod, of the 43d regiment, N. I., who commanded the escort, and Mr. Wilmot of the civil service, with about 50 native followers, fell victims to it. It has been remarked here, with what very inadequate medical attendants the late Governor generally travelled. The only medical man in camp with the late party was Assistant-Surgeon Fleming, attached to the Body-guard; a young man who has been but a short time in India, consequently little practised in, or acquainted with, the local diseases. Surely, when a Governor goes on his tour into the interior, he ought to have proper medical officers with him. There are plenty of old surgeons at the Presidency, whose services could readily be commanded on such an occasion.

Speaking of medical men, I may mention to you a sad blow they have recently experienced from the medical contract, &c., being taken entirely from them, and placed in the hands of the Commissariat. It reduces the allowance of surgeons greatly. The Surgeon of the General Hospital here used to draw 3000 rupees monthly; he now has about 800 rupees. The Post-Office establishment here, and the department in general throughout the interior, has been greatly benefited by the exertions of the gentleman under whose control it has been for some few years past; but still it is capable of many improvements, which, it is hoped, will in time be adopted. There prevails a system in the Post-Offices at all out-stations which is very unpopular, and certainly ought to be discontinued; that is, the keeping of a register, in every office, of all letters received for dispatch; first entering the name of the individual from whom any letter is received, then its address; there being no receiving-boxes here, as in England. This mode of ascertaining from whom every letter comes, is readily effected. A writer is generally kept in the office for this purpose: no letter is received until he has entered it. If your servant happen to carry a letter there when the writer is gone to his meals, or at his devotions, he may be detained two or three hours. The letters are generally numbered as received at the Post Office, and so entered in the register; and as, at all stations, the Post Office is under the immediate charge of the commanding officer, he has an opportunity of seeing with whom every one corresponds; and, in some instances, a very improper use is made of this power. I have known a commanding officer send to the Post Office for the register of letters received for dispatch, to amuse his guests after dinner by a view of the correspondence of their neighbours. While such a regulation exists, few will have the hardihood to send a letter addressed to you, as the writer would become a marked man,

and be given credit for a great deal more than he deserved, if nothing worse followed.

I was amazed, and, I may add, amused, the other forenoon, when, in one of the offices in Fort St. George, I heard a public Staff officer, who holds a high official situation there, attack in the most abusive strain a young European recruit, a writer in the department, for the awful crime of having a Number of The Oriental Herald' on his table. It seemed to affect the worthy officer's very keenest feelings, and he denounced expulsion from office, and a train of other punishments, as the reward of any individual who, in future, dared to bring a sheet of the work into his Department. He characterized it as a work that did much mischief, exposing a great deal that had better remain hid, and tending to awaken ideas at home unfavourable to meritorious beings here. Such attempts to suppress, materially tend to increase the circulation of the Herald. The officer above alluded to is himself an author, having a few years since favoured the world with a small volume, which, although displaying but little talent, is written in a gentlemanly tone, and with as much reflection and combination as could reasonably be expected from a Lieutenant of sepoys, which he was when he published.

There arose some years ago a dispute between the Roman Catholic priests, joined by some of the principal members of the flock here, and some of the lower class in the congregation. I am not well enough acquainted with the circumstances to explain them minutely to you; however, they led to this, that the lower set withdrew, and built themselves a small chapel in the Patchery; a few of the leading men among them managing its affairs, and regularly paying the Priests who came occasionally from the mother church to officiate. Matters went on very smoothly in this way for some time, when the priests, ascertaining that funds were accumulating in the hands of the managers of this newly erected chapel, wished to take it under their charge: this the managers opposed, and justly said, 'It is true our finances are in a flourishing way at present; our income is more than sufficient to pay you for your pious labours: but we must guard against worse times, and lay up what we can.' The two parties kept contending in this manner for some time, the holy men insisting on managing the secular as well as the spiritual concerns of their followers; and at length they raised an action in the Supreme Court here, to compel the managers of the recently erected chapel to make over to them the full management of it. The managers being all men of a low class, and in indigent circumstances, consulted a Mr. De Mallo, a rich Roman Catholic Portuguese gentleman residing here, who had frequently advised them in their former proceedings; he considered their cause just, and recommended them to a Mr. Coates, an attorney of the Supreme Court here, who

agreed to defend the suit against the priests, but required an advance of cash. This the managers were unable to raise: a house and garden, however, worth about 3000 rupees, belonged to one of their families, and the title-deeds of this property were lodged in the hands of Mr. Coates, as security for his costs.

The priests, however, delayed from one term to another bringing on the suit; and in the mean time a schism arose among the members of the newly erected chapel, who, in order to bring all to a final settlement, proposed referring the matter in dispute between them and the priests to arbitration; this the priests agreed to, and it was adjusted thus: the managers of the chapel gave up their right of its management to the priests, who on their part undertook to pay all the costs and law expenses incurred by both parties : agreements and counter-agreements to this effect were exchanged, and the matter seemed fully settled. The managers carried the agreement and undertaking from the priests to pay all costs to their attorney, Mr. Coates. His bill for preparing to defend the suit, was 5,250 rupees, and the bill of Mr. Carruthers, the attorney for the priests, was 7,750 rupees; in all 13,000 rupees. Mr. Coates, the attorney for the managers, for some cause or other known only to himself, put off demanding the payment of his bill from the priests, although he retained in his hands their undertaking to pay it, as well as the title-deeds of the house originally lodged with him, and raised an action in the Supreme Court against the managers, (three in number,) for the amount of his bill of costs, viz. 5,250 rupees, for which sum he obtained a decree against them, arrested and laid them in prison, where they have now remained for two years, to the total ruin of their families and prospects.

In addition to the loss of Sir Thomas Munro, the Madras army has sustained another sad shock in the death of Lieutenant-Colonel J. Noble, C. B. of the Artillery, than whom a more zealous and better soldier, gentleman and Christian, the Coast Army never possessed; he went to England in 1824, and returned in the ship Roxburgh Castle, which sailed from Portsmouth in the beginning of April last, and reached Madras roads on the 17th ult. Captain Noble, having died the evening previous to the ship's arrival here, his remains were landed on the 17th, and interred with military honours in the evening. His death has been announced in general orders, as well as in the public papers, in both of which his merits have been duly appreciated; in the former, his meritorious services were stated in honourable terms.

A. C.