4 it in anon THE FRIEND or INDIA. FESTIVAL OF JUGUNNAT’HA. In our number for July last year, -we gave an account of a singular accident which happened to the car of this celebrated deity, whom the great bulk of the natives continue to regard as the lore} ‘of the world, in spite of those clear and decisive proofs which would convince even the most thoughtless of his complete inability to verify that title. lVe trust we shall be-excused by otir rea- ders if we bring the subject again before them, in order to relate several circumstances, which though not novel in themselves, had been render- ed so notorious at the present anniversary, as to warrant their being publicly made known. This image of.Iugunnat’ha is the most famous of all the images of that deity in this part of the ‘Country, and by those who are interested in the ‘subject, is regarded as inferior only to the origin- al image in (lrissa. The splendid endowments it enjoys, and its vicinity to the metropolis ofthe cast, the residence of so great a proportion of wealthy natives, conspire to ‘give a degree of Ce lebrity, which is denied to every other image in this part of the country. The cupidity and ra- pacity ofthose brahmuns who are the proprie- tors of this image, have eagerly seized on these circumstances, and turned them into achanncl of profit to themselvt:.=. 'I‘wo miles from the temple of this deity,stands that_'ofhis imagined brother Radhavtilluliliaiid the eight days which the shastres allow to intervene between the car’s being drawn forth, and its be- ing drawn back, have been improved to their own advantage by the proprietors oftliis latter tem- ple, who, by means of an annual present, obtain permission for him to visit his brother, in which according to the notion of the vulgar, he enjoys every degree of fraternal delight. This present is in. general seventy-five rupees ; which howev- er renders the residence of .lugunnat’ha with his brother, still a profitable concern to the proprie- tors of Radliavullubb’s temple. In the seven days dining which he remained there this year, presents were made to him in money to the val- ue of 500 rupees; and to the amountofaboii1;‘.20O more in various articles cliicfly of food. These presents, however, being made at the temple of Ptadhavullubb, reverted to the proprietors of that image, and not to those of .lugunnat’ha. The sacred person-ages who are the proprie- tors and lords of both these images, and who of course claim as their right the offeiiiigs made them, are not the only persons however, to whom this festival is aclvantageons. \Vithin the last two or three years it has been customary to erect sheds by the way-side for gm';zl-ling ,- and the mtiititudcs of tvorsliippers who possess a small portion of wealth, and when the metropolis pours forth on such occasions, present a line harvest for sharpers. As tisual, the Chinese, the great gam- blers of the east, take the lead. At this recent festival, nearly a hundrt:d came tip from Calcut- ta, and devoted themselves without cessation to this abominable enjoyment. The number of gambling houses erected by them and by the na- tives, exceeded twenty ; and in these the disap- pearancc ofthe great lnn'iinary‘of day protlucetl no intei'i'uptlon in business. Those who had been wearied by the labors and ill success of the day, resigned their post to others who prolonged the scene through the night, and such as had oc- ,c'.-ision to pass by them in the morning, perceived the lamps still burning. This practice continu- ed for eight days, and produced an abundant exhi- bition ofevery species of villainy. ()ii one oc- casion a native from ashort distance inveigled the child of a neighbor from home, and having lost all he possessed at one ofthese gambling houses, pretended to leave_ the child which be called his own, as a pledge for the payment of his debt, and absconded. The native to whom the boy had been thus consigned, considered him as a lawftil piize, and as such would have borne him home, had he not been rescued by a person who happened to be acquainted with the parents ofthe child.~. Three other natives, after having lost ev- ery thing they possessed, brought to the market their young and innocent wives, of whom the old- est was _little more than twelve years of age -- This young person however, whom he had re- ceived from her parents, was unfuelingly Sold by this worshipper of .ltigunnat’lia, for thirteen ru- pees 1 She was purchased by a woman who keeps a house ofill-fame, and thus consigned for ever to infainyand vice. In the two other cases, the relatives of the young women, or rather children, for they were little more than ten years of age, happened to obtain a knowledge of what was go- ing forward, and made so strenuous an opposi- tion in the midst of the multitude, that the bar- gain was broken off before it could be fully com- pleted. VVho can wonder at the cotnplete de- inoralization of the Hindoos, when such deeds are perpetrated in the very presence of their suppo- sed divinity, and at the season ‘of one of those public acts of adoration, from which they ought to derive additional motives for purity of life? VVe have not heard that any one this year de- voted himself to destruction under the wheels of the car. Perhaps this consummation of religious frenzy is chiefly confined to the original shrine of this deity ; but the number of those who perish- ed by accident under the wheels was very consid- erable. \Vithin afcw miles round, no fewer than six were crus-lied to death ; and when we consid- ' er all the circumstances of the case, it will ap- pear highly probably that this is not an unfair es- timate for a limited space of the number of acci- dents at these seasons annually. This festival is celebrated throughout the whole of Bengal ; and always occurs during the rains, and at the time of the changes of the moon, when there is frequent- ly an extraordinary fall of rain. Vt/ith the ex- ception of those at Calcutta, the cars are drawn ovcr roads formed merely of earth which are of com se slippery to a high degree. VVhen any one of the crowd of devotees who. are drawing the car, happens to fall down, the number who are crowded around him as closely as they can stand, prevents his rising again, and the impossibility of stopping the car, deprives him of every chance of escape, unless he should happen to fall pre- cisely into one of the intermediate spaces form- ed in this instance by thirty-two heavy wheels, Jnade of solid plank. So far is it from being therefore, ynatter of surprize, that with the thou- sands of cars which are drawn otit annually, that those accideiits should occur, rather the wonder _'i_s that there are no more of them from year to’ ‘A3. -- yéar. Still, however, the number bf those that perish annually in Bengal, must amount to many hundreds. W'hen the car proceeds,a few brahmuns mount it, to enjoy the pleasure of a ride. On drawing back the car this year, some of the people from below made great efforts to ascend the car like- wise—-btit those who had already mounted it, un- willing to admit more, used every means to pre- vent intrusion by throwing down those who were climbing, either with their hands or with ham- boos. After many fruitless efforts, the crowd be- low, enraged at this opposition assailed those a- bove with mtid and stones, and every missile thing within their reach. For a time all was tu- mult and confusion. Jugtinnat’lia, indeed, did not fare better than his votaries who had occasion- ed the tumult. In the eagerness of the crowd to chasti-ee those who had incurred their anger, he himself was so bedaubed with the filthy elements which the multitude threw up profusely, that his face and many partsof his car were nearly cov- ered with mud. After this violent expression of resentment, the indignation of the people having exhausted itself. they again applied their shoul- (l'.:l'S to the ropes, and proceeded in their wonted ~flldl'Illt5l‘ till they came within two hundred yards ofthe appointed place. Here the car stuck fast ; and whether it were. for want of real strength, or ofinclination, they felt unable to move it,‘ and there it must remain till the next anniversary.—. VVith what ideas of the majesty of the supreme ruler of the universe-—-—with what convictions of his detestation of iniquity, and his love for truth and holiness-—'—witli what additional restraint on their passions;-with what new incentives to vir- tue and purity in their own conduct, the natives must have returned home from such a scene, we leave the reader to judge.‘ About four thousand copies of a pamphlet, drawn up last year by the Rev. Mr. V-Vard, were distributed during the nine days of the festival ; not indeed in the midst of the crowd, as at that season they are often disre- garded, if not lost; but when the worshippers were returning to their respective villages and places of abode. At which season the pamphlets were in general received with eagerness, and probably found their way to numerous villages; "* --ct--:':.--n:--— _ ST. Louis, Jan. 5. ]llz's.rz'.s.°.z'/ijzi. _Ex/zedz'lz'on.-—-By late accounts re- ceived from Pr-aire dti Chien, and Peters, we lcurn that the Barracks at the Cantonment at St. Peters are erected and the troops comfolrtably qtiarterctl for the winter. They have commen- t_.e(l ploughing for the next year, and will proba- bly raise sutlicient for the support of the troops during the Cllstllng‘ season. The climate is mild and pleasant. much more so than could be,expect- ed at 44 deg. 59 min. N. The soil is abundantly rich, and nature has prepared it for the plough. Gtttss is also in great abundance and sufficient for any quantity of cattle. Several specimens of copper and iron ore have been found. and large quantities of both exist without doubt in the coun- try. Game is procured in great abundance.-.- Tlie Indians continue to be perfectly friendly. Extract ofa letter from an officer of the 6th Re- giment. dated—‘ Council .Blu_17?9, or‘ Camfz ./Hits--J .2.-ourz, ./Va-0. 12, l8l9. » ‘ The situation here I am pleased with: there is, I think, no danger of starving. the provisions for the winter and spring having arrited : but we ‘feel the want of ve,.;etables——it is almost three months since we have tasted any. '\-‘Ve found deer, elk and turkeys in great abundance, in as- cending the river. \'Ve see few of them here ; however two of Capt. Riley’s rillemen came in a few days since with forty turkeys—antl another with /wcnly-six. a Two great dinners have been given since we arrived here; one by Col. Atkinson to the oili- cers of the two regiments; the other was given in return by the two regiments-‘—’-at which we had turkeys,~ wild geese, brant, grouse, partridges, (locks of every description, fresh beef and veni- son--but no vegetables. VVe have,‘ however, a gootl soil, and will have plenty of these next sea- son. On r garrison, which is built of cotton-wood logs, pi'0;.;:t‘csscs finely. and is large enough’ tocon- tain the two regiments. The tegiment is generally healthy.’ .E.2rlr'ac/. Qfurwz/zer lelzerfrom r/ac same/zlaicc. ‘ This Fort is situated 800 miles above the mouth of the Missouri, and one mile above the place called the Council Bluffs, the place where Lewis and (‘-lark held a general Council with all the Indians in this quarter of the world‘. It is a bluff of about 100 feet above the surface of the water, and perpendicular on the side adjoining the river, which flows at its base ; btit it gradually descends to the distance of three-foui'tli of a mile on all other sides. The country is a prairie for the distance of several hundred miles back, but timbered above and below, it hich renders it the most beautiful ‘spot I have ever seen for a fort.~; the scarcity of wood only prevents it from being the first place in the western country. This country is entirely prairie, except a small grove on the bank of the river, but after you get two or three miles back, it is all prairie, until you ariive hear some other water course._ I have travelled for 20 or 30 miles without finding a bush of wood or drop of water. I have visited several nations of Indians in this neighborhood, and re- maint-d with them some time. I will mention some of their most singular manner, from which you can draw some idea of their character. \Vhen I arrived at the Mohawk village,‘ it was about 3 o’clock in the evening; I was carried to the Chief's lodge, where they soon prepared something to cat, which I was very glad to see, for I had not eat for two days; but when it was set before me, it proved to be the flesh of a dog, at the first sight of which I was disgusted, but seeing the Interpreter eat of -it, I was induced to taste it, and found it so palatable that I eat a bear- ty supper. During this evening I eat seventeen‘ times,» and the next day twenty-three ; for every Chief gives you a least, and nothing will be con- sidered so great an affront as to refuse.’ ——6- So worthless is most of the Bank paper in the Western country, that a St. Louis farm er adver- tised to exchange a q.uantity of Nashville Bills, at 50 per cent discount, for pumpkins. Letters from Lexington, Kentucky, dated the’ 5th instant, state that the Bank of Kentucky had suspended specie payments. 132-0552 the Boston Pan-2'01, Feb. 2. _ LATEST FROM ENGLAND. . ‘ ‘life have received from ‘our attentive corres- pondent in England,‘ London-papers to the 25th December—brought by ship. Harmony, arrived at Portsmouth, N. H. from Liverpool. Despotism appears to be making rapid strides in that ill-fated country. The royal assent had been given to the beditious Meetings Prevention. Bill, and many persons had been arrested on charges of sedition. Although the strong arm of power had been stretched forth in a way that Lord Castlereagh acknowledges to be unconstitu- tional, yet it does not appear‘that theypeople are yet wholly subdued. The popular fermentwas still discernible, not only in England. but like- wise in Scotland and Irel-and.—I—low far they will be able to proceed in opposition to the despotic measures adopted against them, time will show. There were some indications, however, of the long desired Barliamentary Reform, in the leave given to Lord John Russell to introduce a bill in Parliament‘ transferring the right of sending members to that body from the corrupt borough of Grampound to the populous town of Leeds. Mr. Hobhouse had been arrested by order of the House of Commons, and conveyed to New- gatc. He had written a pamphlet which the House of Commons, had construed into a libel on that body. Mr. Hobhouse openly and manfully acknowledged himself to be the author of the pamphlet. When the sergeant at arms attempt- ed to arrest him at a house in New-street, he re- mit to nothing but force. The officer then call- ed in two assistants, and laying his hand on Mr. Hobhouse, said, * you are my prisoner.’ Mr. _Hobl1ouse then replied, ‘ I must submit to force, but I fzrotcst against this illegal seizure, and de- sire you to inform the Speaker thereof.’ Mr. Hobhouse intends to contest the power of the House to commit a person not being one of its members, for an alledged libel. ‘ A meeting had been holden at the Crown and Anchor Inn. London, in consequence of the ar- rest of Mr. Hobhouse, at which Sir Francis Bur- dett presided. Upon-taking" the chair he com- menced an address, wherein he stated that this procedure was an usurpation of power which the King on the throne had never attempted to exercise. It was monstrous to think that the same persons were accusers, judges, jury. and executioners, He denied the right of the House of Commons to imprison a subject without legal proof, and withoiit trial. Resolutions were then adopted protesting against the proceedings. Parson Harrison had been arrested on a charge ‘of sedition, but was libei;atetl upon bail. The Seditious and Blasplieiinotis Libel bills passed the House of Lords, and the Newspaper Stamp Duty bill the Conimons, by'large majori- ties. The Seize Arms bill passetl the Lords, Deccember 17, 135 to 38. On the 23d, a bill to abrogate the right of traverse, received the royal assent. ; _ K . Lord Sidmoutli has adtlressetl acircular to‘ sev- eral of the Lord Lieutenants, requesting them to put the act against unlawful Trainings, into ri- gid execution. - ‘ ' ' The addition made to the peace establishment J is ll,O00 men. Some fresh meetings of the Reformers had taken place in Scotland, and the military force had been called to suppress them. No blood was, however, shed, and Mr.’Grant, in the Commons, ridiculed the idea of assembling a force to sup- press them. ‘ Jlfanc/raster, Dec. 16. ‘Last night Mr. Madin, and several of his as- sistants were sent to Bury, for the purpose of ap- prehending" certain individuals whoformed the Radical Committee there. He was accompanied by a troop of Lancers. It was about eight o’clock P. M.’ when Mr." Marlin arrived at Bury, and he proceeded directly to the Union Room, and seiz- ed eight ofthe committee, in the midst of their deliberations. Two otliers were taken at their residences, and the whole (ten)‘ were lodged in the New Bailey aboutmidniglit.-‘-‘-This morning they t_inderwen‘t a private examination, and were committed‘ for a misdemeanor, and not having bail in readiness, were forwarded to Lancaster » Castle. Stations are fixed upon, and telegraphs are to be erected without loss of time, to form a commu- nication between Manchester and the metropolis. _ Lomlon, Dec. 2|. It has b'een'ins‘isted, in both Houses of Parlia- ment, that no necessity exists for extending the Seditious Meetings Prevention Bill to Ireland, which is perfectly tranquil, and likely to contin- ue so‘. Let the following intelligence, received this morning from that country, be an answer to the premature confidence of those who can be- lieve Ireland would be quiet if England were strongly agitated. _ _ STATE OF IRELAND.- (From the Dublin Evening Post of Dre. 18.) ‘ That some indications of a troubled spirit have been manifested in the VVest of Ireland, we have had occasion-already to state. That they have been exaggerated we do believe ;- but it would not be dealing fair with the public if we pretended that rtimors which have reached us. were all gotten up by the interested and Ultra Loyal. - The County of Roscommon is the principal scene of this agitation. By accounts which we have just received from that part of the country. itappears that many strangers have, within the last six months, come into Roscommon; some of whom, from their accent, appear to be English- men. They are well dressed and well mounted, and go out at night at the head ‘of the native in- surgents. When they come to aliotise to swear the inmates, the strangers generally enter and administer the oaths, while the natives remain at a short distance outside. Efforts have been made to swear‘ the poor of Mayo, particularly those on the borders of Roscommon ; but we are happy to state, that they have proved altogether ineffectual. The Magistrates of this county, aid- ed by the Clergy, Protestant and Catholic, have hitherto preserved Mayo from the contagion. S'co'rLAND.—From the Glasgow Courier. on Saturday last, a party of officers in Paisley were sent to execute a warrant for apprehending a person accused of seditious practices, and for searcliing his possession for papers. VVlien they had completed their search‘ and proceeded to the ‘ ‘street with their prisoner and papers, they were fused to surrender, declaring that he would sub- 5 down, and so severely hurt the other with stones, which were unmercifully pelted-upon them, that they were obliged to abandon their prisoner, and in the best way they could effect their escape.-— Yesterday, one of the Magistrates, with a party ofoflicers, accompanied by some infantry and cm». '-11")’: proceeded to apprehend some of the rioters, when they were mobbed and assailed in the same manner. The same day, another party of um. cers were grossly insulted in seizing the conceal- ed arms in one o_f the most public streets of Pais- ley, and they found it not safe to carry them of?‘ without the protection of the military_.and a par. ‘)1 W35 3CC0l‘(lingly sent for. to escort the ofiicers with the arms so seized. On this duty, the so]. diets were hooted and insulted, and one of them severely struck by a stone from the mob, in meg- ence of the slicrill', and all this withotit any ic. taliation. ' \-Ve have been informed, that some pikcs Werc seized on Thursday night, at Paisley, in the shop ofa cutler. VVe understand the cutler's name is Henderson, and he is now in custody. Ia"’3‘ ./T07” EW0/I€.——I.ondon papers to the 30th Dec. are received at New-York. They state that the counties of Roscommon, Galway, and the upper part of Sligo, in Ireland, are in a dis-' tuibed state: the disaffected assemble in -great and sweating even magistaates and gentlemen, who fall in their way. The House of Lords have passed a bill laying a duty, the same as is now paid on newspaper.--, Ob all pamphlets, with a view to check all sedi- tious wrttin_ s. A lvlr. I-It-athficld has published a pamphlet proposing to pay off one half of the national debt, by an assessment of fifteen per cent on the capi- tal of all the pi-ope_rty in the kingdom. The (.ouri_er says the project is ‘ wise, necessary, will be ellectual,’ and peimit the repeal of twenfv mil- lions of taxes. '~ Cobbett has taken up his residence at Botley, from whence he continues to write for his ‘i\VL’.Cli- ly Political Register.’ He had attempted a re- conciliation with Sir Francis Burditt; but lhe Barorret repelled the overture with indignation. -/Ivzful -wreck —A large and valuable West-Im dianian, from Demerara to Liverpool, 51,-uck On the Kivors on the night of the l6tli Dec. and went; to pieces. It is supposed all on board were lost ; the bodies of 22 of her crew were found and buri- ed in one grave. Advices from Manilla, to June 14, (received in Calcutta,) mention that two thirds of their crop of sugar had been destroyed by locusts. Govern- ment had sent for several thousand of the Martin Bird, in hopes of destroying them. The cholera morbus was very prevalent among the natives of India, at the last dates; and the Britisli troops have suffered considerably by sick- ness. _Fron'z the National Intelligenccr of Jan. 29. "We have at length been enabled to make a be- ginning of the Debates in the Senate of: the U- nion on the leading topicof the present day-‘the Jlfissouri Qilc-.5-lion. V.-Veil may it be called the both Houses, exclusively; and will continueito cngross it so entirely as, we apprehend, to prevent that attention being paid to other legislative ob- jects, which many have sanguinely calculated on. The proposition which is the subject of so much debate, reduced to a familiar phraseology, is this: whether it is expedient to impose, as a condition of the admission of the territory of Mis- souri into the Union,‘ an obligation on her people to prohibit the future ren'ioii‘-al or traiispot-tatiori of slaves into that territory. The q'uestio'n- divides itself into three l)l"dl]Cl1I':S E 1. The constitutionality oftlie measure. 2. Its conformity to the stipulations of the Treaty of l8()3 by which France cctlcdtli‘-.: terii-' tory in question to the United States. ' 3. The expediency of the measure, as it‘ may to servitude in the United States, and as itmay effect the relations between different parts of the Union. The aflirmative‘ and negative of these questions are supported with equal zeal, by nearly equal nurn'b'ei':-E. In the Senate, the majority is suppos- ed to be opposed to the restriction : in the House of Representatives, though the question has not there is a majority in favor of the restriction. An excitement appears to prevail, or rather it is painfully apprehended, in regard to this quest- ion, which would, with difliculty be accounted for, from a general view of the points embraced by it. The truth is, and it is vain to shut otir eyes to the fact, that there are considerations of deeper inter- est at the bottom of the question. The balance of power vibrates; and th_e feelings of our politi- cians vibrate in sympathy. It has been surmised, we perceive by letters from this city, published in the Eastern prints, that already it is attempted to establish political distinctions by this questiot-.‘ " We incline to think, however, that this suggest- ion is rather the result of gloomy foreboding, than the delineation of a reality which could not be too earnestly deprecated. Of all political tests, our federative system abliors a geographical one. One only remark we shall be pardoned for making lrére on the merits of the question. It is yet attempted toimpress the public mind, in defiance of repeated contradictions, that tli’is is a question which involves an extension ofslrzvcrz , that is, the multiplication of slaves in our coun- try. Once for all, no such question is presented to the consideration of Congress, or of the nation.- The question concerns only the dz_'fl"usz'o.~2 or the concentration of the slaves now in the country.-— singlc individual who would raise his hand in fat- vor of authorising the introduction of slaves into the United States--or, in other words, in favor of the extension of slavery. Justice to the cli.trar- what is‘ called the Missouri Question. FROM 'i§HE SAME. ‘ob. 2.-—,The Missouri Question, as it is fa- miliarly called, is pt length'deterui'rned in the Senate. After a» debate, as full, as deliberate, and" as able, perhaps as ever took place in that vener- assiiiled by a ‘rtibb, wl'i_o knocked one of therrt leading tajzic 3 it now occupies the attention of been tried decisively in any shape, it is supposed’ force, seizing arms, administering unlawful oaths, ; affect the relative condition of persons now held? There is not in the Congress of the U. States a \ ter of our country requires that this should he ' distinctly understood, and never overlooked, as it- frequently is in the newspaper discussions of‘
Norwalk Chronicler