Council of New South Wales as Member for the City of Sydney. The contest was a narrow one, and its
result may prove not unimportant. It exhibits the present strength of the democratic party in New South
Wales in a somewhat grave light, and ought to receive proper attention from the authorities in Downing
Street.

The accounts by the last Overland Mail are from
Bombay to the 17th September, Calcutta to the 7th
September, and Hong Kong to the 24th August.

The whole of British India was tranquil, but the
petty civil war on the Nizam's borders still continued.

The native state of Oude seems inclined to rival the
Nizam's territories in anarchy and misgovernment. It
will be remembered that some months since an English
officer was killed and two guns lost in an attack on
the fort of a refractory vassal of the King of Oude. A
second event of the same nature has occurred. The
Rajah of Esanuggur had shown himself for some time
unwilling to pay the portion of revenue due from him
to the Oude government, and it became the duty of
Lieutenant P. Orr to obtain these dues from him; but
before resorting to more stringent measures he
imprudently determined on an interview with the Rajah, who
came attended by 200 armed followers. Lieutenant Orr
had with him only a Jemadar's party of Sepoys. A
discussion ensued, which terminated with blows.
Lieutenant Orr received eleven wounds (seven were severe),
and was with great difficulty carried off by his party,
who behaved very well, and sustained considerable loss.
The Rajah lost on his part his brother-in-law and three
followers, and was himself wounded. As soon as the
Rajah's followers had seen their master safe into his
fort (which immediately opened a fire of grape on
Lieutenant Orr's party), they commenced a pursuit, from
which Lieutenant Orr with difficulty escaped into the
districts of a rival Rajah.

The present aspect of the Punjaub is most encouraging;
the population, now disarmed, have settled down into
their former habits of industry. The breadth of land
under cultivation this season is said to be unprecedented,
and the crops are everywhere most promising.

Sir Charles Napier was to begin his homeward
journey from Simla on the 5th of November, and the
Governor-general was expected to return from Konawur
to Simla at the end of September. It was then expected
that his Lordship would visit the Punjaub.

Sir Charles Napier has issued a general order
condemnatory of the conduct of those commanding officers
who neglected to read and explain to their regiments
the orders issued in October, 1849, by the Governor-
General and Commander-in-Chief, with a view to
preparing the minds of the Sepoys for the withdrawal of
Scinde allowances. To this neglect on the part of Major
Troup, of the 66th Native Infantry, it will be remembered
that the mutiny and consequent disbandment of
that regiment were attributed by Sir Charles. In this
order the Commander-in-Chief very clearly defines the
duties of officers commanding regiments, brigades, and
divisions; and states that his own period of service with
the "noble Indian army" will very soon close.

The most important piece of intelligence from Hong-
Kong is the continuation of the fearful mortality among
the troops, which we noticed in last month's "Narrative."
This mortality was chiefly in the 59th regiment,
which had lost ninety men in about two months; while,
among the Europeans belonging to the Engineers and
the Artillery no unusual sickness had prevailed, and the
community generally was healthy. This sickness, therefore,
is ascribed to the unhealthiness of the barracks and
the want of sufficient sanitary precautions. The
mortality, however, had begun to abate.

A formidable Insurrection against the Chinese government
had broken out in the province of Kwang-si. The
leader, who is named Li-ting-pang, is said to be at the
head of 50,000 men. He has assumed the title borne by the
highest Tartar generals, and threatens to exterminate
the present and restore the old Chinese dynasty.

The last West India Mail has brought advices from
the principal colonies to the end of last month.

In Jamaica the cultivation of cotton is the great
object of interest. An association has been formed in
Kingston in order to test the capabilities of the island
for the remunerative production of this plant; and
Pembroke Hall, an estate adjacent to Kingston, has
been leased for that purpose.

A coloured woman, named Moss, died in Kingston on
the 1st of September, at the extraordinary Age of 150
Years. She was until within a short time of her
dissolution in the enjoyment of all her faculties, and had
not known a day's sickness during the last forty years of
her existence.

The Rains which had fallen in Hanover, Westmoreland,
Trelawny, and St. Anne's, were expected to assist
very materially the planters with their next crops.

In Barbadoes the weather had been extremely sultry,
with heavy showers of rain. The country looked
beautifully green, and an immense crop of sugar was
calculated upon by the most experienced planters. A fire
took place on the 19th ult. at Pashfield estate, which
destroyed property to the value of £1500.

In Trinidad, commercial affairs were in a very
unsatisfactory condition, and a scarcity of capital was
complained of. A large number of properties had been
advertised for public sale in December next on account
of arrears due for the ward-rate. There was no sensible
alteration in the wages of labourers. A few small
proprietors were planting cotton, but more as essays than
for speculation. Great dissatisfaction was expressed by
the middle classes, and the owners of small properties, at
the heavy taxation imposed, and a great many people
would probably be driven from the island in consequence
thereof. The crop shipped in 1850 amounted to 23,412
hogsheads, and it was estimated that the whole crop
would amount to 24,000 hogsheads, showing a deficiency
of 4000 hogsheads when compared with the yield of
1849. The prospect of next year's crop, however, was
very favourable.

In British Guiana, the court of policy had held two
sittings, at one of which, two despatches from Earl
Grey were read, acknowledging certain communications
from British Guiana, calling for changes in its legislative
institutes, in which the noble earl expressed himself
not unwilling to sanction certain alterations in the
court of electors, the effect of which would be to increase
the number of members and limit their tenure of office,
provided such should be the wish of the court of policy.
Governor Barkly also announced his readiness to carry
these views into operation by increasing the financial
representatives from six to ten.

There are advices from the Cape of Good Hope to the
5th of August. The most important article of intelligence
is the annexation to the colony of a tract of land
about 150 square miles in extent, lying east of Albert
division and west of the Wilge river. The whole tract
is designed and appropriated as a "National Reserve,"
for the use of the aborigines or persons of African
descent; and no farms or lands within it will, unless
otherwise directed, be granted to persons of European
race. The tract is now occupied by the aborigines
attached to the Wesleyan missionary station at the
Wittebergen. The Wilge River, now the eastern
boundary of the colony, is henceforth to be known as
the Tees.

Papers from Sydney have been received to the 1st of
August. Dr. Lang had been elected representative of
the city of Sydney in the legislative council, by a
majority of 25, the votes for him having been 970 and
for his opponent, Mr. Holden, 945. On being declared
duly elected, he addressed the multitude, and was then
drawn home in his carriage by his partisans.

From South Australia there are favourable accounts
of the progress of the Australian Mining Company.
Fresh applications are constantly coming in for
allotments of land, of from one to five acres each, and the