The Press. — London, England, 1858-05-01 00:00:00

422 TO CORRESPONDENTS. 4vertisemente sent from the country mast be amoompaniml by a remittance or a reference for payment in town. rtoi. LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1858. POSTSCRIPT. THE BOMBAY MAIL. The following telegram, from Mr. Acting Consul- General Green, was received, vii Malta, at the Foreign-otliee, on the 30th April, at 10 a.m : ALEXANDRIA, April 28. The Madras steamer reached Suez, from Bombay, on the 25th instant. On the 24th March, the bulk of the army before Luck now was proceeding northward to Bareilly, commanded by Brigadier Walpole. A heavy column, under Sir E. Lugar!, started on the 27th fur Azimghnr, and the remainder continued at Luck now, [qy. under] Sir Hope Grant. Sir Hugh Ruse reached Jhansi on the 22nd, and invested the place. The bombardment commenced on the 25th. On the lit of April, 25,000 rebels, with eighteen guns, called the army of Pashawa, endeavoured to raise the siege, and were defeated, with the slaughter of 1,500 men. On the 2nd of April the town fortifications were cap tured. On the sth the garrison escaped from the fortress during the night, and, by last account ' were being cut to pieces in their flight; about 3,000 having fallen, Six British officers killed. The Rsjpootana field force, under General Roberta, reached Khotah on the 20th ; the town and fortress was captured on the 30th, with very little loss on our side. Near Aginigleur (?) on the sonth-east frontier of Oude, a detachment of the 37th, under Colonel Milman, had been compelled to retire with loss of baggage, and on the 24th of March leas shut up at Azimghur. Strong detachments for its relief were on their way from Lucknow. Allahabad and Benares.—The country opposite Benares, and to the nonh-eastward, continued much disturbed. The Northern Provinces being disarmed without resist ance. The following despatch was received at the India house on Friday, April 30, at 3 p.m.:— To J. 1). DICKINSON, Esq., INDIA-souse. JHANSI. The two brigades forming Sir H. Rose's force combined before Jhansi on the 27th of March. The rebels, about 12,000 strong, including 1,300 sepoys, retired (to) the fort, and then an investment was made, and the siege commenced on March the 28th. On the let of April a very strong force under Tantes Togee, a relative of the Nana, attempted to relieve Jhansi. Without abandoning the investment, Sir H. P.ose attacked the relieving army, and gained a glorious victory, taking 18 guns, eeveral elephants, and all the camp equipage. On the 4th of April, after a severe straggle, in which our loss was severe, the town was stormed and taken, and on the tith of April the fo►t was occupied. The Ranee fled towards Jalonn with a few attendants, but the cavalry were in hot pursuit. The enemy lost 9,000 men in the battle of the let and in the assault of the 4th. Our loss was not yet fully reported, but the following officers are among the killed and wounded Killed.—Lieutenant Colonel Tindall (?), commanding Artillery; Lieutenant Meiklejohn, Lieutenant Dick, Bom bay Engineers ; Lieutenant Park, 24th Regiment; Dr. Stack, her Majesty's 86th Regiment; Captain Sinclair, 3rd Hyderabad Contingent. Wounded.—Msjor Ricard (?), Lieutenant For, Lieu tenants Dartnell. H. Olroyd (?), Prendergast, Dardy, and Clery ; Dr. Cruickshank. RAJPOOTANA. The rebels made a d te sunk to take the Palace of the Rajah of Kotah, °n ea r :oh 2b, by ercalade, but were repulsed with great loss. On the 30th General Roberts carried the position of the rebels by assault, and occupied the town of Kotah. The rebels fled, and a great slaughter occurred in the pursuit. All their gone, with the exception of two, have been taken. Oar loss was about twenty-five killed and wounded ; among the latter two officers, Lieutenant Cameron, her Majesty's 72nd Highlanders, and Lieutenant Hancock, Bombay Engineers. GOOJERAT. Some disturbances have occurred in the Guicowar's district of Okamandel, and the small island of Beyt has been °peopled by the rebels ; an unsuccessful attempt was made to dislodge them on the 3rd of April; six were killed, 20 wounded ; among the latter Captain Bacley (?), Royal krtillery, and two other officers not named. Intelli gence has since been received of the evacuation of the Island by the rebels. MYHEE CAUNTA. The Thakoor ofthei;Ty Btate of Moon Bette (?) bee pie into rebellion—a fact whioh may cause embarrass pent in Guzerat, while the important measure of disarm. ;rig the popttlatiort is in progress. XOLAPORg. Tho brother of the Bajsb bas 'bean arrested on sus- E l aii 3 u Of "as:Arial( sttsiust the Brltfab Got pa:ant, and I. PP GIA We sad 041047! THE PRESS, MAY 1, 1858. SOUTHERN MAHRATTA COUNTRY. The insurgent Desuyees, after committing many out rages, have been driven into the Goa territory. From the liawnara districts a reward of 10,000 rupees has been offered for the apprehension of each of the three Desuyees. The following intelligence is of a subsequent date to Mr. Secretary Edmonstone's message of April 1 tiundelcund Tantea Togee, while commanding the force sent to relieve Jhansi, is reported to have been killed In a battle on April Ist. Calpee is filled with rebels, fu gitives, and a great panic prevails. Mahomed, now a principal adherent of the Nana, has fled to the Maharajah of Gwahor for protection. CAWNPORE. A strong column proceeded from Cawnpore on the 4th of April into Oude to attack Kurrob. A detachment from Colonel Maxwell's force made a de monstration at the Rumeerpol Ghit on the 4th of April to dniw out the enemy's strength. It is believed they have only three guns. EUTTYGMUR. The rebels are crossing at the Bichumere Writ, some way between Furrackabad and Shumsbabad. Kullida Khan is reported to have joined them. ROHILCUND. The rebels who had threatened Nynee Tal are reported to have fallen back. Bombay Castle, 9th April. From H. L. ANDERSON, Secreta ry to Government. Malts, 29th April. V. G. MONTLNARO. LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE. HOUSE OF LORDS. OATHS BILL. On the motion of Lord LYNDHURST, this bill was read a third time and passed. LAW OF PROPERTY The order of the day for the committal of this bill was read and discharged, and the bill was ordered to be referred to a select cummiUse. TRANSFER OF ESTATES SIMPLIFICATION BILL. The order of the day for the third reading of this bill was read and discharged, and this bill was also ordered to be referred to a select committee. EXCHEQUER BELLS BILL. This hill was reported, with amendments. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. OF INDIA. On the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair to enable the house to go into committee on resolu tions on the Government of India, Lord H. VANE rose to move by way of amendment, " Tbat the change of circumstances since the first proposal by her Majesty's late advisers to transfer the government of India from the East India Corn pany to the Crown, lenders it inexpedient to proceed further with legislation on the subject during the present session." Mr. GREGORY rose to second the resolution. He said he had, in deference to the wishes of the house, withdrawn the amendment on this subject, which be brought forward the other night in the hope that, on the present occasion, this question might be ado wed by some member of far higher standing and position in the house than himself, and in that hope he bad been gratified by the noble lord who had just sat down. The resolution having been put by the SPEAKER. Mr. A. Mims, who rose amidst renewed cries of "Divide," felt it his duty to oppose the motion. Sir F. Befulto thought that any one who had listened to the speech of his noble friend must be satisfied that the motion wasinot brought forward in any spirit of party or faction—at least that was the conviction of his noble friend himself and many other members; but at any rate it was a subject of serious consideration whether it was advisable that the house should proceed with this great question. Mr. M. GIBSON said he had not heard one argu ment in favour of the proposition. Lord PALMERSTON said—l presume, as those who sit upon this bench had the honour of first intro ducing a bill on this question, those who sat on the opposite side will think that they ought, as they were the first in the proposal, to be the first in the expres sion of their opinion on this motion. I can have no hesitation whatever in stating that it is my intention to oppose the motion of my noble friend. I entirely agree with the hon. member that it would be inuon sistent, not only with the interests of the country, but with the honour and dignity of the house, if we were to retrace our steps, and to determine on doing nothing. Concurring entirelj with my right hon. friend in the hope and belief that the house is prepared to come to an early decision, I shall be only happy to hear that the Government share in the opinions which I have just expressed, and that they are prepared to stand by their own measure, to resist the motion of my noble friend, and go into committee to consider the resolutions. Lord STANLEY considered himself bound, on the part of the Government, to acknowledge the perfect fairness and the great candour with which this sub Joel bad been brought before the house by the Roble • lord, It was evideat to every one who had heard him that he felt the importance of the subject, and the grave considerations which were involved in the question—the safety of an empire. He could-not appreciate, however, the value or the weight of the arguments employed by the noble lord. He under. stood the arguments of the right hon. gentle. man the member for Portsmouth (Sir F. BarinO, who bad told the house in express terms that it was unfit to legislate fur India. (Hear, bear.) The house must look a little at the state of the country and of the house, in considering what was the best time at which to introduce so large an act of legislation as this. They were still at a comparatively early period of the session ; it was now six weeks earlier in the session than when the right hon. gentleman who five years ago was Pre. sident of the Board of Control introduced his India Bill. If the Government had considered their own ease, if they had tried simply to save thet; selves the trouble, the difficulty, and the embarrass ment which must naturally attend carrying such a measure as this through the house, their plain and obvious course would have been to have accepted the resolutions of the noble lord, and thus to have relieved themselves from the responsibility which, be it observed, they bad not taken upon themselves, but which they had inherited from their predecessors. We did not, continued the noble lord, take that course. We thought that we had a duty lo discharge, and that a responsibility devolved upon us, from which we bad neither the right nor the power to relieve ourselves. Having undertaken that responsi bility we will endeavour to discharge ourselves of it, with the help of this house, to the best of our ability. The amendment was then put from the Chair, and the house divided : The numbers were— A• 447 Ayes Noes Majority for going into committee .. 390 The house then went into committee, Mr. Drum in the chair. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the first resolution which he had to propose to the committee was expressed thus That as the territories under the government of the East India Company are by law to remain under such government only until Parliament shall otherwise provide, this house is of opinion that it is expedient that the transfer of such government to the Crown should now take place, in order that the direct superintendence of the whole empire may be placed under one executive autbo• rity." Mr. MANGLES opposed the resolution. Sir E. COLEBROOILE also opposed the resolution. Sir G. C. Lewis supported the resolution, which was opposed by Mr. LINDSAY. Mr. Honsmae, in opposing the motion, insisted upon the inexpediency of effecting at the present moment so complete a change in the administrative system of the Indian empire. Colonel SYKES energetically resisted the proposal to transfer the Indian Government to the Crown. The proceeding was, he maintained, momentous and perilous, inexpedient in point of time, and urged under a false assumption that the Company's admi nistration had broken down. Mr. GLADSTONE subjected the forms and expressions of tl e resolution to a minute criticism, dwelling especially upon the vague use of the term "Govern. went," and the inaccurate recital of facts which it contained. Adverting to the financial question, he observed, that the nature of the security on which fifty millions of Indian debt had been contracted would be considerably changed without the creditors' consent. This transaction would give the lenders a moral, if not legal claim upon the Conso lidated Fund. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied, briefly noticing the various comments and objections that had been advanced during the course of the debate. To Mr. Gladstone's verbal criticism he observed that the resolution was not intended to have legal effect. It merely indicated a principle which might hereafter be embodied in a bill, and its clauses were therefore necessarily couched in somewhat vague and abstract terms. He denied also that the secu rity given to the Indian creditors were to be in the slightest degree affected. They would still hold a lien on the revenue and territory of India. Admitting the intimate connection of Indian and English finances, he insisted that nothing which the Govern ment proposed to do would at all no-Jesse the re sponsibility of the country for the debts or expendi• ture of the eastern empire. The resolution, as he believed, expressed an opinion on which the house wan agreed. and he hoped that it would be adopted. After a few words from Mr. lABOUCHEIit , , The resolution was agreed to without a division. On the second resolution being put, Mr. lloeitocK , adverting to the advanced hour, moved that the chairman should report Progress. After some emanation this motion woo scrod to, sod the debate was adjoinied, The remaisies business being &poled di shi house Adjourned it heityset one olloolk t