The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-19 00:00:00

writes the correspondent of the Daily News, alluding
to the despatch of "four regiments, by the loth July,
to suppress the mutiny," exists in the two Presi-
dencies :

It has been with feelings of disappointment that we re-
ceived the intelligence from Europe of the 10th of July.
To us who have witnessed the fatal effects of over-confi-
dence in the Supreme Government at Calcutta, the preva-
lence of the same feeling in our rulers at home is a source
of increased anxiety The despatch of four regi-
ments to meet such a movement as the present is in itself
insufficient, and little better than a premium on a rising yet
more general and more fatal than any that has yet taken
place in this country. It needs no spirit of prophecy to
predict that small reinforcements at such at time as this
can only add to the dangers of defeat; and the Court of
Directors, in asking for four regiments, have shown either
that they were misinformed of the state of India, or blind
to the consequences of this rebellion. The Government
of England will soon learn to believe that there is ground
for the charge made against it of neglect for not having
applied timely remedies to the state of Indian government,
and it may have bitter cause to regret that the renewal of
the last charter was not made an occasion for altering the
constitution of the governing body.

Such is the feeling among Europeans, and we may
rely upon it the natives will not be slow to appreci-
ate the value of that time which has been given to
them by the supineness of the Government in the early
stages of the rebellion.

A letter from Mirzapore, in the Leeds Mercury,
draws, we fear, too truo a picture of the perils of our
position :
Mirzapore, August 3, 18.57.
T send you by this mail the Friend of India. Our posi-
tion in this country has materially altered for the worse
since the publication of the Friend, or any other paper
you can receive from India by this mail. You would
see that General Havelock marched from Allahabad to
relieve Cawnpore, and after that Lucknow, where our
garrison were besieged by the mutineers. He arrived too
late at Cawnpore ; the garrison, all the ladies, and most
of the railway engineers and contractors' people, have
been murdered. Havelock fought a battle there, sad
defeated Nana Sahib—at least that is our version. Atter
that he crossed the Ganges to relieve Lucknow. He fought
his way to near that place, and expected to relieve it, but
news has just come in that he has been obliged to fall
back without accomplishing anything. He had only about
1,300 men with him, many of whom must have been killed
or otherwise disabled. Nana Sahib crossed the Ganges
in the rear of Havelock, who is by this movement placed
between two fires. Most serious fears are entertained for
his safety, for all the north•west depends upon the success
of Havelock's expedition. We have later news from
Delhi than is possessed in Calcutta. The real fact is,
our forces are besieged there, instead of besieging that
place. Our forces ( British) are believed to have been
reduced to 2,200, and as it was intended that Havelock
should march to reinforce that army after relieving Luck-
now, great fears are entertained for its safety. It is sur-
rounded by thousands of the enemy. Of the Punjaub we
can bear nothing, as the communication is in the hands
of the rebels. You will probably get intelligence by the
Bombay side. We are throwing up intrencbments here,
but have only 100 English troops. Intrenchments are
also being thrown up at Allahabad, outside the fort, and
also at Benares. We have only about 500 men at Allaha-
bad, and 44.10 at Benares, so if Havelock fails at Lucknow,
we shall have the Nana and the Oude rebels, numbering
some 30,000, marching simultaneously on all these places
It is said the Dinapore mutineers are marching on this
place, and have been joined by about 7,000 men belong-
ing to the Rajah of Duitierou, near Buxar ; we are prepar-
ing for them. My object in writing to you is to give you
the true state of matters, of a much later date than you
will get from Calcutta advices.

The introduction of new elements into the
rebellion is matter for the gravest apprehension.
The Bombay troops, upon whose fidelity such
fulsome praise has baen lavished from the first,
have at length become infected with mutiny, and
we have practical proof of the wide extension of the
conspiracy throughout the Bombay Presidency, by
the discovery of a vast plot among the Mussulmans
of the Southern Mahratta country, having for its
object a general rising at Poonah, Belgaum, Sattara,
Kolapore, and Darwar, and the massacre of every
European and Christian throughout the districts, to
be followed up by an attempt upon Bombay itself.
Little appears to be known of the movement, but it
seems that on the 31st July, the 27th Regiment of
Bombay Native Infantry, stationed at Kolapore, sud-
denly broke out into open mutiny on the eve of the
Mohamedan festival, murdered three officers,
and marching down from cantonments, camped
outside the city. At daylight they were attacked by
Colonel Manghan and retreated to Belgaum and Dar-
war, where the 28th and 29th Regiments were
stationed. No further intelligence is given of their
movements, beyond the very serious statement
that they have since returned, and there has been
" obstinate fighting." This is all that is known with
any certainty. The Government of Bombay sup-
press all details, and preserve the most scrupulous
secrecy as to the movements of the rebels. The
excitement of the surrounding districts is spoken of
as very great, and the fidelity of tire 24Ji and 29th
Regiments at Belgaum and Darwar much doubted