The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-23 00:00:00

[Stamped, Id. Additional.]

INDIA.

THE WAR ON THE PIINJAUB FRONTIER.

By the arrival of the Bombay mail, we have
advice' from Bombay to Nov. 29, and from Cal-
cutta to Nov. 20.

The India papers appear in mourning on account
of the death of Lord -Elgin. They express much
regret at his Ices.
His lordship was perfectly collected, and himself
ordered telegrams to be despatched to England, as
well as to the several local governments, and gave
all necessary orders respecting the return of his
familyto Europe. After taking leaved his family, he
made his will, and desired to be buried as Dburruni-
salla. Lady Elgin, atter his death, proceeded to
Calcutta wish Dr. Mcßae, where arrangements are
ready for her departure to England.
Sir William Denison, governor of Madras, being
the next senior Indian governor, left Madras by the
steamer Arraosn on the 26th November for Cal-
cutta, where be assumes the Aloe of Governor-
General until the appointment or arrival of a
IILICOBSOCC

' The Times of India writes as follows upon the
death of Lord in :
The death of Lord Elgtn Is one of the greatest misfor-
tunes that could have befallen British India, at the present
inmost. The report that General Chamberlain lea been
biped SW be true or false ; bat in either case it seise re-
boil& that we are now Leeched upon one of those."
uses." which have often ere now expanded into suit met
propertieos, and imposed the mod terrible smetAtee At
such a time, the couotry out ill spare the and the
camels of • man of our late viceroy's varied expertise, and
tried ability ; still less so, of • man of that &meet of
• and SMOG of his ;coition, which in Lord Elgia's
awe were always recognised, though never offensively
snorted ; sad which, resting as they did upon • hails of
solid ability and acquirement, oasumisded respect; while
his highbred eourtesy secured the personal regard of all
with whom be wee brought into intimate personal relatirma
A nab or a faltering policy, we may met enured, would
not have mimed the sanctiOu, or would not have retained
the support of the dammed statesman ; and with the
clouds of war lowering on our northern horizon, and •
hotheaded and ambitious soldier as Commander-in-Chief of
the Forces io India, we may well regret the Ines of that
self ?elitism which could not mistrust iteelL sad that dig-
nity of position which were necessary to redoes to °almas
and consistency the jarring counsels which are so freely ten-
dered to goverumestr in difficulty.

The war on the Pu.sjaub frontier has assumed
serious proportions. There has been more fighting,
and we have sustained heavy losses. Severe en-
counters took place ou the 30th October, 6th, 11th,
13th, and 19th November, and another is reported
by telegram from Lahore, under date 24th Novem-
ber. We lost in these engagements 13 office:skilled
and 12 wounded ; and in killed and wounded nearly
500 men. The Banneyers have replied to Colonel
Taylor, the oouimissioner of Peshawar's proposals,
that " we must leave their country or they'll make
us." Matters looked so serious that his Excellency
Sir Hugh Rose, at latest dates, was on his way to
the seat of war, and was expected to assume the
command of the expedition. The Lahore Camp of
Exercise had been broken up, too, and the regiments
and batteries which were to have formed it are pro-
ceeding by double marches to the North West
Frontier.

The Bombay Ow.-etta says, "that matters there
have at length assumed a degree of importance
sufficient to satisfy any but the most wilfully blind,
that we are now no longer engaged with a few
fanatics in an insignificant raid, but in a war with
numerous tribes, whose numerical strength, is an
almost inaccessible country, it is difficult to cal-
culate • and who, moreover, have given proofs of
their determination to resist our troops to the
last."

The Times el /Mitt sa)s :—" Eventa have shown
that the so-miled fanatics were only the demon-
strable portion of a powerful combination of nu-
merous hill tribes against us. The enemy haebeeu
found far more powerful than wasexpected. About
six weeks have expired since our force entered the
Umbeyleh Pass, and we have obtained no decided
victory. We have had numerous severe encounters
with the enemy, and have bad our officers aid men
daily picked off in large numbers, without being
able to obtain any correspon.ling advantage. It is
clear to all that our position there is a critical one,
and that most decisive measures must now be
adopted to save our force from annihilation."