The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-26 00:00:00

INDIA.

Sir Hugh Hose has met with an accident, having
been thrown from his horse while hunting. The
Mojusailite of the 22nd Nov. gives the following
particulars :
With regard to the lamentable accident that occurred to
his Excellency the Commander-in-Cbief yesterday morning,
and the many rumours flying about, we think it only right
to publish the following authentic information to allay say
miespprehension on the subject:
"Meerut, Saturday Evening.
"A sad accident occurred to his excellency this morales. ,1
"Sir Hugh was driven in • four-in-hand dm( to the
most. We had one capital run of twenty minutes, and
killed. Also • wood shorter rue, and killed.
The hounds secs then put on to • third jackal,
and after a burst of five or ten minuted at • rattling
pans we rime to a ditch and stiff wall, which were jumped
by Major Wilkie and the hounds, followed timely bg his
exosileaey, wham horse (a celebrated Waler) hit the top
of the bank hard, and turned • complete somersault,
falling on Me excellency. Major Wilkie jumped
ofe end was the first to pick tip Sir Hugh. Hs wee
peniently r e, but recovered partially in about ten
minutes. We moved hlm to General Whaler's home oa a
elimrpoy. dlo okek atosMithatmene rib ars brakes*
addition to • revere tmecassion, but hopes that • mouth will
set his excellency all right.
" We were favoured With the following bulletin at mese
this day
" • His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief has passed •
very good night, and it is hoped and believed there is no
very serious injury further than • broken rib.'
We ere glad to be able to stmo that up to • late hour
last *riming his Excellency Sir Hugh Hem was getting on
very well indeed."

In reference to this news the Tines of India says
—" His excellency intended to rimer Calcutta in
the beginning of January, and to quit India by the
first steamer in March, but these arrangements may
now be altered. The belief was general in his
excellency's camp that Sir Hope Grant would auc-
oeed him as commander-in-chief in India. The
succession to Sir Hugh Rose in the chief command
of the Indian army is a matter of the greatest im-
portance to every one in India, and may turn out
to be no light matter to Ragland. The general
expectation in India has been that Sir William
3.field would be placed in the important
poeition.". _ _

A proclamation was issued by the Governor-
General on the 12th November announcing the in-
tention of government to annex. the Bengal Dooars
of Bbootan to British territory.
From Bhootan we hear that our soldiers have
already begun to suffer from the worst climate in
all India. Brigadier-General Mntreater, Colonel
Richardson, and others, are prostrated by fever.
Meanwhile, the feud between the Bhootan Rajahs
and the Pillos has increased almost to a civil war.
This, it is thought, may enable us to make a settle-
ment without incurring the risks and expense of
prosecuting the invasion as now planned.

The Gazette of India contains the following pro-
clamation respecting Bootan :

Fort WMtam, 12th November.

For mosey years past outrages haws been committed by
subjects of the Bootee Government within British territory,
and is the territories of the Rajahs of &khi sod Coach
Behar. In these outrages property hes been plundered sod
destroyed, line have bees takes, sad many ithoceet moons
bays been earned into and are still held in captivity. The
British Government, ever siocerely desirous of maintaining
friendly retaliate with eisighboarieg states, sad especially
mindful of the obligadeas imposed ma it by the Meaty of
1774, has endeavoured from time to time by conciliatory re-
monstrance to ioduoe the govertimeatof Bootee to punish the
perponstoesof these crimes, to restore the plundered property,
ead.to liberate the captives. But such reeionatreacee have
Dever been. succemful, and even when followed by senate
amain, have failed to produce say satisfactory result. The
, BIWA gewerement hem been freqeseeig deseked bp Yaw
aseursooss and promises for the future, but De property hoe
ever been restored, no ceptiveliberated, mod ender punished,
and the outrage* have ooatinuect is 1463 the government
of India, being averse to the adoptioa of extreme 1211100UNS
for the protection of its subjects sod dependent alio; de- I
'patched a special minim to the Boothe wort, chanted with
peopmals of a coecihstory character. but instructed to de-
mend
the surrender of all captives, the restoration of pl..
dared property, sod security for the future peace of
the frontier. This pacitio overture wee insolently
rejected by the government of DOOIAS. Not only were
restitution for the past and security for the future refused,
but the British envoy was insulted in epee Darter, and
compelled, as the ealy meths of ensuring the ode return of
the mission, to sign a document which the goveroment of
Jodi. could *sly instantly repudiate. For this insult the
Governor-General in Conseil determined to withhold for
ever the masa payments previously made to the Bootee
=moot coo seomiet of the revenues of the Assam
and Amhara* Falakotta, which had bog been is the
occupation of the British governmeot, sod tweezed those
districts permanently to Britith territory. At the same
time, still anxious to avoid as open rupture, the
Governor-Otheral in Council addreamd • letter to
the Deb sad Dhunas Rajahs, formally dentieding
[ that all captives &Webbed in Bootee against their
will should be released, sad that all property carried
off during the Bat dye years should be restored. To this
deemed the government of Baotou has returned an eva-
sive reply, from which can be gathered no hope that the
just requisitions of the goveromeet of Ida will ever be
complied with, or that the security of the frostier ma be
provided forotherwise thee by deprivieg the (overeaten' of
sad its subjects of the mesas and opportunity of
future sgremion. The Goveraer•Otheral in Conseil bas
therefore reluctantly resolved to occupy permasently sad
annex to British territory the Bengal Dauer, of Bootee,
and so mach of the hill territory, Leludiag the forte of
Denbigh* !Webb', ad Deersagiri, as may be nesmaary
to command the peens. and to preveat haunts of
predatory loco:sloes of Bootanese sato the Darjeoliag
or into the plains below. A military fatal,
amply saltiest to occupy this tract, and to over-
coma all resistance, has bees assembled on the frostier, and
will now proceed to carry out this resolve. All chiefs,
aseeindars, mutidnia, ryots, and other isbabithote of the
tract in timeliest aro hereby required to submit to the
authority of the British government, to remain quietly in
their homes, and to render ansistaace to the British
troops and to the commissioner who is charged with the
administration of the tract. Protectioe of life and pro-
perty, sad • guaraotee of all private rights, are offered to
those who do not resist, and strict justice will be doe* to
all. The leads will be moderately sasessed, arid all op-
preemies' and extortion will be absolutely prohibited. The
ratan bosadary between the territories of the Quoin of
E•glaad sad times of Booths will be werveved and marked
off ; mid the authority of the government of Boothe
within this boundary will cease for ever.
By order of the Goverear-Geaseel is Council, H. G. DU-
RAND. Colon!. Secretary to the government of India.
"Afghanistan (ups the Timer of India) is dis-
tracted and convulsed. Each powerful chief is fol-
lowed by a separate army, and the land is torn to
pima by the marching and counter-marching
forces. These movemeuts are keenly watched by
Persia and Russia : the former by Herat, and the
latter by Bokhara and the deserts, foster the tur-
moil that is kept up so near our gates on the north.
The Amcor of Cabool has undoubtedly acted trea-
cherously toward* his brother, Ufzul Khan ; but
treachery is the established mode of warfare in Cen-
tral Asia. This Uhinl Khan was himself the arch
traitor of 1838. It was he who murdered Sir
Alexander McNagbten at Cabool, and towed his
grey head from the roof of the Residency. It was
he who swore to conduct our arm safely to Jells-
labad, and fell upon it in the Khyber Pass, mas-
sacreing twenty-one thousand men, women, sad
children. Front this very man, whom the Ammer
has now seized, our soldiers had to purchase
their release with a bribe of 40,000 rupees ; he
took the money, and butchered the men. The
British cannot be expected to feel much sympathy
for such a wretch. Amongst those who have de-
clared against the Ammer, who profeeses friendship
for us, is the King of Bokhara. He has taken the
part of Ufzul Khan. With this King of Bokhara
Russia is now intriguing to secure her steady and
persistent advances towards our northern frontier.
The Czar has seta an autograph letter to the king
of Bokhara, accompanied by Whits valuable and
grand. Kokan, whose envoy* seeking advice and
aid against the oppression of the mighty Roos met
the Viceroy of India at Lahore, has already fallen
before the advance of the invading Muscovite force.
The Czar, in his letter to the king, avows his inten-

tion of collecting an army at iluzrut Sooltan to
march against Thibet and other places • to accom-
plish his design, be seeks the consent of the ruler
of Kaahgbur and Yarkand to troops marching
throneh those provinces."
_ _

Referring to the advance of Russia into Central
Asia, the Bombay Ga:ettc says :
The steady and rapid progress which the arms of Russia
are achieving in Central Asia surely deserves the careful
consideration, if it ought not to excite the serious alarm,
of English statesmen. The harrier promoted by the mono-
kin-chain of the Caucasus to the incursioos of the northern
soldiery--a harrier much more formidable than that which
the Pyrenees offer to French aggressious—has. in Napoleonic
Phrase ceased to exist ; sod Russia, freed from the necessity
of employing her troops in a costly sad desolating war to
secure to herself string frootler to the west of the
Cavan, has been able to devote her whole power to
the acoomplishinent of another of the objects of Mir
settled policy of attaining for herself the supremacy in
Asis that is, the conquest of Toorkiatan. Before
the Caucasus was entirely subjugated, the Russians
bad already made good their footing in Tombistan, having
taken possession of Khiva sad mot pioneers as far as Bob.
bare. But they have lately taken the offensive with •
force evidently much larger than they ever before entered
the field with in this part of Central Asia. The cause of
their invasion of the principality of Kokan is not stated,
but a string power covetous of the territory of a weak
neighbour can always God • convenient excuse for an ap-
peal to arms. Without, however, presuming to determine
whether the Russians bad or hed not real injuries to re-
dress, we think Englishmen in general, both soldiery
and politicians, rosy well take note of the morpriming
vigour with which the Kona asespaigo has been
brought to • successful elms by lb. Itessians. Fort
after fort has been stormed i n rapid suomesios ; and
the latest advice' from Cahoot are to the effect that
Kokan itself ha. been taken, and that the Khan, after
making submission to the cooqueroes, has been replaced on
his throne as a vassal of the Emperor of Roma. Thus
Russia hoe already subjugated two of the states of Toorkis!
tan, Khios and Kokos ; of the other two, Endows and
the Afghan principality of Balkh, the former is governed
by a king who is toe chosen ally sod friend of the Russians.
and who openly maintains the title to Balkh of Sirdar
Abdoolrakiman Khan, in defiance°, the Ameer of Cahoot,
whom* treacherous conduct to Afml Khan the father of
Aloloolrahman, has made him most unpopular with all the
Mossalmans of Cooke.' Asia. From the midi bemsnings,
then, of twenty years ago, when the suspicions of Indian
politicians of vivid imagination were first area mod by rumours
that here and there a Russian travelling merchant had DOM.
tested within the borders of Toorkinan, Russia has steadily
sod surelyadvaniced tillshe is now th4sicist formidable military
and political power is Central Asia, with a favourablegoolpar.
entity promoted to her of interfering in Affgban Ake
and making her influence paramount in the only sti lode-
peodent state which separates her dominoes from those of
the distant
of British India. Perhaps the time is oot
far when we shall begin to doubt whether we are '
really so wise se we believe ounelvm to be in ridiculing •
the feats of the Aoglo-Indians whose [moan of ROMS&
designs in the East plunged the country into the '
Affgban war. Perhaps one may 'beady be begins
the expression of a doubt whether, premature as that ,
war was while the Punjab sod Sonde were yet 1100011•
goosed, the precipitate abandonment of Affgbanistan and
the suboseant resolute closing of the eyes of the loam
government to the actual progress of the Russians in
Central Asia, ought to be praised as indications of the very
highest political wisdom. We, of course, do not suppose
that, even if the Russians bring the Affilians into subject..
tioo, they will ever force their way into India while an
English army guards the panes ; but one cannot help feel"
lag that they are coming uncomfortably war oar frostier at
a time when the difficulty of recruiting the English army.
Is a subject of earnest diseassioo at home, and when the
Governer General in Council is said to recommend the ni-
ductios of the European garrison of India in order to relieve
the military authorities in England from their ember-
momenta. At least, it would be prudent for the English
government to greats • ocrusterpties to the increased power
of Russia beyond the Himalayas by securing and steogthen-
iog our position in the Persian Gulf. With the supremacy
at messed marinas nation conveniently situated as bans of
opseatioa fannies admixing on the flank of en invadmg
army the English in India could afford to despise threats of
Buenas
The ZEnra*Oashmere has got into trouble about
punishment• inflicted by his officers in Gooserat,
some women baring been there found with their
tongues cut off by urder of Rajah Motee Sing.
His Excellency the Governor of Bombay has
written to the Viceroy and Governor-General of
India on the subject of the famine now rendered
inevitable throughout the Deccan.
Sir Gisselea Trevelyen returns to England in
February next, by the advice of his physician, as
residence in India for another hot meson is con-
sidered unsafe.

Weekly communication between Bombay and
England will probably commence in January next.
The merchants of Bombay have applied to
government to be allowed to place a statue of the
late Prince Consort in the Victoria Museum, sub-
ject to the permission of her Majesty.
Sad intelligence (says the Bombay Gazette) is re-
ceived from almost all quarters of injury to the
crops from want of rain, and there is every prospect
of severe suffering during the coming season,
throughout the whole country.
The Governor of Bombay in Council has issued
a circular to the principal heads of departments
and offices under the Bombay government, warn-
ing all public servants sgainst becoming share-
holders in joint-stock companies at this particular
period, when there is so strong a tendency to specu-
lation in Bombay, on penalty of supersession in
promotion.
At a meeting of the shareholders of the London
and Bombay Bank on the 23rd Nov. resolutions
were passed to wind up its affairs, and to institute
criminal proceedings against DPEweit and Alla-
rackia for obtaining money under false pretences.
A letter from Mr. Cowie, the Advocate General
in Bengal, to Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, contains the
information that the subscriptions already received
in Calcutta for the Cyclone Relief Fund are more
than sufficient to relieve the distress existing in the
districts devastated by the cyclone.
The effects of the storm ware which flooded the
country to the south of Calcutta are now being felt
in the shape of a pestilential fever,' which has been
fatal in many instances to Europeans, but the na-
tives are the great sufferers.
The Bombay and Barods line was to be opened
on Monday, Nov. 28, from Bombay through to
Ahmedabad.

The Madras Atheneum of November 26 refers
as follows to the disastrous gale at Masulipatam :
Saxe oer last overland paper was closed the harrowing
details of the great calamitiat Masnlipatam have from
time to time been publie and they unhappily peeve
that the fine brief tidings mid fell short of indeed of
magentas the reel horrors of the vieitstioo. The Ism
of human life is now estimated to have been fully 10,000,
bet its exact amoent will never be knows, and that of Ike
stock of venom km& deter all ealculatioe. The same re.
mark applies equally to property of every &ecliptics.
such as homes, prams, plantations, and agricultural pan•
duos. FouMitne of the tows Aran have perished. sad the
announdieg country is a seem of the most dreadful &viola-
tion. Other parts of the /Unto& district also suffered
very severely, more especially Bet warah, and many per.
sou perished, but the fate of Mastilipmem makes the miner
tragedies appear comparatively nothing. It seems that the
inundation was caused by a tremendous starm•ways, ridged
by the long-eontiuued violence of t►e hurricane, w►ich
suddenly swept over the doomed station and coast, probably
to a depth of twelve feet or more.