The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-31 00:00:00

they have no weight with the people, as being without
wealth, and having the character of being oppross:ro land-
lords In the Jagheers, which were bestowed on them at the
instance of the resident.
It is on these accounts that Chuttur Singh's r bellioa bat
not mode more head, and become more early fireastuable.
To this day no ander has joined him, and he has only the
H force, and the levies he has raised from his eat tisk
with about /00 Sikhs (mutinous troops) of Maharajah Golab
Singh's, and some thousands of the old disbanded soldiery,
ever ready to Pin in any rebellion or insurrection of any
kind.
It was some time after Chuttur Singh revolted, before his
son Ram Shere Singh made up his mind to follow his
rumple, and, when he could no longer resist his father's
importunities, he intended to go off to Hex ira and join him
He was surrounded at Mueltan with disaffected partite, who
were most of them willing to enter into any plot against
British interests. At first, the lamer sirdsrs and the pertion
of the troops he consulted agreed to go with him to Hare ;
but, on the evening of the 13th ultimo, they art befote
him the difficulty of croesing the river with the British
army close by, the certainty of the other sirdan giving
immediate intelligence to Lieut. Edwardes, the distance
they must travel, the low state of their funds, and the service
which would be rendered to the cause by their joining Mord-
*in Mooltan. He then agreed to go to Mooltan, and
wrote, on a separate slip of paper, the new determination,
to be put in force in the morning, and put it into the cover of
his letter, which he hal already written, to Lis brother,
Birder Golub Sing, at Lahore. Translation of this letter and
the postscript was sent with my despatch of the 18th ult.
The Reja was not expected by Moolrsj ; and the neettion
he has met with has been anything but pleasant. Moolrej
dues not trust him, or the troops he has brought with him.
They are put to harassing duties, and no pay has teen served
out to them. It is demanded of them, as a pro..[ of their
shrocrity, that they go forth and attack the British position,
Moolraj's army accompanying. They have twice sallied
forth with this avowed purpose, but have, berth times, re-
turned without going a mile from the gates of the town. It
is tally expected that Reis Shere Sing will make his escape
from Keenan, and go off to Hazara. Nearly a third of the
troops that went with him to Wolters have already deserted
and gone to their homes.
Moelrsj will take care that Shere Siog does not carry away
with him, if he deans, the guns he took with him to Mad-
tam He is adding to his numbers daily, by Sikhs from the
Kaujba, and other parts of the Punjaub.
While this is the state of things in Hama and Malian,
dbeffection and insurrection are spreading through the other
districts of the Punjaub, more or less, in connexion with the
Hroara rebellion, and consequent upon it ; and the Duran
is poweiless to prevent this being the case, as all the instru-
ments which are provided by the state revenues for the
maintenance of order are the very parties moat ready to op-
pose the administration.
The infl :mystery proclamations of Raja Shere Singh,
calling on the army and the Khali' to rise and unite, for the
purpose of destroytog the British: officers, or expelling them
from the Punjaub; aposaling to their religious it clings and
prejudice, which are described a having been outraged by
us, while the extermination of the Sikh race has been our Or
jec., have been sent thtoughout all the enetricts, end they
have caused the greatest excitement. Counter procla-
mations by the Darter and the Birders who have not joined
in the rebellion, setting forth the falsehood of the Anens.
walla's assertions, ono the treachery and destructive tendency
of their proecediege, have been put forth ; but the people ar,
bent on mischief, and on proceedings which must end iu th,
utter ruin of the Sikh power.
The regiments in Bunuoo hove revolted. They have mur-
dered the only remaining European attached to the Sikh
force, Colonel John Holmes, a most respectable cfficer, and a
very old servant of the Sikh government. They were in-
vesting the fort of Duleepgurb, in which was the Mahomeelan
governor, Futteh Khan Towanuab, when I last heard, and
were themselves invested in turn by the sinners of the hills,
and the Bunnoechecs, who had come to lamb K. wee aid.
lam anxious about the result. There aro in Dunne* four
regiments of infantry, 500 cavalry, and six horse artillery,
tad four heal y guns.
If they succeed in destroying Futteh Khan Towarmah,
and in beatir.e oil his allies, they will, most probably, march
moss the Sind Sagur Doab, to the aid of the rebels in Moul-
ton, and the ample will have the wont effect on the troops
in Peshawur.
The occupation ef Govialguth, the appearance of Brigs.
dies Wheeler on the Beas, and the belief that a large srmy
is on is way to Lahore, have had the effect of keeping the
country between the Chenab and the Sutlej comparatively
quiet hitherto. If the army, or any portion of it, were to
enter the Punjaub now, we should have little trouble on this
tide of the Jhelum, or en the otter side of the Attack.
DETAIL OF POINTS VROED BY RAJA SHERE SIN:: AND
THE SIRDARS OF HIS CARP.
Maharajah Itunjoet Singh preserved an unbroken friend-
ship with the Bri.ish fur the space of 35 years without re-
gard to expense or loss to himself. At the time of the Ca-
lmed campaign, he deputed Koonwur Nee Noted Singh and
the principal airless of the state, to accompany the /Seidel•
troops to Peshawar, with orders b afford every possible aid
and assistance. This he did under the impression that it
would tend to strengthen the friendship which existed be-
tween him and the British anvertiment.
In like manner, Maharajah Khurreck Sing and Koonwur
Nao Nehal Sing kept up the friendly relations which had
existed previouely ;on Mr. Clerk sending f the °inkier,
they were immediately forwarded under the care of Fakeer
Aseeroodileen ; and, subsequently, on Mr. Clerk's request,
Sirdar Saolean H ilcomed Khan was sent to him by K.uon-
war Nao N, hal Siog's orders, under charge of Dewan Hakim
Race.
Subsequently, Mahar _jab Shere Sir.g sent his troops under
Sirdcr Golab Sing, Povindea, to accompany the British army
to Cebool ; while, at the same time, Koonwur Purtab Sinn
and Raja Golab Sing were deputed to Peshawar to give
assistance in procuring supplies, ammasition, litc. This
friendly ii?d was given until the arrival of the British troops
at Ferorepore.
In the treaty made with Maharajah Runjeet Singh, it was
arranged that the Sikh government should have permission,
on giving notice to the British government, to send 200 or
300 emirs, and a gun, atom the Saki to punish re-
fractory reminders. On one occasion, Buda Joala Bing,
Purdbania, accompanied by 1,000 sowers and two guns,
crossed the river, and inflicted such severe punishment en the
people of Kotkupuora, that, from that time, no one dared to
create a disturbance.
In the time of Maharajah Duleep Sing, Dewan Hakim
Race, with 100 sowan, was sent across the river, for the
purpose of repressing the disturbances then existing beyond
the Sutlej, and putting a stop to the prevailing system of
murder and highway robbery. In the meantime, an Meta-
, mania arose among the Khali& troops, and Rep Beers
I Singh was killed. Au additional 100 sowers were sent to the
aesistisnee of Hakim Rue, who was unable to deal with the
zensindars. As this was imagined to be contrary to the
treaty, they were not suffered to cross, and their officers were
maltreated. In coasequence of 'lie, the revenue of the Cie-
, Sutlej States, entimeted at eighteen lakhs, was lost, and the
authority of the Sikh government over the country was put
an end to, by the interference of the British government,
who disregarded the terms of friendship which formerly
existed.
When the Sikh army, heedless of the tender age of the
Maharajah, and the respect dub to the Maharanee, marched,
without leaders, end contrary to the connects of the Sirdars,
acmes the river, they were defeated, and overthrown by the
British, who advanced to this side of the Sutlej, and en-
camped at Kuseror. Raja Golab Sing, Raja Deena Kith,
land Bhaee Rem Sing waited on the Governor-General,
and explained the disobedience of orders of the Sikh
arms, upon which his lordship, in consideration of the
, helplessness of the Maharajah, and the Maharanee,
' directed that the sum of 21 cram of rupees should
i.e paid to defray the expenses incurred in the war.
As the Maharanee and Maharajah had nothing to do with
what hal taken place, which solely originated with the
army, who had been punished for their ti malty, this ar-
rangement of the Governor-General could merely have been
to attain certain ends. If the army had not been suffi-
ciently punished, the Governor-General should hays inflicted
further castigation upon them. That man is not a friend who
assists merely in the time of strength and power; but his
friendship is to be depended on who takes your hand in the
:cement et weakness.
When the Maharsjah went to Lullianee to pay his respectq
to the Governor-General, Rape (Petah Singh, Raja Deena
Nath, Bhaee Ram Singh, and Sirdar Chuttur Singh offered
several 11112RtitiOUS regarding the sum demanded, but in
vain. At last, it was settled that the Cfm-Sutlej States and
Jullundur Doab should be made over in payment, and that
11 crone should be paid by three instalments of 60.00,000 :
the first is Pleagoon, 1902; the second in Chait, 1903; and
the third in C 'alit, 1904. After the arrival of the Governor-
General at Lahore this arrangement was broken through,
and the Kobistan country and Cashmere were taken, in lieu
of one cross, and the gold and silver in the Toshakhana
seized in payment of the remaining 60,00,000 raper".
The H.ll country and Cashmere were made over to Raja
(blab Singh, who, by the favour of the B.kb government,
was raised from a bumble to a lofty position, and who, for-
gettins what was due from him as a servant of the state, set
himself up in an independent sovereignty. It cannot be be-
lieved that snob an arrangement showed any regard for the
previous friendship with Maharajeh Runjeet Singh, or for
securing the stability of Maharajah Duleep Singh's king-
dom. However, not one of the Durbar offered any opposi-
tion to the wishes of the British government.
Th c British government, professing a wish to Tattles the
expenditure of the Maharajah's kingdom, which would in.
deed have been an act is accordance with the friendship so
loog preserved with the dikh government, made the follow-
ha reductions, entailing a lose to the state of seventy lakro
1.-Twenty-two lakhs fo- the snpport of the British trams ;
2. Thirty lakhs remitted to the seminebirs on the former
revenue ; 3. Eight labs on account of acetones of the vari-
ous criminal jurisdictions, fixed at four bikini, and which pre-
viously used to pay to the government four lakhs in ernes of
their expenditure ; 4. Eight labs lost in the remission of
the customs dues; S. Two lakhs expended in erecting build.
ings, making roads, etc.
Prom the above statement, it is elver that the British goe
vernment, acting on the suggestion of evil-disposed persons,
have never had at heat the welfare of the.Mahusjah's
kingdom.
Considering the above mentioned las to the revenue, tf
seventy Mho, and the straightened condition of the Mahe-
njah as to money, and even clothing, it is impossible to
imagine that friendship could have guided the views of the
British government It can only be supposed that, being led
astray by evil councillors, they have forgotten what was due
to their good tame and their position, as "Importers of the
Maharajah's kingdom.
Maharajah Runjeet Singh collected in the go7ernment
Toshakhana great quantities of gold and silver articles, sad
various kinds of clothing, which he was in the habit of send-
leg to the British government, and distributing to the
troops and Birders, and from which the state derived great
credit and importance. The whole of these have been sold.
It should, also, be considered whet rum of money was in
the WU. Mu& Snowy, what the Drift anima it