The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-27 00:00:00

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

Oar despatches, in anticipation of the hi-monthly
Overland Mail arrived last evening, being overdue at
least five days. The cause of this delay appears to
have been tho detention of the China mail at the
month of the Bogue four days, in consequence of the
disturbance. at Macao, where the Chinese have mur-
dered the Portugutee governor, details of which events
wilt be found below.

It would appear that in consequence of this deten-
tion neither the `fadras nor Bombay begs were put
on hoard the steamer consequently, the only dates
we have to report are from Calcutta, gepi. 7 ; Singa-
pore, Sept. 5 ; Hong Kong, August 30; Macao,
August 23 ; and Canton, August 27.
The subjoined intelligence from India is selected
from the papers we have received.

INDIAN SUMMARY.
(From the Bengal Ilurkary)
Peace reign" throughout the length and breadth of
India, from Peshawur to Poorce, from Caahmeer to
Cape Comorin. This happy state of tranquillity is of
course unfavourable to the production of news, and
we cannot, therefore, recommend our annals of the
last eighteen days as being either interesting or im-
portant.
The Panjaub continues quiet, being undisturbed
even by the breath of rumour, and we may believe
that the settlement of the country under the benign 1
rale of Britain is proceeding satisfactorily. Even the 1
mutiny at Rawnl rindee, which appears after all to 1
have been more formidable in the possible than the
actual, and which was promptly and peaceably got
ander, has ceased to be a subject of discussion or a
source of anxiety. The affair, as now described,
i seems to have originated in some defective arrange-
ment which bailed in the retention of the " Seinde
cantonment allowances," due to the troops, just at the
time when the "Mode marching allowances" were
in ordinary course withdrawn. After a day or two
of passive resistance to this grievance the mutinous
sepoys gave in, and asked for the pay which they had
previously refused when offered, and which was then
given to them as a favour. This business, however,
though so happily concluded, has suggested the some-
what startling question, "Is our government to
continue to pay these Scinde allowances' to
its troops in the Punjaub to the tune of 30 laths a
year ; or if it withholds them, what will be the re-
suit?" It has been supposed that the disagreeable
alternative might be evaded by the s'multaneous re-
lief of all the native troops employed in the Punjaub
and their replacement by others who have not known
the sweets of the extra allowances, and consequently
will not have reason to resist their withdrawal. But
it is somewhat doubtful whether a change so ex-
tensive as that required is immediately practicable.
Tce usual annual relief is now due, but is not yet an-
nounced; and it is said in some quarters that it will
not be notified till the Commander-in-Chief has
visited the Punjaub to feel the pulse of the troops
there.

As yet no public official intimation has been given
of the fate decreed for Moolrsj ; but it is stated that
his docm bas been formally announced to him by his
judges, and that it is transportation beyond the seas
for life. Singapore, it is further said, has been fixed
upon es the place of his future abode. The unfortu-
nate man is reported to have declared that be would
have preferred death to exile, and few there are, pro-
bably, who dould discredit the assertion. The autho-
rities at Labors have, it seems, thought it necessary
to put their prisoner in iron!.
Lord Dslhousie, Lord Gough and Sir Charles
Napier continue at Simlsh yet ; but the Governor-
General and the Commander-in-Chief will, it is un-
derstood, move t..warde the Punjanb in all next
month. Sir Charles keeps up the interest of his ge-
neral orders by occasional ontburs's of his own pecu-
liar style of literary eloquence and eccentricity. He
lately dictated the reprimand to be read to a subal-
tern, convicted of a few hours' absence from duty,
and therein reproached the offonder with having
taken pay for his idleness from the East India Com-
pany, " many of whom are poor and suffering
people." The passage is too curious to be omitted :
You, sir, made no scruple to take your pay from the pub-
lic treasury for the honest execution of this duty ! On the
day when you abanioned your post, and went off to amuer
yourself at Calcutta, you received a certain amount entrees
in pay sod allowances. This money you took from the East
India C..mpsny, many of whom me poor and suffering
people; and you did not do the duty for which you were
paid by those pier people.
In Calcutta the police commissioners have hill
another public sitting for the examination of Mr.
/*Mane, the deputy-superintendent, who has till
lately been absent on sick leave. The evidence eli-
cited on this occasion has not tended to neutralise the
effect of that previously extracted. The report of the
commissioners will probably be before government in
a few day& We have but little to record of local
matters, and for this we must refer the reader to sub-
sequent columns.
The commercial report continues favourable on the
whole, beta slight falling off in the demand for im-
ports is noticed. The wind-up of the indigo crop is
described as more favourable than the most sanguine
could have anticipated. It is expected that the out-
turn will be not less than 1,20,000 mannds. Exchange
continues stationary at la. lON. for fird class bills at
six months' sight. Freights have gone down some-
what, owing to numerous arrivals, and the anxiety to
fill up ships before the long holidays, which com-
mence on the 21st instant. Quotations aro now, for
sager, 41. 10s. to London, and 4/. 2,. 6d. to Liverpool.
The Express, with English news to the 24th July,
came in on September 1, and the steamer with the
mails on the following day.

day, at 4 p.m., the Mutate steamer anchosed at the ;that on
the Ravee ; she has been 18 days In the River, aid 20 from
Mei:taut ; of the 18 days only 6 steaming; the obstacles are
said to be great, es the steamer draws 3 feet, and in one
place they had only 2 fact water in the river. Al! her car to
had to be takes out, and they hauled her through. Sir
Henry Lawrence leaves this for Cashmere on the 27th hut.
—Delhi Gaselte.
P2MISWilit. —The communication with Peshawar
has apparently suffered considerable interruption on account
of the heavy rain. We have news from thence only to the
11th (the latest letters are to the 14th inst., but they have
no news). It is, we regret to say, not favourable to the
health of the troops, which is reported to be anything but
satisfactory. Colonel Lawrence was himself laid up. The
hill tribes, too, do not seem at all inclined to follow the
peaceable line of conduct they professed themselves anxious
tor, and we shall not be surprised to learn that the local
authorities will have thought it Lecessary to reoommend
their being chastised during the ensuing cold weather, and
ezesnalled by force to abandon their nresent predatory
habits and incJoivioas. Lieut. Pollock Did beer.
on his way to his district, Bannco, and the baggage of Lieut.
Dansey, on the way up from Mooltan Peshawar, was
plundered when within 30 or 40 miles of the latter place.
A party of irregular infantry and cavalry sent out to watch
the plunderers were attacked; the infantry got in rear of
the enemy ; and the result was that the party sent in on the
10th of August two heads, one man severely wounded in
four places, and two prisoners.
We regret to have to announce the death at Peshawar,
from chronic dysentery, on the 18th instant, of Lieut.. Col.
McLeod, C. B , commanding H. M. Gist Foot, and she at
Julandbur, on the 21• t instant, of Capt. Sam. Tabor, of
the 7th Light Cavalry. We believe the mortality among
the commissioned ranks, within the last three month., to
be unequalled during any corresponding period of any
given year.—Delhi Gazette.
Eta CHARLIE NAPIER AND 61111/ISANT BENINET.—We
(Bombay Tines) so/join the following letter from the Com-
mander-in Chief of India to Colour-Sergeant Bennet on his
having been the first to mount the breach at Rooker'. It
was one great secret of the popularity and success of Napoleon
Bonaparte, that no one was too humble to escape his notice,
—and in this S.r C. Napier has throu,thout his career re-
sembled the gre st soldier the continent of Europe ever
beheld. Sir Charles has made two trifling mistakes : Mr.
Bennet was color-sergeant, not serjeant-major—it was the
breach at Seringapatam, not Ahmedabad, Serjeant Graham
was the first to mount,—though we believe it was a serjeant
of the " Old Toughs" who planted the colours on the walls
of Ahmedabad:—

" Calcutta, May 20, 1849.—Serjeant.Major Bennet,—
When, in 1847, I ',resented the Fusiliers with their new
cohurs, I sail that the men of our days were as good as those
of former days. I was right, and Mooltan has preyed every I
word. In Livia,' times Serjeant-Major Graham (if my
memory scree' roe correctly), of the Ist Europeans, planted
the old c lours on the breach of Ahmedabad. lie did •
gallant action, and when you planted the British standard on
the breach of Moultan your deed was as brave as his, and as
renowned. The officers, non-commissioned officers, and
privates of the Ist Europeans, in both presidencies, have
sustained, and even if posable surpassed, by their valour in
the present days the gtori,s of the put. Tell your comrades
that f rejoiced when I heard of the fame which you have all
gained for those new colours that I had the honour of pre-
suiting to the regiment in Sciude.—l remain ycur sincere
well-wisher, C. J. NAPIER, Commanderin-Chief.
P.S. I should have written to you long since, but de-
, 'eyed till my arrival in India."
The coincidence is striking enough assuredly, but Sir C.
Napier seems only aware of one-hX of it. Maj •r Mignon,
I who lcd the Fuailien up to the breach at Muatcan, is the
son of Vol. 'Mignon, who, cxaetly half a contury ago, led the
flank companha of the Bombay army at the storming of
Saingapatam.