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

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 31, 1849.

RAILWAY MEETINGS.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY
PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PUNJAI.I3.

CALEDONIAN.

An Extraordinary Gonna Mating of the shareholders
of the Caledonian Railway Company was held on Tuesday
is Edinburgh, J. J. Hors JOUNITONE, Elq., the their.
man of the company, presiding. The meeting was called,
first to consider and determine as to the bills introduced into
parliament in the present vision, entitled, "A Bill to effect
the sale of the Widmer and Coitus. Railway to the cat-
&aim Railway Cowpony," and " A Bill to effectuate a
lame of the Glasgow, &ahead, and Refines Direct Roil-
way, to the Caledonian Railway Company ;" second, to con-
sider and determine as to the measures to be adopted in re-
gard to arrears of cells doe on the orginal and quarter shares
of the company ; and third, to authorise the borrowing of en
additional 11/1131 of 200,0001. under the powers conferred on
the company.
Mr. MILAY read the heads of the bill for leasing the
Wishaw and Colton' Railway ; after which the CHAIR.
MAN propaed a resolution approving et the same, which
was sereed to ananimousiy.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed i tesoluilon io the effeet
that the directors be authorised to give notice of forfeiters to
all holden of quarter shares on which there were more then
three calls in &near, and to all holders of original shares
in sneer, except Wee in regard to which thus was
This revelation was unanimously agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN next submitted a notion which
provided that the directors should be empowered to
borrow the sum of 200,0001. on two acts which were

THRRIWIDENT AT LAllOl6a TO 7112 lECIITARY WITH THE
GOYIM:4OH OENEUAL.
L
It Istrcallt
o.lloyaine nullify the
if we interfeselhLreelearyne 21,
ocessi 1.1234.7 w.
we
shag the authority of the &altar and its
executive ; bat, by being so censtanlly heard, our
voices will cease to carry the influence they now do. We
may guide and advice; we may drive out of the field great
oppreseorst we may establish courts, at which, at least, a
beano( will be given; we may fix the assessment; we may
protect the high roads, and put down gang robberies; —all
this we may, within a reasonable time (perhaps the next
lase months) effect: but, if we were to attempt to decide
re
every
its
assistants
wouldwand
interfere
require socollect
wtoi t hs he
be th
increasedven detailsu e o° fut nr te
na nfi iwaehnni cdth,
notmwye
only would the chiefs and °faciae be disgusted, but they
would become virtually disqualified from managing the
country, when the term of our occupancy expires. I look
upon it, that the spirit of the late arrangement requires that
ell orders 'boll emanate from the durbar and its agents, and
that we shall only step in when they cease to act. The
terms of the agreement of exchange between Lahore and
Jummoe arm Captain Abbott with extraordinary powers,
but they do not arthorise him to remove a harder. How-
ever, as I have told him, there will be no sort of difficulty in
effecting the recall of any individual against whom a geed
case can be made out.
THE SECRETARY WILE THE 00\VIOR-OENEICAL TO THE
RESIDENT AT LAEORE.
Simla, July 3, 1847.
Our position is not that of active agents, but of friendly
advisers, with the power, where necessary, of enforcing our
advice, and, when justice cannot otherwise be obtained, of
directly acing ourselves; but this must be the last resource.
This view is strictly in accordance with the spirit and even
the letter of the treaty, which gives to the government ol
Indio., represented at Lahore by its resident, full authority
to direct and control all matters in every department of the
state ; he may interfere if lough or as little as he choosi 5.
He will be regulated by the course which he may deem it
most expedient to adopt to ensure good government. He is
required to pay attention to the feelings of the people, to
preserve the national institutions and customs, and to main-
tain the just rights of all climes.
It is, therefore, politic that the resident should carry the
native council with him, the members of which are, how-
ever, entirely under his control and gni lance ; be can
change them and appoint °then ; and, in military affairs,
his power is as unlimited as in the evil administration ; he
can withdraw Sikh garrisoes, replacing them by British
troops in any and every part of the Punjanh.
These powers, under ordinaly circumstances, will be use-
ful, in proportion to the temperance with which they are ex-
ercised; and up to this hour your administration has been
marked by moderation and judgment.
There are districts, however, in the Punjaub, of so much
importance, in a political and military point of view, that
they may be required to be managed by, the more direct arid
active a, socy of British officers ; such is Peshawar, when
it is necessary to have at all times a large and affective Silo
garrison, kept up in a state of perfect contentmect and disci-
pline. The policy of maintaining one-third of the Sikh st my
in this advanced position, in good order, need not be insisted
upon. In devolving these duties of a mixed character on •
British officer, there has been no interference with national
customs mid inriitntions. General Avitabile exercised much
greater powers than those so slay entrusted to Major Law-
rence : the Sikh troops, composed of various tribes, have
during the last quarter of a century been accustomed to the
control of European officers : and Major Leverence's super
intendence is popular with the troops because they feel that
his interference is beneficial.
The same reasoning applies to the Haan country—the
Sikh force in the vicinity of those hills will be considerable ;
t re Museulman population is warlike and difficult of con-
trol ; and as the tribute they pay is small, the necessity of
interfereecc in the internal administration of those moun-
tainous tracts will not require many fiscal arrangements. The
Governor-General has no doubt that Captain Abbott, as-
sisted by Lieutena. t Nicholson, would render essential ser-
vice, if employed in superintending this district, now trans-
ferred to the Lahore state.
It does not follow that British alms, in the position of
Major Lawrence and Captain AblYlt, if they were entrusted
with the revenue, police, and judicial administration of any
district, should employ the regular and exponsive system of
of administration in cur own prolate's. Native Sikh agency
must be employed under them.
This system as no novelty, During the minority of the
Rsjeh of Nappore, Sir Richard Jenkinshad the memegement
of that territory. He placed British efficenin charge of cer-
tain districts, who administered its revenues, its police, and
jodiebil affairs. Although a British officer in each district
was the directing instrument of the Resident, native officers
[clinging to the Maher jeh were employed in all matters of
detail, and the success during the ten years the custom lasted
was most complete.
Another instance, equally decisive in its results, was the
management of the Nizun's dominions, when the late Lord
Metcalfe was appointed resident at lioderabed. Having
firmly established the authority of the Britith government,
he employed Briti-h officers in the divirions of the territory,
principally to define the amount of the revenue which should
be paid by the village". The Blames revenue offices acted
under the British political agents. Lewes were granted fur
five years; and as icon as the British resident had fixed the
extent of the government demand on the village', tran-
quillity eas at once restored, because immediate relief was
afforded to the people.
In the Punjaub it is not, at the present moment, necessary
to resort to so extensive and general a measure. The district
administered by Sirdar Lchns Sing, Mejeetie, between the
Raves and the Su:l j. had better remain entirely under na-
tive management ; and, wherever chiefs of ability and in.
tegrity can be found, it is unquestionably better to employ
them, in preference to British officers, as the directing agents ;
and in particular, near the seat of government, where their
conduct can be more immediately brought under your vigi-
lant control, or that of your assistant;.
An extensive, and general, system of deputing a British
officer to administer the various districts of the Punjaub,
would entail considerable expense; and, on principle, it is
preferable that the rriedent should endeavour, as you are
now doing, to maintain, as far as possible, native institutions
and forms of seb—inistrations, with such improvements as
they may admit of, so as to facilitate the restoration of the ter-
ritory to the Zdaharejth, when that period shall have
arrived.
The authority to employ British officers, in the manner
adverted to in this letter, has already been given, in my
letter of the 19th of May ; and the Governor-General will be
ready to section such deputed .ns, whenever you may be of
epimi a that a case has been made oat. justifying the neces-
shy of appointing a directing Britith officer.
The duration of the British officer's superintendence most,
of course, depend upon circumstances; it had better not be
made permanent for the term of occupation.
With regard to the powers to be delegated to these offiects,
the Governor-General entirely concurs with you, in reply to
Captain Abbott, that he has *heady ample powers for all
useful purposes.
The Governor General Resumes that the duties of this
officer, as the loJun iary c.nunioioner, will shortly cease;
and, if you are of opinion that he can be advantageously
rapt yed in the Baena country, his lordship will place that
officer at your ditposal.
For this duty, he combines, with other qualificeticas, the
professional acquirements of a military officer, and can,
under your instructions, be authorised to superintend the
regularity of payment of the Sikh troops, taking care that
his influence be telt, by attend,ng to the just rights of the
troops, without which it is impossible to enforce a safe system
of discipline; although the Governor-General must ob-erve,
that the Sikh troops, and even the disbanded portion, have,
since March, ISI6, greatly surprised his lordship by their ex-
cellent con tact and soldier-like qualities.
In conclusion, the Governor General desires me to state,
that you cannot confer a greater bean on the labouring
classes of the Punjab, and more raise the character of the
British administratien, than by abolishing the system of
forced labour, so ruinous to the agricultural population of
this country.
2112 BESIDENT AT LAHORE TO THE 6ECIIETARY WITH THE
00V1112011.0ENEHAL.
Lahore, October 4, 1848.
Birder Chnttur Sing was still at Hurripore. Captain Ab-
bott writes of expecting that the Sirdar will attack his
position at Nara ; and ke seems confident that, if the Birder
does so, he can repulse him with heavy loss. He, moreover,
says that, if the Girder is defeated in the attack, the rebel-
lion will be at an cad. This last supposition is not neon-
cileable with the statements regarding the extensive ramifi-
cations of she plot, and the almost universal participation of
chiefs, troops, and people in Chuttur Sing's conspiracy.
Whatever Birder Chuttur Sing's rebellion may have arisen
from, or whoever may have been his partisans hitherto, there
seems little doubt that disaffection throughout the coantry is
so general, and so many means have been employed to turn
this disaffection to account at this time, that a very genteel
insurrection is about to develop itself, and the mere putting
down of Chnttur Sing, in Hams, would not go very far to
restore order.
The truth seems to be, that there was a very general con-
spiracy set afoot by the Maharanee, last cold weather, which,
bad the Mooltan outbreak not taken place when it did, and
as it did, and had it not been followed by the circumstances
which subsequently occurred, the Maharanee might have
brought to maturity.
There has been, from the period of our occupation, a very
general spirit of disaffection pervading the length and
breadth nt the land, and affecting particularly the ar toy
and the disbanded soldiery, but shared in by all the Hindoo,
and some part of the Mahomedan, population of the Pun-
-1 btu'', with the exception only of the poorer classes. Any re-
bellion that might arise in any quarter was sure to find
many adherents, and extensive sympathy ; though, owing to
the extraordinary distrust of all parties towards one another,
conflicting interest., jealousies, animosities, family feuds,
pets ,nal enmities, and the like, a combined and comprehen-
sive rebellion or insurrection, after the departure of the
Maharanee, was of difficult accomplishment. Birder Chat-
tar Sing's rebellion was, in the first instance, a personal
effete, 1 believe. He had been a party to the Maharsnee's
plan and in her confidence, and he wished to week cut her
scheme. The reporis that were brought reference, Abbott
regarding the wide-spread conspiracy had I sus-
pect, to tie Maharanee's affair, and were true in themselves,
but their application was erroneous.
Chnttur oing is a man of so influence. The family is not
one of distinction ; and the branch of it to which he belongs
was never recognised in Maharajah Ruttiest Sine's, time.
The family, moreover, has not wealth. Birder Chuttur Sing
and his sons were raised to their present position by the
arrangements of Lieut.-Colonel Lawrence, with the approba-
tion of the British government. The family a unpopular
with the chiefs, and the old adherents of Runjeet Sing, as
being upstarts, and the creatures of the British government.
They ars unpopular with the army, as the murderers of Pa-
lters Bing, owl tits friends of Mahusjoll Golab Sing; and

'pennon.
Mr. M'MIREN said he had to submit u an amendment
that this sleeting be adjourned till the let of August, when
a meeting of the shareholders shall be held in London, in
order to afford an opportunity for the appointment and
report of a committee of shareholder' to inquire Into and
report upon the company's present engagements and respon-
sibilities, and expenditure and appropriation of its funds,
and It. present financial condition, and whether the addition
to the capital purposed wee necessary or desirable, regard
being had to the company's present engagements and re-
sposaibilities, and its position and prospects.
Mr. HARRISON, London, /branded the amendment,
and, after a long discussion, the meeting came to
• vote, when 43 of the persons present voted in
favour of the chairman's motion, and 21 in favour of Mr.
M'Miken's amendment. The Chairman said that, so far as
was known, the state of the proxies was—For the motion,
10,100 votes; and for the amendment, 4,220 votes: so that
'the motion wee carried by a majority of more than two
to one.
Scrutineers were appointed to examine the proxies and
to report the result to a meeting to be held next day (Wed-
nesday.)
The CHAIRMAN said he expected that the report which
' the directors would be enabled to lay before next half-yearly
meeting, with the assistance of Mr. Douglas Campbell,
would put the shareholders into full pessenion of every
matter connected with the position of the company. If
this report did not satisfy the sharebolden, they would be ,
quite willing to accede to the proposition of Mr. Cram for
a committee of investigation. The questions at issue were
to be disposed of by the general shareholders, and not by a
committee hostile to the directors, who, he might mention,
were quite prepared at any time to defend the policy whin'
they had pursued. (Applause.) The chairman then tem-
eluded by propcsiog that Mr. Douglas Campbell should be
appointed one of the auditors of the company.
This was unanimously agreed to, and • vote of thanks to
the chairman closed the proceedings.