The Express.
London, England, 1849-01-05 00:00:00

INDIA.

Intelligence from Calcutta is to November 18.
The following are the details of the flight of Major
Lawrence from Peshawar, summarily mentioned yes
teerlay : Major Lawrence was, at the commence-
ment ditto Mooltan outbreak, one of those who most
earnestly warned the Resident of the danger of hesi-
tation and delay, and vehemently implored him to
show, by determination and promptitude, that we
were prepared at eny moment to deal with sedition
wherever it might show itself. He was then one of
five European office's at Peshawur or that neighbour,
hood and bad immediately under hm six regiments
of infantry, four of cavalry, and thirty-six guns. about
six thousand men in all, of whom two thou-and were
7klahomedans, and considered trustworthy. Ile bad
managed to keep these men in a state of subjec-
tion, notwithstanding the temptation presented them
by each successive budget of tidings of the impunity
and norm of their countrymen. He was pretty
well aware that there was an amount of inducement
to join the insurrection that their loyalty could not
withstand. The Bunny() defection was a severe trial
to them—still more so our retreat from Mooltan : the
movement of Chatter Singh, and threatened junction
of all the northern insurgents, was more than they
could stand. On the morning of the 23rd of Novem-
ber, accordingly, the whole of the Sikh portion of the
force broke into open mutiny, and on the Mewing
day, about nine at night, the Mabomedan regiment of
Col. Meer Jungle, the one on which Major Lawrence
mostly depended for support, fired on the residency,
followed by the artillery •, and as the report et the
canconade would quickly have brought down the Sikh
mutineers encamped on the nate rn side of the town,
Major Lawrence cot.sidered that the time had come for
vacating his position, and that he could ?0 a t farther
good by remaining. So about an hour after the com-
mencement of the attack, Major Lawrence and Lieut.
Bowie mounted, and with Mr. Thompson (the apo-
thecary) and his wife, uneer an escort of 50 Affghan
horse, moved out to the gate at the south. All the
Punjubee companies inside the residency compound
were turning against them, and it was with some
difficulty they got out at all. Five minutes more and
they mud have fallen into the hands of the enemy.
Thi whole party arrived 'n safety at Kohat on the
25th, where they have since remained unluckier-bd.
A return of the sheriffs of Bombay since 1800 has
jut been published, showing that, on the twenty-six
gentlemen who within the lest forty-eight years have
held the sinecure, 100,0001. of the public money has
ken bestowed—fume of the more fortunate friends of
the ma mbers of government having received from
6,000/. to 10,0001 for which no service whatever was
prole sad to be given. The office of sheriff which
bas been condemned from the first as useless and a
waste of public money, is still continued at the cost of
about 10,0001. a year. Some discussion on the subject
of the Mint at Bombay has brought to light the fact
that the Mintmaster enjoys a salary of 4,0001. • year,
he being a civilian placed in office by virtue of seniority,
without requiring to poetess, or in general possessing,
the slightest acquaintance with chemistry or me-
chanics. The present fortunate holder of the office
was, just before his appointment, Postmaster at
Bombay. Bullion is purchased by government before
being melted, and is the course of seven years before
1844, 30 0001. was set down as umbers loss—there
being that much lose coin turned oat than there was
specie paid for ! Of Into years, under a change in the
raeltership, all loss win this bead has disappeared.
At Calcutta and Madras the Mint master is alio Mint
segineer—an arrangement by which, in salary alone,
government save about 2,0001. a
The
probably
as much more in management. The saving that would
be effected by the abolition of the one office and
transfer of the other to the bands of an engineer,
would is tea years make a hundred miles of good
macadamised road at ordinary Indian charges—or
open up the way from the cotton districts to the
taut !

The Bengal Hurkarn of Nov. 18 says : " Some
weak minds here have lately been ;lammed by the
discovery of a mad plot for corrupting the aspoys at
Barrackpore. massacreing the European inhabitants
of Calcutta, and plundering the city. The conepiracy
werns to have originated in the crazy brain of the
otos celebrated Pertaub Chand, the pretender to the
Rajah of Bardwan. An attempt appears to have been
Made by agents of this man to buy over some of the
.rive troops ; bat it was a very abeurd one in itself,
ted,ohourse.was brought to light before say harm was
done. The first native soldier tampered with brought the
matter to the notice of his commanding officer. The
names of various rajahs, chiefs, and native potentates
were freely used by the arch-conspirator, but it re-
mains to be seen whether he had any abettors beyond
the circle of his own servants and followers. A Sikh
egett of the exiled Ranee of Lahore was, almost as •
matter of course, an object of suspicion, and he was
accordingly seized by the military authorities ; but
nothing being discovered tending to incriminate him,
he was set at liberty, not, however, before time had
been Riven to take out a writ of habeas corpus on his
Riven

Thr; wealthy native shareholders of the Union Bank
who continued so long deaf to the demands of the
atterive committee, have at length notified that they
pay the yams at which they were assessed. The
two brothers, Ashootas Day and Promotlionali Day,
who wore sash saddled with the payment of 30,0001.,
lad had mad, over their property to their wives,
ander the clauses of the new insolvent
threatened with an adjudication of insolvency,
ea amount of some transactions which, prima lave,
hers a saspicions appearance. The application
It,.se tale by a creditor of the Union
"ad:. and an ex parte adjudication was granted.
1:1'c 1)43s of course 'mined ately gave notice
sition the next court day, but signified to the Unica

Bank iseunittees that they would my the six lake
with will* they had been sisesesd. The petitioning
creditor immediately inatreeted his counsel not to op-
pose the stalment of the Days' oounseL Rajah Nor-
siageharier Boss has since signified his resolution to
pay his assessment. Mr. Willie cantinas@ to battle to
the last. but the legal reports give reason to believe
there is set mesh more ground to retreat upon. The
Hirrkersi: followieg senassery of the remelt is taken from the

The plebe, toskaleally called • sewejeeeea, sapsupon
the shersholdies sued, to show sums gaodewes why mew
tioa sbeuld est se agaiast them heliviclually. The defend.
eats pheisi a misty e 1 special pleas to some of whielt the
r' impaled arid demurred—i. e. objected to the sal
eine is law of ethos. The deleadalts son demurred to
sous of the repliestions, and, at the Name ease, took sere&
objestlons to tie plaint. Tin result cm this argument has
been that all tie objectless to the plaint have been overruled,
all the pleas which were demurred to held bad,--ad
the replication (with see exeeptica) upheld. The excepted
Gee was a replication of the memorial, recorded
In mien, by way of estoppel to a pies raising the quw
tics whether &readapts an costiauing shareholden of the
Bask. The Doan intimated their opinion that this could
not be pr perly replied by way of ostoppel—i. e., as abet'
lately precluding defendants from Meng the question as a
question ot fit% hinting at the aims time that the mansavial
might neverthelns be conclusive, se :11 but conclusive, when
such quevion of fact came to he tried. The plaiotiffs accord-
ingly withdraw this replication, and simply take issue on the
point.
There are still issues of fact to be tried, which will
probably come on in the sittings • but the above deci- '
ace on the demurrers is considered as virtually deci-
sive of the case generally in Lwow of the plaintiffs.
Mr. Colvile was, on Nov. 7, sworn in as one of her
Majesty's judges, and took his mat on the bench in
the place of Sir Henry Wilmot Beton. The learned
judge's patent had been expected by the last two or
three mails, but through some delay in the office, it
did not arrive until the last mail

The general orders, published on Nov. 7, announce
the approaching departure from Calcutta of Major-
Genera► Sir Dudley Hill, hitherto in command of the
presidency division, for Loodians, where he is to re-
ceive further orders.

The Englishman, of Nov. 13, gives an account of
the logs of the ship Wien, of Bombay, Capt. Biale,
which, while an her way down the river, wu totally
lost at Cu!pee on the 12th. The ship took a shear,
which caused her to turn round with her head
down the river on a spring ebb tide, with
43 fathoms of chain out; from this the vessel damaged
Fur forefoot severely. The commander of the steamer
Rattler did his utmost to save the crew. The follow-
ing are the lives supposed to be lost :—Two female
servants, the captain's wife, Mr.. Biale, and
two Lancers. The Helen is under 700 tons mea-
:.urement ; she emit away drawing nearly 22 feet
wster, and had on board a cargo of nearly double her
tonnage. The Rattler went alongside, to endeavour
to take her again in tow, but she rolled so much that
the attempt wu given up.

[For sarkots we Lit pare.]

rbt Court.

-
WINDSOR, TBUltaßeT.—The Baron Andrian leR
the Castle this morning for London. The Chevalier Bunsen
is expected to arrive at Windsor Castle this afternoon on a
visit to the Queen and his Royal Hiehness.
'Her Majesty bad a small evening party yesterday
evening. rho following had the honour of receiving invi-
tations .—The lion. Mrs. Anson, Mr. and Min Meynell, the
Hon. Mrs. Phipps, and Rise Bathurst.
The Royal dinner party this evening will include,
is addition to the Ladies and Geatlenten of the Royal hems'.
bold, the Duchess or Kent, the Decline of Cambridge, end
the Princess Mary, Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, Lady
Augusta Cailopn, the Marchioness of Waterford, Baroness
de Speth, Ludy Fanny Howard, Moos. and Madame Van de
Weyer, the Chevalier Benson, Baron Stockmer, Viscount
Clitden, Baron Hussebgek, and Capt. F. Seymour.

The Commissioners for the reduction of the National
Debt h. Id a quarterly meeting patorday at the office of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer in Downing-street. There
were present the Kamer of the Rolls, the Governor of the
Bank of England, and the Deputy-Governor; Kr. Highest,
Secretary and Comptroller-General wat in attendance.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
ethos f rem the Governor of Malta.