The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-08 00:00:00

4r.lLjt ihyftg

. 7 .
) T/-

No. 33.] LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, OCT. 8, 1846. [3d.

to maintain its ground till further order., which were
solicited from Lahore. Lail Sing having in the interval
received the suageation of the British withorities, instructed
the Misr to withdraw his troops pending further negntiations
on a new basis. These instructions came too late. The de-
tachment having illareateal the country-people, they rose
simultaneously, being Affghans. Backed by Nakka Khan,
an officer of Dewan Moenti, they engaged, and after a stout
aesistance, defeated the Filebs, keeping possession of the field
of battle. near Lubba. On receipt of this intelligence, Lall
Singh ordered additional reinforcements to be sent to Khuzan
Singh. Official accounts of the action reached Lell Singh
simultaneously from Bhatrwan Singh, and from Deafen Mool-
raj. The former represented himself as placid in &difficult posi-
tion, unable to advance on Mooltan, lest disturbances should
break out in his rear; unable to maintain his present posi-
tion and to take possession of Munkera with his small force,
and unwilling to retire. The Dewan, on the other hand,
attributed the affair to an outbreak of the country people,
under the deer, dations of the Sikh troops, for which he was
sorry. In consequence of these disturbances, fresh troops were
urgently applied for, and left Lahore for the scene of action.
The flame of war, once lighted up, would doubtless spread
like wild fire among materials so inflammable as exist in the
Puniaub. We hase not, as yet, any intimatinn of the policy
which our government intends to pursue in this predicament.
The M‘fiessilite stated a few stays ago that it expected 'he
Meerut division would he moved up to the frontier entirely.
The Delhi Gazette, in its issue of the sth of August, from
which we have drawn above, writes—" We have, since the
above was written, heard that an army is to he assembled.
It will probably consist of all the regiments brought up
from below to relieve those now on or beyond the frontier,
and theref ire be a very formidable a.semblage. The orders
may, we are told, be expected very fron."
We await further intelligence with anxiety. The Gazette
already announces the formation of two Anglo-Seikh
infantry corps, to be raised on the left bank of the Sutlej,
to be called respectively the regiments of Ferozepore and
Loodhiana.
Jamoo.—There have been numerous reports current of a
very serious character, regarding events at Jamon, rumour-
ing that Golaub Singh hwl collected an army far beyond his
allowed limits, that he had declined to fulfil the articles
of the treaty with the British government, and that murders
on European offieers within the boundaries of his territories
had been committed by his hoops. We have reason to I
believe that all these reports are unfounded, and
would not have notice them, if circulation had
not been elsewhere given them, and if, there-
fore, a statement of their true nature did not be-
come a duty. By the Lahore correspondence it is evident
that Golaub Singh continued to take an interest in the affairs
I of his quondam sovereign; though about that poir.t on
which one would expect we ahou'd never have heard enough
said—the definition of the boundary line between Labore
and Jamoo—not n syllable transpires. Both in the Ilazareh
country and in Cashmere considerable repugnance has been
manifested to Golaub Siugh's administration. Insurrections
have been also reported. All news from the lair of the old
Rajpoot requires, however, to be taken, CUM gran° sails.
PR.:It...AVM—The news from Peshawur is as old as that
from Cabal, and we derive it from the same source. Light,
but not much, has been thrown on the events of the Yoosuf-
:al campaign. After the first slender detachments had
moved into the disturbed districts, the Gevenor Shere Singh
received intelligence that an irruption of a large body (said
to be 2.5,1100) of Ghazees, under Meolah Abd-001-Ghuffoor,
Mean liameed, Mean Ghuneed Shah, an 1 Sadut, had rein-
forced the Yonaufzaies. Slum Singh, en this, hastened to
the spot himself, with General Goordut Singh, and nearly
all the troops in Peashawur, leaving the treasurer, Ju-
wahir Singh, to act as Governor in his absence. A
call was also made nn all the Affghans residing in the elis-
trict to arm and follow; whi'e urgent instructions were left
with the acting governor to look after the commissariat and
the medical establishment. Shere Singh met the insurgents
at Numladhur, a short distance from the left bank of the
Cebu' river, where he drove them off the field into the fort
of Mdse. A second engagement was fought at Jullula with
similar success, the Sikhs burning the village. The effect of
the two defy its had been prejudicial to the insurgents, and
the governor hail written to Peshawur to advertise his early
return with all the troops. There is no doubt of it number
of Affghans, from the south (Peshawar) side of' the Cabul
river having joined the insurgents, as some of them were
discovered among the prisoners.
In the meanwhile, both Shere Singh and Gonrdut Singh
seem to have fallen under the suspicion and displeasure of
the imbecile administrator, for it is impossible to call it the
administration, at Lahore—of Lall Singh. The former
finding that the fort at Attack had been removed from his
military jurisdiction, and entrusted to a special castellan,
made a atrorg remonstrance to the Durbar on the subject,
setting forth his services against the ill-fated Peshorn Singh,
and his deeds in the laanserzaie country, and asking in
reward for them the sole continuance of his an-
cient provincial powers, or, if it was thought un-
fafe to confide in him, the appointment of a successor
at Peshawur,This drew down the displeasure of Lall
Singh and the threat of recalling Shen Siugh, if he did not
wish to remain at Peshawur.
A similar treatment awaited the military command tot of
the distriet. General Goordnt Singh. whose evasion of a man-
' date to make over his artillery ti Elahee Bus has excited
the suspicions of Lall Singh.
The serious character of the Yoosufinie disturbances had
been made a plea by the Durbar to nominate a special cora-
-1 mender in-Chief in the Peshawar province. Buckshee
Goornarnin and forces have been ordered from the neigh-
bourhood of Lahore to join him.
I Alluding to the reported retirement of Sir C. Napier
from the scene of his labour in Scinde, the Bombay
Times remarks :
"There are a good many thing* both in favour and against
its probability. The gallant veteran is known to te, like
most men of 'fiery temperament, passionately devoted to the
profession in which he carets. It has always been under-
stood that he insisted on retaining beside him a force of such
enormous magnitude as that which now occupies Schuh., in
hope of an outbreak in the Punjauh, where fresh fields for
gathering further laurels might he opened to him. But
then, on the other hand, from the turn matters have lately
taken, it seems likely that should he occupy the
country at all, that the occupation will be an uncontested
and a r eaceffil one, at the solication, rather than
in defiance, of the bulk of the people. In such a ease as
this, it would not, in all likelihood, b • found requisite to
more troops up from Scinde towards Mooltan at all. A gain, Sir
Charles Napier is now well stricken in years. and his life has
been one of such lal our and exertion as must tell on the most
iron constitution. The ample revenues he has enjoyed must
have provided him with means abundant for the supply
of all his wants; and the natural anxiety of his family must
needs be for speedy retirement."
We extract from the same journal the following,
which contains the latest intelligence from Scinde:
" HYDERABAD, July 2.5.-1 lyderabad is now in an unusual
state of excitement. An officer in the fort ii under arrest
awaiting his trial by a court-martial for (probably) homicide.
He accidentally knocked down a woman when riding an
unmanageable tattoo, and such was the violence of the con-
cussion that she died upon the spot. In a certain corps iu
quarters near the Indus a very peculiar' affair' is said to
have taken place, but as all appear, to be now hushed up I
will any no more about it than that the whole business
been conducted in a way most creditable to the officer
commanding that regiment. There are many rumours
about appeals and references from and about the members
of a corps posted near the Fullailee. I fervently hope
that all this trouble may soon be at an end, for the
evil inflicted upon society in general by such events
is really great. Cholera seems to have expended its
violence upon the city. The comparatively few cases which
now occur arc of a milder form. It has not, however, quite
left either the city, the fort, or the entrenched camp. At
Kotree it is raging violently. Some deaths have occurred in
Mahomed Khan's Tanda. The Europeans have suffered but
little, the only loss being Lieutenant C., of the 17th Regi-
ment. Natives in general are so careless of their diet and
, general health, that it is wonderful how any who catch the
disease ever recover. I have heard of several cases where
repays and servants have been ill for six and seven hours be-
fore they could make up their minds to go into hospital.
We are all most anxious to know what changes may occur
during the cold weather. Four corps are, it is said, to be
sent down immediately the season opens. The order limit-
ing the time of service in Seinde to three years will be most
beneficial if acted up to,but the ever unsettled state of the
western frontier, and of our quasi-neighbours, the Affghans,
must make this a doubtful point.
" I have just heard that the force which left Sukkur for
Bahawulpore last spring, will, it is expected, receive,six
months' batta. Lord Hardinge is said to have written
strongly in favour of this measure to the home authorities.
I give you this as mete gap. though at the same time I con-
sider it very probable."
" HYDERABAD, JELT 28.—There is not much to write
about, but 1 send you a small budget such as it at. Cholera
has now almost disappeared, but still a stray case occurs
now and then, and carries off a victim. The ravages
it made in the town are truly appalling; sometimes
160 or 200 dying in twenty-four hours. In the gaol too,
it prevailed to a great extent, as well as in the 1 lth Regiment,
but happily the other corps nearly escaped. The people
are now returning to the town again, but at one time it
was nearly deserted. The inhabitants became alarmed, and
emigrated in large numbers daily. By last accounts cholera
had reached Sehwan, and though it is progressing steadily
np the river, we have not heard of its having reached Sukkur
vet. It is to be hoped her Majesty's 17th will have started
before it shows itself there. From Kurmehee I hear that
there has been no mac of it there for some time, but
there is a good deal of sickness, and that station is now
styled a Golgotha, as Sukkur was formerly called. The
people began to return as the cholera vanished, and matters
go on much as formerly, I believe ; but at one time there
were great apprehensions of supplies running short—
and no wonder, considering the needlessly large force
I congregated there, and for which no adequate provision
was. made. During the cholera time, too, everything
reached a famine price, and was in proportion scarce—
firewood, butcher's meat, bread, &ea were often procured
with great difficulty, and the poor soldiers had great diffi-
culty in making ends meet. The police brought in cattle,
however, and steamers were dispatched to Sehwan for flour,
and all fears are now removed. Since the heavy rains—
which, by the bye, nearly washed down half the mud-houses
in this plats—the ;Yeaher has become sultry and oppressive.

The Indus is now nearly full, and all about Hydrabad is a
sheet of water. It is now reported that her Majesty's 86th
and the Fusiliers, four regiment' of Native Infantry,
and a large proportion of Artillery, will proceed to ;
Bombay immediately after the opening of the sensor, un-
less advantage is taken of the report of large bodies of
Kohistanecs coming down to drive us out of Seinde, to
detain the greater proportion and give an excuse for as-
amblingproportion, another army at Roree next cold weather. On
this part of the subject the general opinion seems to be
that it would be the most fortuaate thing that could occur
if they would come and drive us out of the miserable hole,
and give us a pretext for relinquishing it for ever. How
many haveto regret that a pretext was ever found for coercing
the Anteers, and that the iniquitous act of despoiling them '
I of their just right is not met by a fair and open avowal of
our injustice, and the poor amends made of restoring it—
ruined and turned bits confusion, though the country be.,
and everything in it."
St:KM:N.—We have letters from Sukkur up to the Ist of
August, all of a most melancholy nature. The Ices of Eu-
ropeans alone in the artillery and her Majesty's 17th Regi-
ment amounts. we understand, to two officers and between
60 and 70 non-commissioned officers and soldiers. The
strength of bath included amounted to about 900 when they
joined that fatal station something less than four months
ago.—Kurrachee Adrertiser, Aug. 8.
There are accounts from the Mauritius to the Ist of
August, which speak most favourably of the Sugar
prospects of the present season; but a deficiency of
labour was severely felt, and there were complaints of
a want of currency for ordinary transactions. The
interference of the Government, and a letter from the
Colonial Secretary to the island banks, forbidding any
new issue of paper, made payable in specie, at any
other rate than the legal one,Lad caused much public
. discussion. Au ordinance on the subject had been
laid before the council, of which the Cerneen thus
speaks:
' We state it boldly as a fact, that the man the most unac-
quainted with the country and the most hostile to it that can
be imagined, could not conceive u draft of ordinance more op-
posed and prejudicial to our interests than the one which Sir
William Gomm presented to the council on Monday
last. His Excellency the Governor expects the members of
that assembly to sanction a law, the purpose of which is to
forbid the banks, and even individual, to sign, issue, nego-
tiate, or transfer bills pavabie to the bearer, the value of
which is not expressed in pounds sterling, or in dollars,
under penalty of a fine, of which the maximum is fixed at
20f., and the minimum at 51.! And why is this ? Because
it is necessary to maintain the legal currency of specie, eon-
! formality with the proclamation of the Ist 'February, 1843!
' Really our astonishment Incomes every moment greater
as we reflect upon this measure, and the cause which has
given rise to it ! It is not, as the rumour goes, a question of
denying the banks the right of issuing paper made pay-
able in Company's ropers at a differ. nt rate than
that of the proclamation. Such a denial would have been
legal and legitimate. His Excellency the Governor, goes
much further; being certain that without any specification
• of value, the company's rupee, designated in the bank-notes
I as the coin for payment, would be eagerly received by the
public at fifty cents., he forbids the stipulation of any value
which shall not be expressed in pounds sterling or in dollars;
, forbids it to individuals as well as to the directors of the
• banks! The pen falls from our hand as we describe such
' proceedings. For our part, we assert without hesitation,
that it would be quite as reasonable, liberal, and just, to fix
• by law the hour of our meals, sleep, and the like.

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