The Express.
London, England, 1849-03-20 00:00:00

war-offios. It never has been, and never will be, any
thing else.
And yet it is a war-office that cannot rear
a general, at least cannot reward or choose
one. Even when military talents are manifest,
the East India Company c3mmits itself, and its
empire, to the rule of chinos. Some old martinet, the
senior in command and in sedulity, is entrusted
with the lives of some 20,000 English soldiery, and
the fortune of millions of natives. A short time since,
' they conquered an empire, more by hazard than 'kill,
and with a Hisao° of life at which military science
blushes and humanity shrinks.
Yet no sooner is it conquered than it is neglected.
One would think that the only capacity of the Com-
pany and its servants was for over-running and over-
riding a country. For no sooner was a semblance of
tranquillity restored to the Punjaub, than every officer
and civilian of experience, of knowledge of the coun-
try and the service, scuds out of the c3untry to enjoy
honour, and gains, and prize-money in a better climate.
Sir C. Rena is packed off from sok& Lord Han-
ninon packs himself off to the House of Lords. The
Levranneze give way to the CURRIES, the HARDINOES
and NAPIRRS to the Gonna; and blunder after
blunder reveals the iggnomrannaccee and incapacity of every
Indian functionary. Moonnsz is tormented into died-
fection, and thin provoked into rebellion. The Indian
authorities stand aghast, and do nothing, leaving a
lieutenant of irregulars to defeat the farces of Mord-
tan. A regular general and army then march up,
merely, however, to be beaten back from the mud
walls of Moultan, and fill its ditches with their dead,
_ .

concluding with a disgraceful retreat. The I , filth;
emboldened at the news, rise, and, at length, Lord I
Goma marches after them in • passion, allows them
to choose their own position and field of battle, and
flings away the lives of his best soldiers in an attack,
of which the strategy was only to be equalled by the
Irish hurrah upon the police defenders of the cabin
of Ballingarey.
The East India directors and ministry are repreache I
with having entrusted such a command to a general
of notorious incapacity. The answer is, "We knew
his incapacity, but we did not expect war." But is it
not proverbial that whenever the directors :expect
war, and send a general to India, peace is sure to
ensue ? Whilst if they nominate • civilian
Clovernor-General, with a long prospect of peace,
war is certain to break out. Indian events always go
by contraries—that is, contrary to the wisdom and
expectations of the directors. Should they not, there-
fore, direct their policy and appointments by contra-
ries too, seeing it to bs the established prcoedent that
they are always mistaken, and age after age in the
wrong ?
We are promised, however, a debate in parliament
upon this war in the Pun nub, not with those closed
doors which form the delight and the habit of the'
gentlemen of Leadenhall-street. And it is to be hoped
that the public, from whom they delight to conceal
their doings, and to whom they never disclose their
policy or their motives, will at length show itself
. curious and inquisitive on these points.

HAMBIIRG, Mixes 15.
Yesterday a rumour spread on Change that the
armistice was to be prolonged for three months. The
declaration of the Prussian Minister for Foreign
Affairs, as appears in the Berlin papers, gave rise to
it. The Danish papery, however, which we received to-
day, do not leave any doubt as to hostilities beginning
again on the 27th inst., unless their government alter
its mind at the eleventh hoar. The minister having
stated that Nome temporary measure is to be brought
on by the mediation of the British govern-
ment, you will be informed of it if &manful, before
we shall. _ _

Two Danish men-of-war made their appearance off
several of the Baltic pertain the duchies to reconnoitre
the coasts for the purpose of examining what pro-
gross the fortifications have made during the armistice.
At Rendsbarg all is activity : troops are coming from
the south and going to the northern frontiers or to
the sea-coast. A gun-boat, built by subscriptions of
the ladies, and called " Der Franenverein," was sent
to Kiel ; and to all appearance the Dana will not
find the coast in a defetceleas stat-. With that part
of the German navy. which is stationed here no visible
preparations are making; the steamers and the frigate
are not manned, but officered, and the gun-boat is, I
believe, in the same state. Two Prussian generals
paned into the duchies yesterday.