The Express.
London, England, 1856-12-16 00:00:00

INDIA.

THE WAR WITH PERSIA.

We have received by the overland mail, via Mar•
mass, advice. from Bombay to the 17th, CaMatta
tar bth, sad Nladrae the 14th of November, being the
data given on Batarday in our telegraphic seminary,
via Trieste.

The war with Penis had been inaugurated by a
proclamation issued at Calcutta on the Ist, and uo-
mitigated at Bombay on the 10th of November. The
proclamation will be found below. The Boffelogy
Tious points out that—m The treaty of 1853, alleged
to have been violated, is Seated to have been betwixt
ber Miijesty's government and the Shah, and the
Governor-General intimates that, in carrying out the
recent arrangements, he is acting under instructions
from her Majesty's government. As the fiction is
still maintained that India is governed by the East
India Company, and as no treaty with the Shah in
their name exists, the Company's relations with
Persia being purely commercial, this may be assumed
au admission that the present is an English war, and
that the charges will fall on the royal treasury."
The military portion of the force consists of her
Majesty's 64th Foot, 2nd Bombay European Regi-
ment, the 4th and 20th Bombay Native Infantry, and
the 2nd Belooch Battalion, with Horse and Foot
Artillery, three squadrons of cavalry, and two com-
panies of Sappers. This force is so small that it
must be deemed merely an advance guard, and being
so extremely weak in cavalry it will be necessary to
keep on the sea cud, u it will be impossible (opus-
trate into the Interior. The expedition is under the
command (provisional) of Major General Stalker and
Rear-Admiral Sir H. Leeke, with Brigadier. Stop-
ford, H.M.'s 64th; Homier' 4th N.L; Trudy's,
Artillery ; and Tapp, Cavalry, commanding brigades.
In the summary of the fortnight's news given by
the Bombay Time., we read The Persian Gulf ex-
pedition has all now sailed, and the perfect and
effi-
olent manner in which it has been organised reflects
honour on the local endue-Wm There seems to have
been no restriction as to expense, and we have
reason to suppose that the public resources,
heavily taxed as they must have been, have been
administered wisely and judiciously. It does not
gaits yet appear that there is any great probability
of conflict, and very possibly the Shah, when be bears
of au armament on his shores, may promise all that
is desired of him : that he will ever dream of keep-
ing hie promise a moment longer than suits him it
were insanity to suppose. The perseverance in offence
the proclamation reveals gives colour to the assump-
tion that he is the mere puppet of the Czar. And it Liu
been rumoured here that Russia is already preparing to
occupy the long suited province of Asterabad, and
keep It in pledge till the moment we descend on
Rubin. In this ease we are playing the game of
the enemy, drawing them on towards oar frostier by
the very lielaStfal proposed for keeping them at a
distance."

The Indian journalist maintains that the Baltic is
the more appropriate scene of our naval operations if
the advance of Russia really be the object of English
apprehension. He mays :—" It is but indifferent
generalship to send troop from their base of opera-
tions and supplies to meet an enemy still within his
own frontier, and who may choose the time for
attack when we are most at his mercy. We do not
require to prove that we can send five or fifty
thousand men, wherever our fieets can carry
them, when it suits our pleasure. It has
not yet been shown that we have either
men or baggage cattle that can live on air
or sleep in snow; until such are provided, we
can jest as little force our way into the interior of
Persia as into that of Russia itself. Already the
commissariat and quarteraisstertimerars depart-1
meets report that supplies must all be emit from
Bombay, that our troops can be subsisted only from
oar ships. and that the villagers have only to retire
before as, when we starve before we are a hundred
miles fees the shore."

TieHeirkarilliales that Major Thaißier has re-
eled Mese from the government to strike a a
awleis number of copies of a map of Perste, for the
tuts of them who have the modest of the expedi-
tions'? Isms to that erwatry. The map is on an ex-
tensive mho, and is 125 swam. The expedition is
aesseepauded br: surveying ship and • naval corps
d'eimevadmer tie puree of examining, and
midair plane 04 sash harbours and watering please
es say is Welted by our ships. Lieutenant Con-
dabbe seiteled by surveyor, and Lieutenant Swirly
b mina siebtast. Whim other experienced ear-
te- Timm b so part of time mas which
lea any peeleadsen te having been in any way sur-
veyed that le bee known, perhaps, than the area of
tie Psalm Oulf.

The CakeTeiiCliceeliele publishes a letter from
JiLurrasher, the writer of which states that toss and
tons of ammunition have arrived there both from
Esginad and Bombay, and have bees shipped of as
fast as possible per river steamers to Meehan, yet
there is no abatement. He states that treasure, too,
is sent up in large quantities : everything appears to
be going upward, and nothing coming downward+
except an unlimited quantity of abase both from
aerehant+ sad °facials of the tardiness of the boats.
The waybill of the bon. Company's inland steamer
Assyria had it:scribed on it 2,260 boxes of immuni-
ties, sash box said to contain 6,000 rounds of ball
cartridge for muskets, sod 360 pigs of lead. The
speculative writer already ems in his mind's eye
all the lead and powder sold to the Poniard:, the
treasure clutched by the Afghans, and John Bull
woadering and bewildered at the result.
Aseoaget other articles of supply forwarded for
the expedition is a liberal allowance of camel saddles,
made upon a plan considered an improvement on that
generally in nee. "This," says the Bombay Tins*,
" emus to assume that a bony into the interior is
considered a thing at all ',eats not unlikely. It
is quite right, if we are to have an expedition,
that it should be strong and complete in all its
equipments, and, from all we can learn, that now
ander despatch is unusually perfect in everything.
A strong Indy of carpenters and other artificers have
bean seat, and this, so far se we know, is an innova-
tion in Indian warfare ; but in as expedition sent by
sea, where additional accommodation can be had
without trouble, the arrangement seems a wise one."
As to the ways and means of this enterprise, the
Calcutta Englishman says that "government daring
the present week has takes from the Bank of Bengal
a loan of fifty laths of rape's, at the rats of 4 per
cent. It is understood that this loan I. only for three
months, but of course it will either be renewed or
converted into government paper at the expiration of
the term. A new loan at 6 per cent. is confidently
anticipated by the native money dealers, and it I.
doubted whether money will be rapidly obtained even
at that rate."

The most profound tranquillity reigned throughout
and there is not so mach as a border foray or
agra►ian outrage to chronicle. The Governor• Gens•
ral and Governor of Bombay were at the seats of
administration. Lord Harris wee expected at
Bodasheghar on the 10th of November.