Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-05 00:00:00

it, and has been sufficiently reinforced to attempt the relief
of Lucknow, the difficulty of that undertaking cannot be
disguised. The disciplined troops of the enemy in Oude,
even allowing for some reinforcements to Delhi, cannot be
less than 20,000 men. There is, besides, a host of rabble
very troublesome; on the lines of communication, and
certain to cut off stragglers or weak detachments. - Grant
that General Havelock's column, strengthened perhaps to
2,500 men, can advance fifty-three miles in the face of
such ,opposition, and relieve the remains of the garri-
son at Lucknow, it is hardly to be thought that lie
could retain that great city of 300,000 inhabitants
in a country the population of which is altogether
hostile. He will, therefore, either fall back on Alla-
hahad and Benares till reinforcements can arrive from
England, or attempt to make his way to Delhi, 266 mires,
in the face of immensely superior numbers. This appears
so difficult an operation, when the want of carriage, the
rainy season, and other things are considered, that it is
possible no additional troops may be able to reach Agra,
Meerut, and Delhi before the regiments now on their way
from England:arrive at Calcutta—that is, the middle of
November. It will be admitted then, that the position of
our troops at the above place is most critical• At Agra
every third man has already been killed or wounded, and
there remain but 350 Europeans to defend the place. At
Meerut our strength does not exceed 700. Our army
before Delhi is, we fear, greatly overrated. General
Reed has 5,090 native soldiers, two regiments of European
cavalry, -and about five regiments of infantry, reckoning
the wing of her Majesty's 61st and the six weak com-
panies of the 2nd Fusileers as one regiment. He has
besides about 800 artillerymen. By Colonel Chesteep
letter of the 17th of May we find that, of the European
infantry, the 75th and let and 2nd Fusileers mustered
together only 1,800 men even at Thnballah before the
fighting commenced. We know that up to the date of the
last mail several hundred men had been killed or wounded,
and, allowing for deaths and non effective from disease,
and for casualties in the three subsequent sorties, we can
hardly estimate oar entire force before Delhi as much
above 10,000 men. There are probably double this num-
ber of Sepoys in Delhi, and in rear of our army there is a
great force of the enemy gathering. Computing the
Gwalior Contingent at 10,000, and aching Bolkar's con-
tiugent, the Bhurtpore levies, and the mutineers from
Nee much, Hassi, and other places, the rebels will have at
least 20,000 men to operate upon Agra and Meerut, and
then to, take up a position in rear of our beseiging army at
Delhi. It is right to look these facts hi the face, and, in
inquiring whether the 20,000 men now on the way from
England can reconquer the revolted ;Cr ovinceq, we ought
not so much to ask whether they are sufficient, but
whether it is possible in any way to add to them. In this
cruel and exterminating war, in which so many precious
lives have been sacrificed, he that counsels half measures
or any measure short of the utmost that can be done is an
enemy to England, and deserves to be gibbeted to the
execration of his countrymen.T,Why is the garrison of
Malta not sent overland with hot haste, and its place
taken by militia regiments or volunteers—who would not
volunteer at such a moment ? Why have Ministers posi-
tively refused to allow the Company to increase their
European troops ? Is this a time for party quarrels or
squabbles about patronage ? Is India:to be deprived of
nw,v levies of Europeans because it is to be a question next
session of Parliament what form the home government of
India is to take? We trust the public will have their
eyes upon the man who dares to trifle with the honour
and dearest interests of the nation at such a crisis, and
exact from him, in case of additional disasters, a severe
account.—Homeward Jfail. 1

Tree Tit keSlT—Captain Elphinstene, M.P., writes a
letter to the Ernes on the subject of this unfortunate
transport, concluding in the following manner:—" In a
discussion on the transport of troops to India last July,
I stated my objection to the employment of iron troop-
ships, in my place in the House of Commons, and I most
truly and sincerely trust that this digester, occuring so
soon after, will induce Sir Charles Wood to take the sub-
ject into his most serious consideration. Allow:me first
hortly to advert to the striking manner in which the loss
of this ship bears out my view, and then offer one or two
suggestions on the suhject. If it had been possible to
select a spot where a vessel could have been run ashore
with a good chance of holding together long enough to
enable , the crew and passengers to save themselves
and their effects, the position of this unfortunate
ship was that one. The Straits of BIIICA arc
at all times as still as the Solent ; the wind, if any, would
bg, light from Southeast, off shore : but most probably
at that time of the day dead calm ; and yet we learn, that
so rapidly did the water gain upon them that the
troops were hurried out of the ship as soon as the boats
could be got into the water, If this was the case of the
Transit in dead smooth water, what would have been the
effect of a surf? Why, simply this, that we should have
lost a regiment; nothing earthly could have saved them.
Let us, therefore, be thankful to Providence that this dis-
aster occurred where it did ; and let us further hope that
it may open the eyes of the First Lord to the defects of
iron troopships, The question now arises, are we driven
to employ such ships ? I say we are not ; ;we have the
remedy in our own hands. Henceforward we must
dismiss the delusion that we can hold India with native
troops. The bubble has burst,—not sooner than many
of the most able men in India expected ; but burst it has,
with a vengeance, and we must prepare for a new state of
matters. During the winter months troops may be carried
through Egypt with safety and comfort. but we must look
to the Cape of Good Hope as our main route. What I
would recommend is this : Take such ships as
are not intended to be converted into screw line-
of-battle ships ; take the upper deck off the three
deckers, leave the two-deckers as they are ; reduce
their masts to such proportion as may be found
most suitable for sailing them, with their guns out, ballast
them with water-tanks placed in such positions as will
counteract their tendency to roll, and we might have 20
of the finest transports in the world, roomy and airy
below, with large upper decks—such ships as the Prince
Regent, Rodney, Formidable, &c. These are the ships to
carry troops out
_serviceable. Each ship fitted with a
small high-pressure engine, only to be used in light
weather or calms, and the usual track to India to be
taken. No short cuts on any account. By keeping the
beaten track, and by a judicious use of steam power, the
voyage will be performed on an average of 75 or 80 days
—quite fast enough for comfort,'"and a soldier's time on
board ought not to be unprofitably employed. If such a
class of ships were created, carrying a post captain and
300 men each, with a sufficiency of guns for exercise, it
would add a reserve to the navy of the most important
character ; and if the loss of the Transit has any influence
in producing such a result, she will have done more good
in her generation than her warmest admirers could ever
have hoped for."

CLOSE OF THE SECOND OPERA. COMPAIk.TY'S
PERFORMANCES AT via THEA.TRE ROYAL.

We haie the satisfaction of recording that the last
night of Mr. Lumley's opera troupe's performances,
Mozart's " Don Giovanni," attracted a crowded house of
brilliant character. It was more fashionably attended
than any of the other operas. It is well-known, and
always draws a good house in Laudon and here. Last
night it was very effectively put aspen the stage ; indeed,
we must do Mr. Lumley tlye justice to say that the
management of the stage bufainess, and the conducting of
the music by his party, has been in general, much better
than Mr. Gye's. Last night the guests at Don Giovanni's
supper were omitted, and the duet between the Don
and Leporello was consequently much better heard
than usual, but some stage effect was sacrificed—more
than perhaps was necessary for the purpose. This is
the only instance in which a scenic 'advantage was
thrown away. Madile. Piccolomini was a characteristic
and brilliant little Zerlin a—singing the music to perfection,
and acting as easily and naturally as possible. In the
ball scene at the close of the first act, when the Don led
her out to dance, her rustic attempt to imitate the other
dancers were in the finest style of comedy, and qttite
original, Her acting and singing in Batti batti wore inirn.
and greatly applauded,,bak_elle.cleclinektar4 moor