The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-22 00:00:00

off that work to open out a line of communication
with the plains, urgently required to be completed
by the commencement of the rainy season. Most
of the column was encamped on the top of the
hill, close to the Rajah's house. It has been said that
Captain Macdonald was on his way up the hill with
his police to reinforce the column, met it flying down,
pursued by the enemy, whom he attacked and dis-
persed, thus saving the column. This is not true,
as Captain Macdonald was, with other officers, with
the rear-guard of the column. It has been said
that the misconduct of the 43d was the cause of the
column being obliged to retire to the plains, also
that, in its retreat, that regiment threw away its
arms. This is also untrue. The retreat was deemed
by all the officers to be absolutely necessary, the
supply of water having been cut off, there being no
prospect of reinforcements, though earnestly sought,
and the daily increasing numbers of the enemy, who
seemed bent on cutting off all our communications
between us and the plains. One small detachment,
which had arrived within half a mile of our position,
was thence obliged to retire, having been threatened
by the enemy in great force."
The Governor-General has asked the Commander-
in-Chief's opinion as to the practicability or expedi-
ency of holding Dewangiri during the rains, and, if
he is in favour of holding it, his suggestions are re-
quested with a view of making the position secure.
Brigadier-General Tombs has arrived at the scene
of operations at Bhootan. The 43d Bengal Native
Infantry are, it is said, to be disbanded, in conse-
quence of their conduct in connection with the
retreat of Dewangiri.
In the Bombay Chamber of Commerce, at a
recent meeting, the results of the Cotton Frauds
Act were discussed. The general estimate of the
merchants appeared to be that no circumstantial
evidence was a match for the ingenuity of the cotton
dealers. It was however admitted that gross impo-
sition, such as packing bales with stones and clods,
has been checked by the few penal convictions ob-
tained. It is thought that a falling market and a
natural desire to sell will prove far more efficacious
in checking fraud, and even in improving the staple,
than any legal device that can be invented. Cotton
is being sent down in large quantities from the Mo-
fussil, and the stock at Bombay is rapidly accumu-
lating.

The Indo-European telegraph line is in good
working order, telegrams of March 24 having reached
Bombay on the 26th. The necessity of another tele-
graphic line between Bombay and Kurrachee, in
order that the Indo-European line may be made
more available, is daily becoming apparent. One
day recently so many European messages were
awaiting transmission that Col. Douglas refused to
receive any more telegrams of any description.
The Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal has taken
steps to abolish the revolting practice of hook
swinging at the churruck native festival.

The government of Bombay has adopted a rule,
to the effect that both covenanted and uncove-
nanted servants, who on the plea of ill-health desire
to retire before the expiration of their term of ser-
vice, shall appear before a medical committee in
order to justify their claim for pensions.

Four Hindoo merchants, indicted at the Bombay
criminal sessions on a charge of bribing some young
telegraph clerks to purloin messages for them, have
been found guilty, and each sentenced to six
months' imprisonment,and to be fined five thousand
rupees.

A regularly organised gang of forgers has been
apprehended in Bombay ; and an investigation
shows that each member, by an ingeniously con-
trived system of division of labour, contributed to-
wards forging and uttering allotment papers of
some of the banks and financial associations.

Cholera has broken out in the 4th Regiment at
Ongol, in the north of the Madras Presidency, and
250 of all ranks have died. The regiment has been
removed to Secunderabad.

The ship Glensannox, 1,004 tons, from Liverpool
to Bombay, coal-laden, ran ashore on the S.W.
Prong, Bombay harbour, on the night of the 12th
March, and was expected to become a total wreck.

The ship Lord Brougham, 1,078 tons, Coleman,
master, was wrecked off the Laciadive Islands, on
the night of the 7th March, owing to disarrange-
ment of her chronometers.

"A question of a very nice character has arisen
between the Bombay bar and the bench (says the
Gazette of the 28th March;. In the early part of
last year the whole judges of the High Court of
Bombay passed certain rules which declared that
the language to be spoken in the High Court should
be English, but until further order there shall be
a division Court composed of judges who possess a
knowledge of the native language. In that court
the native language shall be the language of the
court, and, so far as practicable, cases in which
vakils who plead in the native language only are
employed will be set down for hearing in that
court.' It might have been anticipated that in
course of time this rule would come into collision
with the privileges and usages of the English bar,
and the only wonder is that a year has elapsed
before the collision has taken place. But it has
come at last. The meaning of the rule is that
an English barrister shall not address this
Division Court in English, if the vakil or native
pleader opposed to him in the case does not
understand English. In a case which came be-
fore the Division Court a few weeks ago, Mr.
Anstey and the Hon. Mr. White were opposed to
a vernacular speaking vakil, who insisted upon the
rule of the court being applied, that the English
barristers should address the court in the nativelan-
guage. They declined to do so, and Mr. Anstey
some days afterwards debated the question before
the Division Court,who, however, bound by the rule
of the whole judges, held that Mr. Anstey and Mr.
White must address the court in the vernacular.

They declined, protested, and left the court. The
bar has held one or two meetings in reference to the
course to be followed, and application has been
made to de chief justice for advice as to how the
bar should approach the court for a reversal cif the
rule. The question turns on the competency of the
court to make such rules, and however eloquently
the bar may defend their privileges, or urge the in-