The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-07 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir—Parliament is now providing for a future govern-
ment of India—commonly, but improperly, called the East
India Company's Charter—improperly so, seeing that
they have not been a trading body since 1833, and it
should, therefore, be termed a grant from the Crown
under the control of the Hon. East India Company—
and I perceive, by the accounts from India, that a move
at last appears to be making in the right direction, by
increasing the European army belonging to the East
India Company, and ordering home four of her Majesty's
regiments.

I think it would be much better, and no doubt less
expensive to the British Government, if all the Euro-
pean troops employed in the Company's dominions
belonged to the Indian Government, instead of their
employing some twenty-five thousdnd of her Majesty's
troops there, as these could be more advantageously
employed in England and our numerous colonies,—
the force we have at present at home not amounting
to more than twenty thousand of the line. My reasons
for so thinking are that the Company's European troops
in the East are more inured to the climate, and also
more acquainted with the natives, understanding as they
do their language and mode of warfare ; and they also
regard the country more as their home, and often settle
there for life, whereas her Majesty's troops are always
liable to be ordered to Europe, New Zealand, New South
Wales, Cape of Good Hope, or some other place. Now
if the Hon. East India Company employed say about
thirty thousand European troops of their own in all, it
would be much better and no more expense to the Indian
Government than at present, they having to make up
the pay and allowances to the Queen's troops equal to
the soldiers in their own service ; and it would obviate
the inconvenience and disadvantage that must arise by
the constant changing of regiments that is now expe-
rienced.

Now, a word about the Indian Navy. In the year
1828, his late Majesty, King William the Fourth, when
Lord High Admiral of Great Britain, granted to the Bom-
bay Marine (now called the Indian Navy) rank with the
Royal Navy, and likewise granted the red ensign, pen-
nant, and union-jack, such as his Majesty's ships wear,
in lieu of the Company's colours and pennant. At the
same time the Legislature granted martial law to the
service. Since the above date, the Indian navy has been
gradually increasing in strength and size ; and it now
has steam-frigates from 800 to 1,500 tons burden and
upwards, of 500 horse-power, and carrying large guns of
68-pounders, which are more powerful than the Queen's
steam-frigates in the East. They are well manned and
armed, and carry European artillerymen to assist in
working their great guns. The Hon. Company's steam-
frigate Sesostris, Captain Campbell, fired red-hot shot
at the stockades of Rangoon out of her 68-pounders,
which soon set them on fire, an exploit never be-
fore performed afloat out of so large a gun ; and I think
it is a high honour to the Indian navy that they should
have been the first to use this terrible engine of war.
When the Burmese war first broke out the Governor-
General of India sent orders to Bombay to despatch
to the Bay of Bengal as speedily as possible all the steam
frigates which could be spared ; and such was the high
condition of the Indian Navy, that a squadron, under
the command of Commodore Lynch, consisting of the
Feroze and Mozuffer, both of 1,500 tons and 500 horse
power, and the Sesostris and Berenice, 800 tons each,
sailed from the harbour in the incredibly short space of
four days : the Zenobia and Medusa followed,—the
whole under the immediate inspection of our late worthy
and experienced Commander-in-Chief and Commodore
Stephen Lushington, R.N. The Bombay squadron
arrived at Madras in March, and took on board 4,000
troops, besides each taking in tow in transports with
troops and stores, which they conducted safely across
the Bay of Bengal to Rangoon. After stating the above,
I may venture to say the Indian navy has force and
armament enough to protect the Indian seas, the
Persian Gulf, Red Sea, the Coast of Pegu, and
Arabia, without the assistance of her Majesty's ships
and steamers, which, I submit, might be better
employed on the coast of China and the Colonies.
As it appears, the Australian ports—Melbourne, Port
Philip, and Adelaide—are all left without a man-of-war,
although at Melbourne there are more than a hundred
sail of first-class merchant ships laid up, the crews hav-
ing deserted them. Now, if there had been a few of
her Majesty's vessels of war in• that quarter, it would
have been a great protection to trade, and also prevented,
in some measure, desertion of the crews, as masters of
those vessels would have had some authority afloat to
apply to. The officers of the Indian army and navy
understand the language and usage of the East ; and
having grown up with the natives of the country, con-
sider India more their home than the Queen's troops do,
many remaining there all their lives. These officers
also survey all the coasts and rivers of India. With all
these facts before us, therefore, my belief is, that if the
company's army and navy were allowed to carry on all
future wars in the East, a great deal of unnecessary ex-
pense would be saved to the British Government.
We have as good a harbour, docks, and yards at
Bombay, as any in the world ; and can build line-of-
battle ships and steam-frigates of the largest size, of teak
wood, which is more durable than British oak, and are
good for service for fifty years. The Bombay Marine of
1825 and the Indian Navy of the present day, are very
different services. The Marine, at the time of the last
vesselßurmesein w
thear had
service,
voi
clic? some ten
and
or
Mr.
Bu
cdhoazne 8
an . ma
sA l sa i
Superin-
tendent,ling
who formerly commanded one of the Company's
merchant ships ; but the Indian navy of 1853 has an
officer of high standing and great experience, Sir
H. Leeke, a captain in the Royal Navy, as Com-
mander-in-Chief and Commodore of the first-class of
the Indian navy at Bombay. He bears her Majesty's
commission, as also do all other officers of the Indian
navy. He has under his command about forty sail of
pennants. The Company also have another station
in the Persian Gulf, with a commodore of the second
class (blue) always stationed there, with two or three
sailing vessels and a steamer. The uniform of the In-
dian Navy is much like that of the Royal Navy—blue
coat, gold epaulettes, with gold lace on the coat, and
pantaloons. They have also a good fund for widows
and orphans.

The Bengal Government also have six or eight
small armed steamers. They do not belong to the In-
dian Navy, and are commanded by " uncovenanted "
servants of the Company, and sail under the Com-
pany's colours. . .
.. .

Before I conclude this letter I will take the liberty of
stating a few remarks. I should very much regret to
see any power taking away from the Hon. Court of Di-
rectors of the East India Company, and the Indian
Government placed in the hands of the Colonial-
office, under the immediate control of the Crown. If
that should ever happen, India is lost to us for ever
and ever. The Board of Control represents nothing but
the Government of the day ; and in justice to the Hon.
Court of Directors, I must think they are the best judges
of Indian affairs, as the majority of them have served the
best part of their lives in India in the civil and military
services, and are talented and distinguished officers, and
have the interest of the natives at heart, and good Go-
vernment of India.

Now, with respect to the proprietors of East India
Stock, they could be dispensed with, as they have little
or no more interest in the good Government of India,
than holders of railway shares in the lines granted by
the Honourable East India Company. The capital of
the present proprietors is guaranteed by the British Go-
vernment, therefore most of them care not whether India
sinks or swims. .If the proprietors are to be continued
and remodelled as a check on that body, I should wish
to see a certain number of retired officers of the Queen
and Company's services—civil, military, and naval—
that have served in India not less than 10 years, to vote
with the proprietors on all Indian matters, and for elect-
of directors, &c.

I hazard these opinions, having served for 20 years in
India, Persia, and Arabia, and having seen some ser-
vice in all those parts.

S. RETIRED INDIAN OFFICER.
Dover, April, 1853.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

CUSTOM-HOUSE APRIL 6.

ENTERED INWARDS.—The Eliza and Maria, from Fi-
gueira ; Prospero, St. Michael's ; Lydia, Charente ; Ade-
line, St. IThes ; Soho, Havre ; Batavier, Rotterdam ;
Balmoral, Callao ; Androklos, Shanghai • Newport, Accra ;
Triton, Ostend ; City of Rotterdam, Dunkirk ; Tamaulipas,
Tampioco and Havannah ; Axe, Cette ; Mary, Mauritius ;
Paramatta, Ceylon ; James M'Queen, Demerara ; Baron
Vay, Marseilles ; Hope, Odessa ; Fanny Mitcheson, De-
merara ; Cassibelaunus, Bombay ; Luna, Honduras ;
Marmion, Ceylon ; Elbe, St. Übes.
ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADING.—The Batrvier, for
Rotterdam ; Henrieka, Amsterdam ; Enterprise, Lubeck ;
Catherine, Hamburgh • Woolsington, Gibraltar, ;
Triton, Ostend • Brierly, Cape of Good Hope ; Egypt,
Demerara ; Ellen, Hamburgh ; Eliza, Oporto ;
Ka-
firland, Callao ; Leila, Gibraltar, &c. ; Madagascar,
Havre and Guayaquil ; Sky Rocket, Port Philip, &c. ;
William Hutt, Christiana.

CLEARED OUTWARDS WITH CARGO.—The Stadt Dor
drecht, for Dordt; Ceres, Rotterdam ; Fyenoord, ditto
Emma and Mary, Konigsberg ; Lotus, Barbadoes ; Chris.
tiana, New York ; Ravensbourne, Antwerp.

AP 6.
The Excelsior, fromLIVERPOOL— New York,RIL while at anchor this
morning off the Crosly light-ship, had a signal of distress
flying, which was lowered when the steam-tug William
Fawcett ran alongside.
The Trinity Yacht, arrived from Porto Rico, was struck
by a sea, March 28, in lat. 42 N., long. 32'W., which
swept the decks and shifted the cargo.
Part of a topmast, with topsail, topgallant-yards and
rigging, a tattered piece of canvass, on which was marked
rked.
t
" Three Brothers," topsail, and the spars, aPPa
be-
longing to a brigantine, were picked up, March
~ 31, off
Port Lynas, by the Ellen, arrived here from Oporto.

THE QUEEN'S NURSE.—Among the passengers going
south by the Defiance coach this morning was Mrs.
Mackintosh, of whom we lately mentioned that it was
expected she would be selected as wet nurse with refe-
rence to the approaching confinement of her Majesty.
She has been appointed to this responsible duty, and is
now on her way south. Mrs. Mackintosh is a native of
Straithnairn, near Inverness, and is a tall, black-eyed,
and handsome specimen of a Highland woman. She is
accompanied by her sister and her baby. They all
ap-
peared in the most perfect and robust health. We be-
lieve Mrs. Mackintosh speaks English very indifferent)
and relies a good deal upon her Mister to act as
inter-
preter.—lnverness
Courier.
ANOTHER STRIKE OF RAILWAY OPERATIVES.—The
waggon wrightg employed by the York, Newcastle, and
Berwick Railway, at South Shields, struck work on' Sa-
turday. They have had 20s. per week, and ask an
advance of 35., which the company have refused, offer-
ing an advance of is. per week, The men have removed
their tools,