The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-22 00:00:00

nix Tang 7')Ati it

LONDON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1849

As a glorious compensation for the delay which has
occurred in the arrival of the Overland Mail from
Ilindostan, the dispatches received this morning
contain intelligence of the capture of the city of
Moultan. In consequence of the extraordinary
• 'tent and solidity of the fortifications, as well as
Tom the desperation which had seized upon the rebel
soldiers of the MOOLRAJ, the triumph of our brave
fellows over the besieged was not accomplished until
after a dogged and sanguinary bombardment. This
bombardment appears to have lasted, indeed, with
scarcely any intermission, during an interval of
seven days, from the 27th of December, when the
siege commenced, until the 2d of January, when the
town was stormed and taken,' through breaches, at
the point of the bayonet. How enormous must
have been the havoc among the lives and property
of the insurgents, may be conjectured from the
knowledge that Moultan was invested by 15,000
British troops find 17,000 allies—making in all a
force of 32,000 well-disciplined fighting men—that
the attack continued for a week uninterruptedly, that
the artillery of the assailants consisted of 150 pieces
of ordnance, about half of which were of the largest
calibre, and that during the fifty hours which pre-
ceded the entrance of the Europeans within the
ramparts a frightful cannonade battered down the
weis and buildings of the doomed city.
Almost immediately upon the arrival of the Bom-
bay division and the siege-train forward movements
were made by the army under General Wursll. On
the 21st December the auxiliaries had reached the
camp. On the 25th, namely, Christmas-day, the
force changed ground. On the 27th the troops ad-
vanced in four columns upon Moultan, driving
the enemy before them, through the suburbs or
environs, and taking up a position within five hundred
yards of the fortifications. On the 28th, batteries
having been erected, a tremendous fire was opened
upon the besieged. On the 29th, the artillery had
pushed forward to within eighty yards of the outer
inclosu re; and, on the ZOth took place one of those
appalling catastrophes which, like the burning of the
Republican man-of-war L'Orient, l the midnight
action at Aboukir, suspends hostilitien by the horror
f ita devastation. A shell thrown from one of
® mortars alighted cn the Principal
magazine
of the fet, igniting a store., it is said, of
800,0001bs. of gonpoweler, and throwing up
a thousand feet into the air, a column
of,
dust and ashes. In this terrific explosion it is be-
lieved that several members of, the family of the
MOOLRAJ were destroyed, and
,that the DEWAN
himself was severely wounded. Whetheir or not such
were the case, the result of the detonation of the
magazine :proved to be sufficiently destructive.
Some of the' burning frilgments falling upon the
adjacent housei, produced a Conflagration in which
were consumed, besides a vast quantity of treasures,

grain stacks to the value of five lacs, or 50,0001. In
consideration of the effect which this occurrence
could not fail to have upon their operations, General
Winsu at once presented three gold mohurs to the
artilleryman who had levelled the mortar, and
fivegold mohurs to the company to which
lie belonged. On the 31st the bombardment was
resumed with still greater fury, and was continued
during the whole of the Ist of January—shells being
thrown sometimes every minute, and sometimes
every ten minutes, while deafening salvoes were per-
petually fired from the heavy batteries. Throughout
the whole of the following night the cannonade was
persevered in ; and on the morning of the 2d of
January a column of the Bengal division, commanded
by Colonel FRANKS, advanced towards a breach on
the north-east side, hard by the Delhi Gate. Finding
an entrance in that direction impracticable,
the troops moved round to the opposite walls
of Moultan, where the Bombay column had
already penetrated beyond the ramparts. At
about three o'clock in the afternoon the first
British colours were planted in the, fortress by a
sergeant-major of the Company's Fusiliers. Towards
nightfall the whole town was swarming with the
conquerors, and parties of the Seikhs were recognised
stealing out upon the plain and making their escape
in the direction of Sirdarpore. From the manner
in which the ground is excavated for the formation
of nullahs or watercourses, the cavalry dispatched in
pursuit of the fugitives were unable to make more
than a few straggling 'prisoners. Before Moultan
was finally occupied by six regiments of English
soldiers, the city was found to contain, as booty of
war, fourteen guns, twenty-five elephants, a great
number of horses, and an immense quantity of grain,
besides other spoil of very considerable value in
specie and miscellaneous property. Fifteen Ines of ru-
pees, or, accordingto more moderatetaccounts, 30,0001.
had been offered by the native bankers or Mahajuns
to save their establishments from spoliation, but the
offer was understood to have been refused. On re-
viewing the events of this memorable bombardment
it will be matter of congratulation that on our side
the destruction of life has been, comparatively speak-
ing, so trifling; whereas with the defeated rebels the
havoc has proved deplorably severe, among a great
number of other Singhs, HINDOO SINGu and SHAM
SING H having fallen during the encounter.

Before the mail left Calcutta news had not been
received of the fall of the citadel of Moultan, in
which the MOOLRAJ still remained at bay, resolved to
perish rather than accept the alternative of flight or
capitulation. Nevertheless, it was fully expected
that on the storming of the fort, which was intended
to take place about the 10th instant, that last strong-
hold would have fallen into our possession. In fur-
therance of this object; on the morning after the oc-
-supation of the city a brilliant exploit was achieved
at daybreak (Jan. 3) by three companies of her
Majesty's 10th Infantry, under the personal direction
of Captain YOUNG, and at the suggestion of Lieutenant
MAUNSELL, of the Engineers. By these gallant men
the only gate then remaining in the hands
of the enemy (the Dowlut-gate, according
to one correspondent) was dashed at and captured—
its importance being enhanced by the circumstance
that it led from the city across the moat surrounding
the citadel. Inquiries will, of course, be made as to
what Major EDWARDES was doing in the midst of these
extraordinary operations ; and, on the examination of
the lengthened accounts which have arrived from the
seat of war, it will be seen that that distinguished officer
was compelled, from the very fact of his celebrity,
and the terror of his name among the Seikhs, to forego
any opportunity of participating immediately in the
engagements, in order to combine with his com-
rades Lieutenant LAKE and General CORTLANDT,
to make demonstrations in order to distract the
attention of the enemy. It was through their
instrumentality in this respect that the rest of the
troops were enabled to prosecute so successfully their
advance upon Moultan and the prolonged bom-
bardment.

As to the position of affairs in other parts of the
Punjaub, they assume for the time a very subordinate
importance, in consequence of the interest concen-
trated upon the operations against Moultan. The
Grand Army, under the Commander-in-Chief, had,
by the latest intelligence, joined the camp of Sir
JOSEPH THACRWELL, half way between the Jhelum
and the Chenaub. SHEER SINGH at the same period
remained encamped on the hither bank of the
Jhelum, protected is rear by the river, and in front
by a dense and almost impenetrable jungle. 30,000
men and about 40 guns were understood to constitute
the strength of the insurgents. In the camp of SHERE
Strict', Major LAWRENCE still continued a close pri•
soner, although the treatment he received was still
marked with respect and kindness. As to the posi-
tion of CHUTTUR SINGH, and the rest of the leaders
of the rebel Seikhs, full particulars will be found
in the dispatches published in other columns of this
evening's impression.

The Navy Estimates for the ensuing year, which
have just been published, will te: found in another
part of our impression. There is nominally a very
large reduction in this branch of the public ser-
vice. The estimates for the year 1848-49 amounted
to 7,726,6101., but reductions were made subse-
quently to their being printed and laid on the table
of the House to the extent of 208,0001., so that
7,518,6101. was the amount really required. For the
present year 6,260,7401. is asked for, of which
147,2001. is for the service of the army and ordnance
department, leaving 6,113,5401., the net amount re-
quired for the naval service. A nominal saving
of 1,405,0701. is thus apparent. We regret, however,
to say, that this saving, or at least by far the greater
portion thereof, is more apparent than real. Certain
charges have been merely transferred to other de-
partments and are still required, although under
other names. For instance, the Post-office contract
packet service, which was last year charged to the
naval estimates, 611,6621., will henceforth be voted in
a separate estimate for the packet service. A further
sum of 161,698/. for the packet service was also in-
cluded in the net estimate last year, which will now
be charged separately to the Post-office department.
Again, the sum of 43,6021. was last year charged
for the convict service, which has been very
properly transferred to its proper position, and will
henceforth be included in the Treasury miscellaneous
estimates. A charge which should have belonged
to the Army and Ordnance Departments, being for
the conveyance of troops, stores, &c., last year
amounted to 181,3221.—this year 147,2001. only will
be required, showing a saving of 34,1221. It is a
decided improvement to have the several sums
charged under their proper heads—no part of the
system that still prevails to too great an extent eli-
cited greater complaints from financial reformers than
the improper classification by which charges were
made under a variety of different heads, which
led to the greatest obscurity and confusion,
where all should, and might, be plain and
simple. Why should the Post-office receive the
credit for producing a larger net revenue than was
actually obtained, while an expenditure of 773,3601.
on account thereof was charged in the naval esti-
mates, which were thus erroneously increased to that
extent ? Why should the real expense of the con-
vict system be diminished, while the sums paid on
that account improperly swelled our marine expendi-
ture ? Much discontent was occasioned thereby, and
many complaints preferred, that might have been
avoided if things had been called by their right
names. Henceforth the system will be changed, and
the simple truth disclosed.
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T9ohBe
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realeffe effected nign t7i fi co
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be a reduction o f 1,500 seamen, and of an equal num-
ber of marines, making 3,000 men in all, who will be
turned adrift to seek employment in other nations,
where their services may be better appreciated than
in their native land. The savings will be in
wages and provisions, 109,374/. ; in the scientific
branch, 24,41.0/4%in wages to artificers, 46,583/4 in na-
val stores, 183,344',1., and in new works improvements,
234,6671. Mu ch credit cannot be accorded for this
latter saving, as it simply arises from the completion
of certain we Tlcs that have been carried on at a
considerable c cpense for several years.
T hdeisetisngtimat es for the prestnt year are divided into
two
b ranches—the effective service and the
non-effective 1( rvice. On the latter, 'which consists
of rewards for i past services—such as half-pay pen-
sions, allowance Aof various kinds—there has'been no
reduction; inch ..ed there is an increase of 12,1241. It
is manifest that in this respect the reductions can only

be gradual. The public faith cannot be violated to
the recipients. Great care should, however, be taken
to prevent new claims from arising unnecessarily.
No indications of future economy have been held
out in this respect—no promise that there should be
an alteration of the present system. The full number
of flag-officers are still to be maintained.,—w•e are still
to have 1.50 admirals (in addition to 45 retired rear-
admirals), of whom 13 only are in commission ;
while 182 flag-officers are placed on the non-effective
list. Few indeed of the number have any prospect of
actual employment ; indeed, the age and infirmities
of the majority would prevent the possibility of their
again entering upon the active duties of their pro-
fession. We must again emphatically declare, that
we do not desire that existing interests should be inter-
fered with—that the pay or pensions that have already
been granted, and for the continuance of which the
national faith is to a certain extent pledged, should
be in any degree reduced. But some guarantee
should be given that the vacancies as they may arise
should not be filled up, or at least that but one ap-
pointment should be made for every three vacancies
until the number be reduced within reasonable limits,
say to 75 or 100 admirals at the outside, which
would be amply sufficient for every purpose that
could be required ; indeed not one- sixth of the num-
ber could possibly be employed under any combina-
tion of circumstances that might arise. Let
the promotions then be distributed with
sparing and cautious hand, and we shall not find so
large a demand upon the national resources as
1,394,1701., the estimate for the present year, for non-
effective service, the demand for the past year having
been 1,392,0461.; in this respect, therefore, there is
no improvement. The rank and Parliamentary in.
fluence of many of the parties still forbid the appli-
cation of the pruning knife, and the enforcement of
that economy and retrenchment that is exhibited in
other quarters.

In the effective service, 4,719,3701. only is de-
manded, the original estimate last year having
been 5,507,978/. The full amount, however,
was not required, and 161,6981. was applied to
expenses of the packet service performed by her
MAJESTY'S mail vessels, which, as we have already
explained, is henceforth to be charged to the Post-
office department. We confess that we regard with
some misgivings the reduction of 3,000 men, the
number asked for the ensuing year being 39,130
only. It is not the pay or provisions of the men that
constitute the objectionable items, and we trust that
no attempts will be made to reduce the number be-
low that which may be required for the maintenance
of the national honour and the national dignity.

We beg to refer our readers to a communication
signed " A Constant Reader," which will be found
in another column. Our correspondent notices a
portion of the speech of Mr. HUDSON at the meeting
of the Midland Railway Company which escaped
the notice of all the reporters, as well our own
as those belonging to other journals. We now gladly
supply the omission, which still further confirms the
estimate we had formed of the value of the stock. It
appears that from the diminished rate of interest now
demanded, all the money that may be required by the
company, under the borrowing powers still available,
may be obtained at four per cent. A very con-
siderable saving will thus be effected--a saving which
the Chairman estimates as being sufficient to increase
the dividends by one per cent. This fact cannot be
too widely circulated. It will completely remove
may fear that might have existed in the minds of the
shareholders of diminished dividends, and will lead to
great firmness in the quotations.