The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-25 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, April 24.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat upon the
Woolsack at Five o'Clock. _ _

The Duke of RICHMOND and the Earl of HAnnowny
presented several petitions for an alteration in the law
regulating beer houses.
The Bishop of NORWICH presented a petition in
favour of the Prevention of Seduction Bill. _

ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND, BILL.
This Bill passed through Committee.
NEW SOUTH WALES LAND BILL.
This Bill passed through Committee.
SMOKE PROHIBITION BILL.
Lord REDESDALE moved the second reading of
this Bill.
The Earl of CARLISLE would not oppose the motion
The Bill was then read a second time.
THANKS TO THE ARMY IN INDIA.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved that the
thanks of the House be presented to the Governor-
General of India, the Commander in-Chief in
India, and to the officers and troops in
India, for the services rendered to them.
If he should labour under any deficiency in bringing
forward this motion he was aware that he was speaking
in the presence of those who could make up for that
deficiency, who bad reaped their laurels in those scenes.
He should briely narrate the history of the events which
had led to the brilliant termination of the war. The
war had arisen from the act of treachery which had been
committed at Moultan. That city eves the strongest
fortress in the East. That fortress Moolraj, a native
chief, rule('; he resigned the command. Two gentle
men, named Anderson and Agnew, had been sent to
take the command in eons( quence. In consequence of
the dissatisfaction of a number of persons vt ho had been
guilty of malversation, an insurrection broke out to rein-
state Moolraj, and the two gentlemen to which ho had al-
luded were barbarously murdered, and horrible atrocities
were committed. Moolraj became possessed of the town of
Moultan and of the surrounding country, which he imme-
diately occupied, so that in a very short time this insurrec-
tion extended through the whole of the frontier, and from
every point there sallied forth hordes of the most for-
midable character in arms against this country—
hordes of every sect, united by their hatred of the
attempts made by this country to put down
the arbitrary despotism of those lawless chiefs
who thought this an opportunity for seeking for re-
venge. No time was lost in preparing an army to put
down this insurrection. During the whole of the sum •
mer and autumn of last year these events gave rise to s
desperate battle, in which the greatese valour, dis•
cipline, and courage was displayed by the British army,
and also by the opposing parties. Ile would, how-
for which he was sure their Lordshies would unani-
ever, pass by these events and come to those operations
mously vote their thanks. In the month of February
Lord Gough felt himself in a situation to attack the
united forces of the enemy, which brought into action
and concert the Seikhs and Atlghans, the two most war-
-I,lce and disciplined races in India. Against that united
army, consisting of 60,000 men and 59 pieces of can-
non, being the concentrate d force of the se Indian tribes,
the Governor-General of India had sent a well appointed
army of 29,000 men and 100 pieces of cannon. That
army attacked the enemy, and the result had been the
total destruction of that force which threatened, a few
months ago, the safety of India. The British srmy
were acing under difficulties imposed upon them
by rapid marches and great hardships; and
that portion w hich came from Bombay, under
General Dundas, had arrived by forced marches without
a halt at the scene of action, and immediately took a
the magnitude of the
part in the action, and the next day, under General
Gilbert, was engaged in the pursuit of the flying enemy.
servicesa i n g stated
performed,to their
and Lordshipspoerfrmed under circumstances
of the greatest difficulty, which had been attended,
he admitted, with great bloodshed, but with a result so
glorious to the British arms, he would allude to the
siege and taking of Moultan, which reflected such glory
on all concerned. Not less than 26,000 shells were
thrown into the place. He would therefore move that
their Lordships'
Loewdhshoipcso'mthmaannkde
thanks
commanded at
presented to Major•Genertel
at the taking of that strong
fortress. The bodies of Anderson and Agnew were
honoured with a Christian burial, and their remains were
carried to their last resting place through the breach by
which the British troops had entered to storm the city.
Although they endeavoured to pay all the honour due
to those concerned, it was not in their power to do so. It
was impossible to contemplate the circumstances of In-
dian warfare without admiring the gallantry and the
judgment exercised by the subalterns, who were fre
quently called upon to exercise a discretion and judgment
engaged
mipnaiigt.n hadN o
which subalterns were not often called on to exercise. ,
been One of
thothceodnd
istoientguoifshaedyofuelalgtnrinesan engg
of this
sooner had the Chief of Moultan endeavoured to gain
possession of the country, than an officer—he alluded to
a name already familiar to it eir Lordships, Major
Edwardes—then Lieut. Edwardes, who only eight years
since received his appointment as a boy, and who bad
been wounded as aid-de-camp to Lord Gougfi in the fine
Punjaub war—Lieutenant Edwardes finding himself with
one native regiment, conceived the design of driving
Moolraj back to Moultan, and he &Meted it. Ile
raised a force of new levies—he "as enabled to pay
them, he led them on, and, defeating Moolraj in two
battles,and seizing his guns with his own hands, he olrove
him back to his fortress—that was an example to be held
out to others.—(Cheers.) So were the examples of
Lieutenant Blake and Lieutenant Herb-rt—(Cheers)—
ho for months maintained the fortress of Attock
against a superior force. It was in justice to these
fficers, and more especially to
they belonged—(Cheers)—that hethe felt it service
his d whiuty
to call the attention of the House to their services.
to ch
He had no more to say, but would conclude by moving
the thanks of the House to the Earl of Dalhousie, Lord
Gough, Generals Gilbert, Thackwell, and Whish, and
the other officers, commissioned and non-commissioned,
and soldiers who had taken part in the recant operations
in India, for the distinguished acid eminent services they
had rendered to their country, more particularly on the
21st Feb., 1649, in the battle of Goojerat, and that the
the Lord Chancellor communicate the same to the
Governor-General of India, who be requested to cone-
, municate the same to the respective officers and soldiers.
Lord STANLEY seconded the motion. He could
add aothing to the eulogium which the Noble Marquis
had so justly bestowed on those officers ; nor
would he have any pretention to speak on the
subject in the presence of the highest mi-
litary authority (the Duke of Wellington), a few
words from whom would be valued more highly than
anything that could be said by any other authority,
or in the presence of his Noble Friend the Noble Earl
behind him, but because he wished it to seem
that no party-spirit was felt on such occasions, but that
all united to do honour to the gallant men who up-
hold the reputation and honour of this coon.
try abroad. The results of these successes were
likely to be of the most permanent character, and
those victoties had, he believed, laid the founda-
tion of a permanent peace, which would be
not only for the welfare of this country, but
ho believed also for the advantage of those whom
ee had conquered. The foundation of our In-
dian army rested rot only in the prestige of
our power, but of power exercised for the benefit
of those subjected to it. An officer had been recently
sent out, to whom the eyes of all men had been turned
as the one most likely to ensure success, and he was
sure that that officer would feel gratified to find that
his old companions in arms had successfully
weathered the crisis without his assistance, had
, shown that there was no cause for the
alarm that had been felt, and had achieved this
great victory. He was sure it would be a matter of re-
joicing to him to find that the Indian army had main-
tained its fame, and the Sinde Irregular Horse, the corps
he himself had formed, had so distinguished itself.
He could not refuse his tribute of admira-
tion at the manner in which that unrivalled
artillery had performed its duty, and heed defeated those
who might be considered as no mean enemy, and which
was distinguished by its prowess in that particular arena.
He was also rejoiced to find that our gallant
regiments had had an opportunity of showing that it
still was worthy its pristine fain-, and nobly vin-
dicated itself from that temporary cloud which for a mo-
ment had lowered over it. lie would move that, to the
words of the motion,
the worth Amine contradictnte be
added,—(Loud cheers.)