The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-09 00:00:00

ITALY.

The ATha of Florence announces that the Chamber
of Deputies had an extraordinary sitting on the 31st
ult., in consequence of a dispatch of the Minister of
Finance. A panic had seized the holders of the
Bank of Leghorn notes, who had repairel in'
crowds to the Bank to get them cashed. The Bank
had consequently been in-the-impossibility of meet-'
ing all demands, and of discounting bills for the and

FRIDAY

of the month. The Chamber of Commerce of
Leghorn, alarmed at this state of things, had
applied to the Minister of Finance to present a Bank
Restriction Bill to the Chambers. The Bill has been
accordingly presented; it limits the restriction to
bills exceeding 200 livres, and axes the time of the
restriction to Marc'h 10. The Chamber retired to
the bureaux to examine the Bill, but, on their resum-
ing the sitting, the Minister of Finance withdrew the
the Bill for the election of Tuscan representatives to
Bill. On the preceding day the Chamber had adopted
the Constituent Assembly at Rome.

r aTc
rt
aonf
.ac Lit
eent taebr:
Dec.), THE WARS IN THE PUNJAUB.
s
El
axht
"The whole army remained at Ramnuggur. in front of
15, 1848.
the enemy till the Ist of December, when a detachment" H e(e,
under the command of General Thackwell was dis-
patched to Vizierabad ford, 23 miles up the river, to en-
deavour to effect the passage of the river Chenab.
After a long and harassing march the troops arrived
at Vizierabad late in the evening. Though the
shades of evening had closed in, half the troops
were transported across, the rest passed over
in the morning. The guns were conveyed over in
boats which had been collected at the ford owing to the
great exertions of Captain Nicholson, the political agent.
On the 2d this force marched down the river once more
towards Ramnuggur, though on the enemy's side of the
river. They made that day a march of 12 miles. On the
3d they resumed their march, and had scarcely progressed
10 miles when the flower of the Seikh army, under Shere
Singh in person, was down upon them. They advanced with
the greatest courage, and opened such a well-directed
fire of artillery on us (I was an eye-witness of this en-
gagement) as to cause astonishment to old soldiers.
Our distinguished General who, I believe, served
throughout the Peninsula and at aterloo—deployed
the infantry into line, and posted his guns at intervals of
brigades. The brave foe was permitted to come close
to us, when suddenly our guns opened. The cannonade
was most fierce. The enemy obtained our range very
soon, and had not the infantry been ordered to throw
themselves on the ground our loss must have been very
great. The enemy in the heat of the action endeavoured
to turn our flanks ; but a demonstration of the 3d Dra-
goons, aided by a few guns on our right, kept them in
check. We had communication with the river on our
left; just behind our left was a ford, where some
of our reinforcements were attempting to cross at the
time. The enemy made • every endeavour to gain this
point, but the brave 3d Irregulars, and some compa-
nies of foot, assisted by guns, drove them back. After
a fire of two hours and a half the enemy ceased firing,
and as we afterwards discovered, fled with precipita-
tion. Their front was covered with high, thick fields
of sugar cane, which prevented our quickly
ascertaining their movements. We knew so little
about their strength and position, and it was getting
so, late in the evening, that it would have been the height
of imprudence for us to have attacked them with our
small force when they ceased firing. Thus, in a few
hours, with a loss of only 80 killed and wounded on our
side, was the whole Seikh army repulsed. Our artillery
fired with the greatest precision. Every credit is due to
them. They committed fearful havoc amongst the
enemy. The Seikhs have lost ten times as many men
killed and wounded. A wounded Seikh soldier just
picked up states that they lost nearly as many men as at
Feroaeehah. This immense loss on their side, while
our is comparatively trifling, is owing to the fact
that our guns were permitted to silence theirs.
There was no charging with bayonets of awkward look-
ing batteries. Where you have good artillery why not
use it? This action, in which so .much military skill
has been displayed, was fought near a villaged named
Soodalapere. This success was attended with great re-
sults, via.:—driving the enemy away from the Ram-
nuggur ford, where they were opposite Lord Gough's
camp, and a royal salute of ,twenty-one guns, with
heavy guns, were fired by his Excellency in honour of
the affair. Sir Joseph bad a narrow escape or two.
An orderly close to him was killed. One orderly officer
elose behind him had his horse killed. As all the line
were lying down, the staff, being mounted, attracted
the enemy's fire. Brig • adier General Campbell com-
manded the infantry, the brave old Brigadier
White the cavalry, and Colonel Grant the artillery.
Lord Gough is still, at Ramnuggur, with General
Gilbert's division. Sir Joseph Thackwell commands
the forces here. This -is fourteen miles from
Lord Gough's position. The enemy are only twelve
miles front this. They have a very strong position, co-
-1 vered with jungle. Tney have several regular regiments
that have been drilled by us. Their guns are manned
by experieaced men. In Edwardes' actions there was
not one regular regiment opposed to him—nothing hut
raw levies. Since that time the whole Punjaub has
risen in insurrection, and several regular corps that
were in our pay have gone orer to the enemy. They
were disciplined by our officers. These, being na-
turally brave, are formidable enemies. Their cavalry
•-are not to be feared. In a few days we may expect-a
erand fight, but as yet nothing has bran determined on.
It is said that Lord Gough is awaiting instructions
from the Governor- General, who, according to some
reports, was opposed to our crossing the Clientl.
But here we, are ; therefore we cannot retire
whilst the, enemy is so close to us. We must push him
across the
.Jhelum river; then it will be decent for us to
cease operations. We all wish the Seikhs would come
down as boldly as they did on the memorable 3d of De-
cember, Thackw,ll's force, since he has been rein-
forced, consists of four brigades of infantry, the 3-1 and
14th Dragoons. the 9th Lancers, the sth and Bth Light
Cavalry, and 31st Irregulars, with six troops of Horse
As tillery, and throe light field batteries.

EASTERN ARCHIPELAGO COM-
- PANY,
A company has been recently incorporated under this
title by Royal charts r, for acquiring, holding, settling,
and cultivating the land and the produce of the
island of Labuan, which has been formally taken
possession of by the Crown of Great Britain and lands
adjacent (Borneo), for working mines therein, and
raising coals, stones, ores, minerals, and metals.
Tne company is to be in every respect a trading com-
pany; and, by a treaty entered into by the British
Government with the Sultan of Borneo, many highly
important advantages are permanently secured to this
country. Labuan, now subject to British dominion,
forms an essential link, in the chain of our eastern set-
Pitesnang, Malacca. and Singapore, to
proximity to Manila, Siam, Cochin-
ftlieemhgen-Ktso,egfr;omand
China, Hainan, Java, Suinittra, Celebes, &c., renders
the discovery of an abundant supply of excellent
coal at Labuan, and on the mainland of
Borneo, in the immediate vicinity of Labuan, of great
importance to steam navigation in the eastern seas. The
expenseiie h the
tvery o
prime
the average cost being 335. per ton,
while
of Borneo coal put on board vessels in
ri cmoea
heavy,clionig steamers trading to the east is at
present
the Borneo river is estimated atless than 3s. 6d. per ton. It
if
ground at Honfger Kong,
anticipating
is stated that the directors of the Peninsular and Oriental
Company are now willing to receive at Singapore or Hong
Kong supplies of Labuan coal; if at Singapore, at 31s. 3d.
at 365. 3d. ; and there is
that the future
contracts with the Peninsular and Oriental Company
will be very extensive, the
er ton
strongest ;
and
The annual consumption of
Labuan coal, including supplies for steam-vessels sta-
tioned or touching there, and for the coal depots
at Singapore, distant from Labuan, 707 miles ;
Hong Kong, 1,009 ; Manilla, 650, is estimated
to be, for the stt am vessels of her Majesty's navy,
5,000 tons; East India Company, 5,000 tons; Peninsu-
lar and Oriental Company, 19,000 tons; India and
Australia Mail Steam Packet Company, 4,000 tons ;
Canton Steam Navigation Company, 4,000 tons ;
Philippine Spanish Government, 6,000 tors ;
Dutch navy, 5,000 tons ; British and foreign
merchant service, 6,000 tons :---total, 47,000 tons. Her
Majesty's Government have contracted to pay 13s. 6d.
per, ton (including royalty) for coals supplied at La-
busts for her Majesty's navy. The offer of the Penin-
sular and Oriental Company, however, shows that far
more advantageous terms are obtainable from other
consumers of Labuan coal ; so that, taking the average
profit at only 7s. 6d. - per ton on the above esti-
mated supply (irrespective of any supply for
the coal depots at Malacca, Penang, Calcutta,
Madras, Ceylon, and Bombay) the promoters of the
company calculate that the clear annual gain on this
portion of the coal operations alone would exceed
17,0001. The working of coal, however, though an
essential part of the company's plans, as offering at
once a secure and sure return for the capital to be
invested, does not appear to be that which is likely
ultimately to be the most remunerative ; as, from a
work recently published by Mr. Low, formerly pri-
vate secretary to Sir James Brooke, K.C.8., and now
colonial secretary of Labuan, it appears that Borneo pro-
duces antimony ore, iron, Lie, nickel, quicksilver, and
gold, while " the diamonds of Borneo have long been
celebrated as equal to any from India or Brazil in abund-
arm and beauty." As " run for gold " seems now
to be the motto of a large portion of the commu •
nity in consequence of the recent discoveries in
California, we may lay 'before our readers the fol-
lowing extract -relative to the gold mines of Borneo
(which will now be easily accessible to our countrymen)
from the work of Sir Stamford Raffles on that coun-
try:—" From a calculation recently, made, it appears
that the number of Chinese employed in the gold mines
at Montrada and other places on the western side of
Borneo amounts to not less than 32,000 working men.
When a mine affords no more than four bengkals
(weighing about two dollars each, or something less
than a tahil) per man in the year, it is reckoned a losing
concern, and abandoned accordingly. Valuing the
bengkal at eighteen Spanish dollars, which is a low rate
of estimation, and supposing only four bengkals pro-
duced in the year by the labour of each man, the total
produce is 128,000 bengkals, worth 2,224,000 Spanish
dollars, equal to 556,000 L, at the rate of five shillings
the dollar. But it is asserted that upon the general
run of the mines, seldom less than six bengkals
per head has been obtained, and, in very
rainy seasons, seven. Taking the medium at six and
a-half bengkals, the 32,000 Chinese will procure
208,000 bengkals, which, at eighteen Spanish dollars
the bengkal, is 3,744000 Spanish dollars, equal to
936,0001. Such is the result of a very moderate calcu-
lation of the produce of these mines. According to an
esti:nate made in the year 1812, the annual produce of
the mines oa the west coast of Borneo was esti-
mated at 4,744,000 Spani.li dollars, being an ex-
CC3A of a million sterling. The quantity of gold pro-
cured in Sumatra, the supposed golden Chersonesus
of the ancients, is, according to Mr. Mars,len, about
30,800 ounc-s, which, at 41. sterling the ounce, is
worth 123,2001., equal to 492,800 Spanish dollars. It
is calculated that, one year with another, at least
500 Chinese return in the junks to their native
coon ' ry
with a competency. Several have been
known to take away 1,000 bengkals of gold, many
from 100 to 500 ;
but very nfew return - before
they have cleared a competency of 2,000 dollars, or