The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-04 00:00:00

OVERLAND MAIL

INDIA.

We received on Saturday morning (via Mar
scales) our correspondence and files of newspapers
from India, in anticipation of the Overland Mail from
Bombay.
Bound, DEC. 2, 1846.—We have for some days
past been kept in great anxiety by the continued ab-
sence of the mail which must have left London on the
24th October, and ought to have been here on the 26th
November. Some accident must assuredly have be-
fallen the steamer.

The most important item of the news of the
month refers to money matters. Advances on the
Five per Cent. Loan are coming in so slowly that
the opening of a six per cent. one is talked about.
The expenses of Sinde, betwixt November, 1845,
and November, 1846, when there was under Sir C.
Napier an army varying from 21,000 to 27,000 men,
must have exceeded its income by considerably more
than a million and a half sterling. After the with-
drawal of the troops now under orders for India, there
will remain behind some 15,000 men, or nearly the
number on the muster-roll when the Parliamentary
returns, by which it appeared that the expenditure
exceeded the income by nine hundred and odd thou-
sands a year, were made up. This is fearful work.
It is understood here that Sir R. Peel was favour-
able to the restoration of the Ameers ; and it is known
that the majority of the Court of Directors are most
anxious for the abandonment of this possession.
Rumours are rife as to the course likely to be sdopted
by Lord Hardinge in reference to the matters sub-
mitted to him for his opinion by the Court of Direc-
tors. His Lordship's own policy is so pacific that it
is imagined he may be hostile to the continued occu-
pation of Sinde.
The Cashmere insurrection has now been fairly
put down. It seems in reality to have been a very
petty affair, and to have been got up by a single ac-
tive, enterprising, discontented, ambitious individual
not to have been at all the result of general discon-
tent, arising from oppression or misgovernment.
Ghoolab Singh, in reality though a false, perfidious,
and vindictive man, seems little more so than his
brother chiefs, notwithstanding all that has been
said to his disparagement. He has more energy
and cunning, and therefore more power for good or
evil, than most of them. Pity it should be so often
misused!

General Littler's forces were, on the 4th, under
orders to counter-march; on the 12th they reached
the old quarters in Lahore, Wheeler's brigade re-
tracing their steps through the Jullundur Doab.
The Seikh troops had been directed to stand fast
within or near the Passes till Colonel Lawrence
should be enabled to visit Cashmere, and determine
with his own eyes the state of the people. There is
no more high-minded, humane, liberal, or upright
man in the distinguished service to which he belongs
than the agent for the Governor-General; and, as-
suredly, if grievances there be amongst the Cash-
tnerians, he will not suffer them to remain if he can
help them. He is luckily well known, and his cha-
racter prized as it ought. His confidence in them,
as shown by his throwing himself amongst them,
will help to confirm the good opinion already formed.