The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-05 00:00:00

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JANUARY 5, 1849.

[PRICE SD.

Chuttur Singh was, so late as the 7th of November,
still westward of the Indus, and the Peslaawur troops
still undecided as to their march. On the same day'
Attok was still ours; but surrender to the enemy
was then, we are sorry to say, very probable, as
treachery was known to exist amongst the garrison.
" The camp of his Excellency the, Commander-in-
Chief was, on the 20th initt:nt, 18 or 20 miles distant
from Ramnugger, proceeding less rapidly than had
been originally intended, in 'consequence of the slow
progress of the artillery and engineer parks, the
arrival of which on the banks of the Chenaub is looked
for with some impatience.
"The second Cavalry Brigade, under command of
Brigadier Alexander Pope, C. 8., with the three
troops of the 24 Brigade Horse Artillery attached to
it, arrived at Goojranwallah on the 18th, and marched
the next day on to Vizierabad. -A flank movement
from the right bank of the river at that place, sup- I
ported as it might be by a similar movement on the
part cf Colonel Steinbach, along the lcfr, bank of the
Jhelum, might succeed in bringing Shere Singh to
action with Brigadier-General Campbell. We have
little hope, however, of such a Movement being
thought of.
" The artillery and engineer parks, with Brigadier
Penny's brigade, and the two corps of Irregular Ca-
valry of Brigadier Hearsey's brigade, reached Lahore
on the morning of the 20th without any material
obstacle. In consequence, however, of some of the
carriages failing they thought they would be obliged
to halt for two days, and so it turned out, as ourlatest
letters mention they were to resume their march on
the 22d, so that, taking the same time and direction
as the Commander-in-Chiet; they will reach Ram-
nugger, whither they are to proceed direct, on the 30th
inst. The number of small guns in the park is six 9-
pounders and six 6 pounders. On the requisition of Sir
Frederick Currie, Major Tait's regiment of Irregular
Cavalry (the 2d), are to remain at Lahore to scour
the country thereabouts, in company with a detach-
ment of infantry and two guns, until the arrival of
the 13th Irregular Cavalry, ordered to Ferozepore, it
now appears, with the view of marching on to Lahore.
A letter of the 21st, just received, says that two horse
artillery guns, two companies of her Majesty's 32d
(P 53d) and four companies of the 50th Native In-
fantry, with some Irregular Cavalry, were to march
on the 22d in the direction of Ferozepore. As our
correspondent adds that the object of the march was
unknown, we should not be surprised to learn that
the detachment had been ordered towards Pathankote,
especially as we are told that Brigadier Wheeler had
been directed to return to the Ravee with his dimi-
nished force."

gone on to Hyderabad. The Advertiser of the 22d
informs us that Mr. Pringle, accompanied by his
assistant (Lieut. Lester), intended making a tour
through the entire provinces, a:,d that they would
leave Kurrachee about the Ist of December. The
expectation of the speedy return of Major-General
Aachmuty to Kurrachee NI as general ; but this we
think not for some time likely to happen, as we be-
lieve, head-quarters are to remain at Sukkur during
the absence of the Roree field force on service. The
troops at ;Kurrachee were 11;:althy, as were also the
inhabitants generally.
Froth Sukkur and Roree we have news to the 22d
ult. Major General Aucbmuty reached the latter
station on the 10th, and Brigadier D. Capon the
former the day previous. The whole of the mortars
and part of the siege train, at Sukkur, had been at the
request of General Whish dispatched in boats under
Captain Hicks, the commissary of ordnance to the
field force. Nearly the whole of the field force had
assembled. The first brigade, under Brigadier '
Dundas, is said to have broke ground on its upward
march on the 21st. The whole would be on their
way by the 26th, and would- be before Moultan by
the middle of December. Turnbull's battery had
changed their guns at lioree; and commenced their
retrograde march to overtake te advance guard on
the Bth. The pontoon bridge a Wits equipments were
in boats made fast to the shorerupposite Subzulkote.
They were in charge of two European officers
and one hundred sappers and miners; no instruc-
tions had reached them as to how they were to
act, and it was thought probable they" would re-
main in statu quo till the force from Roree overtook
them. None of the officers of the Roree force likely
to supersede those of Moultan have been permitted to
go on with the army. Major Scott, of the Engi-
neers, is, g,we believe, senior to Major Napier: so is
Major Leeson to the officer commanding the Artil-
lery. We regret to hear that the latter is suffering
from sickness. It seems singular that the Bombay
Government should ever have imagined that officers
sent up by them would be suffered to supersede those
appointed for special service by the Government of
India, considering how little reason we have to ex-
pect that the supreme authorities will, under any cir-
cumstances, or on any occasion, give way in favour of
their subordinates. General Whish seems to have
been most urgent in his requests for aid from Sinde.
It is probable he felt by no means comfortable, after
the conduct of Shore Singh, with such allies as the
troops under Edwardes, Leke, and Cortlandt, in his
neighbourhood. The following extract from the
letter of an officer with the artillery affords the best
excuse we have seen for delay :
, " With the field battery, we can do much, but entering
an enemy's country without them might provoke an
attack by masses of irregulars, when to join Whish, and
not skirmishing, must be the paramount object to keep
in view. Partial actions, or little fights, are now worse
than usole,s. Some good general actions remain to be
fought, and must be won by us, and our troops must
move and fight in masses. To scatter them over the
Punjaub will almost ensure defeat; a circumstance to
be guarded againstt—even the smallest disaster—by able
forethought and arrangements, so far as :practicable to
be made.

We seem by no means disposed to rely on the pro-
verb, " Never venture never win ;" the maxim, "to
risk nothing," lately acted on, seems to have been
rollowed by the usual consequent—" and gain no-
thing." The enormous force we are now throwing
an the insurgents seems likely to prevent them mew
curing swords with us in the field at all, this being
the very thing we do not want. One of our objects
is to show them that, with a fair field and no favour,
they have no chance whatever;. that it is only in
treachery and assassination—behind walls or in sta-
tions which they have selected and fortified—that
they can hope for a temporary success.
Of the upward march of the " advance guard" of
the Roree army, we have the following particulars.
The detachment, it will be remembered, consists of
the 3d Bombay Native Infantry, 500 of Jacob's
Horse, and Turnbull's battery of Native Foot Artil-
lery (Ist company 4th battalion). They left Roree
about the mieldle of October, and had proceeded as
far as Subzulkote, when the infantry and horse were
ordered to stand fast, and the artillery to return to
Roree to change their light field pieces (six 6-
pounders) for heavier metal (four 9-pounders and
two 18 and 24-pounder howitzers). They accord-
ingly retraced their steps, and having been provided
with their new ordnance, again set out to rejoin at
Subzulkote, seven marches from Roree. In the mean-
time, an urgent request had been sent be General
Whish to the officer commanding the detachment, to
push on with all speed to join his camp • this was of
course obeyed with alacrity and cheerfulness. They
left Subzulkote on the 7th of November, and
reached Naoshera on the 9th. Lieutenant Mere-
wether had been detached from the camp to join
Major Jacob, who was in the saddle with 1,000
of his horse, in pursuit of the remains of the
Bhoogtie tribe, and 1,500 Murrees who had crossed
the border and threatened a foray on Kusieore and
other towns in its vicinity. Lieut. Malcolm was on
his way from Roree to replace Lieut. Merewether.
The roads from Sukkur all along to Bahawulpore,
are described as excellent—so much so that a carriage
could easily be driven the whole way. Water was
good and abundant, and provisions of all kinds cheap
and plentiful. The advancing force had found the days
rather hot, the nights and mornings being cool and
agreeable. There was scarcely any sickness in the
camp. Dr. Malcolmson, who accompanied it, was
indefatigable in his numismatic researches at all the
towns passed ; and in an old Hindoo fort which he
had discovered in the jungles, he had dug up several
very curious and ancient coins of the times of the
Dolorahs—at least 1,500 years ago. The towns were
large and populous, the houses generally built of
burnt brick. The soil was a rich alluvial,
and in many places well cultivated. The language
in common use was Sindee, but many of the
inhabitants spoke Persian fluently. Game was abun-
dant. The country is described as being a dead
level, with straggling low jungle. Bahawul Khan's
territory commences at Subzulkote, where what may
be termed Sinde Proper ends, and the country from
the former place to Uoch may be considered as neutral
ground betwixt Sinde and the Punjaub. By the 12th
tne detachment had arrived at a place named Khan-
pore, six marches from Fullpheladpore Ghaut above
Ooch, where the Bombay column are to cross the
Sutlej by a bridge of boats. Turnbull's battery was
a few marches behind, but were making double
strides to overtake them. Further instructions had
been received in camp from General Whish, directing
them to lose no time in joining him. The 3d had
only ten men sick, and these slight fever cases. In
the early part of their march many of the sepoys
(upwards of three hundred) had been laid up with
fever, but not a single casualty had occurred. Khanpore
is described as a very large and populous town, the
houses being chiefly pucka brick-built. The whole
country is well cultivated, producing grain of all kinds in
abundance. It is from this part of the Bahawul Khan's
territory that the greater portion of the supplies for
the force now before Moultan is drawn. A large
canal, or rather a branch of the Indus, passes close
under the walls of the town; this is now running,
with a strong deep current to the eastward, diffusing
the advantages of a constant supply of water, for the
irrigation of the country. The canal continues nearly
full throughout the year, and during the inundation
the whole country is covered with water. Boats of a
large size were close up to the town, busily engaged
taking in supplies of all descriptions for Moultan ;
the town of Khanpore is ten miles from the Indus.
By the 17th they had been joined by Turnbull's bat-
tery, and had reached Chunnee Khan ke-Gottee, a
large town ten miles from the left bank of the Indus,
and one march from Ooch, when they had again re-
ceived orders from Roree to stand fast till further
instructions reached them ! The orders had been re-
ceived, as might naturally be expected, with the deepest
disgust by the detachment, who had hoped in six days
more to have reached Gen. Whish's camp and shared
in the toils and honours of the fight ; they still cheered
s
themselves, however, with the hope that orderrecrting
Lord Gough would speedily reach
_othem n di
without
them again to hasten forward to Mfrom
the rear.
awaiting the arrival of instructions
d forage for ter.
Roree an
Captain James, of the Sukkur c
been deputed to collect prd llctorate, who had
p re on the 3d November.
° of the fort, which is
the generalityT of
ltoree force, was at Ahme
Ile had taken quiet possession
han
country. he town is
those
gound or eminence to be
Itstcrwibitehd
in
ns
thea b e tstteuioun
surrounding
andsi; hr. e r flat—not.l‘e 1. e
with which the country abounded,
of gunpowder,
described as a tolerably good _ one, but the country
large quantity
tan, was stored in the fort, and
seen
openiyi
any(wi esuppliesesrteignaaeibilooeuf
about beinglalss or
procurable
s,
collected Capt. James. Scarcely
aroundbY Alunedpore, owing
Ito the want of cover adapted for harbouring it.

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
Casualties by death in the armies of India, reported
Lince the departure of the mail of the 16th of Nov.:—
, Her Majesty's troops—Captain S. Brown, Bth Foot, at
kurrichee, on the 16th November. Lieutenant,Colonel
Thornton, bat rack-master at Hong Kong, on the 21st
of October. Captain T. A. Souter, 22d Foot, at sea on
the Lieut. A. Frere, 24th Foot, at Kussoor, en
route to Lahore, on the 9th of November.
Madras—Captain F. C. Bishop, 36th Native Infantry,
at sea, on th(> 21st of May. Lieutenant R. Aitchcson,
48th Native Infantry, at Soonie, on the Bth of Novera•

/

S U N

-~

bet. Ensign C. P. Parker, 17th Native larsintry, near
Digwall, on the 10th of November. Captain Sir Charles
.1
ilst •
of August.
Bengal—Captain J. C. 65Ca NativAippfssftrini c,;,4,i :41
,?
Sub-Assistant Commissar' -General, at Deem; .on the
6th of Novemlwr. Lieut. Ethvardes, 15th Native
Infatn-
try, killed by a faJ from his horse, at Fi roz .pore or the
15th of November. Major 1-t. D. 11. Alactiont:ld„ Bth
Cavalry, at Lahore, on the 21st November.

SIR W. NAPIER AND THE FINAN-
CIAL REFORM ASSOCIATION,

Fir,--In the Times of Dee. 29. there is ,t.er
" Napier, Major-General, Colonel of th.• 27th Regi-
inent," in which a quotation is made from Tract No. 4 of
the Financial Reform Association, followed by these
words:—" In opposition to this statement I offer the fol-
lowing facts, an I call upon th.? public to say, what the
honour of that association can be which thus, knowing
the truth, publishes the false; or whet. its title to Guide
and instruct the nation. if in igoorai,Ce, brising tr.,n. cant
o! due incpiry, it scruples not to vilify and insult otTwers
having the honourable ch:im of long and urduotia services
to the respect of the people."
However desirous of avoiding personal argument the
association may be Gird that they are co their silence.
under repeated misrepresentation is a pro.;1), they can-
nct allow a charge of publishing that which " false,"
or publiAiing, any statement, vvif hoot " due inquiry,"'to
he made in such a lOrm as in the Times'of the 29th ..f
December. and une,ntrudicte.i. w: fl mare
thi;t any title which they Ivey pos,ess to 1: üblie confi-
dence must rest.alf 'wither upon strict vrrAti:.l- crlre-
ful Adhcrei,ce to Lets on their part; while, oU
hand, it evident iii minor 'details, corisid4ing ail ti
difficulties of obtaining precise information upou'eveil
particuiar, errors may Occasionally creep into their state-'
nacmts; but the main facts being thrived from nuthentic
Parliamentary" documents, are correct, or, if otheriVie,,
the fault doe.s,not reA with the association. •
That part ot. tee tract which Major-Genera/ -N,pie:r.
quotes is a continuation of what he does not quote, and
to be clearly understood should be read in connexion
with its preceding paragraphs. Thi., subject is the cloth-
ing of the army. The figures are taken from Parlia-
mentary documents, and stand thus in the army esti-
mates, and thus in the tract which is pronounced to be
false :

Clothing allowances to colonels for pro-
viding clothing as borne on establish-

ment

~.Z305,642 15 6

Special allowance to the colonel of the
Grenadier Guards, as borne on estab-
l►shment .. ••• .., „
Allowances to colonels for providing
clothing for augmentations ... ... 3,500 0 0
Allowances to colonels for providing
clothing ro supernumeraries 3,000 0 0
Allowances to certain cavalry regiments
to cover deficiencies in the allowances
for providing clothing, &c.
Cost of patterns, marking great coats, &c.

1,093 8 10

1,850 0 0
400 0 0

Total for clothing
.. 315,486 4 4
It became necessary at this point to explain in the
tract that this sum was not the " total for clothing ;"
that great coats (which are certainly a part of the
clothing of a soldier, in the financial, if not in the
military sense of the word) are charged for not in the
army estimates, though used by the army, but in th•
ordnance estimates. It was also necessary to remark at
this point that while the public might suppose the sum
of 315,486/.4i. 4d. to be expended in clothing the army,
as the common-sense reading of the estimate would lead
them to believe, such was not the case. The following
words were used :—" The colonels by whom the clothing
is provided are in most instances general officers, who
obtain the head colonelcies of regiments to provide the
clothing as a matter of trade and profit. They are in
the most literal sense of the expression, dealers in
clothes. When a regiment goes abroad, becomes sickly,
and is thinned by death, the clothing colonel to whom it
belongs, and who remains at home, receives the money
not required for dead or sick men, as his own emolu-
ment."

Is this that which is "false?" Is this the insult? If
it be false, it is worse than an insult. If it be true, those
who profit by the system must bear its odium. It is true.
Let us look at it more closely.
Major General Napier signs himself "Colonel of the
27th Regiment." A reference to Hart's Army Register
shows that he "obtained his regiment" on the sth of
Febr❑ary, 1848. Consequently, he has not yet had it
one year, and may not know how much " emolument
(the military word) or profit (tile trade word) he will
receive. Circumstances, however, will guide him to form
an estimate, or any one else caring to know. Is the 27th
regiment serving in an unhealthy climate? And is its
numerical strength being reduced by death? If reduced,
how far is the number short of the full complement for
which ho has drawn clothing money? The latest official
returns published are those of " Public Salaries," 1848,
referring to the previous year. Turning to these, it is
seen that the officer, a Lieutenant-General, who was then
Colonel of the 27th, had his pay and emoluments re-
turned by the War-office at 1,214/. 45,, the pay a, Colonel
being, for such a regiment, about 5001.; the amount of
emolument, or profit, out of the money voted by Parlia-
ment, under the head of clothing, as quoted in Tract No.
4, would be 714/. 4s.

This regiment was evidently not at its full strength
then, else the em-lument would have heron only about
5001., wh;ch, with he pay of 500/., would hove given
the minimum income from this scurce of 1,000/. Had
the regiment bean as much reduced as the 22d was in
1843 (Sir Charles James Napier's regiment), the profit
would have been as high as 942/. 9s. Id. The pay of
500/., added to that sum, gave the clothing colonel, who
then held it, the amount, according to the Parliamentary
document, of 1,442/. 9s. hi.

It is to be remarked that most of these general
of c..rs have other official incomes than the pay and
emoluments of the clothing department. Several made
"no returns," but as nearly as an average can be calcu-
late 1, the emoluments from clothing are 75,0001. The
estimate, as voted by Parliament, is therefore this much
more than necessary. And the pay of the clothing
colonels is 86,850/. 7s Gd., varying from 1,8001. in the
household cavalry, to 5001. in the infantry of the line.
This experience is likewise unnecessary; it Sir William
Napier describes the duties of the colonels truly, they
seldom see, may possibly never have seen, their regi-
ment; they have no control over the quality, pat-
tern, or issue of the clothing; in short they do nothing—
they are permitted to do nothing.
Yet, probably, in respect of them, as the board of
general officers who inspect the clothing, and protect
the regiments from having an interior article imposed
on them, the Major-General proves too much. No
imputation is cast upon that board of officers in the Fi•
nancial Reform Tracts ; they are not hinted at. But
as the Major-General chooses toaappeal to their exis-
tence as a proof that a check upon the issue of cloth-
ing is established, it is not improper to point to the fact
in return that eleven out of nineteen of the members of
that board are in receipt of profits from clothing besides
their pay as colonels, of sums varying from 5501. to
876/. each.
General Napier's assertion, that the clothing in the
British army is better than in other services, proves no-
thine.. Be it what it may, it is worse by 75,0001. a year
or thereabouts, than the country pays for, Its having
been the same from time immemorial only tends to show
the necessity for improvement.
Another part of that statement which Sir William
Napier pronounces in the Times to be " false," was, that
in cases where no profits arise to the colonels, because of
the superior quality of the clothing, allowances are made
to them accordingly. The official returns bear out this
statement to the very letter. The clothing is more costly
in the Life Guards than in the Ist Dragoon Guards of
the line ; and the pay of the clothing colonels is 1,8001..
each. It is more costly in the Ist Dragoon Guards than
in the 2d Dragoon Guards, and their pay is, in the
former 1,1001., while in the latter it is 1,0001. The
clothing is more costly in the cavalry than in the in-
fantry, and so 1,000/. and 9001. of pay is allowed in the
former instead of 5001. and large profits in the latter.
Moreover some regiments, as the Grenadier Guards,
instead of allowing a profit on their clothing, require, as
in the estimate, special allowance to the colonels,
as
borne on the establishment, 1,093/. Bs.lod. And sothe
11th Hussars, whose scarlet trousers are extras, 71u
and obtain iu the estimates such an item as the
follow-
ing 1—" Allowances to certain cavalry regiment' to
clothing,
deficiencies in the allowances for providing
&e., 1,8501."
0 have its
It was such items as these that formed
did not quote,
d the prec*c-doivieigr
paragraphs, which Sir William Napield r did have the
poilic
and
ton de
wiillui (a: d doing so
Gti iheenj soldierem
reanl :
goesl7l proofs'
but which he referred to,
believe to be "false."
n that thougsohida
arm curtain sum
w'fiannels, duty by
full meaning and
part of what the 3', that cloth-
ier required;
,_„,, stocks, crushes, Ste,
force
lothing the
y
ter f.
of money WAS voted
itsel
t became
thi ngnsw°`llc! falseeehst ta'a'lYe)'
d'
i did quote.
atgbtiee' d acdta'f csd't
ing only formed. so
that llae
paragraphparagr a pw'
, were provided
lbags,
breeches, gloves', a
eltip°arni,,g have no
interest •
out 0
that
There is
The
to show that captains of
in the issue of
these things to their men. The tracts of the association,
which he referred to as false,
did not say they had, nor
allude to them in any respect.
But it mentioned quarter-masters of regiments as
y
having a pecuniary interest in serving the soldiers with
those articles. It might have mentioned others
acting between the quarter-masters and the privates,
but did not. It stated that the clothing colonels of
cavalry regiments are also horse dealers; that they have
a profit on colts and fillies purchased young, and fed at
the regimental charge. The expression " horse dealer"
may be unpalatable, but it is true.
Those portions of the Major-General's letter stating
how the soldier is encouraged to complain to the in-
specting general, and, if he heeds not, to the Commander-
in-Chief, of the conduct of his regimental supe-
riors, or to his commanding officers, of any other officer,
do not come within the range of business before the
Financial Reform Association. But if any soldier in
the ranks be asked his opinion on those points it
will differ altogether from that of Sir William Napier.
A soldier who reports his non-commissioned officers to
their superiors, or any of the regimental officers to their_
superiors, is " marked man." He makes to himself
a bed of thorns, on which be must lie so long as he is in
the regiment—so it is said.
Sir William F. P. Napier concludes thus: " Such, sir,
is the system established for the protection of the soldier
who has also the guarantee (no slight one in the British
army) of his officer's honour as a gentleman. Will those
persons who have so wantonly and so recklessly assailed
that system and that honour, make public their system
towards the poor labouring men, women, and children,
from whose ceaseless toil they derive their own riches?
Will they publish a true detailed account of their truck
system? Will they state what oars, what money, what