The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-02 00:00:00

for two or three hours, while the Ranee sought to divert the atten-
tion of the military mob ; at length he aqnounced **the mostirf3l.
vourable day was not till the 18311 linjsur (28th NoVember). The
militarywere furi3usrand thiclared that he was in impostor; and
that they had to gettfrom him two snores of rupees, which be had
made from the public money ; the pundit ithislored mercy, and said
the 7th Mujsur (20th) was also a good day; the_mftitary were still
angry, and the poor pundit left amidst their menaces.
They proposed that the Ranee and her son should march„and in-
timated that till she made an example of some chief no match would
take place.
The Ranee complained that whilst the troops were urging thi
march, they were still going home to their villages as fain as they
got their pay ; and Sirdar Sham Singh Attareewaliah declared his
belief to be that unless something was done to stop this, he would
find himself on his way to Ferozepore with empty tents. The bait
of money to be paid, and to accompany them, was also offered, and
at length the Durbar broke up at.two PAC: Great consultations took
Place in the afternoon, but I know only one result, that the Ranee
had to give her lover, his formal dismissal, and that he • (Raja Lal
Singh) actually went into the camp of the Sawars he is to command,
and pitched his tent.
What-the Ranee says is quite true of the sepoys dispersing to their
houses ; the whole affair has so suddenly reached its present height,
that many of the men themselves think it will come to nothing, and
still more who have taken their departure do not believe it -serfotts'
enough to go back. - On the day after this scene took plice,- i.e., the
19th, the usual streams of sepoys, natives of the protected states, who
had got their pay, poured across the Sutlej, at Flureekee, oh thb way
to their homes. Every preparation, however,. for -war is making
with probably more energy than if it had been a long-planned scheme,
for every person of whatever party must show his sincerity by acti-
vity and virulent professions• of .batreato the English.
Enclosure. No 6, in No. 9.
Letter ftom Lahore, Evening of the 24th November, 1845.

. .
Bhace Rani Singh' thus advisedßaja Lal Singhs---' The English have
interfered in no affairs of the ichalsa ; what 'is. the wisdom of your
making a (religious) war at the bidding of .the soldiery? None of
the nobleii have discovered the real intentions of the English The
Governor-General's agent, :whosis &steady friend, and charged with

the relations of the friendship between the two Governments, has
written In the plainest terms. that the English Government desires
only friendship like that of thelate Maharaja Runjeet Singh; Nit Mit
if anything wrong is done by. the Seikh army, the rulers of the king-
dom will be held re.spensible, for rulers mat account for the acts Of
their troops and subjects. Be cautious how you march to Hureekee
with the troops."
The Raja said, " Bhahee Sahib, what can I do? If I remain, the
soldiery call me to account ", (seize me by the throat.), The Bhaee
said, " Delay a few days ; require the other Sirdars to go forward, or
you will bring the whole odium and risk qn yourself; and it you go
to Hureekee, what will you do? If the English do not, attack you,
you will sit there and be ruined; who will protect you?"
The Raja said he would go to that Dheora, and stay in his tent
(near Shalimar), and he begged the Bhaee's influence to have his
departure delayed.
The Raja went to his tent, and told the officers of the . cavalry to
march, as he was ready. They, that is Dal Singh, of Rythub, said,
" Raja, yen have never seen war of any kind, and knew, nothing of
war with the English ; send en the regular troops ; we will join
rapidly when the war begins. Tej Singh is a wise. man ; let him go
first." - •
The Raja is greatly ashamed, and sent ward to the Bhaee to say
he would remain and send on.ammunition.
: No. 10.

The Govemor-Ge.ner,al to 'the Secret,Committee.--Cansp, IJmballa,
December 4, 1845.—(N0. 16).
(Extract.)
Major Broadfoot having reported to me that the Lahore Vakeel
had joined the camp from Loodianah, I directed Major Broadfoot to
see him and to require from him the reply to .his perwannah, remon-
strating against• the proceedings which had taken place at the time it
was written, and demanding the cause thereof. The Vakeel waited
upon Major Broadfoat, 'and in reply to his requisition, asserted that
he had received no reply trom the Durbar ; that he had sent the
communication immediately to Lahore, had received merely.
an acknowledgement Of its safe arrival, and that he had repeatedly
sent urging that a reply should be forwarded to him, but hitherto
without success ; but-he asserted that he fully expected the reply by
that evening's post.' ... ' ~
Major Broadfoot explicitly Informed the Vakeel, as previously in-
structed by me, thatthe Governor-General would not permit the Lahore
Government to trifle with-him in a matter of such serious impor-
tance; that positive informatlifay had been received of the. Lahore
army haying left the capital" towards the frontier, avowedly with
hostile intentions towards the British Government, to which. coase,
they had been insiigated by the • express' and repeated orders of the
Ranee and, the chiefs, and that the Governor-General expected to re-
ceive; without further delay, an answer to the political agent's
written.remonstrance. • Major Broadfoot then said, that he should
report to the Gover'no'r-General the result of hit interview with the
Vakeel, and communicate 'in 'writing the orders he might receive.
The Vakeel said very littlC at ,this interview ; he protested that he
had done all in his power to procure a reply to the perwannah ; and
on Major Broadfoot s sayhig that we knew positively that the Ranee
and chiefs had ordered the present moyepent, he said he had no such
knowledge. ' . •
When Major IftbarllbOt reported to me, in' the 'evening, the result
of this interview; '/ 'lminediately dtrected him to address to the Va-
keel the written COMM'arlieatital, a eppy.of which b inclosed.
I considered, that 'it 'was absolutely neeeisary, on my arrival at

Umballa, to take decided nodee of theextrao.Oinary proceedings that

had taken place, and Were stated to be still in progress.. It was evi-
dent ',could not permit the political agent's • 'communications, in the
face of what was•gOing on at Lahore, to be treated • with disregard.
took the mildest course In my, power, consistently with the dignity,
position, and intereSts'ortlie British Gove.rnMent. • I purposely left au
opening to' the Lahore• Government to • remedy, through its Vakeel,
the discourtesy it • had shown, by affording to that Government the
facility of making any explanation it might desire. The plain con-
struction to be pat on the silence of the Lah6re Government in reply
to the demand for explanation, evidehtly was, that the intentions of
that Geverzunent Were "hostile,, in which case I did not.deimit,to be
expedient to give to' that •GovernMent the leisure to complete their
hostile preparation§ ; whilst, on my part; I had abstained from mak-
ing any movement; expressly for the purpose of avoiding any cause
of jealousy. er 'thus affording to the Maharaja's Government
the strongest proof of the good faith and forbearance of the British
Government. • • " • .

3lajar Broadfootveritirtains the impression that the reply to his
demands had been *sent to the Vakeel, and bad either been returned
by him, with a proteit, (as Is, I understand, often done) or was, at
the moment of thedonference, in his poisessiOn, hut . was withheld
because the VakeeT Wii:s.reluctant' to deliver so unfriendly a docu-
ment.

ever'that niity be, the perwannah from Major Broadfoot of the
evening of the 2d December was received by the Vakeel the same.
night, and,' with the reception of an acknowledgment of its receipt,
no further communication had pissed between him and Major
Broadfoot. The Takeel is not now in the camp. .
,• ,
I am tatlified that the- course X hive adopted was imperatively
required, and before X tinthorise•any precautionary movements to be
made I shall give Tull tiniefoi a reply to be received from Lahore.
This morning news tip tbrhe Ist init, has been received. The Ranee
and I.Sirdars are becOrning more and more urgent that the army should
advance to the frontier, belimiing• that, in the present posture of
affairs, the only hope 'Of saving • their _lives and prolonging their
power is to be found in 'bringing about collision with the British forces.
The Beath army niovii With evident reluctance,, and is calling for
Ghoolab Singh, who lieolieeting forces at Jimiboo, and ls watching the
progress of events: . • • •
My own impression remains unaltered. Ido not expect that the
troops will come as far as thelianks- of the Satlej, or that any post- •
tive act of aggression will be committed ; but it* is evident that the
Ranee and chiefs are; fortheir own preservation; endeavouring to
raise a storm, which, when raised, they will •be powerless either to
direct or allay.
I shall, as I have before said, await the reply from Lahore to
Major Broadfoot's last communication to the Vakeel. •
If the reply from the ostensible Government, acting under the
control and at the dictation of the army, is hostile, I shall at once
order up troops from Meerut and other statias to the support of our
advanced positions, persevering up to the last moment in the sin-
cere desire to avoid hostilities. _
Enclosure No. 1, in No. 10.
The Agent to the Governor-General to the Lahore Vakeel.
December 2, 1845.

I wrote to you a lotter on the 18th ult., requiring explanations as
to the reported orders of the Lahore Durbar to its troops, to move
towards the Sutlej with unfriendly intentions., •
.

On the 20th init. you answered-from Loodianah, that you had for-
warded a copy of my letter to the Durbar immediately on receiving
it, and you stated that on receiving an answer you would forthwith
communicate it.

For several days past I have been in hourly expectation of your
answer, but none came. _ _ .

This day, on your waiting on me, you informed me, that though
you had some days ago received from the Durbar an acknowledgment
of the receipt of your letter, You had received no answer to it, but
you had in the interval written repeatedly to the Durbar on the sub-
ject of it, and that you confidently expected .an answer this day, or,
at furthest, te-morrow morning....... .
I pointed out to you that, 'notwithstanding the notoriety of the
events which had occurred at Lahore, and notwithstanding: the in-
convenience suffered by,the detention, on. the frontier, of the bat-
talions about to leave it for Sinde. and :Beretlly,. the Governor-Gene-
ral, in hopes of receiving, without delay, satisfactory explanations iu
answer to. my latter, had continued the forbearance he had exercised
so long, and to so great an extent ; that no new troops had arrived
on the frontier, and that the Governor-General had proceeded slowly
on his journey in this direction, as. intended, before the occurrence.. of
the events of which explanation .is now demanded ; that I pointed
out that, notwithstanding thie forbearance you had appeared atter so
long an interval without any answer to my demand for an explana-
tion, and that I saw, this with surprise and regret.
I have now' to 'communicate to ,you the following orders from the
Governor-General. •
Ills Excellency has directed me to say, that the
.rules of friend-
ship between the two states; and indeed the custom of all nations,
require that In answering a demand for explanations so grave as
those which- have occurred at , Lahore, net a moment• is to be
lost, because delay cannot put. operate to confirm the (most un-
friendly) Worst construction of such events, and is, moreover, an
act of the highest discourtesy towards the. Government, demanding
explanations. In this histafice the requisition for explanation has
been disregarded, and the, apparently. hostile movements have been
continued.. . .
Under these!circuinitanees the Governor-General feels it impossi-
ble to perrnit.you, who are the authorised representative of the Go-
vernment which hag offered to . Government so great a slight, ,
to continue in; his Excellency's' camp, while this slight is persevered
in ; he hal; directed' me
.not `to, admit you to any further interview
with me, unless you come as the bearer of the, answer of the Durbar-
to my remonstrance ; an his;Excellency further commands, that it
this answer be not deliveied before noon to-morrow, you will quit
this camp.' .
To prevent; however, interruption to the business of this agency,
as regards the Ifahaja's estates on this side of the Sutlej, I request
that yen will leiee with a eontldentiaL 31oonshee to communi-
cate, during your absence, my.erdere, or. those of the subordinate
courts of the agency, to the mahagers of those estates ; and you will
warn the Kardars and, residents la those estates to obey all order&
coming from the ordinary courts through your lloonshee in the
same way as if received from yourself.
(Signed)., G. BROADFOOT.
Enclosure No. 2, in No, 10. .
The Lahore Yakeel to the Governer-General's Agent ;
Tour Letter,' dated December 2, 1845, his been delivered to Me by
Moulvee Rejub Ally Khan after midnight, and' I have arranged for
its immediate transmission to the Durbar.

Seal of Krishen Chund.
December 2, 1845, after midnight (i. e. by our reckoning, 1 A.m., 3d.)
4il). 2
The Governor-General to the Secret Committee.--Camp, Ferozepore,
• December 31, 1845.—(N0. 18.)
(Extracti
Since my last dispatch:tix you, of the 4th inst.,• events of great
moment have occurred.

The Seikh army, ift)large numbers, commenced crossing the Sutlej
on the 11th, and, after investing FeToppore on one. side, took up an
ail entrenched position at the village of Irerezeshah, about ten miles
. hi advance of Feroaepere, ancl about the same distance from the vil-
lage of Moodhee.. ,„ „ • • .
In this earn]) the 'eneiny had placed 108 pieces. of cannon, some of
large calibre, with a force:exceeding 40,000 men, for the purpose of
intercepting the apprOachof, the 13ritis.h force, moving up from UM-
belle, to the iellef of FerOzepnre, which had been thus treacherously
attacked, without provocation or declarmien of is valllitles.
I had ordered on the Bth iftstant that portion of.our army, pasted
at Urnballalt for defensiYe PPrPosOS, to move up on the 11th, and
after a rapid march of 15.c)intles it ;reaclied..Moodkee on the 18th,
where, on the evening of the same day,. It repulsed en attack of the
Seikh army, andcaptured 17 guns ; oathefollowing day the army was
concentratedit Moodkee, and eft the 21stmoved by its left on Feroze-
pore, and having on the march formed its junction at half-past one
o'clock with 5,000" men and 21 guns under Major-General Sir John
' Littler, which had moved from Feroxepore that morning, the Corn-
niander-in-Chief formid ' the arwy hi, order of battle, and attacked
the enemy's entrenched camp, and on that evening and the follow-
ing morning, captured 70 Pieces of artillery, taking possession of dhe
enemy's camp, with large quantities of ammunition and warlike
stores.

- These suceesstlil and energetic operations have been followed by
the retreat of the Sefkh army to the other Aide of the Sutlej, the Bri-
tish army being now encamped between Forozepore and the fords of
the Sutlej.
" 'You will not • fail to observe that these important and brilliant
successes have been achieved Py_tbat portion of our army posted at
And in advance. of 1.1-mballah,for defensive purposes ; and that our
forces Brom Meerut, and other, stations from the rear, ordered to
move up at the same time; are in reserve, and will reach this neigh-
bout hood between-the sth and the pth of January, • ~

I have the honour to enclose two reports from Comminder-ln-
Chief, detailing 'the ailmirAble manner. in which these important
duties hirte been'perfornied, and I am convinced the Court of Direc-
tors of the East India Company, in concurrence with her Majesty's
Government, will. -highly appreciate, the eminent services rendered
by the Commander-in-Chief, and by the officers, non-commissioned
ottl6ers and soldiers of the .4dian army..
• The Commander4n-Chief Las successfully accomplished every ob-
ject I had directed him to effect for the relief of Ferozepore, and the
protection of these British, states. No Accident or failure has oc-
ctirred during the cqmplicited 'operations of a combined movement,
And our army, whether foraetence or attack, has shown, as hereto-
fore, that its power is irresistible. .

I also transmit a notification which I issued on the 25th instants
and a general order recording the grateful acknowledgments of the
Indian Government for these important services.
I now proceed to detail
,the events which preceded a resort to arms,
and I am cOnvinced that the forbearance manifested by me in all
these transactions will Meet with your approval.

M
to d hvoi
so
tellasnhaottonthsereqexuitrredemferomantxiheely
ialhfoerl-t
I.lnrbar ; said my reluctance to give any cause for jealousy or alarm
alvyopusir ei
ii
tcioe rs, res
by p ofrnide ennd lyce
to the Seikh army and Government was so strong, that from the 18th
of November up to the Bth of December, I deferred to make any
movement of troops, in the hope of proving the sincerity of our pro-
fessions by the moderation of ogr actions. This forbearance, carried
tO the utmost limits which prudence could allow, was not appreciated
at Lahore:
Balkln the state of anarchy and uncontrollahle power usurped by the
h army, my ieluctance to resent their hostile conduct may have
been misunderstood as thi: effect of conscious weakness or timidity ;
but the Lahore Uovernment, there is every reason to believe, was
net influenced by any such impressions.•
The Regent and her advisers courted collision for the purpose of
imPloYillif their Unruly soldiers against their friendly neighbour, as
the safest means of extricating themselves from the personal clan-,
gars to which they were constantly exposed; the loahore Ciovern-