The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-02 00:00:00

NORTH GRAVESEND.

The object of this Bill is to connect the Stratford and Thames
Railway and the Eastern Counties Railway with the River Thames,
at Tilbury, opposite Gravesend. The length of the proposed line is
eighteen miles, and the estimate 250,0001., of which 188,0001. have
been subscribed. The engineers are Mr. Bidder and Mr. Phipps,
the Parliamentary agents Messrs. Burke and Co.
This Bill was unopposed, but the formal evidence not being com-
plete, the case stood over.

BIRKENHEAD AND HOLTHEA.D
ZIINCTION.

The evidence in support of the petitions against the Bill was not
>ncluded when the Committee rose, at four o'clock.

Sub-Committee No. 5.

(Continued from our Ifterneen Edition.)
NORTHAMPTON, BANBURY, A.ND CHEZ.

TENHADT.

The object of this Bill is expressed in the title. The length of the
line is 52% miles. The estimated cost, 1,150,0001. The engineer,
H. E. Scott.

The formal evidence was given.
Petitions were presented against the Bill with the usual allegations
against the plans, sections, and notices, and the consideration of the
allegations occupied the remainder of the day.

Sub-Committee 'So. 6.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
SHEFFIELD, ASIITON-UNDER-LWIVZ, AND
MANCHESTER (WHALEY BRIDGE AND

ica.yrxELD BRANCHES.)
1 This is a Bill to make branches from the existing Sheffield, Ashton,
and Whym Railway to Whaley Bridge and Hayfield ; the total
length will be about 15 miles, and the estimate is 400,000/. ; Mr. A.
S. Jec Is the engineer, and Messrs. Berke and Co. the agents, which
sing unopposed, the standing orders were declared to have been com-
plied with.

MANCHESTER AND BURY ATMOSPHERIC.
The objeet of the Bill is to make an atmospheric railway from
Bury to Manchester. The length of the line 7% miles ; the esti-
mated cost 180,0001. The engineer, Mr. J. D. A. Samuda ; the
agent, Mr. James Coppock ; the solicitors, Messrs. Sale, Worthing-
ton, and Shipman. The formal evidence was gene through.
The evidence in support of the allegations against the Bill occupied
the Committee Units rising.

STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTBRS.
HOUSE OF LORDS.
The Committee did not meet till somewhat after the usual time.
The Earl of 6haftesbury in the chair,
THE BELFAST AND COUNTY DOWN RAILWAY.
This Bill came before the Committee in the form of a second re-
ference, in order to show that the promoters of the Bill had paid up
the second five per cent. in the shape of deposits upon the whole
capital, thus making the required lodgment of ten per cent. in the
hands of the Accountant-General.
The certificate having been produced and proved, the Committee
decided that the standing orders had been complied with.
COMMITTEE ON MERITS.
NEWRY, ARMAGH, AND LONDONDERRY RAILWAY.
In this case, the usual proofs having been gone through,
The Committee decided that the Bill had been passed, and that
they would report it to the House, when it would be set down for a
third reading.
The Committee adjourned at five o'clock.

PRIVY COUNCIL.-(THIS DAY.)
The Judicial Committee sat to-day in the Council Chamber,
Whitehall. The Lords present were the Duke of Buccleuch,
the Lord Chancellor, Lord Cottenham, the Master of the
Rolls, the Judge of the Admiralty Court, and the Chan-
cellor of the Duchy of Cornwall.
IN THE MATTER or THE PETITION OF CERTAIN LNHABITANTS

vention of Cruelty to Animals, named Crispin and Smith,
it appeared that information having been given to the
police that a dog-fight was to take place in the house
in question, Crispin went there at about half-past three
o'clock on Wednesday' afternoon for the purpose of ascertaining
the truth of that information. Finding preparations
for the dog-fight actively going on, he left the place,
and as soon as possible returned with a body of policemen,
who arrived while the fight was going on. They seized
the dogs and as many of the persons present as they were
able to arrest, the others being taken by a reinforcement, who
arrived soon after. Two badgers (one of them dead) were
found on the premises.
Mansfield and Smith were fined in the full penalty of 51.
each ; but Ellis and Nash were discharged, as it was not
proved that they " aided and abetted," or that they were
any more than spectators in the exhibition.

NIPERIAL PARLIAMENT,
(THIS EVENING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Their Lordships assembled at Five o'clock.
ROYAL COMMISSION.
The Royal Assent was given by Commission to the
Mutiny Bill, the Marine Mutiny Bill, the Chelsea Out
Pensioners' Bill, the Greenwich and Chelsea Out Pen-
sioners' Bill, the Downpatric Gas Bill, and the A.3les-
bury Poor-rate Assessment Bill.
The Commissioners were, the Lord Chancellor, the
Duke of Buecleuch, and the Earl of Tladdington.
Mr. GREEN brought up several Bills to the bar of
their Lordships' House, as having been passed by the
House of Common ; amongst them was one, giving
power to the Great Western Railway Company to ex-
tend and umend the works of the Direct Railway.

POOR-LAW IN IRELAND.
Lord GLANCARTY presented petitions from Cork
and other places, praying for certain amendments in the
Irish poor-law, and expressing their satisfaction that the
judicial officers of unions were to be paid out of the

-Consolidated Fuud.
VOTES OF THANKS TO THE INDIAN ARMY,
The Earl of RIPON then rose. He said—My Lords.
I flatter myself that you will pardon me if, in the
course which I am about to take this evening, 1
do that which is not altogether conformable to
:he usual practice, and proceed to submit a motion to you
of which 1 had not previously given notice. My Lords,
I am sure that you will believe that I could have no de-
sire improperly to depart from those rules, and still lees
can you believe that ie the proposition of which I have
given no notice there was any notion on my part, or con-
ception on yours that the splendour of the achievements
which I am about to bring under your notice, can by
any possibility dim the original brightness of that glo-
rious achievment to which I had first referred. But I
do think, my Lords, that on an occasion like the pre-
sent, there is that intimate connexion between these suc-
cesses themselves and the honours which belong
to them, which seems to render it a reasonable
andfa proper course that theys hould both be considered
together, and that the very fact of your Lordships re-
cording your sense of them on the same day would show,
not only to the people of India, but to the whole world,
what your feeling is of the power and resources of this
country, and how cordially you accord your thanks to
those who develope them, in whatever part of
the world they may be called on to act. I, there-
fore, did anticipate that if I took the course
I am now about to pursue I should receive your Lord-
ships' indulgence. I will, first, then advert to that part
of case for which the notice of motion had been given,
I mean to the battle of Aliwall, and I am very
sensible that it will not require any eloquence
on my part to inspire your Lordships with
those feelings which such a display of
skill and courage on the part of our armies is, of itself
naturally calculated to excite. It is impossible that any
description I could give would be so clear, so precise, or
so intelligible as the description which had been
given by the conqueror himself —a specimen of com-
position which would do honour tot he most literary,
Member of your Lordships' House. I shall not
therefore trouble myself to enter into a very deep detail
of what has been already so eloquently discribed ; for,
to all that read that dispatch, it would be quite unneces-
sary ; but I will advert to some of the circumstances
which preceded that action, for the purpose of showing
the consummate skill by which the operations of
Sir Henry Smith have been conducted. Your
Lordships will recollect that when it became
necessary for our army to advance, the forces which we
had at Loodianah were required to be withdrawn to join
the combined force. The effect of this arrangement was
to expose Loodianah to the attacks of the enemy, but
the main object in bringing the army from Ferozeshah
and Loodianah was to increase the force in order to
strike the decided blow. No sooner did the enemy
cross the Sutlej after the battles of the 21st and 22d of
December, and it was deemed advisable to strengthen
the force at Loodiana to meet the enemy's
force which were concentrating in that quarter.
Yet still the position of our army in Loodianah was
such as may cause extreme inconvenience to our troops,
by enabling the enemy to adopt such means as will
facilitate their attempts to cut off all communication
with our forces, and therefore it became actually neces-
sary to take every measure to guard the reinforce-
ment, then on the road to Sir H. Smith,
from any surprise, and to preserve from di-
vergence the heavy battering train which was
also in its progress, and which was absolutely necessary
to enable Sir H. Smith to carry on his future operations.
It was, therefore, resolved upon to concentrate our
forces at Loodianah, to carry out this project. Sir H.
Smith was appointed to accomplish this movement, and
by the 15th of January he had a very considerable force
assembled at that fort, and was perfectly prepared
against any sudden attack of the enemy. About
this time, a report was received at head-
quarters to the effect that a very large force of the
enemy was assembling on the opposite side of Loodi-
anah, and that it was supposed he was about to entrench
himself at the spot situate in a turn of the river, caused
by a sudden divergence of the Sutlej. Now it was ne-
cessary to prevent this, and accordingly the 53d regi-
ment was ordered to move forward in that direction.
In the meantime Sir Henry Smith's division
was ordered to attack a fort which lay on
the right flank of our army, and which was of consi-
derable importance to U 3 as regards our position with
the Sutlej and Loodianah. His forces proceeded to at-
tack this fort, and it only required two or three shots
to be fired in order to induce the inhabitants to
surrender, and the result was, that a considerable
property in grain and _ other articles fell t. into
our hands. From thence the army moved on
to Loodianah, and there they were joined by the 53d and
a considerable body of native troops which were expected
on the 23d January. In the meantime the enemy con-
tinued to increase his forces, and, therefore, it became
necessary to increase Sir H. Smith's forces also. In
the meantime the enemy made a forward movement
The enemy moved forward to a ford that lay half-way
towards Loodiana. The road passed through several
villages, and placed the enemy exactly in a, lino Sir
LI ice S niei's force would have to pass in their
way to Loodiana. W hen they arrived at the ford their
position was in a line parallel to that which the enemy
was taking. Many men might have been tempted
to avail themselves of such an opportunity of
attacking the enemy, but Sir Henry Smith
was too wise for that. Instead of doing so, he made a
deviation. Ile was not to be led away by the idea of
making a successful attack from the instructions he had
given him, and he accordingly took a circuitous route,
in order to effect a connexion with the force at Loodia-
nah. He deviated to the right of the enemy's po-
sition in order to accomplish that object. The
enemy had an excellent road for the progress
of his troops while the course of Sir Harry Smith was
through hardened sand. He moved onwards to his
destination not in the least dismayed though he was
y, and effected the junc-
tion almost
a t
Le no vo edl
ioapneadh byw tt
hh e a e nn eomin
men from the shots of the enemy, and the loss of some bag-
gage. This was nothing compared with the grand object
of concentrating the forces at Loodianah. Any of their
Lordships, by referring to the map, will see the im-
portance of that movement is a necessary prelude to the
events that were to follow. Arriving at Loodianah he
was joined by the force under Brigadier Wheeler,
who had but just come up. That officer, before
moving on to Loodianab, had been told that an action
had been fought on the 21st, in which the British troops
were entirely successful, and he was about to change
his operations, and stop in his course but hearing
afterwards news of an entirely opposite tendency, he
resolved to take a more circuitous route in order to
avoid falling in with tho enemy, and, in consequequce,
effected thejunction with Sir. H. Smith. This junction ren-
dered it impossible for twe enemy to retire over the river
Oa the 26th Sir Harry Smith was joined by Major
Wheeler, and he proceeded to the attack with a strong
force, though considerably inferior to that of the
enemy, wihich had been reinforced by the flower of
their troops. His orders were to drive the enemy across
the Sutlej, and he did it, executing a series of beautiful
manoeuvres which ended in their utter discomfiture.—
(Hear, hear.) He could not enter into a detail of the
skilful manoeuvres in which his Gallant Friend had ar-
ranged the order of his march, and the provisions
which he made for every possibility of an attack.
which could be made upon them, and the facility
which his dispositions gave him for making the
e of
thefs
anda
r p_rs ee( srfi
war.—(Hear,
ano
rgs s
he
se
saispirithear.)
n) t
Hhoreof
umgaahnoiufget
srtteloatdet
attack himself if required—they were beyond his
panegyric.—(Hear, hear). They were those which
on ttheeo oaolrnft'
mater
gt
haeveut m ,proofi
whole trying scene. When he came within a few yards
of the enemy's position he halted, for the purpose of
observing, with the eye of an experienced leader, what
was the keystone of it ; and he found it in the little
village of Aliwal ; and in forcing that position he out-
flanked the left wing and drove it back in confusion on
the right. This was what he calculated upon, and gal-
lantly did he effect it.—(Bear, hear.)
After some further observations,
The Earl of AUCKLAND seconded the motion.
(LEFT srrepro.)

House :—" And be it further enacted, that nothing
herein contained shall be deemed or construed to exempt
the railway by this or the said recited Acts, authorised
to be made from the provisions of any general Act re-
lating to such Bills, or of any general Act relating to
rrilways, which may hereafter pass during this or any
future session of Parliament, or from any future revision
and alteration under the authority of Parliament, of
the maximum rates of fares and charges authorised by
this Act."
The motions were severally agreed to.
Sir J. Y. BULLER moved that leave be given to the
Sub-Committee on petitions for Private Bills, in the case
of the Ipswich, and Bury St. Edmund's Railway (Exten-
sion to Ely, and a branch therefrom) petition for Bill
referred to the said Committee on the 6th day of Feb-
ruary last, to proceed upon a copy of the petition, Bill,
and agent's declaration, the originals having been lost in
the House. The motion was agreed to.
SUNDERLAND DOCKS.
Mr. 11. HINDE postponed his motion on moving
amendments of the third reading of the Sunderland
Dock Bill.

SECOND READINGS.
The following Bills were read a second time, and
ordered to be committed, viz. :
Plymouth Great Western Docks (by order).
Kinross Junction Railway (No. 1).
Blackburn, Darwen, and Bolton Railway.
Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction Railway (Darfield

Branch).
Blackburn, Clitheroe, and North Western Junetion
Railway.

REPORTS.
The following reports were brought up, the amend-
ments and alterations agreed to, and the Bills ordered
to be engrossed, viz. :
Royal Asylum of St. Anne's Society.
Upwell-cum-Welney Rectory.
Harwich and Eastern Counties Junction Railway and

Pier.
Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ardrossan Railway.
Woodstock Roads (to be considered).
Brighton and Chichester Railway (Bognor and Little-
hampton Branches) (to be considered).
Midland Railway, Systcn and Peterborough Railway
(Deviations and Branches).
Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway Amend-
ment and Branches (No. 3).
THIRD READINGS.
The following Bill were read a third time and passed,
viz.:—
Sunderland Dock (Amendments to be proposed)
Enfield Chase Road

Bury Gas
Great Western Railway
Ellesmere and Chester Canal
Captain BARKLEY presented a petition, praying for
an inquiry into the management of the Merchant Sea-
mens' Fund.
Mr. C. LEGIT presented a petition from certain in-
habi,ants of Chester, compiaining of frivolous objections
being made to their votes. Also a petition from Congle-
ton, in favour of a Ten Hours' Bill.
THE LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER, AND NEW-
CASTLE-UPON-TYNE JUNCTION RAILWAY.
Mr. M. GIBSON presented a petition, signed by
upwards of two hundred of the leading firms of Man-
chester, in favoar of this line of railway.
Mr. W. PATTEN presented a petition in favour of
the same scheme, from the town of Liverpool, signed
by upwards of five hundred of the leading bankers,
merchants, and others of that place.
Mr. C. WOOD presented a petition in favour of the
Factory Bill.
Mr. PALMER presented a petition from Berkshire,
praying that a superannuation allowance be made to
poor-law officers.
MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS.
Sir A. CLIFFORD appeared, to summon the House to
the bar of the House of Lords, to hear the royal assent
given by commission to several Bills.
The SPEAKER returned in about ten minutes and
said that her Majesty had been most graciously pleased
to give her assent to the Marine, Mutiny, and other
Bills.

THE QUARANTINE LAWS.
Dr. BOWRING gave notice that he would move to-
morrow for certain papers to show the absurdity ofthese

laws.
Mr. HUDSON gave notice that he should move, on
an early day, that a clause be inserted in all railway
Bills, authorising the registered shareholders at any
special general meeting, to be held within six months
after the passing of the Act, at which meeting three-
fifths at least of the shareholders shall be present, to
declare either personally or by proxy that the Company
shall be dissolved, full compensation being paid to all
landowners and others for any loss which they may sus-
tain by the operations of the Company. The Hon.
Member made several ineffectual attempts to speak upon
his motion, and at length sat down.
A petition was presented by an Honourable Member
from the inhabitants of Kelso against the Kelso branch
of the North British Railway Company.
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.
Mr. MUNTZ gave notice of his intention to move for
a return of all friendly societies certified by Mr. Tidd
Pratt, particularly of that which called itself " Odd
Fellows."—( Lau g h tor.)
IMPROVEMENTS IN WESTMINSTER.
Sir DE LACY EVANS seeing the Right lion. Gen-
tleman, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his place,
he wished to enquire whether the sum of 10,0001. (or
security for the same) has been deposited in the hands
of the Government, on or before the 31st day of
January, 1846, the period required for this payment by
the Commissioners named in an Act for the Improve-
ment of Westminster, which received the Royal Assent
on the 31st day of July, 1845. If the question was
answered in the negative (namely, that the said deposit
had not been so made), whether the Government mean
to take the improvements so much required in that part
of this city into their own direction ; or whether it may
be now considered an open question, on which such
portion of the public as may be anxious to promote these
improvements, may make propositions on the subject to
Government.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could
not give an answer with reference to the course of con-
duct intended to be pursued by the Commissioners.
Sir DE LACY EVANS then moved for a return
showing the number of houses in each square, street,
place, lane, or other locality of the parishes of Saint
George's, St. James's, and Saint Martin's, in the city of
Westminster, of the value of 101. and npwards, or of
chambers of the same value, the owners of which have
been excluded from the last registered list of voters for
the election of Members of Parliament in the said city,
by reason of neglecting or omitting payment of poor-
rates or assessed taxes within the limited period at
present required by the Parliamentary Reform Act.
Agreed to.
Dr. BOWRING wished to know whether the Go-
vernment in the course they had pursued towards re-
organising the staff of the militia had any ulterior
design of re-establishing the militia.
Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT in answer stated that it
was only the intention of the Government to fill
up such vacancies as may have occurred in the
staff of the militia.

VOTES OF THANKS TO TILE INDIAN ARMY,
Sir R. PEEL—Sir, the motion which takes prece-
dence this day of all other motions, and which I am en-
titled to bring forward, is that of which I gave notice
immediately on the receipt of the intelligence of our re-
cent successes in India. lum about, Sir, to make a
motion which, interposed as it is between discussions of
great political importance, leading to much eager and
angry controversy, and great differences of senti-
ment and opinion, will, I know from past expe-
rience, meet with a perfect and unanimous concurrence.
I am about to make a motion which will enable the re-
presentatives of a great empire proud of their military
skill and valour, to unite in acknowledging a protective
hand of Almighty God, the giver of all good, but at the
same time to express their exultation in this ex-
ample of heroism, which has maintained, and
even raised the military character of this country.
—(Hear, hear.) I am about to make a motion
which would enable us to pay the tribute of cordial
gratitude to the generals and the officers, and to the
men who have been concerned in the victories that have
been lately achieved on the banks of the Sutle:
(Cheers.) It will enable us olso to mingle with our
miration for their skill, the expression of manly, bu
heartfelt sorrow for the loss of their comrades, who have
sacrificed their lives in the defence of their country, and
in the maintenance of their Sovereign's rights. The reso-
lution which I shall move will convey the grateful acknow-
ledgements of this House for two splendid victories
achieved, within a very limited period, and also in a
limited space, but I have felt it to be my duty not to in-
corporate our thanks for these victories in one resolution,
but to move that for each victory the separate
acknowledgements of the House be presented to the
Indian army. It has been my good fortune since
the month of February, 1843, upon five separate occa-
sions, to propose to this House that the thanks of the
Commons of England should be conveyed to the Euro-
pean and native army for their exertions in the service
of their country. At the tetniitiation of the Chinese
war, I proposed the thanks of the House to the army,
and on different occasions I have moved the thanks of
the House for victories achieved itt that part of the
globe, but the repetition of those acknowledgments
in no degree tend to dim their lustre. The rational gra-
titude must, and ought, to keep pace with the advance
of national achievements, and our acknowledgement of
every achievement adds lustre to our national honour.
Sir, I propose to make two separate motions, one in ac-
knowledgment of the distinguished and gallant conduit
of Sir Henry Smith and the dlrisioiiUnder his dam-
med, and the other conveying an equal acknowledge
mant for the glorious services rendered by the army
under the command of Sir Hugh Gongh.—(Cheers.)
The House, no doubt, recollects that on the termination
of the battles which already entitle the Indian army to
our best thanks (I mean th- battles of Mookee and
Ferozgee), the army with whom we had
to contend displayed great military shill, to-
gether with that undaunted and characteristic
bravery for which they have been so long distinguished,
notwithstanding the reverses they bad met with on the
18th and 21st of December, collected on the batiks of
the Sutlej in considerable force, and protected by a
powerful artillery. They established themselves on the
' right bank of the Sutlej in considerable force, retaining
possession of the bridge, by which they were enabled
to pass from the north to the south side of the river.
They established on the left bank of the Sutlej an en-
trenched camp, and by constant accessions to their force
they were enabled to collect an army of not less than.
35,000 men, supported by seventy pieces of artil-
lery, of great range and heavy calibre. They not
only did this, after the battle of Moodkee, in the face of
the British army, then under the command of Sir Hugh
Gough, but also detached a force of not less than 20,000
men 91 great skill and courage to conduct an operation