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

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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, March 2.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY took his seat orethe Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
IRISH RAILWAYS.
Lord MONTEAGL'E rose to present a petition from
certain individuals in Ireland, praying that some trifling
irregularities which had occurred in the serving of
notices on parties connect d with a line of railway
between Wexford and Carlow, might not impede
the passing of those works through the Standing Orders'
Committee. The expediency of passing measures to
facilitate the providing employment for the Irish people
was denied by no one; and their Lordships, as well as the
other House of Parliament, seemed to feel that these rail-
roads were the most natural and most useful source of
employment. They complained that a stop might be
put to these works unless the House interfered. He
gave notice that to-morrow he should call the attention
of their Lordships to the petition.
PROTECTION.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented thirty-six peti-
tions from various parishes in Montgomeryshire, praying
that protection to agriculture may be continued. He
also presented a similar petition from Fermoy, in the
county of Cork.
PROTECTION OF LIFE (IRELAND) BILL.
Lord BROUGHAM said that highly approving of
the general scope of this measure, introduced by
the. Noble Lord (Earl St. Germans), and as there
were some important amendments to be proposed by
his Noble and Learned Friend Lord Denman, who was
absent, he (Lord Brougham) should, as the organ of
his Noble and Learned Friend, suggest that the Bill be
considered in Committee to-morrow, or they might
commit it pro forma now, and re-commit it for the
consideration of the amendments to-morrow.
The LORD CHANCELLOR suggested that it would
be better to have the Bill printed and laid on the table
te-morrow, and that they should go into Committe on
Friday night, which was agreed to.
IRISH COERCION BILL.
Lord GREY rose and said, that unless some change
took place in the Coercion Bill, respecting persons who
were found out before sunrise and after sunset, he would
feel it his duty to move an amendment.
Lord CAMPBELL said that a power should be
given, when it could be made to appear that a fair
trial could not be had, to change the venue to some
country or other place where a fair trial could be
secured.
A NOBLE LORD suggested the propriety of post-
poning the second reading until Monday, when
Lord BROUGHAM said his Noble Friend was not
aware that the Earl of St. Germans was leaving town
on Friday.
After a few words from Lord BROUGHAM and Lord
CAMPBELL,
Earl GREY said that he had not had the opportunity
of seeing the amendments introduced by the Lord
Chief Justice, and he could, therefore, only say that
unless these amendments embraced one which he intended
to propose—namely, to mitigate the punishment of
those who might be out after sunset—he, considering
that Iran portation was much too great a punishment for
the offence alleged, should such an amendment not have
been introduced, he would feel it his duty to divide the
House upon the subject.
The LORD CHANCELLOR believed that the amend-
ment of his Noble and Learned Friend embraced in sub-
stance that contemplated by the Noble Lord.
THE VICTORIES IN THE EAST—THANKS TO
THE ARMY.
The Earl of RIPON then rose to move the thanks of
the House to the officers and men employed in the
army of India. Tht it Lordships were never niggardly in
effericg their thanks to those whose services were
given to their common Sovereign and their common
country, who had exercised all the powers of
their minds and the strength of their bodies with the
view of promoting the honour, and the interest, and the
safety of the country ; and their Lordships might be
well assured teat they never tendered their thanks to
those gallant men without inspiring them with
feelings of gratitude which must tell, and did
tell, in their future exertions, and contri-
buted to produce those resolute actions for which
they were that day called oa to return their thanks. It
had always been the desire, in order that the expression
of their Lordships sense of gratitude might be tendered
in the most gratifying and graceful manner ; it had
always, he repeated, been their Lordship's desire that no-
thing in the words in which the thanks were expressed, or
in the manner of recommending them, should prevent
their Lordships from coming to a unanimous vote upon
the subject. That was the course which he intended to
follow on the present occasion ; and in the mode in
which these resolutions of thanks had been worded, he
thought ttfat he would give occasion to no expression of
d;ssent from any of their Lordships. It would be his en-
deavour, of course, in the observations he should have to
make to them, to avoid saying anything that would be
inconsistent with this principle. Their Lordships
would bear with him in proposing this vote, if he
stated as briefly as possible, the circumstances con-
nected with these affairs, for which they were
about to give the thanks of their Lordships' House.
The papers which had been laid upon the table, were not
placed there for the purpose of calling on their Lordships
to express an opinion with regard to the political ques-
tion involved. Those papers were laid upon the table for
the purpose of exhibiting to their Lordships one singular
feature in the state of affairs in the city of Lahore. In-
trigues of every kind, violence of every kind, murder after
murder from time to time practised against those who
bad obtained power in that state. All those circum-
stances occurred time after time for a bog
period, extending disorder and confusion to a
degree that bad no parallel even in India itself.
seeesee anes state of things could not fail to
excite the constant anxiety of the Government, still the
policy which was pursued by the Governor, on
which he (the Earl of Ripon) did not call
upon their Lordships to express any opinion--was that
it was not desirable for this country to embark in
hostilities for the purpose of attempting to put an end to
the horrors which were taking place. It appeared however
in the course of these transactions, that an idea was en-
tertained among the ruling powers of the Punjaub,
who were exposed to constant apprehension fur their
own lives a notion became prevalent among
them that their best chance of securing their own lives
against this powerful and mischievous, and, as it
must in truth be called, mutinous army, was by inducing
that army to pass the frontier and commit itself
to hostilities with us, not for the purpose of
conquests in our territory, but for the purpose of com-
pelling us to commence operations against them, which
should end in the destruction of the army itself. He
believed that this was an unparalleled circumstance in
the history even of uncivilised countries. But it was
not that circumstance alone which justified the Go-
vernor-General in assenilline' an army for the purpose
of pa-sing the frontier asid carrying on the war.
It did, however, render it necessary, in corn ection with
the other events which had occurred in Lahore, for the
Governor-General to consider how he should meet the
contingencies which might or might not arise, and
with that view he directed a considerable force to
ass mble near the frontier. There appeared to have
been great vacillation in the councils of the enemy.
At one time they were for war, and at another they
wi re terrified at the prospect of it. It appeared that
the person who had exercised the ruling power
—the brother of the Ranee, the mother of the
Sovereign on the throne—it appeared that he, a drunken
profligate, was influenced by a sort of ambition, and was
also terrified by the prospect of be;ng put to
death by the rivals of his power ; an 1, in order
to secure him selr, it appeared that he caused the
assassination of a certain Singh who was reputed, al-
- he was not supposed to be, the son of the late
Runjeet Singh; and that murder was exceedingly dis-
tasteful to the troops, and induced them to threaten his
life. He subsequently met with his fate, which of late
years had been common to those who bad ob-
tained power in that country; he was himself assassinated.
At length there did appear some distinct grounds for
supposing that some mad project was in contempla-
tion. About the end of November intelligence was
conveyed to the Governor-General informing him
that the Seikhs were collecting
i in the neighbour-
hood of the Sutlej. The information received
was to the effect that the plan of campaign
which they (the Seikhs) had undertaken, was to move
out of the,r territory into ours, and attacked it, with
several divisions at different points. This plan of ope •
ration, if it had taken place, would have had the effect
of detaching, on several points, the Seikh army, con-
trary to all military principles, and subjected them-
selves to being operated on in different quarters, so as
to be defeated in detail, while their chances of success
were very small. In consequence of this the British
army, or that portion of it, at the head of which was the
Governor-General, concentrated its force at those points
which were threatened. Eventually the Seikh leaders
altered their policy, and several portions of their army,
which had been detached at a considerable distance
from each other, collected near Peshawur, to the num-
ber of about 8,000 men, and 24 pieces of light artillery,
while they had in reserve, partly mounted, from 30 to
to 42 pieces. The Noble Lord here gave a number of
details respecting the collection and concentration of
the Seikh forces on the Sutlej, and the steps which
were taken on the part of the Governor-General
and the British army to meet the threatened
invasion. As soon as it was evident that v
descent was to be made on the British side of Sutlej, it
was deemed expedient to collect the largest possible
force in the shortest time to meet the enemy. That was
done by forced marches, and subjecting the troops to
great fatigue, which they willingly bore, with that cha-
racteristic fortitude which the British army has always
evinced. They arrived at Peshawur in perfect order,
and were immediately prepared, if called upon, for
action. He took up a position in that neighbourhood
so as to give him the greatest command ; in fact, he took
it cn the right flank, and the pass of that district was
consequently rendered exceedingly formidable, and,
under many circumstances, most dangerous. It was ab-
solutely necessary for him to interpose between the ad-
vane ; of our army from Moodkee to Ferozepore.
The opposite force was approaching within a com-
paratively small distance, and he was deter-
mined to make an attack. The remainder of the
army amounted nearly to 40,000 men, and ho believed
that forty pieces of cannon were moved forward to
make an attack upon our advance forces. It was an-
nounced that he had taken possession at Moedkee, and
it was necessary to take immediate steps to repel that
attack. It was obvious that that policy was a very
becaus it would bring the other forces into
see tii4 puOiest possible moment. Our troops were
e.'etretereertnearivitnee, and the two armies were brought
oosa contact. A sharp action occurred, and the
ve; ,tneeteef44.B"-ealefe,ly repulsed with a very considerable
ri thaleemettand nineteen pieces of cannon. The
eseeffecrevast that risii enemy retired into a position which
adverse t 4-4 r interests. Communication with
Ter4tepore vikess4itablished by, taking a position on the
•• ;Wit There re no Om of the battle, or he hQ4d