The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-31 00:00:00

ci) itnins

LONDON, TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1846.

We have to announce another great victory over the
Seikhs, and we confidently hope that there may be no oc-
casion for another. Within seven weeks four great battles
have been fought on the banks of the Sutlej between the
British troops and these lawless invaders, and, though
purchased at a high price, all of them have been gained with
great honour by our gallant troops. In every in-
stance the enemy was driven from his
position by an infdrior force, generally not exceeding one •
half of that opposed to it, with the loss of his cannon—his
strong weapon of defence—and vast slaughter. The last
battle, that announced in the telegraphic dispatch, like
the glorious victory gained by Sir HARRY SMITH,
and for which we are glad to see a vote of thanks
is to be proposed in both houses of Parlianunt, has
been completely decisive ; and being on a grander
scale, the main forces on both sides being engaged, has
brought affairs to an issue, a result to which the victory at
Aliwal not a little contributed. It was fought at a place
called Sebras, which we do not find in any of the maps, but
which must be near to Hurreeke. The former accounts
stated that the divisions under the Commander-in-Chief
continued at rest on the 28th of January, facing the river from
Ferompore westward ; that the Seikhs were entrenched in
great force in front; their camp was on their own side, and
their batteries on our side of the river, a strong bridge of
boats connecting the position. The British army attacked
these batteries, called the tete de pont of the Seikh forces in
the dispatch, and, after four hours' hard fighting, carried
everything before them, and captured 65 guns—making
altogether the extraordinary number of 218 guns captured
since the British army moved from its encampments, or some-
what more than the half of the artillery possessed by RUN-
JEET SINGH when at the height of his power. We believe
there is no instance on record of work like this performed-in
the same time by such a small army. Our loss, as
might have been anticipated, was severe ; it could
not be otherwise. The Seikhs had been forti-
fying their position from the 23d of December, or soon
afterwards, up to the 10th of February, they had still
plenty of guns and troops, and seem to have staked their
existence, as a military body, on this great trial of strength,
and being utterly defeated, have, in accordance with
their superstition, as well as for military causes,
given up the contest. We have no details on
this point, for it is merely said that the victory was followed
by an agreement, according to which the Seikhs had engaged
to pay, as an indemnity, in four yearly instalments,
1,500,0001., the payment to be guaranteed by the military oc-
cupation of the country. This, though not officially an-
nounced, is extremely probable. The Seikhs saw that they
could not contend with any hope of success against such valour
and skill, they knew that Sir C. NAPIER was on his march to
Mooltan, that reinforcements were pouring in weekly to in-
crease the invading force, and that they must 'have suc-
cumbed at last under still harder conditions. As to the
Government at Lahore, we believe the arrangement is ex-
actly what they wanted. They were completely at the merey
of the lawless troops. They had no security for their lives or
property, and would be glad to agree to any terms which could
paralyse this discontented and dangerous body of armed
men. Such a result is the very best that could have been
expected. In possession of Amritsir, Mooltan, Lela, and
possibly also Lahore, the British authorities can wait
patiently till some legitimate Government is formed,
which will give security for the future, or be answer.
able for any fresh breach of faith. These victories
may be regarded altogether as the most important
ever gained in India. RUN.) SET Susan, with his warlike
Seikhs, was looked upon with terror by all his neighbours,
and almost believed to be invincible. The British, in a very
short, but active and severe campaign, have thoroughly dis-
pelled these delusions, asserted their supremacy over the
most warlike nation in India, and alike crushed the hopes
of the AfYghans in the west and the Nepaulese and Burmese
in the east.

since writing the above, a more detailed account of the
battle has been received, which will be found in another part
of The Sun. From this we learn that the victory was most
complete, that the loss of the Seikhs was enormous, and
that the British forces had already commenced the
passage of the Sutlej. The GOVERNOR-GENERAL had at
last admitted the chief of the Seikhs to an interview, when
we presume, the conditions mentioned in the telegraphic
dispatch, were proposed and accepted. The official dispatches
will he published to-morrow. It will be seen that Sir HARRY
SMITH also shared in the honour of this decisive victory.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY obtained last night the
consent of the House of Lords to a return of the ejectments
effected in Ireland during the last five years. It is gratify-
ing to find this important step taken by a Noble Lord who,
although himself the proprietor of large estates in England,
sets the good example of residing some portion of the year
amid his tenantry in Ireland, and providing for their wants,
and attending to their comforts, so far as these ends can be
compassed by personal observation and a humane and
generous mind —an example, too, which he has not
unfrequently urged, in his place in Parliament, the
propriety and necessity for other Irish landlords to
follow, if they would rightly discharge the duties in-
cidental to their social position. The question to be
elucidated by the return adverted to is one wholly uncon-
nected with politics, viz., the relation between the Irish
landlord and tenant; and what are its peculiarities, if any,
that lead to scenes that estrange every feeling of humanity?
That the system has been carried on for a long time is noto-
rious, and it is to be regretted that so much delay has
been suffered to interpose between the inquiries in-
stituted by Government on this subject and any prac-
tical legislation for obviating in part, and finally eradi-
cating, the possibility of such heartrending occurrences.
The report of the Commission, of which Lord DEVON was the
head, seemed to furnish ample materials for facilitating any
endeavour to grapple is ith the chronic evils that have been,
and are, the fertile sources of the fearful agrarian disturb-
ances by which the daily history of Ireland is so shamefully
defaced. The wholesale acts of Mr. and Mrs. GERARD, in
having driven 270 human souls, like a pestilent herd, from
their land, unsuccoured by any other shelter than the open
canopy of heaven, and scared by the hostile sword
of the military, if they attempted to linger around
the scene of demolition that had razed their
very homesteads from the face of the earth,
appears to be the crowning deed for arousing the indignation
of the country from one end to the other, and to fright Par-
liament itself from its propriety. We remember with what
reproachful zeal many of the Irish landlords commented
upon the bold, yet wholesome warning given to them by the
late Mr. DRUMMOND, when he enunciated " that property
has its duties as well as its rights." The soundness of this
proposition came out unscathed from the virulent ordeal
through which it had to pass, and every hour we have to
deplore that the precept and its practice are kept so wide
apart. Wherever the supineness of the ruling
power has suffered a continued departure from
the duties that ought to be inseparable from
the enjoyment of the rights it has devolved upon the sub-
ject, the latter is apt to imagine that impunity for his mis-
doings is almost as sacred a right as any other to which the
law has given him a title. Thus the Duke of Newcasma
denounced any attempt to interfere with the privilege he had
so long exercised of dealing with his rotten boroughs before
the passing of the Reform Bill, like so many bales of mer-
chandise, exclaiming, in a spirit of full-blown arrogance,
" Have I not a right to do what I will with my
aotwnle?;Busteete
rthconLevingeisatueldhrie b
s,
Grace
ete byt the
country
at
drying up the streams which had been surreptitiously
diverted from the broad channels of the constitution. And,
intact as the rights of property must and ought to be kept
in every civilised country, we are not, we apprehend, much
mistaken, if before long the Irish.proprietary at large should

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