The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-15 00:00:00

',_INDJA_ AND CHINA.

By the arrival of the Calcutta mail we (Time's)
haim received our private correspondence and files
of papers from aticutta to the 9th of Nov., and from
Hong Kong to the 29th of Oct. The following is
the letter of our Calcutta correspondent :

" NOVEMBER 10.
" The Proclamation was published all over India
on the same day, the Ist of Nov. It has therefore
been for a week in your readers' hands, and I need
therefore say nothing of its terms. On this side of
India it has been received with unmixed and cor-
dial approval. The press is for once unanimous in
its praise, and I have not yet heard a single dis-
tinct or intelligible attempt at criticism. Even the

paragraph about Christianity, the point on which
the greatest diversity of feeling exists, has been ac-
cepted as a fair and satisfactory solution of the
question. Her Majesty, while pledging herself to
toleration, still expresses her belief in a faith which
is regarded in India, as the Established Church used
to be in Ireland, as a standard of supremacy as well
as a means of salvation. I question whether politi-
cians at home yet understand how intense is this
feeling among large classes of Europeans in India.
A very large majority, particularly of officials, who
will bear anything else from England, carry out
any line of policy, or obey any orders, will not bear
the slightest hint of what they deem an anti-
Christian' policy. A direct order, for instance, to
abstain from contributing to missionary funds
would produce a direct refusal to obey, and, if ne-
cessary, resignation from scores of the best officers
in her Majesty's service. For the rest, the different
parties write in praise of the proclamation. All,
whether oppOsed to amnesties or not, allow that a
wide amnesty was the fitting commencement of a
new reign. On the only point of dispute—annexa-
tion—there is no bitter controversy. The anti-
annexationists are delighted with a paragraph
which they consider a pledge against further ac-
quisitions, while the annexationists declare it is not
half so strong as the parliamentary resolution of
1813, and that neither pledges nor resolutions will
stop a tidal wave. Native opinion is, if possible,
still more strongly pronounced. The natives in Cal-
cutta, and in all stations from which we have yet
heard, illuminated with the greatest good will, and
in Calcutta at least without the slightest official
pressure. One native editor (the Probhakur) places
at the head of his paper, in addition to the English
and Hindoo dates, the day of the Victorian era;'
and the Queen's name, which admits in Bengalee
of the equivoque it would convey in Latin, is the
basis of dozens of complimentary puns. On the 3d
inst. a meeting of the inhabitants of Calcutta was
called to consider a loyal address to her Majesty,
and the following speech by a native merchant
sufficiently conveys the native feeling :
" BABOO RAMGOPAL GIIosE said,—Gentlemen,
since I came into the room I have been requested to
second the resolution which you have just heard
read. I consider it a privilege and an honour to
have been requested to do so. I feel that lam
somewhat in a false position, inasmuch as I see
around me many of higher rank and of greater in-
fluence among my countrymen, who would have
more worthily and ably represented the native com-
munity on this important occasion than I can pre-
tend to do. But at the same time, my intercourse
in life has been so much with Englishmen, and I
know so much of the vast resources, the great
power, and the great goodness of the English
people, that I do not think myself altogether in-
competent to offer an opinion on those points.
(Cheers.) If I had power and influence I would
proclaim through the length and breadth of this
land---,from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin—from
Bermapootra to the Bay of Cambay—that never
were the natives more grievously mistaken than
they have been in adopting the notion foisted upon
them by designing and ambitious men that
their religion was at stake,—for that notion I be-
lieve to have been at the root of the late rebellion.
(Cheers.) They do not understand the English cha-
racter—(hear hear)—they do not understand the
generosity, the benevolence of the governing power
—the even-handed justice with which that Power
is willing and anxious always to do that which is
- right between man and man, without any reference
whatever to the fact whether the men belong to the
governing or to the governed class. (Cheers.) If
all this were known, where would be rebellion in
this land ? Certainly there would have been no
such outbreak as that which recently shook the
foundations of this empire. The only remedy is
education. (Hear, hear.) Nothing has distressed
me more, among the late acts of Government, than
the positive prohibition against incurr,ing any ex-
pense on the score of education. (Hear.) Lord
Wm. Bentinck, a name which must ever be remem-
bered with reverence, in reply to the address which
was presented to him on the occasion of his de-
parture from India, said, after enumerating all the
evils, all the oppressions, all the grievances under
which India labours, that the first remedy was edu-
cation—that the second remedy was education—
and that the third remedy was education. (Cheers.)
But to come round to the point. I have read the
Proclamation of her Majesty- with great pleasure—
with awakened feeling—with tears when I came to
the last paragraph. (Cheers.) A nobler production
it has not been my lot ever to have met with in my
life. The justest, the broadest principles are enu-
merated therein. Humanity, mercy, justice, breathe
through every line, and we ought all to welcome it
with the highest hope and the liveliest gratitude.
(Cheers.) Depend upon it, when our Sovereign
Queen tells us,—" In your prosperity is our
strength, in your contentment our security, and in
your gratitude our best reward," the future of
India is full of encouragement and hope to her
children. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) What could
have been nobler or more beautiful, what could
have better dignified even the tongue of a Queen,
than language such as that ? Let us kneel down
before her with every feeling of loyalty ; let
us welcome the new reign with the warmest senti-
ment of gratitude—the deepest feeling of devotion.'
" Genuineness of Asiatic feeling is always a pro-
blem, but I have little doulit it is in this instance
tolerably sincere. The people understand an Em-
press,' and did not understand the Company.
Moreover, they have a very decided notion that the
Queen has hung the Company for offences " which
must have been great," and that fact gives them
hope of future justice. Lastly—l am speaking of
the masses, and repeating actual opinions uttered
in my hearing—they think her Majesty inconceiv-
ably, and I am afraid a little ridiculously, honest
for accepting her predecessor's debts. Immediately
after the proclamation appeared a gazette extraor-
dinary announcing a change in the form of the pro-
missory note, which completed native satisfaction.
" The effect of the amnesty will not be known just
yet, and it is useless to predict. The prevalent idea,
however, is that it will be accepted by all except a
few leaders too deeply compromised to believe that
it is offered in good faith. How far they will be
able to influence their followers remains to be seen.
As y 4 no surrenders have been 'reported, and the
cotamUs are advancing. Brigadier Troup, with a
brigade from Rohilcund, is nearly at Seetapore,
which he is to occupy. Sir H. Grant is moving,
but with a heavy baggage train, upon Salone. The
rebels, beaten in little skirmishes, but not as yetin
any great engagement, are preparing for flight, or
flying, across the Gogra, and my next letter will, I
hope, announce the final advance of Brigadier Row-
croft, who, moving from south-east to north-c:ast
beyond the Gogra, will drive the rebels into the
trap prepared for their extinction. Throughout
Oude they appear to have lost heart, and scarcely
wait to be attacked. They are brave enough—some
of them, at least—but, like tome European troops,
need hope to make them fight well, and they shrink
with something almost of cowardice from the immea-
surable superiority of the Enfield. That weapon
has been worth an army. The bare fact that• its
range is three times that of Brown Bess has given
the. Sepoys a sense of hopelessness which usually is
produced only by actual defeat.
"In Central India, Tantia Topee, still alive and
unsubdued, is reported to •be moving towards the
Deccan, whither, according to our spies, he is
always going the moment they lose the trace. A
number of the servants of his ally, the Nawab of
Banda, recently gave themselves up at Saugor, and
gave. a curious account of his position. They say
he has plenty of treasure, which is true, and 15,000
regular soldiers, which is false. He has, however,
no guns• and no ammunition, except a few rounds
in the Sepoys' pouches, and he has issued an order
to his men not to fight if they can avoid it. The
fugitives are cumbered with women, and perfectly
aware that escape is hopeless, and that they have
only to keep on marching till they die or starve.

The amnesty will, probably, give them the courage
,to disperse.
" In Shahabad, also, the rebels are in full flight.
It is quite useless repeating the incorrect, or half-
correct reports of skirmishes which reach us here ;
but the general result is sufficiently intelligible.
The rebels have been driven out of Shahabad to-
wards the Rhotas hills. They have lost, chiefly,
from the terrible rapidity with which they
were pursued by Sir Henry Havelock, upwards of
1,000 men, and are not only quarrelling, but fight-
ing among themselves. By the last official ac-
counts Hurkissen Singh had been killed, and Umur
Singh, the only leader of any real importance from
his feudal authority, had fled. The remainder will,
it is believed, try to reach Oude in twos and threes.
Messrs. Burn and Co., the railway contractors,
have engaged to cut down the Jugdespore jungle,
23 miles long by three broad, and have commenced
the task. On entering it it was discovered that
the rebels, with an imbecility they do not often
display, had thrown up are earthen entrenchment
some six miles round, which, when built, they
had neither numbers to garrison nor hearts to stand
by. The jungle was their true defence, and the
axes of the railway men will soon clear that away.
I scarcely think Umur Singh will return, and the
campaign in Behar may be considered over.

,‘ It is believed that a decree will be issued dis-
arming Behar, as Mr. Montgomery is disarming
Oude. I told you in my last letter he had deter-
mined to carry out this policy at once and effec-
tually, and the annexed proclamation is stern

enough :

" THE OUDE PROCLAMATION.

" ' By direction of the Right Hon. the Governor
General of India, the Chief Commissioner of Oude
hereby calls upon all Talookdars, Zemindars, in-
habitants and residents in Oude of every grade and
class, with the exceptions herein enumerated, to
deliver up to the servants of Government at the
nearest police station, within one month from the
date of this Proclamation, all cannon, firearms,
swords, bows, arrows, spears, or other descriptions
of weapons whatever; also all gunpowder, shot,
shell, sulphur, saltpetre, and munitions of war of
every kind.
" 2. Failing in obedience to this order, whoso-
ever, after the period of one month from this date,
shall be convicted of wearing or possessing any of
the weapons or warlike stores abovementioned,
shall be subjected to the penalty of fine of 5,000r5.,
and of imprisonment for one year with flogging ;
and, if a landholder, of the confiscation of his lands.
" 3. In case of the discovery of concealed arms
the owner of which cannot be traced, the like
penalties shall be inflicted upon the Talookdar or
landholder of the place, or on the village commu-
nity where they may be discovered.
" 4. Further, it is notified that if any Talookdar
'
or other inhabitant of Oude, after the issue of an
order for the dismantling of his fort, shall in any
way attempt to reconstruct the fortification, or
shall have in his possession, or shall make prepara-
tibia for casting or collecting, any cannon, muni-
tions of war, his talooqua or lands shall be liable to
be confiscated, in addition to such other punish-
ments as may be awarded.
" 5. Any person giving information which may
lead to the discovery of concealed weapons, gun-
powder, or munitions of war, shall be entitled -Co a
moiety of the fine, or, if no fine be imposed, to a
reward.
" 6. Deputy Commissioners, or other officers in
charge of districts, will be hereafter authorised to
grant, under certain rules, licenses duly signed and
sealed, to carry and possess or make and sell gun-
powder and warlike weapons to parties of approved
character.
" 7. Such licenses shall confer no right to make,
sell, or possess cannon of any description, or ammu-
nition for cannon.
" 8. Any infringement of the license will be
punished by the penalties above specified.
" '9. The classes exempted from the penalties of
this proclamation are European British subjects,
British soldiers while present with their regiments
or on service, and Government officials employed on
civil duties.

" ' F. D. FORSYTH,

" ' Secretary to the Chief Commissioner, Oude.'
Nothing short of the most determined severity will
induce the nobles to surrender their cannon, and
cannon are wholly useless except for rebellion.,
There is more to be said for the swords while our
police is so corrupt, and in practice I suspect the
edict will only be enforced vigorously against fire-
arms. Swords do not matter much. against the
Enfield.

"The telegraph from Gallo to Madras, through
the submarine cable across the Straits of Manaar,
is now open to the public. A bit of the coast line
between Madras and Calcutta is still imperfect, the
bamboo posts put up in extreme haste and for a
special purpose having rotted away. The overland
mail of the Bth of October was, however, signalled
from Galle to Calcutta, via Bombay, in 24 hours.
The line from Kurrachee to Bombay is also com-
plete, and there is not now an important city in
India from which intelligence cannot be flashed to
Calcutta in 12 hours. If you remember that India
is as large as Europe, Russia included; that the
entire country is within the range of the tornados ;
that our lines are all above ground ; that we have
just regained the North-West ; and that the first
idea of a mutineer is to cut the wire which conveys
the lightning mail,' you will appreciate the
energy and services of the department. All is now
ready for the Red Sea Telegraph, which is watched
with:extreme interest, notwithstanding a very ge-
neral though vague notion that it will prove an
infernal nuisance.' Indian merchants are too spe-
*culative altogether to oppreciate certainty, while
Indian statesmen abominate the idea of being pup-
pets pulled by a wire.
" Mr. Halliday, the Lie. u. t.Governor of Bengal,
has sent in his resignation from the Ist of May next,
and it is reported that Mr. J. P. Grant has been
informed that he will be appointed to the vacancy.
Calculations of this kind six months in advance are
not, however, of much value: The only thing cer-
tain in the matter is that Mr. Halliday has re-

signed.
a The Parliamentary return of our revenue has
been, of course, for months in your hands. I may
notice, however, that it bears out the desponding
conclusion I reported to you three months ago. The
deficit for 1857-58 is stated there at £9,500,000.
That of 1858-59 will be • larger; for; though the
million and a quarter stolen by the mutineers will
not recur, there is a huge addendum to be made in
the shape of the cost of levies. Add the value of
Government property destroyed which must be re-
placed, the claims for compensation, and the cost of
refilling the arsenals, and you have a loss at least
of £25,000,000 sterling in the two years. There is
then the old deficit of 1857, X 900,000 and the cost
of 45 additional regiments of Europeans. No mode
of calculation will reduce the deficit below
£5,500,000 a year, to be met out of a revenue as yet
unelastic. This, and not reorganization, will be
the primary difficulty for. Lord . Stanley to meet,
and if he succeeds without crippling our military
strength—that is, without periling. the empire—he
will have well earned the right to be considered
the-first of modern Indian statesmen: ...On this.side.
of India he is already trusted as no President' since
Dundas has been."

THE OPERATIONS IN OUDE.
(From the Times' Special Correspondent)

Head-quarters Camp, near Pertabghur, Nov. 2.

The Commander-in-Chief took the field this
morning very early indeed... While the fireworks
were lighting up the Ganges and flashing far
through the troubled night -of Oude on the Ist of
November, Lord Clyde, escaping as soon as he
•could from the unreal cannonade, Roman candles,
fireballs, and the devices of Oriental pyrotechnists,
was preparing for his morning's march.
It was 2 o'clock on this morning when Lord Clyde,
General Mansfield, Colonel Metcalfe, Colonel Mac-
pherson, Major Turner, Major Crealock, Captain
Alison, and Captain D'ormer left their quarters and
proceeded to the bridge of boats across the Ganges,
about five miles from Alle.habad, at a place called
Papamow. Heie an escort of the Carabineers was
waiting to receive his Excellency. The bridge is
very wide and well built, and must be several hun-
dred yards in length. It was lighted up by rude
lamps, which cast a yellow light over the flow
of the Ganges, " rolling rapidly." Not a sound
broke the silence, except the gurgling of the waters
as they struggled against the floating barrier, and
rushed away in angry swirls from the contest, ex-
cept the challenges Of the native sentries, and the
tramp of the cavalry. Soon the party were in the
hostile province, and at a smart gallop, through
clouds of dust, not visible, • but palpable, rode across

the sandy plains, by deep ruts which served as sub- '
stitutes for roads, towards Soraon. With no greater
annoyance than the occasional loss of the right
path by some of the party, they arrived at
Soraon just as the sun was rising. Again the
challenges of our sentrie 3 showed that the village
was held as one of our posts, but the main body of
the column which had occupied it were off, under
Colonel Wetherall, on our left flank. The fort, a
stout mud-walled enclosure with ditch and bastions,
was taken by poor Berkeley during the rainy sea-
son, and was the first of our posts pushed out from
Allahabad. Here our Carabineers halted, and the
duty of escort devolved upon a party of the Lahore
Light Horse, who seemed very much improYed and
much more soldierly than when I last saw them on
duty. Fresh horses were ready at this place, and
the little cortege continued their march at a rapid
rate towards the camp. Several bodies of Oude
police and Punjabees were passed on the road. In
the fields all the labours of husbandry were being
carried on as usual. , The villages were inhabited,
and nothing but the presence of armed men and
their march would lead one to imagine that we
were carrying on war with the kinsmen and near
relations of those peaceful-looking agriculturists.
At a village some 23 or 24 miles from Allahabad

the Lahore Horse were relieved by a strong squadron
of Carabineers, under Captain Betty—fresh horses
were mounted—a hasty halt and a rapid breakfast
under a tree—gallop—trot—walk—and gallop over
and over again—till at last, about 9 o'clock, our
vedettes made out the agreeable outlines of a camp
in the distance, and at 10 o'clock we pulled up at
our tents at Beylah, three miles beyond Pertabghur,
and about 39 miles from Allahabad. General
Mansfield arrived first, and the rest dropped in at
intervals, Lord Clyde remaining on his way for a
short time at Brigadier Pinckney's camp.

Nov. 3.

To-day the instructions were sent out for the
guidance of the columns on their march towards
Amethie and Rampore, and for the due observance
of the amnesty. Colonel \Vetherall did notreceive
his directions in time, and attacked the fort of
Rampore, in which were 5,000 men, bombarded
it, and then the Belooch Battalion, the 79th, and
the Sikhs carried it with the loss of 70 or 80 men.
Colonel Farquhar, of the Belooch Battalion, and
Dr. Smith were wounded. Several of our casualties
were caused by the springing of a mine. The loss
of the enemy is not stated, but there were many
Sepoys in the fort who fought in their red jackets,
and made a stout resistance. The Commander-in-
Chief has sent a summons to the Rajah of Amethie
to give up his forts, dismantle them, surrender his
guns, and present himself to make submission in
camp. He has left Amethie, and is. out in the
open, but his batteries are all manned, and he
gives out that he will resist.

Nov. 4.

This morning, at 3 p.m., the Carabineers marched
towards Atayia, where Sir Hope Grant has already
arrived. His troops are now within four miles of
the Amethie Rajah's position, and much anxiety
is felt as to the course which the latter may adopt.
I rejoice exceedingly to say that the proclamation
is beginning to make itself heard and felt—in a
very small degree, it is true, but still in a quarter
where the voice of pardon has had as yet no in-
fluence. Two Sepoys, whose misery and emaciation
were rendered more conspicuous by their tall erect
figures, came in and surrendered themselves this
morning. They denied they had been fighting
against us, and, as a proof their sufferings, they
referred to their appearance. " Look at us," said
they, " and see if we could fight even with
children." They report that there are upwards
of 100 of their comrades in the neighbour-
hood who will come in in the evening. Of
course these men have been in arms against us, but
they will receive the full benefit of the amnesty
should it appear that they have not participated in
the murder of Europeans. Yesterday evening the
authorities received some 30 or 40 stand of arms,
old matchlocks, swords, and daggers, from the
country people, and it is hoped that a larger col-
lection will be made to-day.

The fight at Rampore yesterday seems to have
been tolerably sharp ; about 30 casualties took place
on our side ; the colonel commanding the Beloochees
has lost a leg. The enemy sprang a mine, which
blew up some of our men as they advanced to the
assault, and then evacuated the place, but left
many dead behind them. The dispatch ends with
that convenient close of a telegram, " Cavalry and
guns are in pursuit." There is a report that the
rebels in the neighbourhood of Troup's column have
been resorting to the horrible practice of murdering
their women and children before they fly, so that
the former may not fall into our hands, but I trust
the report is untrue. It is, unfortunately, only in
accordance with the custom of the natives in many
of our past wars, when driven to extremity.

Nov. 5

The Amethie Rajah has sent an answer to the
summons, in which he enlarges on his wrongs and
evades the question of direct submission. The
Commander-in-Chief has sent another missive to
him, to the effect that if he does not tender his sub-
mission before the close:of the day, the forces under
his Excellency's command will at once proceed to
extremities. There is firing going on now in the
direction of Amethie. Sir Hope Grant has joined
his force to Colonel Wetherall's column, which was
occupied yesterday in blowing up the Fort of
Rampore.