The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-01 00:00:00

TRANSPORT. OF TROOPS TO INDIA.

The report of the select committee appointed to
inquire " concerning the measures resorted to or
which were available, and as to the lines of communi-
cation adopted for reinforcing our army during the
pending revolt in India, with a view to ascertaining
the arrangements which should he made towards
meeting any future important emergencies involving
the security of our Eastern dominions," has just been
issued, together with the voluminous evidence taken
before them. The committee, of which Sir Da
Lacy Evans was chairman, came to the following
resolutions :

"1. That the inquiry which this committee has been ap-
pointed to conduct may be divided into three branches; the
first, relating to the overland route to India; the second,
to the employment of steamers, as compared with sailing
vessels, for the transpo7t of troops round the Cape of Good
Hope ; and the third, to the use made during the mutiny of
the military resources of this country and of the colonies.

"2. That the Court of Directors appear from the first in-
telligence of the mutiny at Meerut to have been sensible of
the advantages of the overland route, and to have lost no
time in recommending i's adoption ; but that political and
other considerations deterred her Majesty's Ministers from
at once assenting to that recommendation.
" 3. That the committee cannot judge of the validity of
those political objections, as they felt themselves precluded
from inquiring into them ; but that they cersed to preveil
in the first week of September, when the more serious cha-
racter of the war and the lateness of the season for ships
departing :or Calcutta, led to a formal requisition from the
Court of Directors, and to a compliance with it on the part
of the Cabinet.

"4. That it would have been desirable, independently of
political considerations, to have taken advantage of the
overland route at the earliest possible period ; and, apart
from such considerations, it is much to be regretted that the
step", that were taken in September to transmit small
bodies of troops by tit's route were not resorted to at an
earlier date. That the transport, however, of any large
body of troops would have required previous arrangements,
and that the evidence laid before the committee leaven
great room to doubt whether any considerable reinforce-
ments could have been sent in the months of July and
August, with a pre-pest of their arrival in India eo far in
advance of those sent ronnd the Cape as to give any great
advantage in favour of this route.
" 5. That although the overland route may be advan-
taqcously employed in time^ of emergency, it would not be
advisable that it should be relied upon as the ordinary route
for the transmission of troops to India.
" 6. That if steamers had been used in greater number.,
the reinforcements would have reached India mare quickly
than they did by sailing yes:2ls ' - but that no evidence has
been laid before the committee to show that, at the time the
emergency arose, a greater amount of steam transport was
attainable, whilst it has been shown that grave doubts
existed whether the supply of coal on the route would have
been sufficient fo- a larger number of steam-vessels than
were actually employed.
" 7. That steamers sbonld for the future be always made
use of, as far as 7mssible, in urgent cr.es ; but that, for the
transmission of the ordinary relief., the committee would not
recommend the adoption of so costly a mode of transport.
"8. That the Governors of Ceylon and the Mauritius
gave early and valuable assistance to the Government of
India, and deserve great praise for the zeal and prompti-
tude with which they acted; that the Governor of the
Cape, without lo^s of time, forwarded treasure and horses,
tcgetber w:th a portion of the troops at his disposal, but
that he did not send the whole amount of the force which
he was instructed by the Home Government to transmit to
India; that the committee have not the means of judging
whether the circumstances of the colony dii or did not
justify Sir George Grey in taking this course.
"9. That the committee observe with satisfaction that
the people of Canada displayed great readiness to afford
rssistance to the mother country, and that the committee
are of opinion that it is highly desirable to give every en-
couragement to such dentonstratiens of loyalty on the part
of the colonies. _ _

"10. Thaton the whole, considering the suddenness of
the danger, and the distance to Wile!' the troops were to be
sent, the committee are of opinion that great credit is due
to the Court of Directors of the East India Company for
the promptitude and efficiency with which they discharged
the difficult task of transmitting reinforcements to the army
in India during the past year."

THE INDIAN AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS.—The
Hindostan was five days behind her time in reaching Suez
with the Calcutta and China mails. The Indus, with the
heavy portion of those mails, is not expected to arrive in
England before the Bth instant. The Cadiz, with the
Bombay mail, arrived at Suez a day before her time. The
heavy portion of her mail may be expected home on the 9th
instant. The Emeu, with the Australian mail, arrived at
Suez two days after her time. The heavy portion of those
mails may therefore be expected in England about the Bth
instant. The Indian packet Colombo, which was due on
the 20th, has not yet arrived home. It has been already
stated that the Benares was sent in search of her. The
Benares called in at Vitro, and found that the Colombo
had just left there. The former then steamed out again
after the latter, but missed her, and arrived at Ply-
mouth on Saturday. There she learned that the
Colombo had put hack again to Vigo. The Benares
therefore started for Vigo the second time immediately. The
Colombo and flit. Bemires will most probably arrive home
at the latter end of this week. The ,f 1":: o! the Onlon11)
shows in a striking manner the want of a telegraphic com-
munication with Gibraltar. That steamer arrived at the
latter port on the 14th init. broken down. Now, if that
fact could have been telegraphed to England the Colombo
might have remained at Gibraltar, and a steamer could
have been sent from Southampton in four days and taken
on board the India and China passengers and cargo, and
brought them to England by the 23d. For want of that tele-
graphic communication the passengers have to be maintained
at sea for nearly a fortnight, and have been put most pro-
bably to the greatest inconvenience and loss, and their
friends are waiting about for Om at the Southampton
hobls. Great loss may be incurred also by the delay of the
landing of the cargo. Altogether it is quite possible that a
submarine ,cable from the Land's End to Gibraltar might
have saved in the case of the Colombo alone a sum of several
thousand pounds sterling.