The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-14 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, NOV. 14, 1857.

The despatches, in anticipation of the overland
mail from Bombay, have duly come to hand ;
those from Calcutta will not arrive until four
o'clock in the afternoon. We have given copious
extracts from the Bombay journals up to the 17th
October, which, as may readily be imagined, are
of a particularly interesting nature. The nar-
rativa of " the last days of Delhi " is of a very
exciting kind, and will be eagerly perused by
all classes of the community. It is true that we
had the results, which were communicated by
telegram on Wednesday, but every incident in so
gloricus a transaction will be anxiously dwelt on,
and canvassed by the people.
Fur a long time the position of our forces,
although nominally besiegers, was really defen-
sive. The garrison was strongly armed, and the
rebel; far outnumbered the true men. There was
a magazine containing 200 guns and an ample
supply of ammunition, and the insurgents had
been trained and disciplined by British officers.
They were stimulated, too, by despair, knowing
that, from the fearful atrocities they had perpe-
trated, they could entertain no hope of quarter.
Every man was virtually fighting with a rope
about his neck. If he survived the assault, it
could only be to die upon the gibbet, or be blown
from the cannon's mouth—a fate far too good for
the sanguinary miscreants. Repeated attacks
were made, in the earlier stages, on our entrench-
ments; but, in every instance, they were effectively
repulsed. The mutineers had not a single success
to boast of 1 Any appearance of failure, resulting
from a premature onslaught, would have been at-
tended with very formidable consequences, and,
however anxiously the reduc'ion of the strong-
hold of the rebellion was poked for, there can
be no doubt that the commanding officers exer-
cised. a wise discretion in waiting until a reason-
able -issurance could be obtained, of a complete and
unal oyed triumph.

The arrival of the siege-train from Feronpore,
and further reinforcements of European and native
troops from the Panjaub, however, enablel the
Generals to sound the note of Preparation, and
relieve the intense longing of their gallant troops,
panting to be led against the enemy, Besides the
guns, they had 6,500 infantry, 1,000 cavalry, and
600 artillery, of all classes, and with this cona-
paral.ively small force, of which but 120 were
regular Sappers, and only 3,500 could be spared
for the attack, the formidable undertaking wcs
decided on.

On the 7th September, No. 1 advanced bat-
tery, in two portions, was traced a'')out 700 yards
from the Morse Bastion, and by the morning was
finished and armed, although not ready to fire
until sunrise ; and No, 2 battery was traced and

commenced at Ludlow Castle, within 600 yards
of the city, and by the 10th was completed, and
partially armed, although not yet unmasked.
No. 3 battery was also commenced on the left,
and No. 4, for 10 heavy mortars, com-
pleted on the Koodsee Bagh, but not un-
masked. On the 11th, the batteries opened
fire, and with terrible effect. Huge masses of
masonry crumbling before the iron storm, showed
the efficacy of the British practice, and convinced
all parties that the hour of retribution was ra-
pidly approaching. Night and day until the 14th
was this tremendous fire continued, and then the
breaches being reported practicable, it was known
that the moment of action had at length arrived.
The attacking force was distributed into five
columns, the first under the lamented NICHOLSON,
and the others under Brigadier JONES, Colonel
CAMPBELL, Major REID, and Brigadier LONGPIELD,
The cannonade was maintained until the last mo
ment, and then the Rifles dashed to the front with
a true British cheer. There was a brief delay of
some tan minutes, while the ladders were lowered
into the ditch, in order to ascend the scarp. At
this period there was a perfect hailstorm of bul-
lets, thinning the ranks of the adventurous heroes
engaged in this dangerous task. It was, how-
ever, speedily brought to a conclusion. The men
dashed into the breaches, and the cowardly mis-
creants by whom they were defended, fled
before the British bayonet, wielded by true-
hearted Britons.
At the Oashmere Gate a feat of daring
valour, seldom equalled, never surpassed,
was manifested. It was decided that the
Cashmere Gate was to be bolwn down, and
the perilous duty was entrusted to Lieutenant
SALKELD, of the Engineers, and Sergeants CAR-
MICHAEL, BURGESS, and SMITH. They advanced
coolly and resolutely to almost certain death. The
bags of powder were placed in the most steady
and deliberate manner, Lieut. SALKELD receiving
two bullets. Sergeant CARMICHA.EL was killed,
and also Sergeant BURGESS, but not until he had
fired the train ; while Sergeant SMITH, who had
nobly rushed on, when he saw his companions
placed hors de combat, without, as he thought,
having accomplished their fearful duty, had barely
time to fling himself into the ditch and escape the
explosion which blew down the gate. We rejoice
to say that the Victoria Cross has been bestowed
on the two survivtrs, Lieutenant SALKELD and
Sergeant SMITH, and also on Lieutenant HOME,
and a noble fellow of H.M. 52d, who stood by
SALKELD to the last and bound up his wounds.
Through the gate thus blown down the third
column rushed with irresistible force, and entered
the town just as the first and second had won the
breaches.

It was in clearing the Moree Bastion that the

truly noble McHoLsoN received his death-wound,
which has cast a shadow over the triumph of the
day. The fourth column alone failed, in the
attack on the Lahore Gate—it ig said through the
vacillation of the Cashmere Contingent. The loss
in killed and wounded in the terrible attack
alone amounted to 61 officers and 1,178 men—

one-third of the force engaged. The enormous
proportion will show the fierceness of the defence,
and the unyielding determination of the assailants.
The victory was virtually decided and Delhi won
on that day ; bub from the 14th to the 20th th•
British troops were steadily improving their
triumph. That day Delhi was their own, the
unarmed citizens and women were permitted to
leave the city, but no mercy was shown to any
armed rebel.

On the 21st the imbecile octogenarian, w1•;o
fancied that he was going to revive the glories of
the Moguls, surrendered, with his chief wifo, to
Captain HODSON, about 15 miles south of Delhi.

1 lie was spared for the tit e being, until his fate
should be decided by those in authority. Not so
his two sons and his grandson, who, on being
captured at the tomb of Humayoon, five miles
from the eity, were forthwith shot, as a striking
example to the rebels.
We have already stated the relief of Lucknow
by General HAVELOCK, but although just in the

nick of time, it was not so complete as could be

desired. A tremendous force of rebels still hovered

about the road to Cawnpore, and it was found to

be impossible to more the sick and wounded, the
women and children, numbering nearly 1,000.

The course about to be adopted was to strengthen
the garrison and leave abundant supplies,
with which there was no doubt they could

hold their own until the return of HAVELOCK

with adequate reinforcements.

Although this is

not all we could have desired, there is but little

doubt that the garrison will be able to maintain

itself, and to save the helpless fugitives and inva
lids under its protection.
Our time or space will not permit farther
comments. The ample extracts we have
made will give full information on all

points, and it will _ readily be judged that

the neck of the rebellion has been crushed,
and that few will henceforward attempt a mutiny

against those who have exhibited themselves so

rresistible, even before the arrival of 40,000

English troops now en route to the scene of

action.

Retribution measures its demands not only by
the simple magnitude of crime, but by the cost of
putting it down. The villainy of Russia is de-
fined, not only by the wickedness of her attempts
on the independence of her neighbours, but in the
thousands of noble and innocent lives sacrificed
in bringing her to justice. The blood of our sol-
diers and officers in the Crimea still loudly re-
proaches the complicity perhaps of France,
and the cowardice of England, in not appropriat-
ing the Crimea and Bessarabia to some better
power, and driving the enemy of liberty from the
Circassian shores. And retribution in India must
be measured by the cost of suppressing mutiny,
as well as by the atrocious villainies of Delhi,
Cawnpore, and Jhansi. The news by this mail
suggests thoughts for Lord PALMEaSTON and for
Lord CANNING. Not far from two thousand
loyal soldiers have been killed and wounded at
Delhi and LuekuoT. Two of our noblest gene-
rals, men whom, if surviving, the highest honours
awaited, have parted with life in the act of sup-
pressing this mutiny. Mutiny, murder, unheard-
of cruelty, and dishonours perpetrated ou the
pure, the innocent, and the helpless—all indeed
for unsparing punishment on all the guilty—but
that is not all, we must include in the deserts of
mutiny what is due to a crime which costs thou-
sands of noble and loyal lives to put it down.
Mutiny is for the sad reasons brought us by
the last telegrams, the most awful of crimes.
Rarely does society lase the lives of any of its
members in punishing theft, fraud, perj and
even violence, and murder itself. But the intole-
rable guilt of mutiny, of persistent mutiny, is seen
in the precious blood just shed to suppress it. It
is impossible that arms can be entrusted to bodies
°E men, (ccept under the severest penalties for
the abuse of them. A standing army without the
sternest laws would be worse to live with than a
volcano or a mine. The first condition of mili-
tary service is to obey the commands of those who
pay it. Desertion is a fraud on the State, which,
if general, might be fatal to its safety, but re-
bellion, armed rebellion of those who are
armed only to preserve the peace, must issue in

the subversion of Government or in the death of
many of those wh o rally to its preservation.
It is from no m. ere impulse of indignation, in
itself commendable, that we have demanded, and
do demand punishment in cool blood which shall
not be easily forgotten. Punishments which shall
make intelligible to Asiatics, what we think of the
most hideous of crimes, that of armed men turn-
iug on those who arm them. It is the crime of
all crimes which makes it certain that the inno-
cent, the noble and self-sacrificing Ministers of
Justice shall perish—and perish by the hands of
the guilty. NEILL and NICHOLSON, and their
soldiers, stied their blood in battle with the worst
of villains. British mothers, and sisters, and or-
phans must deplore many a_beloved husband and
brother, and parent, because the Sepoys were un-
provoked mutineers. We do not want vengeance
—vengeance for its own sake, but to spare life we
demand life. To spare the lives of future NEILLS
and NICHOLSONS and British soldiers, we demand
that an example, which shall not be forgotten till
thorough civilisation pacifies ladia, be made in the
present case. It will, indeed, require courage and
firmness. Courts Martial and Civil Courts wilt
naturally hesitate at doing deliberately, what the
same persons in the heat of battle would never
have shrunk from. But justice must not quail
at her duty.

We own, as we have owned before, that the
very fact of some having been guilty of mutiny in
its simplest form, only while others who have been
seducers of their fellows, or murderers, and worse
than murderers, or abettors and approving specta-
tors of crime, or guilty of firing on British troops,
may properly furnish an occasion for punishing
less severely those who merely mutinied, and still
more any who can show that they were compelled
to follow their commander. Justice will be all
the more efficient if discriminating, while it will
be less onerous to British humanity. But, two
things appear to us indispensable. One, that no
voluntary mutineer, in such a crisis as this, should
escape without some, we should say, severe punish-
ment—slavery for life should attest that those
who abused the trust of deadly weapons had com-
mitted a crime never to be wholly expiated—the
ether, that no length of time should confer impu-
nity for the crime of mutiny. Mr. LAYARD, if
we remember rightly, first pointed out the effect
)f this principle, especially on the minds of men
It once fatali,ts and profound in cunning. Even
escaped mutineers will then retain a gloomy ap-
arehension of fate one day overtaking them, and
will probably be quieter in consequence.

The Bank of England returns to Wednesday
last, have been duly published, and they fully and
completely verify our statement, that the act was
suspended not to save the people, but to save the
Bank of England, and that we declared would be
manifested on the publication of the returns.
Well, it has been so manifested. The stock of
bullion in both departments has been reduced to
7,170,5081., showing a decrease of 1,327,272/,
since the previous week. This is far less than the
lowest amount to which the bullion was
reduced in October, 1847. But this is by no
means the worst part of the case. The reserve
of notes on Wednesday evening stood at only
957,7101.! the reduction within the week being a
diminution of 1,197,6051. This 957,7101. was in
fact all that remained to the Bank for the payment
of their enormous liabilities, and if any one had
called for a single pound beyond that money the
Bank must have stopped payment. There was, ex-
. elusive of the active circulation, or notes in the hands
of the public amounting to 20,183,3551., private
deposits to the extent of 12,935,3441., public
deposits 5,314,6591., and seven day and other
bills, 853,9751. Here, then, was nu less than '
forty millions sterling, payable on demand,
and for this there was a beggarly stock
of 957,7101. ! The demand for the Scottish
banks would bare exhausted this amount, and
had it not been for the Government letter, the Old
Lady's doors would probably have been closed
this day. We repeat then, that we do not thank
the Government for their tardy concession which
was forced on them, and which was deferred un-

til the last possible moment. Let it not, then, be
pretended that it was to save the commercial
and manufacturing interests from inconve-
nience. The specious falsehood is too easily
found out. The Act of 1844 has occasioned all
he mischief. It bas now been suspended for the
second time, and never again can its impolitic pro-
visions be forced on the country. We trust that
the people will not again suffer themselves to be
humbugged as in 1847. Lst them press for the
total repeal of the iniquitous code and the estab-
lishment of a circulating medium adequate to the
wants and exigencies of the nation, and to its
greatly enhanced commerce and manufactures.

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.—We believe we shall not
be far wrong its anticipating that Parliament will meet
on the let or 3d of December.—Morning Post.
THE SIAMESE AMBASSADORS.-1110 exact time of the
visit of the ambassadors to Windsor is not fixed, but it
is expected to take place in the course of a week. Last
night the ambassadors, accompanied by a numerous
suite, visited the Royal Colosseum.
PASSENGERS FROM CALCETTA.—rae following pas-
sengers have been brought by the Hiadostan from Cal-
cutta :—Mrs. Philiotti, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Ballard,
Miss Grahame, Mrs. Brooks, Mrs. Cookoyn, Mrs.
Paske, Captain Hallard, Mr. Couyon, Mr. Sc. Aubyne
and two children, Mr:. Robinson and two children,
Rev, and Mrs. Mike, Mrs. Garrett and two chil-
dren, Major and Mrs. M'CArthy, Mrs. Crozier
and child, Captain Richards, Mr. Spry, Mrs.
Siierer and two children, Captain Holmes, Lieutenant
Powell, Mrs. Coote, Mr. J. Kimber, Mr. R. Browne,
Mr. A. Hall, from Madras, Rev. C—, jun., Mrs.
Cublet and children, Mr. May, Mr. Smith, Mrs. Browne
and child from Hong Kong, Mr. Tott, Mr. Barrett, Mr.
Heywood, Mr. Somerville, Captain H Oland, Com-
mander Tomlet, Mr. Jones, Lieutenant St. John, Mr.
Slaney, Mr. Callett from Singapore, Mr. Elhreckt, Mr.
Hagndron from Manilla, Mr. and Mrs. Eicalina and
children, Mr. Hadrey, Penang, Captain Milloorce,
Galle, Captain David, Mr. Steward, Gower.
TROOPS FOB INDIA.—PLYMOUTH, Friday.—The em-
barkation of the 94th Regiment was completed
and the Austria will sail for India to-morrow.

Tux INDIAN MAILS.—The Calcutta portion of the
mails will not arrive at the Post-office until late this
afternoon. It is to be feared that the Marseilles portion
of the Australian mails is missing, having been pLt into
a despatch-boat off Suez. on the occasion of the Eaten
getting on shore in the lied Sea.
THE EXPECTED OVERLAND INDIA MAIS —Yesterday
afternoon, the Post-office authorities ordered the mail
picket Prince Frederick William to proceed from Dover
to Boulogne, on the special service of conveying to
Dover this morning the overland mail from Bombay.
This mail left Maraeil!s at 10 p.m. Thursday, a❑d
Paris 730 p.m. ye-terday. The Prince Frederick
William embarked the mail at Boulogne about
1.15 this morning, and a special South-E,astern

Railway train waiting at Dover for the boat will bring
too mail to Lon,lon by about half-past five o'clock,
if the railway train runs at the same excellent speed as
oa the previous special occasions. After landing the
Bombay mail at Dover, the mail packet will go back to
Boulogne, and wait for the arrival at that port of the
overland CalcuttWrnail. This mail 1-ft Marseilles at 10
o'clock yesterday morning, will arrive in Paris about six
o'clock thi-, morning, and come down to Boulogne most
likely by special train. Should it be so despatched, the
mail will reach Boulogne by about 11.30 a.m., Dover
1.30 p.m., and the General Post-office before 4 o'clock
thi4 afternoon.

CoM)n FAILURES.—The suspension has occurred
of the respectabh; firm of Draper, Pictroni, and Co.
Their ',winless was connected chiefly with Italy and
Itns,in, and their liaWlities are estimated at about
300,000/. Of this sum, however, a considerable portion
—perhaps half—consists of letters of credit granted to
houses of high standing, who will doubtless at once
withdraw them.—The suspension of Messrs. Bowman,
Grinnell, and Co., of Liverpool, engaged in the New
York trade, has been announced. It Is stated that is
will be only temporary.—Messrs. R. Bainbridge and
Co , in the American trade, have also *typed, but their
liabil tee on this side are thought not to exceed 30,0001.
or 40,0001.—The suTension of Munro, Grant, and Co.,
timber merchants, at S vatisea, and of S%eegman and
Co., manufacturers, at Nottingham, was mentioned
yesterday iu letters from those places.