The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-07 00:00:00

CONVEYANCE OF TROOPS i 0 INDIA.

Towards the end of April 3,270 Turkish soldiers.
bound to the Hedjaz, crossed the desert to Suez, in
five detachments, which started on five successive
days. They were conveyed by railway to No. 8
Station, and thence by easy daily marches they
reached Suez, in five days from the time of starting.
As soon as the desire of the English Government to
send troops across the Isthmus to India was inti-
mated to the Pacha of Egypt, he expressed his
eagerness to afford every possible facility to their
transit. As 1,200 Turkish soldiers were on one
occasion forwarded in the way we have mentioned,
it is obvious that 1,000 English soldiers might have
beensta Station
conversanton
to
withoo. forwardedsBueb zydEa:ra
daily lyyipml
railway,
y, theehh of 12 same manner, at any
time since the news of the Bengal mutiny reached
England. As is stated in a letter of one thoroughly
of this day, the troops could have been carried to
and
nh a
pdc
milesalcould
s i
hn a
pvoeeur diem,r
issuethence
advanced
tents having been pitched and kitchens placed pre-
viously at the end of each march for sleep and food.
Our correspondent states further, that at any time
since the outbreak in India, " with no other con-
veyance than the mail steamers coming to Suez, 700
men could have each month been placed in Calcutta,
400 in Bombay, and 300 in Ceylon. These last
could have been taken on to Bombay by the China
steamers calling at Point de Galle twice a month,
and these troops have been placed in India without
inconvenience to the passenger traffic, and without
the withdrawal of a single steam transport from the
Indian Government." Acclimatised troops were
stationed at Gibraltar, Malta, and Corfu, the greater
part of which might safely have been despatched at
once, as the profound state of peace in Europe ren-
ders any danger to these stations from a Coup de
main, before their substitutes arrived, out of the
question. Of course it would only have been the
first batch of men that would have been dependent
on the ordinary means of conveyance from Suez,
for it is well known that Lord Elphinstone had
steam transports ready to despatch to Suez as soon
as he should hear that troops were to be sent Over-
land to India.
The first mail that brought intelligence of the
mutiny in Bengal, brought also an expression of
opinion from every Englishman in India—with the
sole exception of the Governor-General and the
Council—that troops ought immediately to be de-
spatched from England by the Overland route.
The Directors of the E ist India Company urged
the Home Government to forward reinforcements
without loss of time by the overland route. In the
press and in Parliament, Ministers were implored
to send off troops by the overland route. All was
unavailing. Mr. Vernon Smith laughed, and said
the disturbances in Bengal were quite trifling, and
would probably die out of themselves before troops
Gould reach India from England ; Lord Palmerston
and his colleagues agreed that it was quite sufficient
to send reinforcements to India by the longest road,
and by any means of conveyance that could be pro-
cured with the least exertion and at the cheapest
rate.
What has been the consequence 4 On th e Gth of
October the officer commanding at Cawnpore tele-
graphed to the Chief of the Staff at Calcutta—
"Communication between Cawnpore and I =know
only by Gould, and Yory unoortaiu," On au) lei of

[Pitioß 4D. S TAmpED 5D.]

October the Commander-in-Chief telegraphed to
Captain Peel, at Allahabad, "In the course of
about a week there will be a continuous stream of
troops, at the rate of about 90 a day, pouring into
Allahabad, which. I trust will not cease for the
next three months." On the 2d of October Sir Jas.
Outram had contrived to smuggle a brief message
out of Lucknow, which was at once transmitted
from Cawnpore to Calcutta by telegraph. In it we
read :—" The insurgents are too strong to admit
of withdrawing from this garrison. . . . Two
additional brigades, with powerful field artillery,
would be required to withdraw the garrison or re-
duce the city." On the 2d of October, Sir James
Outram was convinced that nothing could be done
at Lucknow to ensure the safety of the garrison
(with its " sick, wounded, women, and children,
amounting to 1,000"), before the arrival of two
additional brigades with a powerful field artillery.
On the 4th of October the Commander-in-Chief was
of opinion that, "in the course of about a week,"
troops would begin to arrive at Allahabad at the
rate of ninety men a day. At this rate, when would
the two brigades, with their powerful field artillery,
be assembled at Cawnpore ? Tile heart sickens
when the condition of the garrison at Lucknow is

thought of. It is impossible to say when two
brigades may be mustered at Cawnpore to advance
upon Lueknow. And the reason of the delay is the
paucity of European troops in India. But that the
European soldiers in India are so few that these
two brigades could not be assembled at Cawnpore
long before the beginning of October, is °wino.
solely to the callous levity with which Lord Pal-
merston and his colleagues refused to lend an car
to the united voices of our countrymen in India, of
the East India Directors, and of the people of Eng-
land speaking through the press and Parliament,
utging,them to send reinforcements to India by the
overland route. It the garrison nt Lucknow are
to share the fate of the garrison at Cawnpore their
blood will rest on the heads of Lord Palmerston
and his colleagues. For every man, woman, and
child that dies in consequence of the unnecessary
delay in relieving Lucknow, Lord Palmerston and
his colleagues are responsible.
And yet with this awful truth staring them in
the face, Lord Palmerston's subservient Parliament
seem well disposed to maintain an unbroken silence
on the subject of India till February. Lord
Palmerston tells them that when they meet again
in February ho will have measures for the future
government of India to lay before them. That
is not the immediate question. How India is to
be governed in future may be discussed at leisure ;
the present duty of Parliament is to inquire whe-
ther everything has been done that the existing
administrative arrangements of India admit of, to
relieve our endangered countrymen there ? and
if not, why not ! With the facts which we
have recounted, showing the ease with which
reinforcements might have been despatched
across the Isthmus of Suez, and the indolent
apathy with which Ministers failed to avail them-
selves of that route, it is impossible not to enter-
tain the conviction that Ministers have not done
for the relief of our countrymen in India what it
was their duty, and what they had ample means at
their disposal to do. There is not a bereaved family
in England that is not filled with rage and grief at
this conviction. There is not an Englishman at
present on the Continent who is not galled and
irritated by incessant taunts at the incapacity and
apathy of the English Government in regard to the
Indian mutiny. A fierce spirit is kindling in the
breasts of the English people that may ere long
prove fatal, not only to Ministers, but to any servile
Parliament that may venture to interpose between
them and the nation's wrath. It will be dangerous
for Parliament to adjourn before the conduct of
our rulers with reference to the Indian mutiny has
been fully and fearlessly discussed.

BRITISH OFFICIALS IN EGYPT-DETEN-
TION OF THIS AUSTRALIAN MAIL.

The following letter has been addressed to the
editor of the Daily News:—
Sir,—Of what benefit to the commercial world
has been the speedy passage of the good ship Simla
Here still lie her mails, nor can they go forward till
the Tamar shall return, whilst a little thought on
the part of tho functionaries in this land of the
Pharaohs would have placed them, or at least the
overland portion of them, near London.
--rbe .1,. SiitPZ roads
was 2 a. m. of the 20th instant, and the news of her
arrival was current in Alexandria about 11 a.m.

journey
ohita.
artgeteyotlnie
b. 1
eg:rbacym,a, 1
ninatoeool
snSi.
re oe
uzN Marseilles,askingnue zhi
vto
001
itNrtforwould
oiat .
rhi
ellea2avil
smietoamwi
tnieesodduni
rfaieotndre
ttdhihte ees-
spatch of the important portion of the mail—viz.,
Desert, and this would have left 10 hours for our
authorities to have made their arrangement for the
placing of a special train there for the conveyance of
the mail to Alexandria, for which four hours would
have more than sufficed.
Arriving at No. 12 station at 9 p.m., and allow-
ine, one hour for the unloading of the camels and
loadingi' into the railway waggons, by 10 p.m. of the
20th the train could have been on its way and would
have been due at Alexandria at six o'clock on the
morning of the 21st ; thus tie Sinila's mails might
have been shipped off from the railway jetty and
safely placed in the Vectis by 7 a.m., at which hour
(daylight) she was advertised to leave for Marseilles
with the Overland portion of the India mails
brought to Suez by the Bentinck and Madras.
If, however, more time had been necessary to
have secured the departure of the Simla's mail in
the Vectis, an hour or two of further detention
could, without difficulty, have been obtained from
the Admiralty agent ; but no appeal to him was
made, nor does it appear that the forwarding of
the mail by this opportunity ever entered the
thoughts of either Postmaster or Consul-General.
As it happened, from some delay en the part of
the transit administration, the India mails did not
reach the 'Feeds till 9 a.m., at which hour only the
vessel put to sea.
i s eho
troops
oppositerofl
isel
21
s
The cost of the special train would have been
501., no very great item for the Postmaster-
General : there was no difficulty in the way of its
hire ; the line throughout was clear, and the Vice-
roy would only have been too happy at the oppor-
tunity of rendering his railway of service to the
British public.
Unfortunately for those having correspondents
in Australia, there are no mutinous Sepoys there,
or their mails would have received more attention
in Egypt, and the special train would have been
specially applied for ; as it is, the detention must
be regarded as the reward of loyalty. Of what im-
portance during the existing monetary crisis are
the bills of lading for the 300,0001. brought to Suez
by the Simla ?—the bills of lading of remittances
via the Cape, the advices of future remittances and
the commercial prospects in the colonies ? Of none
in the eyes of the English employes in this country ?
Such is the apathy and indifference of British
officials out of England. Ask who is to blame ?
The postmaster will tell you that the demand for a
special train for the conveyance of a mail does not
come within his province, but is a matter for the
higher representative ; ask the consul-general, and
he will say the postmaster did not make applica-
tion ; and by this red-tapeism the unfortunate
public is sacrificed.
Much more use, you may be assured, would have
been made of this route for the conveyance of
troops to India had its facilities been better known
by the authorities at home.
Since February last, 1,000 men per day might
have been passed through. The troops would have
been carried by railway to opposite No. 7 station.
in the Desert, and the remaining 50 miles to Suez
would have been done by daily marches of about
12 miles, tents being pitched and kitchens placed
at the end of each March for sleep and food. The
entire transit from Alexandria to Suez would have
occupied five days.
8, and as the line progressed so would
dimi-
nishing
distance,have been carried by it the longer
Inon Maytl;e It7ht
lei roafi lAw
pa
ryi i w,
the marching and time of transit.
bound
troNoloe's
for the Iledjaz crossed the Desert ; 91316 : e
ti )
1,200 ; on the 22d, GOO ; on the 23d, 6 2 onthe
station by railway, and thence marched to Suez in
marches of about the distance before named.
Since the outbreak in India, with no other con-
veyance than the mail steamers coining to Suez,
was
s4oi in
Turkish
24th, 194. They were conveyed toopposite No. 8
700 men could have each month been placed in
route
a a e
nsub-
mitted Calcutta, 400 in Bombay, and 300 in Ceylon.
oftironisitloi, and these
the
These last could have been taken on to Bombay by
China steamers of the Oriental Company call-
troops have been placed in India without ngwithdrawal
a Indian Government.
t Poiut
de a
The
Gallosingle twice
steam a month,
transport from
incon-
venience
fa facilities i ttilel es
ofp a thesse nge r tr a
nfillye, d
havenwithout
been
h
to the authorities at home, and it is to be
hoped they were ; but when the indifferent rail-
way between Cairo and Suez with which the British
public has been saddled is taken into consideration,
tlact iwperfect transit, and the little influence ex-

• •
The Gazette of last Friday publishes a number of
documents, most of which have already appeared in
Our Columns. They consist of despatches from the
from
General Officers iu command inlndia, giving offi-
cial details of actions with the enemy, some as far
back as July last.- As a record this number of the
Gazette is most interesting.- It gives Brigadier-
General's report of the Sealkote mutiny, Major
will be read Eyre's- report from Jugdispore, with Captain
L'Estrange's communications, and an official list
be-
fore Delhi during the siecre.
dWwilsitoini ofiflttehreesktille.asd
ia.tandaws
notoun wounded
The following despatch from Colonel Greathed
ap-
peared in extenso :

s ir,Assistant Lieutenant-Colonel
ishtaavnettAhdei
hu
toEani. G h
lotu.ur
rreetnaote,r
aaed acquaint
tou the
aitit Delhi.yDeputy
GenAergara O
l
the information of the M"ajCoarmP
- Cocmt.omula,ll.lfdor.
ing, that, in consequence of urgent letters from
Agra, I marched from Hattrass at 6 p.m. on the
9th, carrying the European Infantry on elephants
and carts, and encamped on the Brigade Parade-
ground at this place about 8 a.m. Yesterday at
half-past ten my camp was suddenly attacked in the
front and found the artillery getting into action,
and H. Al.'s 9th Lancers in the saddle. 1 proceeded
myself with H.M.'s Bth Itegt., and the 4th Punjab
Infantry to the right flank, for the purpose of dis-
lodging the enemy and taking their guns, which
were raking our camp. On the way I took with me
the Ist, 2d, and sth Punjab cavalry, extending the
infantry iu skirmishing order with their supports.
I took the cavalry to the open space near the Euro •
pear infantry barracks, with directions to move as
circumstances would permit. The 9-pounder Agra
battery had by this time come up. I advanced them
in support of the infantry on the road leading from
the Artillery parade-ground to the Dholepore road,
and the skirmishers advanced and cleared the com-
pounds to their front. The Punjab Cavalry, under
Lieut. Watson, had then the opportunity of mak-
ihg. a most gallant ebaree; driving off the enemy's
..,,PrApturine, four guns. After this the
rebels made no stand on the right, but the left con-
tinued to be hotly engaged, and the enemy's Sowars
advanced with great determination on the guns, one
of which was disabled from its gunners having been
cut down, and for the moment in the possession of
the enemy. It was, however, instantly recaptured,
and the 9th Lancers charged the Sowars and drove
them from the field. I regret to say that two most
excellent officers, Lieuts. French and Jones, were
wounded, the former mortally, and I fear that
little hode can be entertained of the recovery of
Lieut. Jones. I advanced during this time on
the Dholepore road, capturing guns as we went
on, and the 9th Lancers and Artillery, sup-
ported by the 7th and 2d Punjab Infantry, ad-
vanced on the left, taking four guns on their way.
The whole line now moved to the front, the Pun-
jab Cavalry, as usual, performing most excellent
service on the flanks till we reached a village three
miles hence, where we halted for a short time, the
whole of the enemy being then in full flight. We
were now joined by the 3d. Europeans, and. Colonel
Cotton, commanding at Agra, came up and took
command of the whole of the troops. The enemy's
camp was descried about two miles in advance, and
we marched upon it, the road strewed in all direc-
tions with baggage and carts ; the infantry was
ordered to halt at the camp, and the cavalry and
artillery pursued. the enemy to the Kharee Nuddee,
ten and a half miles from Agra. The enemy had
crossed the river before we reached it, leaving be-
hind him all his guns, a return of which is attached.
The artillery fired grape and round shot at the re-
treating enemy across the river, with good effect.
The country all round was covered with fugitives,
of whom a large number were cut up ; they have
all now crossed the Kharee Nuddee. After a short
halt we returned to camp, and the captured guns
were all brought in during the night. I have not
been able to estimate the enemy's number, as, in
addition to the Indore force, and the Neemuch aad
the Nusseerabad brigades, Sepoys were found
killed belonging to the 16th Grenadiers, Hurrianah
Light Infantry, Gwalior Contingent, and several
others. The whole country as far as one could see
was covered with fugitives, but of these many were
probably camp followers and rabble. I have never
seen such a rout, and had our artillery and cavalry
been fresh few would have crossed the Kharee Nud-
dee, but they had. marched 41. miles in less than
30 hours before arriving at Agra. It is impossible
tc say too much of the excellent conduct of the
whole of the troops, officers, and men, and I trust
it will meet with the approbation of the Major-
General comm,2 'Ai no, the Field Force at Delhi.
•- tt is my intention as soon have been
joined by the detachment now on its way from
Delhi, to proceed towards Futtyghur, with a view
of effecting a junction with Gen. Havelock's force,
subject to the approbation of General Penny.
"I have, Src.,
"E. H. GREATHED, Lieutenant-Colonel,
Commanding Moveable Column."

SHORT TIME IN NORTH AND EAST

LANCASFIIRE.

Since our last notice of the conditions
of manufacturing industry at Preston,
Mr. It. Goodair, of the Springfield
Mill, has commenced full time, as also have Messrs.
Birley Brothers. Messrs. Napier and Goodair have
likewise started the Wellington Mill 10 hours per
day, and it is expected that the rest of their estab-
lishments will shortly be started on full time. These
facts are cheering at the present crisis, and indica-
tive of brightening prospects for our staple trade.
The inhabitants of Preston are generally in good
spirits notwithstanding the depressionwhich exists ;
and the prevailing opinion is that the crisis has
arrived at its culminating point, and that henceforth
improvement must be looked for, and at no remote
period great prosperity. It may be interesting to
mention the tact that since the opening of the soup
kitchens 530 gallons of soup have been distributed
daily. The supply is not equal to the demand, and
preparations are being made for increasing the
quantity. The overlookers of the various factories
formed a relief fund about six months ago, and the
sum in hand has been very opportune during the
present distress. Upwards of 801. have been distri-
buted among the needy members of that body. In
Blackburn there are numerous signs of amendment,
At the yarn-market held on Wednesday last there
was great animation, and a considerable amount of
business was done. The yarn-market at Blackburn is
attended by the principal spinners and manufacturers
in these parts of Lancashire. One report states—
" The tone of feeling is decidedly improved, in con-
sequence of the brightening prospect which is open-
ing up in the country generally. On Friday three
mills started full time—viz., Messrs. Rodgett and
Brierley's Messrs. Forrest Brothers, and Mr. W.
Dickinson's. The iron and building trades are
greatly depressed, and handloom weaving is nearly
at a stand still. In Burnley and a circuit of
three miles there are between 70 and 80 factories,
of which six are stopped altogether, and 12 are run-
ning full time, the rest being on short time. The ac-
counts from Accrington, Clayton-le-Moors, Great
Harwood, and Darwen are very satisfactory, all
things considered. It is perhaps as well briefly to
give the facts, so that any misapprehension may be
removed with regard to the supposed extent of the
distress in the manufacturing districts. There are
about 23 mills in and about Accington, and 10 are
running full time. Two only are stopped, and the
rest are either short time or part full and part short
time. There is every probability of several of the
latter running full time entirely. There are_ 16
establishments in Clayton-le-Moors and Great Har-
wood carrying on calico printing and the cotton
manufacture. Of these 11 are running full time,
two are idle, and the rest are running six or eight
hours a-day. There are 38 mills in Darwen, 22 of
which are rnnningfull time, including the extensive
concerns of Eccles, Thorrock, and Co., cotton ma-
nufacturers, and Messrs. C. Potter and Co., paper
makers. Two or three are closed, and the rest are
on short time. At Clitheroe there are four mills,
e proposed
there
that signs
no of
steps b
at
tw oNoefwvic areto runningdevdevise
e 10
meansh ooufr
earl-
edvaiyn,
gatnhde thedidis-
tressed others four days and three days a-week respectively.
hurch
In the lto
im-
provement, and last week, at a meeting convened
tressed operatives, Mr. Charles Patrick, foundry
inspector,
l e
district
a amendment
n
taken. denied that the district was in the dis-
tressed stat e alleged. The
woollen mills were work-
ing full time, and there had been no increase in the
number of beggars at his house. The amendment
was carried. The preceding results apply to Colne
and other districts, concerning which it is needless
to enter into details. Upon the whole, the prospects
of the cotton trade are brightening, and the severity
of the crisis seems to be pas_

t.covmtitetnetd,
three nights
y, was entered
neitasolf(giionyt
which ist' situated in the centre of the most populous
part of the town, and the street before which is one of
through one of the windows, and the thieves, proceeding
to the vestry, stole nearly all the sacred vessels, which
i 1
Blois.daring ---
The sa
cr
churchile ge
of was
S
were in silver. They got clear off with their booty, and
no clue to them has yet been obtained. It is supposed
that they arrived and left by night trains, and that they
are part of a night band. which, for some time past, has
great traffic, since it leads to the railway,
been robbing churches in the department of the Loiret•