The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-08 00:00:00

RIFLED CANNON.

The difference between the action of the Ameri-
can and English governments in similar circum-
stinces is strikingly evinced in their dealings with
military matters. Both nations are naturally in-
clined rather to agriculture, commerce, and manu-
factures, than to war, and in America especially
the army and navy are generally avoided by native
Americans.

Even th© splendid vessels recently sent to our
shores, as much, perhaps, for the purpose of dis-
play as from any particular necessity, and in which,
if anywhere, American citizens would be likely to
lie foun2l, contain a very large proportion of fo-

reigners.
The American army is stated to be still more de-
pendent on extraneous aio.

The abundance of emp'oyment suited to every
temperament is, it appears, a sufficient reason for
the avoidance of professions in which the rewards
can never equal the risks, even in a country which
contains a large proportion of men more familiar
with the use of arms than other civilised com-
munity._

Yet: in face of these difficulties, or possibly in
consequence of them, the American navy is con-
tinually advancing, the " Constitution" is super-
saltid by the "Niagara," heavy guns are taken out
of these vessels, to be replaced by others of still
more unwieldy strength, and this gots on whoever
occupies the White House, and whether the ad-
ministration is composed of whigs or democrats,
while we in England are content to follow
humbly behind, not daring to initiate, too
happy to exhibit an abject and monkey-like imita-
tion of others. For example, the steam-engine,
as applied to navigation, is emphatically the work of
English brain and science, but no argument or
consideration could induce the English Admiralty
to apply it to the purposes of the navy until Louis
Philippe brought the Gorner to Portsmouth. Again,
rifled muskets were offered to the Ordnance-office,
as they have since admitted, twenty years ago, but
only to be spurned ; and no notice was taken of
ihem until long after the French had adopted them
in their army, and their introduction had been
strenuously advocated by the British press. Yet
their use we are indebted for the brilliant victory
of the Alma, "Alma e felice," and to them we owe
the fact that the surprise of Inkermann was not
followed by a fatal issue, and the glorious struggle
of the " soldier's battle" did not end in annihila-
tion and defeat. The order that no soldier shall be
sent tolndia unless armed with and practised in the
use of the Enfield rifle is, perhaps, due to the
circumstance that the Commander-in-Chief is
one of the survivors of Inkermann—if so, that one
i resolution will go far to redeem the losses of that
dreadful day, and possibly in time lead to the con-
clusion that it might be well to have a practical
man at the head of some other departments of the
state. The odds against the British soldier in India
are in the eyes of reflecting persons sufficiently
great. Some of these disadvantages are the dis-
tance from home, the climate, the possession of for-
tified cities by a mutinous army, trained and in-
structed in our own methods of fighting, supplied
with cannon and ammunition in more than Eastern
profusion, and supported by the latent if not open
sympathy of 100 millions of their countrymen. But
these odds are increased when men in power can
be found to assert, in the face of the country,
and act on the assertion, that reinforcements
sent in sailing vessels will make the voyage to
India as quick, or quicker, than steamvessels ;
when, but for their opposition, both field and horse
artillery would now have cannon as superior in
range and power to those in use at present as the
Enfield rifle is to the old musket. Take one in-
' stance only : the so-called siege of Delhi makes no
progress because, according to the artillery officer
in command, the guns are useless at 1,500 yards—
the range of a rifle gun would be 4,000.
If noble lords and right hon. gentlemen were to
go out to battle themselves, they would be entitled
so carry what weapons they pleased, but when top
send others they are morally bound to see that
severyerticohna nocfe
tihs e
igri vl
ievne
st. o tThoo swe
lofut hlleyrswfiotrh
htohled pre
any
weapon, offensive or defensive, is to take part with
the enemy, and even on economical grounds is
utterly indefensible, for no munition of war is at
the present time, or is likely to be in future, so
valuable as the life of a British soldier.—From
Correspondent.

ACCIDENT.—A. melancholy accident took place at the
camp of Chalons a few days since. A troop horse in a
cart, used for the conveyance of gravel, not having been
well broken in to draught work, became restive and ran
off. Mlle. Bode, a young shop woman of Chalons, who
happened to be near the spot, not having time to get
out of the way, was knocked down by the shaft of the
cart and mortally injured. Another girl and a young
man, who were with her, both threw themselves into a
ditch by the roadside and escaped with only a few
bruises. On hearing of the accident, the Baihpearomr,
.
accompanied by one of his physicians, went to
et
_,B
and
bulance to which the sufferers had been
.c_otnhveeLd
tro-
ordered that every attention should be ayi
aforrttuwnearteeulya,aliensat,haeacassheeodf
household
efforts ofe
hours. On th
ta of the
ieMdllien. 800
fd.;ive, pa
s Majestyt to acquire in.
following day a person belongingi o
Emperor came on the part of li•
formation as to the
position of theof the deceased.
family
vil TERN CONTINENT.—Livm-
EMIGRATION TO THE —NS _
POOL, Wednesday.—Two first class screw steamships
take their departure
for the Western Continent this fore-
soon, the Montreal ocean steam ship North American,
Captain Grange,
with the Canadian Mails for Quebec ;
and ~,
the Sangar", Captain Jeffrey, belonging to the
Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia Company, for
New York. The Kangaroo carries a sealed mail. Both
vessels are filled with passengers and cargo.

THE INDIAN MUTINIES.

CALCUTTA.

=TRACT -FROM A JOURNAL KEPT BY A RESIDENT IN
CALCUTTA FROM 9TH to 22D AUG.
Aug. 9.—Her Majesty's fillip Shannon arrives ; said
to have a reinforcement of 1,700 men, in reality she has
300 marines, but the wbele of. her crew is to be made
available for defence of Calcutta. Bentinck, which was
to have been despatched to-morrow, is ordered to be
kept back. Numerous armed bodies of men are hovering
about Calcntta, it is supposed not less than 70,000 men,
exclusive of those known to be hiding in the town, and
a large number of cavalry.
Aug. 10—Lords Canning and Elgin meet in consulta-
tion, the result is said to be this : that two things are
ordered to be done which no entreaty or persuasion could
wring from our governor, viz.: first, compulsory enlist.
ment in the militia of all able-bodied Christians ' • and
secondly, disarming of all Bengal soldiery still allowed
to be armed—both of these much wanted.
The Sepoys, horse and foot, who have remained steady,
bays done so with the object of killing more officers, or
doing more mischief hereafter. This is found out before
Delhi, where the Sikhs, seeing our officers falling, keep
an eye upon and discover the traitors. Large meetings
of armed
_natives continue to be held in Calcutta • the
_ _

native police will take no notice of this. The European
Inspectors say no breach of the inane has been com-
mitted and they cannot interfere. Mr. Waucbope, chief
commissioner of police, is an East India Company's civil
servant, and notoriously hostile to all European adven-
turers. The native police-speak their minds putty freely
to the Madras troops, four of whom are arrested, and
fined for nothing. No notice is, however, to be taken

of the seditious language used by the police.
CP.ptain Peel, of her Majesty's ship Shannon, is to lead
an expedition of 400 men to Allahabad, taking up a for-
midable battery ; he will have to fight his way, for no
steamer can ever stop to wood and water without risk

of being tired upon.
Aug 11—Lord Cenning,afterhaving been worried since
Mar, consents to take into consideration the propriety
of having the Fort victualled and put in order for recep
tion of the Christian population in case of necessity.
This has been done at Madras some time ago—here we
think, there they do a thing.
Hazareebaugh plundered and burnt.
Gya burnt and destroyed. Alonzo Money, Civil Ser-
vice, and another gentleman, carry off the Government
treasure, 900,000 rupees, fighting hard for it; the former
kills five men with his own hand.
The siege of Agra, capital of the north-west, is a fact;
full particulars of a fight outside the walls reach ue It
lasted over two hours, and if better led our side would
have won the day; as it was they had to retire into the
fort and were deuced near being cut off; the mutineers,
infantry, cavalry, and artillery were well lei. On our side
the Government office clerks, and other Europeans and
Christians, hastily drilled and formed into a regiment,
behaved admirably, and seflered heavily in kiiled.
Government order the Bentinck, and each succeeding
steamer, to prepare for carrying troops on her return
voyage from Suez.
Mr. Halliday, Lieut.-Governor of Bengal puts a Mue•
sulman into a magistracy with a salary of 1,500 rupees a
month. The man is as bitter against us as the rest of his
creed can be, and no European henceforth can carry on
trade, or own land in that district. The gentleman by
bribes and exactions will probably make not less than
10,000 rupees monthly. People are open-mouthed at this
appointment.
Arrived, frigate Pearl, and private steamer Lanesfield
with more troops, detachment of her Majesty's 90th,
and Marines of her Majesty's Transit, which last has
finally succeeded in knocking a hole in her bottom in
Straits of Bence.
Aug. 12.—A horrible rumour, on native authority, of
a rising at Bangalore and total destruction of that place;
wants confirmation.
It is new ascertained that Gen. Havelock has had to
retreat upon Cawnpore, which he did with success, car-
rying with biro everything ; he was losing 60 men a day
by cholera. He has been reinforced and is at them again.
We expect to hear of another fight. The situation
of Lucknow and its brave garrison is desperate. Poor
Bankes was shot before he commanded 48 hours. That
"excellent" man Nana Sahib is before Lucknow ; he lost
40.00.000 rupees in treasure, and C. R. 54.00.000 ditto,
in Government securities of the 5 per cent. loan, which
are to be confiscated; I hope he will be caught alive.
Europeans are being enlisted in the police at Si. a month.
The consequence is no ships will get away for some time
to come ; any gentleman in her Majesty's gaol for some•
thing short of felony, may, on assuring the gaoler that he
will behave himself, be enlisted in the police, and yet
Government assert everything is going on well, and there
is not the slightest cause for apprehension. Directly a
ship drops anchor the crew thrash the mates, and per-
haps the skipper, and are sent to gaol, not to break stones,
but to have a jolly good spree on shore, and receive 51. a
month as remuneration for the same.
The question begins to be asked, where are this month's
salaries of public servants to come from? The treasury is
nearly empty, and Government have neither money nor
credit.
Everything in Calcutta up to famine price, and the
present is a joke to what must follow in consequence of
the immense tracts of country left uncultivated.
Our native servants have been all tampered with, to
murder or poison us, but have fortunately refused, some,
very few, from fidelity, most from fear. 1 hope to add
before finishing this that I have caught any hung the
emissary. My own old servant explains the reason, which
is, that if the native princes of India got the upper hand,
the native gentry would give them half the wages, and
exact from them exactly four times as much work as we
do—they do not attempt to conceal that it is the King of
Delhi, King of Oude, and Nawab of Moorshedabad who
are stirring up the present disturbance; bat there is a
great Belatee Rajah—a foreign potentate—who is at the
bottom of all. Barbarian was used to signify anything
out of Greece; so does Belatee mean anything oat of
India—and the Emperor of Russia is nu doubt the man.
Aug. 13.—Arrived the steamer Bengal, with Sir Colin
Campbell, and a delightful account of how the British
view our present troubles. Lord Ellenborough is th
only man who knows a bit about it. The plot thickens
more places are destroyed, and more treasure plundered.
Captain Peel (Her Majesty's ship Shannon) with 400
seamen and marines, start by water for Upper Provinces.
He takes a formidable battery with him. Fourteen
miles from Caleutta a ship is fired into. At last per-
mission to flog all native loiterers and lurkers about the
fort to the extent of 50 lashes is extorted from Lord
Canning, but he manfully resists (Aug. 14) seizing large
stores of arms and ammunition pointed out to him, will
not cell out the militia, will not do anything to some
hundreds of native wealthy and influential people who
have been named as haviug aided and abetted the rebel-
lion. Qaere—is this not doing likewise ? There is a
talk of disagreement already between him and Sir Colin
Campbell.
August 15—Government take the Ava to return Lord
Elgin and suite to China. There are, it is true, only
half-a-dozen East India Company's men-of-war steamers
lying idle, but Lord Elgin knows most of them are not
nsurable.
More reports of disasters in the Upper Provinces ;
hut Government reselately shut up post telegraphs, and
every source of information ; the native-post runs regu-
larly and safely. Feast India C impany's paper of the
Five per Cent. Loan seas in Leeknow at 81 per Cent.
discount. A hard nut for anyone wh) says the funds are
a sure indication of coining events.
August 16.—Matters at Raneesunge are said to be
in so unsatisfactory a state from large armed bodies
collecting and threatening the collieries, that liar
Majesty's 52d are ordered off to see what's the matter
and quiet the people ; it is supposed and hoped that they
will be back in Calcutta for the Mohurrum. This festi-
val commences on Thursday, the 20th, and from that day
the Volunteers are to be on duty, half of them by day
and half by night, for 10 days, and perhaps till the 31 of
September. In the meantime thelelacksmith opposite my
house is hard at work forging pike-heads, night and day,
in full sight of the police, and I only mention this as a
sample of what is permitted to be carried on openly in
Calcutta at such a time of danger and uucertaintf. News
is now coming in that the Irregular Cavalry, our last
stand by, are universally proving faithless, and are ac-
cordingly disarmed wherever they can be caught. Lord
Canning visits the Shannon,-moored closed alongside the
fort ; her Extra cabins are ordered to be lefs standing
natil after tho Mohnrrum, absit omen, but it looks as if
they still might possibly be wanted.
Sir Colin Campbell goes incog. into. Fort William,
and finds matters so little to his liking that—and ano-
ther officer are put under arrest. Iris said he will not be
sworn in Commander-in-Chief until he is to have his
own absolute uncontrolled will, in spite of Lord Can-
ning's fancies and weaknesses for rebels and murderers.
August 17.—Various creeks and small rivers which
run into the Hooghley are full of boat-loads of armed
men, all making fur this place, and bent on murder and
plunder. The Chief Commissioner of Police at last begins
to mistrust the native police, and is making frantic
efforts to procure Europeans. Any fool could have told
Alia the same months ago.
The festival of the Mohurrum commences the 20th
inst., and we shall see then or thereabouts what may be
coming.
I this day refused to join the Vigilance Committee,
and did my beet to dissuade others. I would like the
thing well enough if it would ply begin and end in
flogging and pickling the simLegislative Council, but the
danger is from our numerous German and other foreign-
ers, whom nothing short of blood would satisfy, add to
this, a highly exasperated Buropeansoldi
tiny, and then there is no saying what the ry would feu-
-I.es end might be.
August 18.—Lord Canning remonstra
Campbell for the row he kicked up in the forwtitha and
ceives the fi illowing answer :—" Very will, my lord, yre.ou
shall have the fort, and do what you like there, lontl
mean to remove every European soldier out of it."‘
I am mistaken in the naaie of the officer put seder ar
rest ; It was not--, but
Thank God it is a fact, the militia is to be formally
ci,lled out and embodied by compulsory enlistment. This
will give us over 3,000 Europeans and half-cisi.e armed
men, who, at all events, will make a show.
Government have received information, in a singular
manner, of all that is intended to be done in the Moher-
rum. The only fear is it may not be acted upon the
Governor-General being determined to listen to no sug-
geetions whatever. I trust, however, he will thick better
of it. Half Calcutta may be destroyed, but the n'ation
at large will team that his lordship knew it was to/hap-
pen, and with
ample means at his disposal refus'l t
make an effort evene
to avert the calamity. The i di/i-
-deal who turns informer gives one material guarant e for
his fidelity, in recommending a measure which fortu-
nately was carried into effect many (lays ago, viz. dibarm-
ing the bodyguard. They bud been suspected of treabhery
and watched ; he wrote from a great distance, and cool .1
not have known what was doing here.
August 20—Various reports of squabbles between
Lord Canning and Colin Campbell; the last not being