The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-04 00:00:00

Sleeman and Captain Shakspeare, been paid up their
arrears.

LAHORE.

Now that the eyes of the public of India have been
withdrawn from the late conflicts and arrangements at
G-walior, they are again naturally directed to the Pun-
jaub, where dissension and disorder are in the ascendant
in every part of the countr. The brother Rajahs of
Jumboo, Goolab Singh and Suehet Singh, after plunder-
ing the royal treasury during their short visit to the
capital of almost all it contained, and then retiring to
their mountaia fastnesses, have shown no sign of
interfering in the government, but are quietly pre-
paring themselves for the time when the powerful
empire of Runjeet Singh shall fail to pieces, and
they will have the long-coveted opportunity of de-
claring themselves independent of the throne of
Lahore. Of the prospects of Peshawur we have al-
ready spoken. Dewan Sawun Mull, the Governor of
Mooltan, who has been strengthening himself ever since
the death of Runjeet Singh, has nearly shaken off the
yoke, and Rajah Heera Singh is in no condition to re-
impose it, with a refractory soldiery whom he can at
present control only by means of large sums distributed
amongst them at every feast, review, or occasion of the
kind.

Two remarkable instances have lately occurred. The
first in regard to the -mutinous battalions which returned
from Peshawur. On their approach to Lahore the Mi-
nister sent orders to them to disband themselves, but so
far from obeying, they entered the cantonments of the
troops formerly under the command of General Avita-
bile, and received from them assurance of assistance in
the attainment of their object, i. e. payment of arrears
and increase of future pay to the extent enjoyed by the
other troops ; and to this day they remain at Lahore un-
punished, though they have not succeeded in obtaining
their pay. The second occurred on the 25th January,
when the officers of the Sikh troops assembled, and after
consultation proceeded to the Minister and informed him
that unless Maharajah Dhulleep Singh was formally in-
stalled and recognised by him, Heera Singh, as his sove-
reign, they would look out for another Wuzeer. They
succeeded in extorting a promise from him, that the cere-
mony should be performed on the 2d of February, and
on that day a great durbah was held, at which all
the chiefs were present, and at which the boy king
took his seat as Sovereign of the Punjaub, receiving
the homage of all the assembled Sirdars. Previous to
this circumstance being known, letters were received
in Delhi, from Ferozepore, communicating the not im-
probable intelligence of the young Maharajah having
fallen a victim to some intrigue, and of a consequent col-
lision both at Lahore and Kussoor, a station opposite
Ferozepore, in which many lives were lost. The report
proved unfounded, and not having ourselves received
auy direct confirmation of the rumour (though we con-
sidered it might be correct), we had hesitated to believe
in the truth of the statements made. A victory over
Futteh Khan Tawana, in the trans-Indian province of
Tank, had been confirmed, and a brother of that chief
himself taken prisoner in an attempt to pass over to
Mooltan, whither he was sent to obtain aid from Dewan
Sawun Mull. Payments to a large amount had been
made to the troops at Peshawur, no doubt to prevent
the chance of their following the mutinous example of
the Ram Gol Battalion, and for the time a lull has taken
place, but how long it will last, and what may be its
result, it is impossible to say. Heera Singh is continuing
immense military preparations, tending, it is firmly be-
lieved, to resist an aggression on our part of which he is
in daily fear. As signs of coming events, and of the
intention of Lord Ellenborough to return to the upper
provinces, to carry out his plans in regard to the Pun-
jaub, it is stated that the Body Guard will remain at
Benares during the approaching hot season, and that
the marching establishment of the Governor-General's
camp has, as was the case on his Lordship's return to
the capital last year, been directed to be kept up in a
state of preparation.