The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-13 00:00:00

few hours' illness, confined of a still-born son. We are happy
to add, that her Highness's recovery is going on satisfactorily.
—Scotsman.

LLQYD'S SHIPPING.

VESSELS SPOKEN liftTn.—Queen Ancona, to Pembroke, 27th alt,
off Cape St. Vincent ; Rowena, of Liverpool, 7th inst, lat. 47, lon. 8,
by the Emma, Badcock, arrived at Plymouth. Alexander Barclay,
Fish, of Bremen, 14th July, with 2,200 barrels ; Agnes Lea, bound to
the Cape of Good Hope, out one month, lat. 17 N., long 21 W., by
the Nodde, flexion, arrived in the Loire. Porcupine, of London,
from Smyrna ; Sarah, Senelle to Dublin ; and Henry the Eighth, of
Trieste, from the Mediterranean, 28th ult., off Cape St. Vincent, by.
the Mary Houghton, arrived at Falmouth. Rhoda, Leghorn to Li-
verpool, 19th ult., off Cape de Gatt ; Prowler, Leghorn to London,
22d, off Malaga ; Gipsey, of Belfast, for Malta, 27th, off Cape St.
Vincent, by the Torn Bank.% arrived at Falmouth. Empire, Ham-
burgh to New Orleans, and supplied with bread, I 1 th ult., lat. 25,
lon. 69, by the Swallow, arrived at Falmouth.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 12.
Their Lordships met at Five o'Clock.
On the motion of Lord COTTENHAM a Bill was
read a first time entitled an Act for the Amendment of
the Law of Imprisonment for Debt.
ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR laid on the table of the
House a Bill for altering the jurisdiction of Ecclesiastical
Courts.
THANKS TO SIR CHARLES NAPIER.
The Earl of RIPON, in rising to move that the thanks
of the House be presented to Sir Charles Napier, and
the officers and men under his command, said that he
should take especial care to abstain from anything
which might by possibility lead to a difference of opi-
nion, or refer in the remotest degree to any political
question. It had always been the practice, on occasions
of this kind, to pursue that course, which was recom-
mended as well by reason as by practice. He might,
however, be permitted, before he moved that the thanks
of the House be given to Sir Charles Napier, to state to
their Lordships, as briefly as he could, the grounds upon
which he thought the conduct of that gallant officer,
and the army under his command, was most de-
serving of their Lordships' applause and thanks.
He would take the liberty very shortly of de-
tailing to their Lordships the course of those
operations which had given new lustre to the mili-
tary character of that distinguished officer. It ap-
peared that in the course of the early part of last year
_Sir Charles Napier, who was in command of her Ma-
jesty's and the East India Company's forces in Sinde, was
called upon by the Governor-General to enter into cer-
tain negotiations with the Ameers of Sinde. In the course
of those proceedings he received information, upon which
information he (the Earl of Ripon) w ould offer no opi-
nion. He received information which led him to believe
that the Ameers, with whom he was about to negotiate,
were collecting troops and the means of resistance, from
which he inferred that it would become impossible for
him to bring the negotiations to a satisfactory issue
without having at hand military forces to support his
proceedings. Under these circumstances, he felt it his
duty to move from his position on the Indus at the
town of Sukkur to the town of Bukkur, in order by
this operation to disperse those forces which his
representations had failed to do. When he ar-
rived there the Ameers and their forces retired,
but he was led to believe, from information he had
received, that their dispersion did not take place, and
that a necessity might arrive for a display of force on
his part. The Ameers returned from Khyrporo,
and took another direction, and Sir Charles Napier, feel-
ing a necessity for securing his line of operation,
moved forward and secured the fort of Sukkur.
The Ameers, feeling their position was net a
secure one, retired from the position they had
taken up, and Sir Charles Napier determined to
move forward, in spite of all the difficulties which pre-
sented themselves ; and though there was a. want of
supplies, and there was great apprehension of a defi-
ciency of water, it seemed to him that Sir C. Napier, being
a man of great spirit, was not to be daunted from ofiect-
ing his march; but being at the same time a person of
great sagacity and prudence, he felt there was some
risk in effecting it, and he felt it ne-essary to guard against
the consequences which might follow. Ile, therefore,
placed an advanced force on the road to Hyderabad, the
capital of Sinde, and it was so posted as to enable the
main body to carry on their operations. His mea-
sures completely succeeded. He now felt it neces-
sary to advance further towards Hyderabad, which
was not very easy, particularly as he had reason to
believe that the Ameers had collected a consider-
able force, which might place his army in jeopardy.
He advanced forwards some distance from Hyderabad,
where he remained for some days. In the meantime,
after :certain negotiations which he had reason to sup-
pose would lead to a termination of the affair, an attack
was made on the 15th of February, by a large body of
Beloochees upon the residence of Major Outram, which was
within a short distance of Hyderabad, between that city
and the left bank of the Indus. In the defence of this
place Major Outram behaved with the greatest gallantry;
though he had only a few troops with him, and though
the attack was made by upwards of 800 of the na-
tives, and pushed with great vigour, he maintaind
his psition for , a considerable time. It unfor-
tunately happened that he had not received some
supplies of ammunition which he had expected, and he
was obliged to support the attack with a small number of
forces. He was not a man to yield. He was well
known to be a brave and resolute soldier; and Sir Charles
Napier spoke of him in the highest terms, and of all who
served under him on that occasion. An attack had been
made on three sides of the building, and though they
were obliged to retire, they did so in good order, with
a trivial loss of only ten or twelve men. When Sir C.
Napier heard that Major Outram was compelled to re-
tire, he felt it necessary for him to take further steps,
and to move forward. He did so, and he found the
enemy posted in a well selected position, which showed
that they were not ignorant of military skill.
Their front was defended by a deep ditch, and their
flanks were covered with jungle, their right flank was
further defended by a ditch. This was a most formid-
able position. Sir Charles Napier attacked 22,000 men
in this strong position with 2,800 in front. He could
not attack them in any other way. The moment he
saw the position, he perceived, with that quickness which
was characteristic of him, how the attack was to be con-
ducted. He placed his troops en echellon, and advanced
at once and stormed their breastworks. The enemy
made a stout resistance, but after a severe struggle they
were routed with great loss, arid their ammunition and
baggage fell into the hands of the conquerors.—(Cheers )
the troops in this battle had distinguished themselves
by their coolness, courage, and energy.—(Cheers.)
The effect of this battle had not been, however, to dis-
perse the whole of the enemy's force. It was a remark-
able circumstance in Indian warfare that an enemy once
defeated should not at once disperse, but in the present
instance it so happened that one of the Ameers had a
body of troops untouched. He was joined by the re-
fugees of the:battle of Meeanee, and he commenced mili-
tary operations. Sir Charles Napier, therefore, found
it necessary to advance from Hyderabad against the
Ameer of Trapore. The Ameer had under his
command 20,000 men, and Sir Charles Napier 5,000.
The Ameer had taken up a strong position. He had
two nullahs, or ditches, in his front, which was also de-
fended by a rampart and breast-work. Sir C. Napier,
in his dispatches, said that it was difficult to ascertain
the exact position of the enemy's left flank,
and that, therefore, he determined to attack
his right flank. The attack was made by
the cavalry, supported by the 22d Infantry. The
Ameer, finding that he was outflanked on his right,
drew troops from his left to support his right. Sir
Charles Napier judged from this manoeuvre that his
right flank was his weakest point, and therefore had
determined that he would make his attack on the right.
The troops advanced steadily, reserving their fire until it
would tell with effect, and the result was the complete
defeat of the enemy.—(Cheers.) He had thus given a
short and imperfect account of the two great actions
which had been fought by Sir Charles Napier. These
victories had not, however, been won without loss. Our
loss, in killed and wounded, had been 500 men ;
amongst them we had to regret many of the bravest
officers of our Indian army.—(Hear, hear.) He would
not detain the House by describing the gallant acts of
niividuals—those services had all been described by
Sir Charles Napier, in his dispatches, and were now
part of the military history of this country.—(Cheers.)
He might say one word as to the non-commissioned
officers and soldiers,—though, with respect to this por-
tion of her Majesty's army it was almost needless
for him to speak. Many of their Lordships knew what
they were as soldiers, with what spirit they fought, and the
discipline which they maintained in action. But there
was another portion of the army—the native troops—
(Hear, hear)--of the East India Company; these troops
must always, on occasions like these, be looked
on in a peculiar light. They were not mer-
cenaries, for they were volunteer soldiers ; they were
not Thiglish though they were British subjects. But in
many respects they had the hearts of Englishmen ; they
were as brave as any troops in the world—( Hear)—they
were capable of as admirable discipline—(Hear)—they
were patient of fatigue, and willing to sacrifice their natural
prejudices. They went from their own country to
places beyond the seas, of which —they knew
nothing, and they displayed as much spirit and
discipline in fighting in another climate, as if they
were fighting in their own homes on the con-
tinent of India. These qualities they had manifested
on occasions without number ; and in addition to this
they were remarkable for their unvarying fidelity. But
for that fidelity the Government would at timeshare been
placed in difficulties from which it could not easily have ex-
tricated itself. Their Lordships then would agree with
him in tendering their thanks to that army. And let
them not suppose that their thanks would be barren.
These men might not know accurately what space their
Lordships filled in the eyes of Europe and the world--
what their functions were in the Government
of England ; but when they looked at their
standards, bearing the names of these victories—when
they felt on their breasts the medals which her Majesty
and the East India Company had ordered to be pre-
sented to them,—they would feel an equal pride and
gratitude, for the honour their Lordships would confer
upon them by agreeing to this motion. His Lordship
concluded by moving that the thanks of their Lordships
be presented to Sir Charles Napier, the officers of the
army, and the native troops engaged in the late military
operations in Sinde, particularly in the battles of
Meeanee and Hyderabad.
The motion having been put from the Woolsack,
Lord AUCKLAND rose. He trusted he should stand
excused before their Lordships if he rose for the
ur-
pose Pof seconding the motion of the Noble Earl op -
site. He could add little to what had fallen from
the Noble Lord, but it was a gratification to himself to
be allowed to say that he cordially, and without quali-
fication, concurred in the vote of thanks to that
army. There was no one more alive than
himself to the excellence of' the Indian army ; there
was no army that possessed in a higher degree the
best qualities of the soldier. He should not follow the
Noble Lord in his details; he should only say that though
by good direction and good discipline their army