The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-29 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, DEC. 29, 1857.

Were it not for the brilliant triumphs at Luck-
now, the exploits of the column under COTTON,
RHODE.; SHOWERS, STUART, and the lamented
Colonel GERARD, would have attracted general at-
tention, and received the praise they so eminently
merited. They have, indeed, acted nobly, and
fully maintained the reputation which the British
troops had achieved in all quarters since the com-
mencement of the series of mutinies and the re-
bellion which followed. It was in Rohilcund that
the force under Colonel COTTON was operating.
At the close of October they had captured Futteh-
pore Sikree, a place described as " thrice the s'ze
of Agra," and therefore necessarily an important
position. Front thence they reached Muttra on
the la November, and after a day's march of 20
miles, under all the difficulties of an eastern sun,
surrounded the town of Jhet, which had been
previously occupied by the rebels, but from which
they had prudently decampad some hours prey -
ously. They were, however, closely pursued, a'-
tacked, and dispersed in the vicinity of a village,
Which was subsequently destroyed. They then
returned to Agra, from Whence, under Colonel
RIDDEL, they marched in the direction of Ally-
ghur and Bolundshubur, to strengthen the party
under Major ELD. This gallant officer had killed
28 and wounded 30 of the Rohilcund muti-

u sers.

Brigadier SHOWERS had returned to Delhi on
the 9th November, having, during his expedition
occupied foul. considerable forts, burnt many vil-
ages, and captured somo 70 guns and 8 lac 3 of
rupees, or 80,000/. sterling, a heavy blow and
great discouragement to the insurgents. It
Wag after his return that the brave GERARD
styrted on the expedition, during which ho Jost
his
life, in the zealous and energetic discharge of
hia
cut not before he had completely de-
feated the
t beis
at Jhuggur, where they had aken a poeitioN 4v,ng
I been strengthened by a
large party of th, jou.,
ttora mutineers, who had
upon) •
actually marched up
-E"JPootana to partici-
pate in. the struggle. Tiler() were about 5,000
men, -who were dispersed with the loss of all their
even,
guns, six in number—a success that
however, dearly purchased by the loss of the
brave GERARD and seventy of his gallant fol-
lowers.

It was, however, at Malwa, and in the neigh-
bourhood of Mundesore, that the most brilliant
of these comparatively minor affairs took place.
After the tardy rising at Mehidpoor, in which
Captain MILL and Dr. CA REY had been
brutally murdered, the mutineers were closely
pursued by Major Onn, who killed above a hula-

dreg of them, captured their cannon (two nine-
pounder guns), and a large quantity of ordnance
stores : seventy prisoners were taken with " red
hands," and executed under the sentence of a
drum-head court-martial. About 8,000 rebels
had taken up a position near Mundesore, and
they had the audacity to attack, on the 21st
November, our troops, who had moved in ad-
vance, but were driven back into Mundesore with
heavy loss. Heera Singh was pursued to a vill tge
10 miles off on the Neemuch road, where the
rebels showed in considerable force. Stuart's
main column had, however, come up on the 20d,
and a very determined conflict took place.
The rebels fought with the fierce determi-
nation inspired by despair, and it was
not until the evening of the 24th that the
village was completely carried. During this time
our brave fellows were placed between two fire,,
for the mutineers that had occupied Mundesore
came out to assist their companions, and STUART'S
column were fighting at the same time in front
and in the rear, the soldiers being placed back to
back. On both sides they triumphed ; and the
result of their victories was the abandonment of
Mundesore, and the raising of the siege of Nee-
much, which had previously been beleaguered,
and attempted to be carried by assault by the
enemy. The country has thus been effectually
relieved after a contest protracted during four
successive days, and the indefatigable STUART was
preparing to follow up his victory by the pursuit
and total subjugation of the rebels. When the
history of the rebellion is written, this distin-
guished officer will occupy a high position among
the Paladins that have so nobly sustained the
honour of the British name, and secured and
consolidated the British supremacy in Hindostan.

Gold is now rapidly accumulating in the Bank
of England. The quotations of public securities
are looking upwards, and money in Lombard-
street is even cheaper than at the quasi National
Batik ! These matters are triumphantly referred
to by the organs of the hard calculators as being
the felicitous results of the Bank Charter Act,
whereas, on the contrary, they afferd convincing
proofs of the terrible evils it has occasioned.
Twice, within ten years, the nation has witnessed
monetary convulsions of the most awful charac-
ter, which shook the trade, commerce, and
manufactures of the country to their very founda-
tions. Thousands, aye, tens of thousands, of fa-
milies were reduced to the verge of ruin, and
compelled to endure great misery and privations.
The working classes were thrown out of employ-
ment, and compelled to part with the clothes,
furniture, and comforts accumulated during more
auspicious seasons, and on each occasion the same
remedy was resorted to ; and, notwithstanding
the stringent conditions respecting the rate of in-
terest by which it was accompanied, proved
completely successful. It was the virtual suspension
of the obnoxious and impolitic code in 1847, the
actual one in 1857 that saved the Bank of Eng-
land and averted a national bankruptcy. These
suspensions practically condemned and annulled
the Act of 1844. They were its moral abroga-
tion. It is impossible for any, even the most
prejudiced person, to contend that, although
it might nut have been the sole cause of the mis-
chief, it materially aggravated the panic, and
enhanced the fearful consequences to the exagge-
rated dimensions which they ultimately assumed.
We have assuredly " paid a high price for
our whistle," in preserving —not " the integrity
of the standard," as it has been termed, for the
convertibility of the bank note would have been
preserved without the restrictions imposed by the
Bank Charter Act, and was, in fact, only endan-
gered by its operation—but the high valve of
money, or rather the exorbitant and usurious TM' e
of discount so dear to the hearts of the
hard calculators. We know that trade is
still dull—that even the most solvent houses
are unwilling to enter into now engagements.
There seems to be a winding-up in many cases,
which, although of but a temporary character, is
still very injurious, both to the Exchequer and to
the community. There are platitudes uttered
about the removal of unsound principles and the
purification of the commercial atmosphere. But
these are some of the stock phrases used at all
times of distress and difficulty to mystify and
.onfuso those who will not take the trouble to
master the important question at issue, on which
their own welfare, prosperity, and happiness so
greatly depend.
The real attack is on credit—credit too in its
most important form, that of paper money.
Should it be set aside, all other must and will fol-
low. It was credit and the facilities for obtaining
pecuniary accommodation at reasonable and mode-
rate rates, that produced the commercial supre-
macy of Great Britain, and elevated her to the
palmy position she has so long occupied in
the scale of nations. Now we are striving to
change all that. Formerly money dealers were
prohibited from charging more than 5 per cent•
for discount, and England flourished, and those
I very money-lenders realised large fortunes. Now
we have changed all that, and the Leviathan Es-
tablishment was prohibited from charging less than
10 per cent. And what has been the condition of
the country ? Distress and difficulty have bean
perceptible on every side. The real creators and
producers of national wealth have been converted,
as if by a touch of the enchanter's wand, into un-
profitable consumers. Commercial activity, once re-
garded as of vital import, is considered an evil to
be guarded against, and the sources of the national
revenue are dried up. In return for all this,
"the integrity of the standard has been pre-
served," and gold is made the circulating medium
of the country, in which every domestic trans-
action is arranged, very uselessly and unneces-
sanly, as must be obvious to every disinterested
and unprejudiced inquirer.

We invite the attention of the public to a public
demonstration at Ealing in token of sincere regard
to a worthy, but poor and persecuted, pastor—a
man who must have obtained the affection and
respect of his flock, in better days, or th-y would
not now so honour him in his adversity.
It seems the late Bishop of London (BLoom-
FIELD) permitted some acts of stern injustice, either
knowingly or heedlessly, tc be inflicted on the
Rev. Mr. LAMBERT, by his Commissioners for the
time being, and the parishioners, much to their
honour, have come forward spontaneously to ex-
press their condolence in his behalf. It is always
gratifying to witness the honest feeling of
Englishmen so proudly and so generously
manifested in favour of the oppressed as in
this case of Mr. LAMBERT. We detest tyranny
in whatever shape it may appear, but it
is always more odious in priestly
guise—preaching meekness and good-will to men,
but practising the very vilest hypocrisy in the
Tyati breath. Let us hope that the present
fogthe •
004 Bishop of LONDON" may partly atone
rede
Imputed errors" of his very learned
p cessor. We feel assured that if he will look
into the case of Mr, LAMBERT, he will see just and
sufficient cause to „40
re an honest man to his
grateful congregation %„4 rejoicing
friends.

LATEST NEWS.

INDIA.

TRIESTE, DEC. 28.

The steamer from Alexandria arrived here this

day (the 28th) at 11 o'clock p.m., in 125 hours,

from Alexandria.

The Calcutta and China mails had left Alexan-
dria with dates from Calcutta to the 25th of No-

vember ; Madras, 28th ; Ceylon, December, 2 ;
and Hongkong, November 15.
The news of the relief of Lucknow is confirmed.
The enemy is said to have fought desperately.
1,500 bodies of Sepoys were counted in one gar-
den. The rebels had not evacuated Lucknow.
Sir Colin Campbell asks for reinforcements.

Three companies of the 34th Native Infantry

mutinied at Chittagong on the 19th November,
and had marched to Dacca. One hundred Euro-
peans had been sent to intercept them. No Euro-
peans were killed.

The Calcutta markets were almost unchanged.
The money-market had improved. Exchange,
2s. 1 gd. to 2s. 2d. for credits.

At Madras the money-market continued easy.
There had been a further reduction in the bank

rates.

Exchange was unaltered.

CHINA.

The American Commissioner has arrived at

Hong Kong in the Minnesota.

The fleet is about to move into Canton River.
The French fleet will co-operate with the English.
Operations were not to be commenced imme-

diately.

The Russian Commissioner was at Hong Kong.
, Exchange at Hong Kong, 4s. lOid. to 4s. 11d.
At Shanghai silk had given way 10 dols. to 15
dols. Exchange, 6s. Bd. to 63. 8-1-d. for credits.

ALEXANDRIA, DEC. 14.

Tha different detachments brought here by the
steam-transports Sultan and Nemesis, have ar-
rived at Suez under the command of Colonel
Mackirdy.
These detachments formed a total of about 1,100
men, of whom only four were on the sick list, and
not with any serious illness.
The transit from Southampton to Suez was
effected in the most satisfactory manner.
It is stated that the India Company have made
arrangements for the passage of a thousand men
a-month through Egypt to Calcutta or Bombay.

AUSTRALIA.
PLYMOUTH, MONDAY.

The ship Suffolk, Capt. J. B. Martin, belong-
ing to Messrs. Wigram, of London, has landed
about 100 passengers here. She left Hobson's
Bay October 5, rounded Cape Horn November 3,
crossed the line December 4, and made the Lizard

on the evening of Christmas-day.
The Suffolk has a full cargo of copper ore, tal

low, and wool, and brings one of the largest
freights of gold-dust ever sent in a sailing ship,
viz., 145,000 ounces ; besides which there is a
considerable amount in the hands of her passen-
gers—altogether 240, including Major Green-
wood, New Zealand Staff, several young colonists
for education in England, and many successful
diggers, one of whom has a nugget weighing
274 lb_

The Suffolk spoke, south of the line, the

schooner Therese, 15 days from Buenos Ayres,

for Plymouth ; and, December 13, the Dutch
ship Frederick 1., 72 days from Batavia, for
Rotterdam.