The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-08 00:00:00

( From the Agra Obar of Dec. 23.)

Out accounts from the army of the Chumbul (we do not admire
the title of Exercise, and purpose to exclude it henceforth) are
somewhat meagre, though as yet we can hardly expect any one to
see beyond his nose. As stated in our overland issue, the surrender
of the Khasgeewalla is an important feature in the negotiations
with Gwalior, as removing one great impediment to the settlement
of affairs ; th" effect is the submission of the Baee and the Durbar,
who have agreed to the terms imposed, but confess their inability
to disband the troops, for which purpose, therefore, the army con.
tinues to advance. The Governor. General and Commander.in.
Chief arrived :4 Dholpore on the 19th, and orders were issued for
the advance of the army in the following order :
The vanguard, under the command of Major. General Valiant,
K. 11., consisting of three troops Horse Artillery, No. 17 Light
Field Battery, the 3d Brigade of Cavalry, and 3d Brigade of In.
fantry, to cross on the morning of the 22d. On the 23d the
Commander.in.Chief's camp, No 10 Light Field Battery, and 4th
Brigade of Infantry. On the 24th the sth Brigade of Infantry,
with: a portion of the Artillery, and Engineer park—on the 25th,
the 6th Brigade of Infantry, and remaining portions of Artillery,
and Engineer park.
The Governor. General would cross either on the 23d or 24th,
after sending off dispatches by express. The ford, over which the
army will pass, is only three feet three inches deep, with good firm
footing, so that there will be no trouble in crossing the army ;
the advance column would halt on the right bank until the whole
had crossed over, when the army would move on to a place called
Hinganna, where it is expected that the Baee and Durbar would
meet the Governor-General to tender their submission, when, no
doubt, a proclamation will be issued, calling on the soldiers of the
Gwalior Raj to submit, under pain of being treated as rebels.
The report current in camp as to the future arrangement of the
force at Owalior is, that a 2d contingent will be brigaded under
Brigadier Stacey, and the Sipporee contingent increased, so as to
have two separate bodies of 5,000 men in each of all arms—but
this is mere rumour.

The army was encamped at Dholpore, on a splendid plain, on
which an army of fifty thousand men could have manceuvered with
ease. The Rana of Dholpore, not to be outdone by so insignificant
a force as the army of the Chumbul, sent some of his tag-rag-and-
bobtail, with a couple of old guns, one iron and the other brass (to
show that he possessed both kinds of metal), to swell its numbers,
to do honour to the Governor-General, and to protect the English
Artillery during the night, in case some secret enemy should steal
on it unobserved and annihilate it.

They were talking in camp of the probable time they would be
back at Agra, and what was to be done after, whether to remove
to the Sutlej, or settle down again quietly. Whispers were current
that the former was the more likely move ; and words falling by
accident from the lips of authority, were greedily picked up and
speculated on. This is all pleasant enough in camp, where the
smallest hint serves for an exciting discourse at the mess table.
Among other sayings which had been discussed, was one of a rather
peculiar nature, as connected with the Punjaub, but which may
be taken in a double sense : " there is plenty of time to look after
the Punjaub." This may mean, let us first settle this affair, and
then we can mind the other ; or it may mean that the Punjaub
pear is not ripe enough yet, and therefore there is plenty of time to
think of it. Be it as it may, the opinions of many are decided that
some interference with the Punjaub is contemplated in high quar-
ters—and there the matter may rest in the mean time.

The following is another account, and furnishes intel-
ligence from Bombay to the Ist of January. The army
of exercise has been successful without firing a shot :
A ♦ery large demonstration has been made before a very small
foe, and the latter, seeing resistance useless, has wisely given in.

The movement on Gwalior was made from three directions—the
main body of the army of exercise marching from Gwalior, and the
left wing from Kooneh in Bundelkund ; while a strong force, con-
sisting of Madras troops, moved up from Ellichpore. The place of
rendezvous of the latter was fixed at Balapoor, and there the troops
accordingly assembled, on the 20th of November, under the corn.
mand of Brigadier Bagnold, of the Arunzabad division. No sooner,
however, had they all collected, than an order arrived for their re.
turn, and the regiments at once retrograded to the different stations,
Ellichpore, Neemuch, Jalnah, Fic., from which they had been
drawn. The cause of the sudden dissolution of the force is under-
stood to have been the receipt of intelligence of a favouraqle nature
in regard to the state of affairs in Gwalior.
The issue was favourable to the party who had espoused the
British interest, and the attempt made by the other side to regain
possession of the usurping minister, Dada Khasgeewalla, signally
failed. Soon after the struggle, Bapoo Seetooleah, the leader of the
successful party, prevailed on the Baee to consent to the dismissal
of a number of Khasgee's creatures, whom she had kept about her
person ; and abo to give up Dada himself to the British authori-
ties. He succeeded, likewise, in getting himself appointed to the
full charge of the Government. An attempt was now made to send
the prisoner to Agra; but it failed, owing to the opposition of
some of the Sirdars and troops. Efforts were used to procure the
sanction of the British authorities to his confinement as a
state prisoner within the Gwalior Raj; but these were
equally unsuccessful. No prospect being apparent of a pa-
cific adjustment of differences, the warlike party again ob-
tained ascendancy in the Councils of the State, and some
very vigorous preparations for hostilities were entered into Our
Government appears ail along to have acted with becoming firm-
ness, and to have determined upon obtaining entire acquiescence
in all its demands, without tile slightest limitation. The Gwalior
durbar, unanimous in nothing but dissimulation and intrigue, ex-
hibited constant vacillation, arid was valiant or submissive by fits
and starts, according as the warlike or pacific party happened to be
uppermost. About the Bth of December, however, it was pretty
generally determined that the Army of Exercise should be opposed,
and Seetooleah's intentional absence from the durbar seemed to be
a signal for active measures of preparation. The arrangements for
defence were discussed and concluded, and letters were sent to the
chiefs of Boondela and the Prince of Rajwarre, craving assist-
ance in repelling the British. Bapoo Seetooleah, desirous of sparing
useless effusion of blood, endeavoured a second time to send off the
Khasgeewalla, and a second time failed, owing, as it afterwards ap-
peared, to his custodians having been bribed by the Baee. It thus
appeared evident that hostilities must ensue.

Lord Ellenborough arrived at Agra from Calcutta on the 11th
December, and the army being in readiness to move, the first
brigade, under General Valiant, of her Majesty's 40th, marched the
next day towards Dholpore. On the 13th, 14th, and 15th, the
rest followed. The left wing also marched, from ihaussee ; and
about the 16th, intelligence reached Gwalior of its arrival at
Chaudpore Soonbaree, while the main body had appeared on the
bank of the Chumbul. The courage of the adverse party at
Gwalior now oozed out at their fingers' ends ; the Baee, whose
worthy valour had shamed the most accomplished of Scindiah's
warriors, became gentle and peace-loving, and at length the great
" bone of contention," if I may use so irreverent an expression,
Dada Khasgee, was marched off to Dholpore, under an escort of
fifty troopers. Here General Valiant's brigade found him on the
17th, and he was immediately sent to the Governor-General's
(for his Lordship's inspection, I presume), and thence to Agra,
where he is now confined. Lord Ellenborough is to go on to
sailor. The expense of this force will be defrayed from the
revenues of territory to be ceded to us for the purpose. Mania
Sahib is to be restored to the office of Minister, and the cost of the
" Army of Exercise " is to be paid by the Gwalior Government.
No resistance is expected to the entry of our troops,.
The whole of the army at present halts at Dholpore. The siege
train returned to Agra.