The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-03 00:00:00

• The several rumours of expeditions to various parts
of the country seem pure fabrications. A dreadful
plague is said to have broken out in Turkistan,
and to have spread to Bameean, but has not yet ex-
tended beyond the Hindoo Kosh.
The Chinese intelligence is of a character wholly
commercial, and for details on this head I may refer
you to the extracts from the papers.
We have now seen enough of the Governor-General
to feel assured that his policy :will be most deter-
minedly pacific. According to the accounts of the
East India Company lately published, conjoined with
the statements made by Sir Robert Peel in intro-
ducing the income-tax, on the 11th of March, 1842,
there was, nine years since, an excess of income ever
expenditure amounting to a million and a half, and
that when Lord Ellenborough left there was an ex-
cess of expenditure over income amounting to nearly
a million sterling. This fearful state of matters was
brought about solely by the war policy of the last six.
years; before the end of the year 1847 we may have
a balance in our favour at least as large as that which
existed in 1835. Were this expended in peaceful
improvements throughout the country, yielding, as
these have been invariably found to do, a return in
direct profit of from 10 to 25 per cent., the Company
might add a half to its revenue before the expiry of
its charter. Already are all the munificent and
philanthropic projects which our wars beyond the
Indus caused us to throw aside begun to be resumed.
Mr. Thomason, Lieutenant-Governor of the north-
west provinces, has entered on a tour through the
Dooab Rohilkend, the valley of Debra, and the
Hureenaeab distrf eta. While secretary to Government,
this distinguished individual was one of the most
zealous supporters of the Dooab Canal scheme, which
now, it is hoped, under his auspices as Lieutenant-
Governor, will speedily be resumed. The canal,
it may be remembered, will traverse a dis-
tance of 270 miles, and cost the Company about a
quarter of a million sterling. It will supply with
the means of irrigation eight millions of acres of fer-
tile ground, at present barren " for the want of water,
and relieve a population of above two millions from
the terrors of famine recurring periodically. If the
people of England knew how immeasurably desirable
and profitable was peace, how enormous were the re-
sources the expenditure of the surplus revenue of
India would develop in India itself, and how fear-
fully calamitous, how absolutely superfluous, have been
nine-tenths of our most successful wars, the value of
such a man as Hardinge would come to be appre-
ciated as it ought.
(From the Bombay Times.)
The only ,warlike event of any political importance
which during the past month has attracted attention,
is the continued disquietude of the southern Mahratta
country, and some further outbreaks in Sawunt
Warree, which have occasioned fresh demands on the
Bombay army. The political charge being about to
be placed in the hands of Col. Ovens, resident at Sat-
tarah—Col. Outram returning to Bombay—the former
officer was made prisoner on his- way to Kolapore,
and still remains in the hands of the enemy. No
further action has taken place since our last, but an
army of some 7,000 or 8,000 are still moving about in
divisions through the country. The fort of Badurghur
was surrendered to us without serious fighting. Disaf-
fection seems to be more extensively spread, and more
difficult to be put down, than was anticipated. An out-
break in the Sawunt Warree country—a very turbulent
and unmanageable district adjoining Kolapore, has oc-
casioned some loss of life, and compelled further de-
tachments to be sent down from Bombay. Her
Majesty's nth Regiment, ready for embarkation for
England, is to be detained another year to garrison
Bombay. Her Majesty's 40th remains till next year
at Calcutta. The Seikh chiefs seem to have settled
their own quarrels without interference, and the Pun-
jaub is, at the date of our latest intelligence, more
peaceful, and less likely to occasion collision than it
has been at any time for the last twenty months—
perhaps since the death of Kurruck Singh in Novem-
ber, 1840. Sir Henry Hardinge continues at Cal.!
cutta, devoting himself to the domestic improvements
of the country, the extension of education, and of
the means of inland transport, and striving to increase
the comforts of the private soldiers of the army. He
is proceeding quietly and considerately in the work
of government; as yet his rule has passed nearly
without censure, and the commendations he has earned
are likely to increase. Being in all respects as unlike
as possible to a predecessor whose policy we are
assured he was sent out to pursue, he promises
to be an eminently upright, useful, and energetic
Governor-General. Should he be spared to us he
may yet deserve infinitely higher praise. The most
ardent lovers of martial glory are beginning
to despair of gaining laurels in the field, un-
der the present rule, unless our neighbours should
force war upon us. Everything continues tranquil
in Sinde. Sickness is on the increase both at Shikar-
pore and Sukkur. At the former place, out of about
1,400 troops, nearly 800 are unfit for duty ; at the
latter, H. 4.'s 78th have only 70 men out of nearly
900 fit for service. Hyderabad and Kurra.chee con-
tinue healthy. Sir C. Napier left the latter place on
the 15th ult. for the upper country. Cholera pre-
vails in some regiments of the Madras army in, the
Southern Mahratta country. The Commandee-in-
Chief of India left Simla on the 12th, and is now on
a tour of inspection on the north-west frontier.
IL'M.'s 40th are on their way down the river to Cal-
cutta, where they will be detained for a twelve-
month to garrison Fort William. The left wing of
the -Queen's Royals have suddenly proceeded to the
Sawunt .Warree country on service ; they are still '
very sickly. The cold season is proceeding very
agreeably, and peace and tranquillity appear to pre-
vail throughout India at, large. We have news from '
China to the 12th October. Commerce appears to be
extending, and the Chinese aversion to intercourse
with foreigners seems on the decrease.