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Leader (1850-1860), 23rd January 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 74

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      he reasonably remarks that the Government of that country are the only persons competent to complain of the violation of the neutrality . laws , and that it is quite certain they will never exercise their right , seeing that the act of Commodore Paulbhws * has relieved their country from a * dreaded invasion / Admitting that his officer had acted in excess * o f instructions , he declares his conviction that that

      officer acted from ' p * u : e and patriotic motives * and in the sincere conviction that fee was promoting the interests and vindicating the honour of his country . ' So he has taken his side , and will have a hard fight to wage against the filibustering athletse of the Congress , who are at once furious at the interference of the Government with their hero , and . vaingloriouslv triumphing in the defiant position he at present maintains .

      : Coming to home affairs , attention is first attracted to the rapidly approaching-Royal Wedding . Already some of the festivities which had been arranged to lead by steps up to the crowning festival have passed o& Two , out o £ the four ,, theatrical performances at which Her Majesty and her noble guests are to assist in state , have taken place . This is all very well ; but when these performances- are concluded , it may be time to come at something like an understanding as to the means by which certain theatrical speculators have been enabled to make an exhibition © f Heb . Majesty and her illustrious guests and

      visitors , for their sole benefit and advantage , in the shape of some thousands of pounds . Meanwhile , all the arrangements of the ceremonial are complete ; the ill-humour of the public , at being balked of their anticipated show , is wearing out ; and the grumble has subsided into talk of the advantages of the alliance , and expression of hopes as to their realization . Signs of the approach of another great event , the

      opening of Parliament , are given by the authorities in Leadenhall-street . A Special General Court of the Company was held on "Wednesday , at which a strongly worded petition to Parliament against the measure proposed by Government for abolishing the so-called Double Government was read and discussed . The meeting was adjourned without coming to any decision on the subject , but the petition , of course , will stand .

      The Calcutta mail , which arrived yesterdey morning , brings little news from India , and none of any importance . Several small onslaughts have been made upon the rebels at different points , always with loss to them , of men and guns , at a trifling cost of life to our forces . Nothing is said of Oude .

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      Very little fresh intelligence has been received this week from India . Some telegrams , however , were published yesterday * containing a few points of interest The latest dates from Calcutta ; are to the 25 tlt of December ; from Madras , to the 29 th , ; and from Galfe to the 9 th vast . A telegram addressed to theForeign Office from Alexandria , January 17 th , S'lVS- *^" " A small force from Delhi , under Colonel Seaton , encountered ; a body of rebels at Guingeree , on the 15 th December , took the guns , and killed one hundred and and three officers

      fifty men ; we lost few men , . Again , on the 1 lth December , the same column attacked a strong force of the enemy entrenched at Putalem , near Futtehghur ; killed about six hundred of them , including many chiefs ; took eleven guns with their camp , and parted ( pursued ?) the routed enemy seven miles . Our loss was trifling , and included only one officer killed . Communication by post between Bombay and Calcutta has been re-established , letters and papers having been received . The Southampton and Prince Albert , with troops , reached Bombay , 12 th . "

      A communication from the same city , addressed to the Times , contains the following facts received from Corfu iu advance of the Indian mail : — " The Furukabad rebels have been defeated in two engagements , in the latter of which , on the 18 th of December , the dispersion of the enemy was complete . Their guns were captured ; our loss is trifling . No further intelligence from Oude . The 11 th Cavalry mutinied on the 1 st of December , They were overtaken near Purneah . Eleven were killed , but the remainder escaped . The 17 th Native Infantry are under orders for China . "

      OFFICIAL DESPATCH . A supplement to the London Gazette , issued last Saturday evenin-g , contains a despatch from Lieutenant Hughes , giving- an account of the defeat of the insurgents at Bulleh , in the Kurnaul district . The Lieutenant says : — "Nothing could exceed the gallantry with which the Sowars tore down the barricade and attacked its defenders ; and I have since had the satisfaction of hearing , from the villagers themselves , that twenty of the insurgents were killed , and twenty-two wounded , in our charge through the suburbs . After a short cannonade , and of

      the town was carried by the Infantry , a party the 1 st Punjab Cavalry . The pukka-built houses I could not easily fire , but the suburbs , containing large quantities of stacked forage , were completely destroyed . Large stores of grain , ghee , &c , which were found in the town itself , were confiscated to Government , and made over to the Tehseeldar of Gurroundah . Four of the Lumburdars , and some other influential men of the place , who are prisoners in my camp , have begged to be allowed to redeem the confiscated property , and I have agreed to their doing so , on payment of 1000 rupees over and above the balance of revenue due . I fully expect this money to be paid in the course of to-day .

      " The destruction of this place—the most important town in the neighbourhood—has had a very salutary effect ; so much so , that two adjacent villages ( against which Mr . Le Bas had requested me to proceed ) this morning brought in their revenue , as also did the Lam - burdar of Dhurrumghur , in the Paneeput District . •' The loss of the insurgents cannot be estimated at less than one hundred and thirty or one hundred and forty , and of these , I should say , some seventy or eighty were cut up by the troop under Lieutenant Millett . "

      TUB LATHS ( MINERAL NEIIX . The only account of the death of General Neill yet published has just appeared . It ia contained in the letter of a brother officer , who states that" He ( Neill ) crossed the river at Cawnpore on . the 19 th of October , in . command of the 1 st Brigade The enemy , who were in position near the river , wore at once driven back . On the 21 st and 22 nd , they again fell in with the enemy , when his brigade was again led by him to victory . On the 25 th , they advanced on Lucknowthe 1 st Brigade leading through a constant raking blaze of fire from nine A . M . to seven p . m ., when , just at the last , a- fatal shot from a loophole struck his head . His body was placed on a gun-carriage , and taken within the entrenched camp , and was next day buried by hia own regiment , one and all of thorn showing how deeply they felt the loss they had sustained . "

      THIE GWALIOB CONTINGENT . Some particulars with respect to the operations of , and against , the Gwalior Contingent nrq thus set forth by the Bombay Gazette : — " From the stutomont of a hurkaru who has como from Gawnporef » andrwho * left ^ that" 8 tatlou-onr-the ~ l 8 fc * of—De « cembcr , it appears that there was an uninterrupted light botweon the English and mutinous force from the 2 Cth to the 80 th of November ; that tho insurgents placed their guns on Nunuey Nowab ' u Huveyleo nod tho ohuroh ; that tho Luolcnow force in tho meantime arrived at tho bridge of boats on Monday , November 00 th , and , after fighting with the enemy for the whole day , succeeded in crossing over the bridge , and encamped in tho mydon ; that tho wholes English force in the cntroijohmentH , including that In tho mydan , is estimated to bo G 000 strong 1 , and tho onomy ' s double that numbor ; that ,

      bosides the twelve infantry and three cavalry regiments of the mutineers , they have a large number of budmashes from tbe villagea of the Cawnpore and Orei districts and the- Gwalior territory with them , that reinforcements were daily expected from towards Allahabad , and a detachment of the insurgents was sent towards Futtehpore to oppose . the reinforcements on their way ; and that the officer commanding at Cawnpore fell in the field of battle on Monday , the 30 th of November . " Intelligence has been received , through the Gwalior newswriter at Calpee , that a most decisive action took place on the 6 th or 7 th instant , which ended in the entire discomfiture of the Contingent and other insurgents , in the capture of ;; 11 their artillery , baggage , &c , and in driving them back towards Calpee , in the fort of which place the Balla Sahib ( brother of the Nana ) , who was himself wounded , has taken refuge . The villagers are said to have refused shelter to any of the fugitives . " This was the action fought by- Sir Colin Campbell after the discomfiture of General ; Windham .

      An officer of the 88 th ' , writing from the Camp at Cawnpore on the 27 th of November , states that General Windham ' s motive in attacking the Gwalior rebels on the previous day was because he knew they had taken up a position which they meant further to strengthen , and from which he resolved , if possible , to eject them . In a postscript to his letter , dated November 30 th , the officer speaks of fighting night and day for three days . He adds : — " About 20 , 000 of the enemy , with thirty guns , attacked our small force of 2000 , and endeavoured to cut us offj but they failed . We went out against them the day before yesterdav , but they were in such numbers we

      could make no ground ; we therefore were ordered to take up our position in the fort , and hold out as long as ^ possible . While we were fighting with the main body , " a large force had taken position at the entrance to the town , for the purpose of intercepting our progress to the fort . We were a good way in front of the other regiments coming towards the town . When we arrived at the corner of a street , we were told the enemy was in force in the houses ; we nevertheless charged round the corner , where we were received by a very heavy fire of musketry , which when we returned , the Sepoys bolted and we- after them . We literally butchered about two hundred of them . " _

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      SPECIAL LETTERS FROM INDIA . { From a Military Correspondent , ) Nagpore , December ,, 1857 . Let us resume our subject ; let us try to estimate what have been the great sources of aid and security , which have enabled the government of India for tbis time to ride through this terrible storm , and which promise to carry it into port with triumph and with honour . The natural advantage of position and authority enjoyed by every established government , tho special reputation of our arts and arms * the Conservative instincts of the Princes , the landholders , and the wealthy men of the country—these formed what may be called the statics of our security . Let us endeavour also to sum up the dynamics .

      The first place , due to the indispensable and visible sign and symbol and active instrument of our power , must be given to our brave captains and soldiers , to those scanty and gallant bands who under Neill find Havelock , Nicholson and Vincent Eyre , fighting as they did against overwhelming numbers of disciplined sepoys , provided with guns , and trained and armed as themselves , have done more to prove the invincible and irresistible superiority of the British soldier ' s daring and energy than have all our previous most brilliant Indian campaigns . How sick have I become of that hackneyed phrase , " India was won by tho sword , and must bo kept by tho sword ; " untrue , it' ifc means that all our possessions and power in India were gained , or are retained by more force of arms ; untrue , if it means that wo ovor can govern India by garrisons , or maintain our empire

      and influence by any conceivable military strength alone , regardless of tbe rights and- feelings and social customs of the people ; and yet how I wish that I could persuade our rulers of tho truth of this phrase in a certain sense , that I could instil that truth into their minds , and make it tho basis of their reformed institutions I That India muat bo kept by tho sword , that wo must trust to tho sword , that in the British sword lies our real strength ; that is to say that our only real indubituble reserve and foundation of material physical strength does indeed consist in our force of European troops , and does in no dogreo consist iu a shoul of beerdrinking and blllinrd-pluying ensigns and lieutorwinlu , or in any number of meddling ignoramuses protending to work in any department , oven though thoy belong to the-higher' -ranka-of-tl » e-A » glo ~ fcJaj 6 on , | : uco .. n - ^ - >—• . , —

      Tho true strength and integrity of our empire must depend on our retaining , and energizing , and consolidating our general influence and command over tho good opinion and good-will of tho peoplo of Iixllui In our spreading und confirming by wisu and just government a linn belief In tho beneficial effect of our huproniaey—a conviction that India cannot do without us . All that ha ? boon accomplished in this direct ion is duo to those comparatively fqw oarneet and woll-quallnca Englishmen who have been and are placed In positions where useful action iu possible , and where real rteponsl-

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      TBE INDIAN REVOLT .

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      THE XiEAD ER . [ No . 409 , January 23 , 1858 . ' !¦ i ... i i — ^ — W^^—— ^ ^ — 1 ^^—— | ^ b ^

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      The Westminster Abbey Services .- ^ -Tho third of the Westminster Abbey services , designed for the benefit of the working classes , was held on Sunday , and was attended by an . overflowing congregation . In consequence of the large number of persons who on previous occasions were unable to obtain admission into tho

      Abbey , the Kev ; WiMiam Ctrreton , the rector of the contiguous church , threw open , the doors of that edifice ,, and held a special service for the accommodation of . those who were excluded , from tho Abbey . The consequence -was that the nave of the Abbey and every portion of St . Margaret ' s Church were densely crowded . The Ven . John Sinclair , M-A ., Archdeacon of Middlesex , preached tho sermon in tho Abbey . Aftec tho benediction hud been pronounced , the congregation lingered to listen to the Dead March in Saul , which was played in memory of General Havolock . The sermon to-morrow will be preached by tho Bishop of Oxford .

      Tiijo kzx-Lobd Ma yob . —A formed for taking steps to present some testimonial to Sir . Alderman Flnnis , in acknowledgment of his able discharge oC the duties of the Mayoralty ; o £ tho sup-—port-given—by ~ hima « lf-andr ~ tha . rXftdy ~ Mayore 88 rto ~ tb . e charities of tho metropolis ; and of tho zeal exhibited by the former in bringing to light tho commercial frauds in the City , and in devising and . establishing tho India Belief Fund .

      China . — Lord Elgin ' s ultimatum has been delivored to Tfoh , who shows no disposition to yield . Tho island oil' Sonan , opposite Canton , was occupied without resistft »« e on tho 15 th of December by the French and English troops , Tho Chinese woro allowed ten days to accopt another ultimatum . The French Admiral has proclaitned tho blockade of Canton river .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 23, 1858, page 74, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2227/page/2/