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    No. 891, SeptemberJL9, 1857.] THE LEAD E...

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    The Indian He Volt. Ver-S Important News...

    haps , not so fully known in England as it is in India . Our connexion with the Burmese Court is not of long standing , and the King of Ava would seem to be as far out of the way of the press as any potentate with , whom we have any relations at all . Yet , not many- months ago , a gentleman in our interest at Ava complained that he had been compromised by an article that had been published in a Calcutta newspaper ; and it then appeared that his Burmese Majesty had the Calcutta papers regularly examined , and matter of interest therein contained regularly explained to him .

    " To show that the necessity of controlling the English as well as the native press is not merely imaginary , it will he enough to state that the treasonable proclamation of the King and mutineers of Delhi , cunningly framed , so as to inflame the Mahonimedan population as much as possible against the British Government , and ending with the assurance that the multiplication and circulation of that document would be an act equal in religious merit to drawing the sword against us , was published in a respectable English newspaper of this town without comment . For doing ' the very same thing , with comments having the outward form of loyalty , the publishers of three native Mahommedan papers in Calcutta have been committed to the Supreme Court to take their trial for seditious lihel . "

    Meetings an aid . of the Indian fund have been held at Liverpool , York , Hull , Leicester , Weymouth , Cheltenham , Ipswich , Southampton , Bristol , Shrewsbury , Exeter , and Torqna . v . At the Liverpool meeting , the Rev . Dr . M'Neile said that " a friend had received intelligence from Calcutta to the efFect that Mrs . Colvin , the banker ' s wife , and Lady Canning , were working just « is Miss Nightingale did in the Crimea—administering with their own hands to the necessities of the ladies and gentlemen as they were brought in from the river .

    A special general meeting of the subscribers to the fund in the City of London was held at the Mansionhouse on Wednesday , when a previous resolution was so reconstructed as to permit of relief being given to the relatives of those sufferers who have arrived in this country . The Lord Mayor announced that , up to that time , the amount received by the committee was 35 , 836 ^ . 16 s . 8 u \ T he business of the meeting having been concluded , a vote of thanks was passed to the Lord Mayor , "who , in

    acknowledging the compliment , again dwelt upon the necessity of immediate action . He had had communications from all parts of India showing the great necessity that exists for the labours of the committee . There are many ladies up in the hills , and his own sister informed him that their treasury was nearly emptv , and that the natives were unwilling to bring them supplies , in consequence of their not knowing whether the mutineers or the English troops would be successful .

    Mr . Hay , the American missionary in India , who escaped from Allahabad , and recently arrived in England , has been staying for a short time in London , where he has had an interview with Sir Charles Trevelyan . He has given several particulars of the outbreak in its earlier stages . These have been published in the daily papers , where we read : — "Mr . Hay speaks in the highest terms of Major Brazier and Colonel Neil , with both of whom he was personally acquainted . Major Brazier rose from the ranks . He commanded the SLklis at Allahabad , and exercised great influence over them . It was to him that the Europeans were indebted for preventing the rebels from taking the fort . Had they done so , scarcely anything would have driven thorn out of it , for it is constructed on a European model . Nothing would induce tho rebel Sepoys who besieged it to come near , so much did dread its

    . they guns . On the 13 th of June , Colonel Neil cannonaded Daraghung , a suburb of Allahabad . Brazier behaved hero with distinguished gallantry . Tho chief of the mutineers was taken prisoner . He was a young man magnificently dressed , and w .-is said to be a nephew of the Moulavie , who headed the mutiny inside tho walla . 2 Iajor Brazier , surrounded by a lew Sikh soldiers , ordered thochiof to be brought before him to bo interrogated . After being questioned , he was ordered to bo taken to a place of confinement . Ilia arms were loosely fastened behind him . Before he left tho presence ot tho major , ho caught by a great effort at a sword that was within liis rench , and made a cut at one of tho bikhs . Brazier and all the Sikhs fell upon him . and the fo . rmcr wrested the sword from the prisoner . ) hand : but the enraged Sikhs , while tho chief was prostrate , placed their heels on his head , and literall y crushed out bin brains and the body was thrown outside the gates

    Mr . Hay fecl 8 confident that Delhi will not he taken before November or December . Of tho ra-Jinsuls exacted of tho assassins who murdered Sir hnVT ? 1 C a - ? tUe Other olKcerfl 1 K > ar Ui'mpore , Jo relates a horrible stury . The soldiers of the mum ' regiments vrorc made the executioners of the murderers ; aud it was boasted at the time that one of lie ! assassins was hum , h , j his own father , in order to show tho loyalty ot the regiments . ' We hope this ib incorrect , buch an outrage ou nature would only

    do harm to our cause . Mr . Hay states that , on his passage to England , lie met a French officer , a Captain La Fous , who had been in the Punjab war , and ¦ who knew 3 fena Sahib intimately , and saw Iiim at Cawnpore , after the seizure of Delhi , when the hypocritical miscreant affected to deplore the outbreak , which he said he could hardly believe , though there is no doubt th . it he was privy to it before it commenced . " Mr . Hay thinks the issuing of the greased cartridges to have beea a great mistake . The intelligent leaders of the mutineers well understood that the greased cartridges were withdrawn , and that tlie Government explanations were satisfactory ; but the illiterate natives never were convinced that the outrage on their religion was discontinued . It was also an error to sentence the

    eighty high-caste men at Meerut to five years' imprisonment for refusing to use the cartridges . They were all native gentlemen belonging to a cavalry regiment . The Sepoys would have greased the cartridges themselves , and used sheep ' s fa . t , a material which scarcely a Mahomedan or Hindoo -would have scrupled to use . The colour of the paper of the cartridges being different from that which had hitherto "been used , and the paper being greasy , excited suspicion and alarm . Mr . Hay says that the British Government should have declared itself a Christian Government . It should not have persecuted the natives In order to make them Christians , but it should have setitsface against caste as much as against widow-burning . The Government relied upon keeping alive the ignorant prejudice of Hindoos and

    Mahonimedans , and preserving its authority by balancing race against race and religion against religion , and tlie mutiny shows that its scheme has signally failed . The missionary schools were twice as crowded as the Government schools . In the former , the Bible and catechism were taught , and the schools commenced and ended with prayer . ' In the latter , until ' very recently , the Bible was excluded . The Koran and the Shaster were in the Government schools ; but no professor was ever allowed , even if requested , to explain anything with reference to the Bible , not even as an historical book . Nearly all the native professors and graduates of the Government universities and schools are Atheists . Their education caused them , to disbelieve Paganism , and they were not encouraged to believe in Christianity . Many of them are implicated in the present revolt . "

    LATEST INTELLIGENCE . Some veiy important , and rather ominous despatches have reached the Government . The first , whi ~ . li is addressed to the Earl of Clarendon , runs thus : — " Lord Elgin reached Calcutta on the 8 th August , in her Majesty ' s ship Shannon , accompanied by her Majesty ' s ship Pearl . These vessels had 300 extra marines [ 380 , according to another account ] and 300 soldiers on board . " After the mutiny at Dinapore , a small force , consisting of 160 men of her Majesty ' s 10 th Regiment and about the same number of the 37 th , Avas despatched to relieve some eight Europeans besieged by the mutineers at Arrak [ ArratiJ . The expedition was not successful , and our loss very heavy .

    " General Lloyd has been removed from his command , and General Outram invested with the command of the Dinapore and Cawnpore divisions . " The G 3 rd N . I . Regiment was disarmed . at Berampore on 1 st August . The 11 th Irregular Cavalry and the Governor-General ' s body guard have also been disarmed . " The' Hiinalaya left Calcutta on the 10 th of August for the Mauritius [ to bring troops ] . " This intelligence is received from Acting Consul General Green , at Alexandria , under date 11 th September , 1857 , 10 p . m . ( Signed ) " M . Stopford , Rear-Admiral . " Consul Craig . " The second despatch , also addressed to Lord Clarendon , states : — " Alexandria , Sept . 12 .

    " General Ilavelock liad advanced twenty-five miles from Cawii |) ure towards Lucknow , butafter defeating tho mutineers L _ in ] three engagements , with loss of twentyone guns , he was obliged to retraco his steps to Cawnpore , for tEio purpose of leaving his sick , considerably increased from cholera , and was waiting for reinforcements . " At Agra , the Krok [ Ivotah ?] contingent and other rebels had been entirely dispersed . [ Another despatch mentions a severe action with the rebels at Azimghur , but without stating the result . ] " A duuichinent of her Majesty's 10 th and 37 th Regiments , 300 strong , had made a night attack upon the men of tho 8 th mid 40 th N . I ., who had mutinied at Dimtporc , but wua repulsed with tho loan of ' 200 killed . * 41 Tlie irregular corps at Sogowlio had mutinied and killed their officers . ? Another account includes tho , rAUh Regiment in tins disaster , and makes tho total number of tho detachment 850 men . It agrees , however , with respect to the number killed .

    " A plot to murder the Europeans at Jessore and Benares had been discovered . ' -At Midnapore , the Shekawutti battalion -vvaswavering 3 but had not been disarmed yet . ( t Martial law had been proclaimed in Behar . " ¦ Great uneasiness was felt in Calcutta of an outbreak during the approaching Mohurrum , and the body-guard had . been disarmed , but allowed to retain their horses . " Lord Elgin arrived on the 8 th August with 400 Marines and a company of her Majesty ' s 59 th Regiment , and . another steamer had brought some of the troops of the Transit . " The Bentinck met two steamers coming up the river witb troops . The Himalaya left on the 11 th , for troops from the Mauritius .

    " The report of General Havelock ' s retreat comes by the Stiez telegraph . The Calcutta Englishman of the 8 th of August does not mention it . ( Signed ) " F . Johnsox . " Trieste , Thursdav , 5 . 55 a . m . ( Signed ) " Raven . " Private despatches published in the newspapers say : — ^ " The 14 th Bengal Infantry resisted the orders to disaim at Jhelum , and was cut to pieces by a detachment of Europeans . " A report is mentioned to the effect that General Reed is dead , and that the ravages caused by cholera have compelled the British force to retire from Delhi to Agra . ( This report comes from Ceylon alone , and seems unauthentieated . i

    " The 17 th and 27 th Madras Native Infantry were advancing up the grand trunk road , and those besieged at Arrah ware relieved by troops from Iltigeepore . The steam-ships Lancefield and Pearl have arrived at Calcutta , with English troops . " The Sikh Sirdars have proved faithful , offering their services ; and Gholab Singh , has been appointed to a miliiary command . The Upper Punjab safe . 11 The Calcutta markets are dull , and Government secu . rities have had a downward tendency . " T"lie foLlowing details respecting the massacre and expedition to Arrah are taken from the Homeward Mail from India : —•

    " Since our summary and the other portions of our newspaper were in type , intelligence of the gravest and most painful character has readied us . This intelligence is of a nature to modify to a very considerable extent the opinions we have expressed as to the general character of the news received by the present mail . As we believe it to . b ' 3 authentic , we should be wanting ; in our duty as journalists if we refrained from making it public , though we appreciate the anxiety it will occasion to many of our readers , and deeply regret that we are at present unable to satisfy their impatience by a more detailed account . It appears that the mutineers from Dinapore , after quitting that station , advanced against Arrah , a large civil station twenty-five miles west of Dinapore , the residents at which place were unfortunately sanguine of their ability to resist an attack for a time , and are said to have applied fur a detachment of European

    tronps , in place of adopting the more prudent course of a retreat . The result was that the whole of the Europeans at the station , to the number of about fifty , were massacred . This disastrous event was succeeded by another . Two steamers had been despatched with troops for the relief of Arrah : one of them grounded , and we have no further information respecting it ; from the other a body of two hundred European troops were landed , and fell into an ninimsh , where nine olHcerd and upwards of a hundred men are said to have been cut off . The importance of the so events , considering the command they give the mu tineers of the line of communication between Calcutta anil Benares , cannot but be obvious to every one . This intelligence will perhaps serve to explain to our readers the report which has appeared in a leading journal regarding the fall of Agra , tho similarity of the names having probably led to tho mistake .

    " Arrah , a town in tho British district of Shahabad , Presidency of Bengal , is on the route from Dinaporo to Ghazepore , twenty-five miles west of the former , seventyfive cast of tho latter . " Of General Hivvelock ' s retrograde movement , and of some other features of the general situation , wo read aa follows , in a letter from Mirzapore , dated August 3 rd , and published in the Leeds Mercury : — * ' He ( Ilavelock ) had only about 1500 men with him , many of whom must have been killed or otherwise disabled . Nona Suliib crossed the Ganges in the rear of . Ilnvelock , - who is by this movement i > luced between two

    llr « 3 . Most serious fours aio entertained for his safety , foL-all the north-west depends upon the success of Havc-IocIc ' h expedition . Wo have lator news from Delhi than in possessed in Calcutta . The real fact is , our forces are besieged there , instead of besieging that pluco . Our forces ( British ) are believed to have boon reduced to 2200 , and an it was intended thai , llnvulock hIiouIiI march to rciiiforco that army after rolio . vin / r Lucknow , great furiirt arc uiilurtuiued for ita safety . It »» . surrounded by thousands of thu eiiumy . Of Uio 1 ' nnjab wo can hear nothing , as the communication is in the hands of the rebels . You will probably got intelligence by tho Bombay aide . Wo arc throwing up entrenchments , here , but

    No. 891, Septemberjl9, 1857.] The Lead E...

    No . 891 , SeptemberJL 9 , 1857 . ] THE LEAD E R . 893

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 19, 1857, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19091857/page/5/