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    the loss on our side being almost incredibly smallfour E uropeans wounded , and one of Hodson ' s Horse killed . Colonel Seatox ' s success is of permanent importance , inasmuch as it helps materially the work of pacification in the Doab ; his convoy supplies Campbell with necessaries of war ; and the next mail will probably inform us that , with the addition of Colonel Seaton ' s column , the Commander-in-Chief is forward with operations for the settling of Oude .

    An act of good service , toe * , has been performed by Lord Elphinstone , albeit not in the battlefield . He improved the occasion offered by a dinner given by some rich natives of Bombay to a number of European soldiers lately arrived there , to disabuse their minds of a vulgar prejudice which places all Indians in the same category of distrust and dislike . The revolt , he said , was almost wholly a military outbreak , the people generally having nothing to do with it •;¦ for Oude was the only place where there had been ; anything like a popular adliesion to the cause of the revolters . With regard to Bombay in particular , he said—and faets are no doubt with him—that the Natives of that

    Presidency had been among the first to come forward with subscriptions in aid of the sufferers by the mutinies , and with expressions of indignation at the cruelties perpetrated in various parts of the country . Lord Elphinstone ' s schooling Avas well timed , and it would be well if the lesson taught by nim to our soldiers over the Bombay dinner-table were taken to heart by both soldiers and civilians in . this country , where feelings are much too often allowed to take the place of facts in connexion ¦ with the affairs , of India .

    Not that facts are to be taken at more than their just , value— -even when that can be ascertained . For flr is certain that many facts are as valueless and inconclusive as so many doubts . Of what value , for example , is the fact that General AsHBUJiNHAJttinstead of being at the head of the forces operating against Canton , where , it is clear , we have a rig ht to expect that he should be at this moment—is in JLondon , without a word of announcement , without » sign of his coming ? What are the conclusions to . be arrived at from the contemplation of this startling fact?—High , honours , or a court-martial ?

    I'he commercial njew . s . from , Australia , is of a gorave kind ; at Melbourne , business is in a very oppressed condition , while at Sydney there is a monetary crisis . However , the elasticity of trade ih these colonies is so- great , that hopes are entertained of a speedy improvement in the aspect of affairs . Returning to home topics , we notice the case of ttxe Iteverend Mr . Gent , whose conduct has lately undergone inquiry before an Ecclesiastical Commission at Liverpool . Certain scaudalous reports had been set on foot by , it would appear , " a

    schoolmistress , a pew-opener , and a .. sexton , and these having come to the ears of Mr . Gent ' s superior , the well-known MkHtoGif MoNezle , that gentleman called upon him to resign at once without inquiry ; but Mr . Gent would not do this , and appealed to the Bishop ^ pf Cjusst&iv praying for an inquiry , which the Bishop granted him , and scut five Commissioners to l % erpool for the purpose . The charges were' of' that kind which all feel to be inosjo difficult Qfraosweringi namely , drunkenness : and undue 1 , ' amiUAHitjyfwitU women * pautioulajoly wiUk his own servants ,. JJontunatoly for Mn . Gent * a . crowd of unimpeachable witnesses were ready to bear testimony to his general worth , and' able to rebut several ofc' fcho speciflo chargos , while' the servanteirls wore . provQ < iito hayo been . discharged lirom-Mri

    QjQ N'j ;' * liousp ior misconduct . 'JJlie OomnussionoES gavo a full aoquittal , expressing their belief that tpore wore no grounds whatever far instituting tho inquiry ; and tho crowd , which had received tho evidence in , iiwoui- of-Mr . Gent with irrepressible marks or approbation , aurcoundedllus carriage -when ^ herquittear'the ^ c . ourt ^ -i-took- « Qutr-the--rUoi'SQ 8 < ! . aiMl would liavo drawn him in triumph to his liouse , but for his urgent entreaties to tho oontrary . But a much moro romai'kablo oaso was disposod ofy on Mondays before the Court for the Consideration of iQrown Gasos Beaorvod . With tho exception of Baron Bjramwjslj / , all tho judges weco on , the benoh . Tho case was this ; At tho lute Jrivorpool Assizes , a , man namod Mellow was sentoncodj tio . death for murdering his wile ; but tho dayi often liie cfa » yiction , it was discovered that a

    person named William . Thounle y had wrongly answered t © the name of James Henry Thorne , and had sati upon the jury and joined in the verdict which was given . It was argued that this informality rendered the verdict void , inasmuch as the misnomer of tlie juryman , might have misled the accused into forfeiting , his right to challenge him before he was sworn upon the panel . Six of the judn-es were in favour of a new trial , and eight against ; the conviction and sentence being , therefore .. eonfbnwMi .

    Afteirr a&- many cteiays ana disappointments , it could not be thought wonderful , or even extraordinary , if very evil forebodings were indulged , by some , regarding the Leviathan and her chances of ever getting afloat ; and no doubt not a few very o-ood and intelligent people were beginning to think that really it would be as well to turn the huge vessel into something other than the thing she was designed to be—say , into a chapel , or bazaar , or factory , or warehouse ; and , very possibly , not a

    few will * be inclined to think the same , m spite of her at length successful launch on Sunday last . She is afloat ; and the curtain—of . river-mist—falls upon the first act of the nautical drama , in which she is to do all the heavy business . We hope—in spite of the impatience which we have once or twice expressed—to have to applaud her , and all concerned , in the remaining scenes of her adventures , and to announce the result of the performance as a triumphant and legitimate success . '

    ' Lord Palmekston , replying to Mr . Roebuck , explains that only one French despatch on the subject of the refugees has been received by Lord Clarendon . It is not yet answered . ^ Mr . Hoebuck , however , returned to the charge a propos of the French military menaces , and asked , amid cheers , inasmuch as England defied Napoleon the Great , " why we should care for Napoleon the Little ?"

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    122 THE LEADEB . [ No . Ml , February 6 , 1858 .

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    GENERAL VAN CORTLANDT . General Van Cortlandt entered the service of Maharajah Runjeet Singh at the early age of eighteen , and had risen to the rank of colonel , when , on the death of Maharajah Shere Singh , in 1844 , anarchy and internal dissension prevailed to such an extent that all the European officers in the Sikh service quitted tlie Punjab . General Van Cortlandt obtained twelve months ' leave of absence to visit the Himalayas within the British territory ; on its expiration , he was returning to Lahore , and had actually reached Ferozepore , when he heard of the assassination of Rajah Jowahir Singh , and that the Sikh army were then preparing to cross the Sutlej ; he immediately offered his services to the political officer at Fcrozepore , and Captain Nicholson appointed him his assistant , subject to the confirmation of the Governor-General ; but communication being cut off with head-quarters , it was only on the field of Ferozeshuhur that he heard from Major Broadfoot of the approval by the Governor-General of Captain Nicholson ' s appointment . Both these officers wore unfortunately killed in that action . General Van Cortlandt was attached to Sir J . Sittlur ' s staff on that occasion , and his name was favourably mentioned by Sir John in his despatch . Eor the remainder ot the campaign he was

    attaohod to , and rendered valuable assistance in , the department of the Quartermaster-General . At its conclusion , and on the reconstruction of tho Sikh kingdom , he obtained the rank of general and was appointed to ; reorganize the army , whieb . arduous undertaking having been accomplished satisfactorily , he was deputed Nazhn , or Governor , of Dchra , Ismael Khan , and Bunnoo , perhaps the most difficult province to govern of the whole Sikh territory , peopled as it iB by turbulent and rofhictory tribes , and subject to oonfcinual forays from the mountainoena of : t ] t » - border . Ho contrived , however , to maintain neaco and restore order ,

    Lioutenant-Colonol ( then Lieutenant ) Edwardcs being tho political officer with him . ( I or the peculiar duties ol this oiftoer , and the connexion subsisting between the General and himself , the reader is referred to Luju-<^ nont ^ oUwidlrM ^ a « de& ' 8 » wo ) ck , ^ Tiwx } JCqftXB ^ W .. llV Punjab Frontier . ' ) He continued at . this post until 1843 , when tho outbreak following tho barbarous murder of'Mossrs . Vans Agnew and Anderson , and headed by Moolraj ( tho treacherous Nazijn of that district ) , took place at Mooltim . General Van , OorLlandii immediately ! murdujd in that direolion with . tlu » , wliolo of hia troops , accompanied , by Lioutonawit Edwa . i'das > , defeated Lho enemy in I , wo hotly oontosted engagements on tho 18 th Juno and 2 nd July , effected a junction with tho

    troops of the JN ' awab of Bahawulpoor , a ml hivcbfc Mooltan for nearly three months prior to the arriva of the British troops under Majoi ' -Gencral Whisli . He co-operated with Gcneial Whish during tjie whole-siege , and rendered most valuable assistance both as a political as well as a military officer ; his troops- alone , of the whole Sikh army , remained staunch to the existing Governmenl , an d w ere promised , should annexation be unavoidable , that they ( officers and men ) should pass into the British service without loss of pay or detriment of any kind .

    The eclat of these events brought Licutenan Edwardcs ' s name prominently forward ; lie consc quently and deservedly had rank , honours , and rewards showered thickly on him , whilst General Van Cortlandt who commanded the troops , and who , from his long experience in the country raid knowledge of its people , must have contributed in some degree to these successes , was—it is presumed in consequence of holding his commission from the Sikh Government—entirely passed over .

    His four regiments of infantry are now the four police corps of the Punjab , his horse artillery were converted into the present three Punjab batteries , and his cavalry were distributed in the mounted police . The whole of these troops have remained faithful to the present time ; they have done , and are still doing , good service . The General himself was repeatedly thanked by Lord Dalhousie ( then Governor-General ) ,, as also by the Court of Directors and by their secret committee . His name occurs frequently , and always with favourable mention , in the Blue-book of 1849 , containing the papers relative to the annexation of the Punjab , vet he has received no other acknowledgment from

    the British Government or East India Company for these numerous and various services . Indeed , they have proved a positive loss , for although promised , as above , that the transfer of himself and troops to the British service should entail no loss , pecuniary or otherwise , yet , after—the campaign , he was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Dehra Gazee Khan , on a salary of 700 rupees ( 70 / . ) a month less , than that which he received

    from tlie Sikh government , and a loss of position also , as no military rank was conferred , though at the time of the promise he was a general officer in the Sikh army . After five years successful management of this district , for which he received the acknowledgments of the President of the ( then ) Board , and also of the Chief Commissioner , and after a protracted residence of nearly twenty years in the Punjab , he obtained leave to return to England for fifteen months .

    On his return to India he was appointed to the district of Googaira ; from thence ho was transferred to Eerozepore , where he had just arrived when the mutinies , in May , 1857 , broke out . He was immediately called on by Sir John Lawrence to raise a Sikh levy of two regiments ; and a 1 ' e . w days afterwards , consequent on the universal rising in the districts of Hissar and Sirsa , hp was required to move , with a small force of Irregulars , to stem the tide of insurrection flowing towards the Punjab from those provinces . Within ten days after leaving Feroaepore , and with these nowly raised troops , lie defeated a vastly superior body of the enemy in two

    engagements , and while continuing to recruit , iic was . also reinforced by newly raised cavalry and levies of foot , which enabled him to advance—defeating the mutineers and restoring order to thq entire districts , of Sirsa , Hissar , and Rohtuck—iu fact , to within , a few milosof the walls of Delhi itsell . Tho services of this force ( called first the Blnittceana , and afterwards theHurrianah Field Force ) . so hastily got together , have been prominently brought to notice in the public papers ; and 1 in contributing 1 to the important results above mentioned General Von Cortlandt has boon ably assisted by the olliccrs of her Majesty ' s and the Company ' s service ( Lieutenant Sodlcir , her Majesty ' s 01 st ; LiVulniant ami

    Pearco , Madras Artillery ; Captains Slalloru Bloomlicld , and LieutenantsWnjoott , Hunl , Huik-iiu , Bengal Native Infantry ; and Lwutoimnt Humiltnii , Bengal Cavalry ) ,, placed under his orders by Uio "dluH'TOHmiSa ^ that their , services may not bo overlooked by Uio Govornmout , it is to bo hopod that tho Gononil Inin-Bolf will at longth obtain some recognition ol his numerous and valuable services by tho grunt ol that Loouii rank which ho has so long hold by courtesy , and to wlu ' ch liis successfully coudaotocl campaign gives him . an undoubted claim , as woll as to tno usual military distinction—tho guerdon of a ioi - tunato and' sagacious commander .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 6, 1858, page 122, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2229/page/2/