English and Foreign.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 576, 12 May 1858, Page 3

English and Foreign.

INDIA., (From the S. M. Herald, April 2.) By way of Melbourne, H.M. war steamer Meg-era has brought news from Calcutta to the 12th of February, about a month later than ,our last advices. We are indebted to our Melbourne contemporaries for the following particulars of the leading events in the undisturbed districts, since the date of last advices, viz., 23rd of January. The most note-worthy event is the trial of the King of Delhi, which, although it had lasted five days, was still proceeding when the steamer sailed. It commenced on the 27th of January. THE TRIAL OF THE EX-KING OF DELHI. Tlie papers to hand only give the proceedings of the third, fourth, and fifth days, and even these with great brevity. We quote from the ' Delhi Gazette' of 3rd February. THIRD DAY, 26TH JANUARY. The prisoner was ■ brought into court in a palanquin," attended by his Wulceel, Gholam Abbas, and two servants; the intelligent youth, Jawan Bukht, having very properly received a hint to remain in confinement since the first day, owing to a certain "free and easy" manner assumed by him during the first day's trial, and observed by most people in court. Up to past twelve the Court was occupied in having read to the prisoner the vernacular of the translations read to the Court the day previous'; a process not very interesting to the Court, and apparently of little moment to the prisoner, who, coiled up easily upon his cushion, appeared lost in the land of dreams; and, except when anything particular struck him, continued nnmind-ul of wli£it was passing around him. Occasionally, however, rwhen a particular passage was read from any of the documents, the dull eye might be seen to light up, and '" the bowed head wx>uld -be raised, to catch every .word, a fact from which might be deduced in support of, or against the argument of the titter debility assumed occasionally,beingreal or feigned . From some replies made J by Gholain Abbas, "the prisoner's: Wukeel, to; the pro r secutbr, it became evident1 that, as he was present in the palace tbrqugnout the rebellion, he t might be useful as a witness, and at the suggestion of the prosecutor, he was accordingly sworn and examined; As far as "it went, this person's statement was, as might have been -expected, in fa-" voiir of Iris master, the prisoner, and consisted r chiefly of a repetition of what we already;know concerning ;-thef atrocities committed in Delhi, on and after the llth May/ by'lthe rebel troops, and endeavours, to 'impress upon the Cburt that the prisoner did all in'his power to1 protect the late Mr.. Eraser and' Captain Douglass, even to seizing the latter by the hand, and restraining him from his purpose of going amongst the rebel, troopers. The Court closed its proceedings at four p.m.) and adjourned till eleven a.m., of the following day.

FOURTH -DAY, 30tH' JANUARY.

The; proceedings commenced with the continuation'of the examination of Gholam Abbas, the .prisoner's Wukeel. This proyjßd ,tq' be ■ a mere waste of time, the witness being one of the non mi ricordo class, determined to know nothing that could, by a recital;;criminate the prisoner, his family, himself, or any one connected with the palace; and this soon became so apparent that he was twice or thrice reminded, thrdu^t^ interpreter that he , was giving : liis evidence ;upon oath. Nothing*, however, was elicited from him^ and he was permitted to resume his office of Wukeel to the prisoner, after being subjected:ta frigid i-^s^examination by the Governmentprosecutor, .-.Major; Havriott. The prosecutor then iproposed that; the petition of the late -Rajah of Bullubgurh, which was translated: and read at the trial of that, rebel, ;be; accepted as'; ; evidence, which being agreed to, he proceeded to read to the court the English translation; and on these', being concluded the interpreter read the originals.for the benefit, of the prisoner, who tip to, this time had been sleeping.' He was awok6 for the purpose, ajid appeared to .listen''-.atteintiyelyj^ihkkirig some remark; at the concjusiqh of eacli, and indicating by signs during, the reading that he knew; nothing whatever about them! He appeared in much better health; and humour than on any of the previous days, and laughed in great spirits as each successive paper was taken up to be read, as if quite amused at there being so many.

At 2 pirn, the Court adjourned for a quarter of an hour, when the prisoner had a pull at his hookah j after which the reading- of the documents in the original was resumed, and lasted till 4 p.m., when the Court adjourned till 11 o'clock on Monday. ' 'It is perhaps not a very remarkable fact that of the many native witnesses whose evidence has been taken against the exking, not one lias confessed that he knew of'the massacre of any Europeans whatever in' the palace. The atrocities committed there, and probably perpetrated by the very villains who deny all knowledge of them, were, according to their statements, given on oath, only heard of by them, and .no traces of the fearful deeds were left to tell the tale. •

FIFTH DAY, IST FEBRUARY.

The trial was resumed this morning. The prisoner was, to all appearance, not so well as on Saturday. He scarcely noticed thje proceedings, but lay coiled up upon his couch, apparently asleep, from which state he was roused whenever it was absolutely necessary for him to listen to any document about to be read.

;; ! Up to nearly- half-past one o'clock the i Court was occupied in •, reading documents in the vernacular; but when these had been disposed of, the translations of the military papers were read, and afforded considerable amusement to the Court. These consisted chiefly of petitions from ";the Lord Sahib, Mirza Mogul, Commander in Chief of the Royal army"; Bukh't Khan Bahadur, and other rank traitors, upon various subjects. In some the helpless state of tho " infidels" was set forth in the most glowing terms, pointing out .how, with very slight assistance and delay, they would be sent to a place, which even Mohammedan murderers are never to see, others pointing* out how certain districts liad been brought under.the "Royal rule" and treasure too, by the revolt of those whose duty it was to guard its safety; while all were full of hatred to the "infidels," and unbounded love for the miserable object under trial, whose appearance would have excited laughter, but for the fearful atrocities perpetrated by his sanction. To most of these documents the prisoner's autograph order and signature in pencil is attached, and in ho single instance is it in opposition to the general de? sire of the rebel army to exterminate the British.

;' At 2 p.m. tbe Court adjourned for a quarter of an hour, and at the expiration of that time resumed its sitting*, when the reading of. the translations was concluded, and the originals in the vernacular commenced and continued till the usual time of adjournment—4 p.m. ■ A professional artist was in attendance making a sketch of; the prisoner, as he lay on his couch. ,

" THE ILLUSTRIOUS 'DEAD !"

At a public meeting of the inhabitants of Calcutta^: called to do honour to the memory of Generals Neill, Havelock, and Nicholson, it was uanimously carried, "That a subscription be Opened for the purpose of erecting in Calcutta a suitable Monument to . the memory of Generals iHavelock, Neill, and Nicholson, and their brave companions in arms, who fell nobly jin the service of their country during the siege of Delhi, and the defence and relief ;of Lucknow." This was oiie of - many resolutions. '■■•-.

From; the 'Hurkaru's' report we extract the following beautiful tribute, which was uttered by Mr. Ritchie, the mover of the above :■—

" The! deaths of each of the- distini guished men whose services we are met ■specially to celebrate, deeply as we mourn I them, carry with them much of comfort !as much of glor}'.: Each did his appointed ; work on earth, and each did that work so ; well: that it were sin to say that his life ! was incomplete; nay, we may say that j liis life would have been incomplete had it ! not been followed by such a death. Look lat the death of the glorious Neill. He fell pressing through a gateway at Lucknow thronged with the dead, the dying, and; the advancing hosts of the British avengers of blood, at the head of his own beloved regiment, with everything to urge warriors onwards, and to make a moment's ' pause as repugnant to his nature as it was perilous, and yet the hero paused on his onward course, and that pause, exposing* him. to steady, murderous aim from behind the treacherous loophole, cost his precious life. But he paused for no work of slaughter, but for a work of mercy— not to strike down a foe man, but moisten from his own flask the lips of a poor private, who had sunk wounded or exhausted by his side. We all remember that beau-

tif'jd story, dear to us fr°m our-childhood, of; Sir Philip Sydney, when dying on the nefdof Zutphen, waiving from him the cup of! cold water that was offered to him with the words: "Give it to that poor man;; his necessity is greater than mine." That deed of the Christian warrior is and ever will be unsurpassed; but is it not now equalled ? Was not the charity as lovely, the self-denial as sublime, which could stay the advancing footsteps of the fiery Neill, eager to avenge his slaughtered countrymen and countrywomen, that he might succour his poor, faithful, simple hearted follower as those which animated even the noble Sidney? And when after we are .gone.our children's children shall be taught the last words of the gentle warrior poet at Zutphen, shall they not also read with glowing hearts and moistened eyes of the undaunted Neill dying at Lucknow?

Then, turn we to the death of the heroic Nicholson. He fell a youth in years, a veteran in the wisdom of his counsels, in tbe multitude of his campaigns, in the splendour of his achievements. He fell as a soldier would wish to fall, at the head of his gallant troops, with the shout of victory in his ears; but long; after he fell mortally wounded,- he resisted being- carried to the rear, and remained heedless of the agony of his wounds, heedless, of the shadows of death closing around him, to animate his troops, checked—but only for a; while, —in their advance by the loss of such a leader.. Was not siich a death worthy of such a life? And will not the Cabul Gate, where lie fell, as his gallant comrade has told us with, such feeling,, live in future British story as live those heights of Abraham on which there fell, a century ago, another youthful hero; ■■ the' immortal Wolfe, like him in the number of his years, like him in his noble qualities and aptitude for command, like him in the love and confidence Jhie inspired in all around him, and like him.in the wail of sorrow with which his death marred the joy of the nation in the hour of victory? As to the gallant Havelock, the privilege of a soldier's death on the actual field of battle was denied him. But never, probably, did a soldier meet,'or wish to meet, from comrade a nobler, simpler, truer epitaph than that which our beloved friend'-Outram. (for so I am sure he would wish us to call him, and who still, thank Godj livesto receive our thanks,) who has so" well been called by Mr. Cochrane, the generous, noblehearted Outram wrote of his friend, "Worn out by toil and exposure," so runs the despatch, "he lived long* enough to witness the end for which he had fought so nobly, and to receive the valued token of his sovereign's approbation." But what a blessing, and considering all that he went through, what a marvel that he should have lived so long ? May we not say without profaneness or irreverence that he who in the days of old preserved His apostles through perils of the heathen, perils of false brethren, perils of the wilderness, in weariness and painfulness, in watching often, in fastings often, in hun-

ger and thirst, until His work was done, preserved by means as. providential .and well nigh as marvellous, through perils well nigh as appalling, the modern soldier of the cross, the champion of civilization, the armed apostle of the cause of humanity, upon his mission of deliverance to the I captive, of light to those that lay in the 'shadow of darkness, of life to those that seemed appointed to die? And when he, thus marvellously preserved, had finished the good work set before him, think you not that he too could exclaim, ' I am now ready to be offered up; to depart. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith?" With such thoughts as these methinks, we the Christian countrymen of Havelock and of Neill and Nicholson console ourselves, for the loss of our heroes is the hour of their triumph. For us the keen and bitter disappointment, the monument of woe, the funeral cypress. For them the hero's triumph, the patriot's reward, the martyr's palm. The man who dare not recognise the hand of God going forth with our armies, guiding and sustaining our leaders, against votaries of worse idols than Belial, or Moloch, or Chemos; against the murderers of Christian men and women, and of those little ones for whom we know our heavenly master careth, and upon the offenders against whom he has denounced v fearful doom, would not, methinks, awake from his slumber if one were to rise from the dead to tell him it was so.

The system of flying columns was working extremely well. Several strong bodies of insurgents had been cut up or dispersed. The troops of Jung Uahadoor, the Nepaulese

Maharajah, had gained a great victory over the Rajah of Gondah.

The captured mutineers were being tried by drum-head court-niarti.il.

Major-General Sir Hugh Rose with his Madrasses was at Sehore, and Sir Robert Hamilton was about to start for Saugor.

We have received (says the 'Bengal Hurkaru') the following for publication, from government message received -by electric telegraph, from Allahabad, Bth February (Monday). The advanced Goorkhas attacked the enemy, 10,000 strong, under. Rajah of Gondah, and defeated them, killing fifty, and totally dispersing the remainder. One artillery wagon captured. Our loss, one killed, two wounded. The Goorkha force will commence crossing the Gogra, near Tanda, on the Uth instant. We notice that the telegraphic communication between Shergolly and Benares is interrupted; there is little doubt but the mischief has been done by the rebels. A con-espondant at Shergolly tells us that Ummer-Sing is still at Ohotas -Ghur, and consequently quite near enough to the grand road to have it in his power to indulge in annoyances of this description. A letter from an officer in Jung-Bahadoor's force mentions that a party were to leave headquarters immediately to attack a village held by the insurgents, in which some of our officers from Paizaniad had been murdered in Jul v.

A letter dated Sehore, 14th January, contains the following:—The Bahal contingent had been disarmed. Sir Hugh Rose, X.C.8., arrived here on the 10th instant, and took command of the second brigade. There were a great many prisoners. Nearly 150 were shot by musketry on the 12th. Twelve were killed in an attempt to escape on Tuesday night. Ten more prisoners were executed yesterday. Drumhead court-martial is now sitting. There are some hundreds to try yet, all Indore mutineers. The following telegram had been received at Calcutta, from "Sir Robert Hamilton. Fort of Itaturgh was evacuated during the night of the 28th January. Fazel Mahomed Khan was taken prisoner trying to escape, and is now going to be hanged over the gateway. The following is an extract from a private letter, dated Futtehpore, January 30th :—" And now about the fight we had on tbe 27th. A lot of Mahomedan fanatics, with four guns, came and established themselves in a holy place about sixteen miles from this, up the river. Brigadier Hope, with ten guns, two thousand infantry, and some cavalry, were sent to wipe them away. We marched at ten o'clock at night from this, and arrived before the enemy's position at about eleven, as we had to halt to wait the clearing rip of a heavy fog. We found them in a very unmilitary position, from which, by a judicious application of cross fire, we soon" dislodged themii Our cavalry pursued, and cut up a good number of them. We took their four guns, bivouacked for the night, and came back here on the 2Sth. Our loss would have been very small had it not been for the accidental explosions of captured ammunition, by which some 21 of our infantry men were very much injured."

The following is from Bhaugulpore, dated the 31st Jan.:—"Everything is quiet here at present. Some disturbances, however, are said to have taken place in the Singbhoom district, but we have no cause for alarm at this place. Tlie local authorities, albeit, have recommended to the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, that the temporary entertainment of the extra police and treasury guards should be extended for six months more."

The following is from a correspondent at Allahabad, dated Feb. 3:--" Our gallant Com-mander-in-Chief, Sir Colin Campbell, arrived by train this evening. His Excellency, notwithstanding the sharp work he has had since he was last here, is looking remarkably well and hearty. The troops were drawn up at the station, and the moment Sir Colin placed his foot on the platform they came to the ' present arms-' The chief, however, seemed to think theparade unnecessary, for he trotted off, saying : ' That will do, don't mind me. Soldiers, you can go home; I know my way well enough.' " It is not yet known how long he will remain here, but when he goes, it will to teach the pandies that they require " a lang shankit spune to sup kail wi' the deil," as one of the Highlanders quintly l-emarked.

A letter from Allahabad, Sth February, states: The advanced Goorkahs attacked the enemy, ten thousand strong, under the Rajah of Gondah, and defeated them,killing fifty, and totally dispersing the remainder. The Goorka force will commence crossing the Gogra, near Tanda, on the 14lh instant."

The following is an extract of a letter from Newra Grant about sixty miles N.W. of the station of Goruckpore. The Tigra alluded to there is a village fourteen miles from the same, and in the same direction:—" Ere this you must have heard of the re-occupation of the Goruckpore by Jung Bahadoor and his troops. We were then in Azimghur, but on hearing of it eight of us made a start, and got in quite safe via Gopalpore. The Nazim had not done much harm to the station, save making a sort of entrenchment round the magistrate's house, and unroofing a few bungalow. The church, hospitals, gaols, bath and cutcherries were as good as the day we left them, minus panes of glass." A correspondent at Cawnpore says .-—" I think that about the latter end of this month you may look for the great blow to be struck. The chief is getting an enormous number of guns together, and rightly too, for that arm must chiefly be depended on in the coming struggle. Prom what I can learn' it seems to me that ammunition cannot be obtained quite fast enough, and from experience Sir Colin

knows that to chase the niggers oat of Lucknow a large supply will be needed, and is not dis* posed to risk the chance of running short. Although there is a ' split in the cabinet' at Lucknow j although dissension is lessening the ntmi* ber of our foes daily^ still there are quite enough sepoys left in Lucknow, and will be found there when we attack, to make it more than probable that we shall.have some very heavy fightingi-' The case of the men now holding Lucknow is so desperate that it will be a second Secundra Bagh on a greater scale, and ' yuerra a Ui morte' will be the motto of the belligerents. There can be but little doubt that every day the rebels feel that the avenger is drawing nearer ; still. With nothing in their rear but the Terai j and east, west, and south a circle of remorseless foes closing gradually but surely upon them, they know that but one fate awaits them—death, Desperation will add to their cowardice and cun-* ning, and there is little doubt that the high way n and bye-ways of Lucknow will lo studded with every offensive device that Oriental craft can bring against us, that every street will be bar^ ricaded, and every loopholed house or garden wall will swarm with hidden foes, and to oppose our unsheltered troops to tbeir fire would ha both useless and senseless. There is sound policy in Sir Colin's waiting until he shall have got such an artillery force together as will, from its very weight of fire, drive them from their raiholes. Once get them into the ' open,' and, although they should outnumber us tenfold, the British bayonet and the Sikh tulwar will make short work of them." A lttter from Cawnpore, dated 29th Jantiary, states that they are greatly improving and enlarging the entrenched camp there, as some dread exists of a second" attack. The trees in the . neighbourhood of the entrenchment are being cleared away —a very necessary measure,for it was principally under tbeir cover, and that of the buildings, that the Gwalior rascals were enabled to creep in-so close to our position. It seems that another attack is anticipated, but from what quarter our correspondent sayetl* not. We subjoin General Outram's last despatch from the Alambasjh :— The Eight Honourable the Governor-General of India in Council is pleased to direct the publication of the following despatch from Majors General Sir James Outram, G.C.8., reporting the repulse of a large body of the enemy, who made an unsuccessful attack on his position or_ the 12th.instant :— "From Major-General J. Outram, commanding in Oude, to General W. R. Manfield, Chief of the Staff of the Army in the East Indies. " Camp Alumbagh, 12th January, 185 S. " Sir, —I have the honour to inform his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, . that the rebels of Lucknow attacked my position this morning, and were repulsed with considerable loss. "In consequence of reports that Monsoob Allie was collecting men and receiving reinforcements from" Lucknow to intercept my communications, I sent a stronger escort than usual with my convoy, now on its way from Cawnpore, consisting of 450 infantry, 4 gunsand 80 cavalry. " The rebels were encouraged by tVis reduction of my force to meditate an attack, of which I received information for several days, and yesterday evening more definite accounts induced me to expect them at sunrise this morning. I therefore made such dispositions of my force ■ and "outposts as were necessary, and troops L breakfasted at daybreak and were all in readiness. / " About sunrise this morning large masses of £-" the enemy were seen on my left front, and the} 7- , gradually spread round the whole front and / flanks of the position, extending from opposite '-*■• to our left rear outpost to near Jellalabad on our. right, a distance at least six miles, and / amounting at the lowest, estimate to 30,000' / men. ■ • "As soon as their movements were decidedly \ in advance, the brigades, the right mustering *">~~- -743 and the left 733 Europeans and 100 men of the regiment of Ferozpore, were formed in front of their lines. "J ' "The enemy first advanced tipon my Jeff; j front and flank, covered hy a large body of skirmishers, on which I detached two regiments of the left brigade to support the outposts, and extended in skirmishing order on their flanks, whilst the third regiment was held in reserve; at the same time, Major Olpherts, with four horse battery guns, supported 03' a detachment of the military trains, w-sis directed to check the enemy on my left rear, where their cavalry showed iv the "greatest strength. \ The volunteer and native cavalry were drawn I up to protect the rear of the camp-, which ati this time appeared to be threatened. I " The right brigade remained on its ground'I "As soon as the enemy were fairly within j range they were exposed to a sever, fire of ar- ; tillery from Alumbagh, and from the advanced ' ; batteries of my outpost on the left front audi i centre, and fled with the utmost precipitation r 1 without having come within musket range, ex- ' cept at the left centre outposts, commanded by I Captain Down, Ist Madras Fusileers, where a j. considerable number entered a grove of trees j usually occupied by our outlying picquets-, from which they were driven in a few minutes by thoskirmisher- of the outpost. " On the left rear Major Olpherts moved out his guns at a gallop, and advancing well to hisfront completely drove off and dispersed a very large body of infantry and cavahy which wasendeavouring to penetrate to our rear, turning: them back towai-ds. the city, and doing much execution by the fire of his guvs on their masses at 600 yard's. "At this time I received a report that Atumi

T3agh and my -right advanced outpost of Jellalabad was'threatened, and on proceeding to the ' right'! found that'tire-enemy had brought three horse artillery guns, supported'by an; immense mass of infantry, against picquet which con- ' nects my-'right with 'Jellalabad, and which had been strengthened to 100 men with two guns. I moved -.lie regiment of Ferozepore and the r 6th Fusiliers with two guns of Moir's bullock from the right brigade to the front, 'taking the enemy in flank and driving them •back. They were then exposed to the fire of STaude's guns from Alum Bagh, which waved upon f hem with great effect. " About this time the enemy again advanced on the left front and flank, their cavalry on this occasion being more to the front than before, A party-of the latter galloped up to the rifle pits in front of the left advanced outpost • but Alexander's and Clarke's guns opened on them and drove them back in confusion. "About the same time the enemy on the right, again advancing from the heavy cover of groves and villages into which they had retreated, re-opened their guns on the Jellalabad picquet. but were finally silenced and driven off by the fire of Moir's two guns, which had been sent to the picquet to reinforce it, and replace the two guns originally there which had been withdrawn to Jellalabad. "Simultaneously with the attack above described, the enemy advanced upon Alum Bagh, and established themselves in the nearest cover, .notwithstanding that they were seen to suffer severely from the artillery and rifle fire. About noon they also advanced into the open ground, and were immediately dispersed and driven back'by the fire of Maude's guns and the riflemen from Alum Bagh. " By 4 o'clock p.m. tire whole of the enemy had disappeared and retired to the city or to their orginal positions in the gardens and villages in our front. "Nothing could exceed the eagerness of the troops to come in contact with the rebels, nor their disappointment at their precipitate flight to 'the cover of their works the moment the guns opened and our line of skirmishers advanced. " Tlie artillery made excellent practice on the masses of the enemy, and in reply to the fire from their batteries which was maintained on oar outposts and Alum Bagh with little intermission.

"Ti e casualties amount to one officer slightly, three privates slightly, and two severely wounded. " I take this opportunity of sending a return of casualties during the last fortnight, including to-day's. -"The steadiness of the troops, and the -promptitude with which my orders were carried out by my officers, gives me every assurance that the enemy's attack, if it had been as formidable as their forces were numerous, would have been signally defeated. " I have, &c., " J. OuTEA-I, " Major-General, Commanding in Oude."