INDIA.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 20, 7 October 1842, Page 2

INDIA.

(From the Weekly Chronicle.) Arrival op the New Governor-Gene-ral.-—Lord Ellenbqrough arrived at Calcutta on the Ist of March, and strange enough, the guns which thundered forth his note of; welcome, mingled with the cheers which resounded in the Town-hall of Calcutta, during a meeting convoked to propose an address to Lord Auckland, and a tribute of honour, in requesting his lordship to sit for his statue, to he placed beside those govcrnors-general who preceded him. Immediately on the arrival of Lord Ellenborough the following was issued: —" Fort William, Feb. 28. The right hoi*, the. gover-; nor-gencral in council directs, that, all distinctions and honours which were paid to the right hon. the Earl of Auckland, G.C.B„ whejv in office, shall be continued to his lordship during his stay in India. G. A. BuShdy, secretary to the government of India.” Lord Ellenborough’s first levee was attended by* at least 600 or 700 persons. His lordship received them, as Lord Auckland had previously done, standing at the south end of the great marble hall, surrounded by his personal staff and secretaries, the bishop, the judges, the members of council, and the political secretary, Mr. Maddock.. The visitors were severally presented by Captain Hillier, one of the aides-de-camp to his lordship, filing off the opposite side from that whence they entered. There were many* native gentlemen present at the levee, but as it was intimated to them that they would be presented on a future day, they retired. It is a pity that it was not announced beforehand that only Europeans would be received on that day, as our native friends are exceedingly annoyed at the manner in which they were excluded. Of the manner of the exclusion we shall say nothing, because we have reason to believe that accident more than design influenced the arrangement; but we think it right to remark upon the unwise confounding of the native gentlemen, who have always had the entree <A government-house by reason of their intelligence, their wealth, and their public spirit, with the, rajahs, chieftains, vakeels, and bahoos, who are asked to durbars as a matter of form. The privilege of mingling with the European gentlemen at Governmenthouse, and other public places, is valued by many of the natives ; and we think it would be most impolitic to break through the good feeling that was created in Lord W. Bentinck’s time, and has continued to exist r with so much advantage to the community in matters commercial, educational, and municipal.! Lord Ellenboiough has an Herculean task before him, enough, perhaps, to daunt' any man; hut if his lordship’s spirit can rise to meet the emergency, and he can leave India secure in her territory, and advanced in the tone of her society, her government, and her'public institutions, he will earn a high place in the gratitude of England and of India. There is‘one thing in his lordship’s favour—that India is perfectly tranquil. No symptom" of public, disaffection has appeared anywhere ; and,‘though the army is scattered and drained to. almost its lowest ebb, no thought is entertained of opposition to the government or its officers. The native princes are all quiet, and, for the most part, powerless, and there is no public breath in India which could even fan a general flame of rebellion.. , Yet it would not answer to trust in this, nor to. that we could afford to sit down quietly

under the injuries we have received, as many counsel wc should do—men, who cannot see that, in the iriurdev of two envoys, and the destruction of 13,000 of our fellow subjects, we have cause to demand retribution. There arc symptoms of confusion being; likely to break out at Oude, where the old king is acting the oppressor, at the instigation of a crafty minister. In the small state of Judporc there has been some alarm created, but it is not likely to produce any important results. The Burmese monarch has returned to his capital, and is content with making inquiries at Rangoon how his new palace progresses. I presume that the government of India is in no condition to demand any explanation of his extraordinary movement, and that for the present it must put up with the expenditure his majesty’s journey has caused it with the best grace it can muster. The Affgh'an war meets one at every turn, or this boasting and haughty prince might easily have been taught a lesson of humiliation to keep him quiet for the future. It is not probable, however,.that he will be heard of in a hostile attitude for some time to come.

(From the Geelong Advertise)'.)

The news from India bears a cheering complexion, as will be perceived from the following details. Still wc cannot help thinking, that the time for congratulation has not yet arrived, and that it will take many victories to wipe out the disgrace of one defeat. The following is General Sale’s description of the fight: — The troops issued from the Cabul and Pcsliawur gates at daylight this morning. So far from the, Sirdar having , made any dispositions to avoid the encounter, his whole force (not falling short in all of 6000 men) was formed in order of battle, for the defence of his camp, its right resting on a fort, and its left on the Cabul river, and even the ruined walls within 800 yards of the place, recently repaired, were filled with Ghilzic marksmen, evidently prepared for a stout resistance. The attack was led by the skirmishers in column, under Captain Havelock, which drove the enemy in the most satisfactory manner from the extreme left of his advance line of walls, which it pierced at once, •and proceeded to advance into the plain, whilst the central column directed its efforts against a square post, the defence of which was obstinately maintained. With the deepest regret I have to mention that, whilst nobly leading his regiment to the assault, Colonel Dcnnic, C. 8., of the 13th Light Infantry, received a shot through the body, which shortly after proved fatal. The rear of this work boin£ gained by passing to its left, I gave orders for a combined attack nm the enemy’s camp. It was in every way brilliant and successful. The artillery advanced at the gallop, and directed a heavy fire bn the AfFghan centre, whilst two of. the columns penetrated his line at the same point, and the third drove his left back from his support on the river, into the stream of which some of his horse and foot were forced; the Affghans made repeated attempts to. check our advance. by a, smart fire of musquetry, and throwing forward heavy bodies of horse, which twice closely threatened the troops under Captain Havelock, and by opening against us three guns from a battery, screened by a garden wall, and said to have been served under the personal superintendence of the Sirdar ; but in a short time they were dislodged from every point of their position, their cannon taken, and their camp involved in a general conflagration. The battle was over, and the enemy in full retreat in.the direction of Lughman by about 7a. m. We have made ourselves masters of two cavalry standards, recaptured four guns, lost by the Cabool and Gundamusk forces with much honest exultation, and destroyed the whole of the enemy’s tents. In short, the defeat of Maliumud Akbar by the force which he boasted of blockading, has been,

in open field, complete and signal.

NOTIFICATION. Secret Department, Benares, 21st April. The Governor-General feels assured that every subject of the British Government will peruse with the deepest interest and satisfaction, the report he now communicates of the entire defeat , of the Aflghan. troops under Mahomet. Ukhbar Khan, by the garrison of Jellalabad. That illustrious garrison, which, by its constancy in enduring privation, and by it 3 valour in action, has already obtained for itself the sympathy and respect of every true soldier, has now, sallying forth from its walls, under the command of its gallant leader, Major-General Sir Robert Sale, thoroughly beaten, in open field, an enemy of more than three times its numbers/taken the standards of their boasted cavalry, destroyed, their camp, and re-captured . four guns, which, under circumstances which can never again occur, had, during the last winter, fallen into their hands.

The Governor-General cordially congratulates the army upon the return of victory to its ranks. He is convinced that there, as in all former times, it will be found, while, as at Jellalabad, the Europeans and native troops mutually supporting each other, and evincing equal discipline and valour, are led into action by officers in whom they justly confide.

The Governor-General directs that the substance of this notification, and of Major-Geneiai

Sir Robert Sale’s report, be v carefully made known to all the troops, and that a salute of twenty-one guns be fired at every principal station of the army. By order of the Right Honorable the Gover-nor-General of India, T. 11. Haddock, Sec. to the Govt, of India.