INDIA. [From tbe Friend of India.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 713, 2 June 1852, Page 3

INDIA. [From tbe Friend of India.]

Warwiih Burmah. — The following most important intelligence has just been received by the Fire Queen, and published in the Hurharu. • War would appear to be inevitable, but the Burmese have brought it on themselves :—: — "The-H. C. steamer Fire Queen, 29th December, 1851, went up the Rangoon river as far as the Elephant, met and received the Commodore's . despatches, from the Plegethon on the morning of the 24th. The prevailing opinion 'in Rangoon is,- that war is inevitable ; or at all events, that the authorities will not come into our terms until we have sent troops to show .our determination to enforce them. About 8 or 10,000 armed people are in Rangoon and the neighbourhood, and considerable numbers coming in daily from all parts of the country. .The stockades are being cleared and put in .order, and every preparation being made for -/war by the Burmese. The Governor of Rangoon, as impudent as ever, and repeatedly -sending impertinent messages to the Commodore. All communication with the shore is stopped. ,The Europeans are living on board the yessels in the river. The 2nd of January is the last of the thirty- five days given by the Com - . modore for a reply to the letter sent to the King of Ava. The missionary report is, that .the answer is already received by the Governor .of Rangoon, but will not be delivered till the time allowed up. The missionaries report that the answer is hostile. . The Tenasserim sank three large canoes full of Burmese soldiers by her back water; muskets lost, men all believed to be saved. The Cora-, .modore, it is said, on receiving the reply (if hostile) will warn alLßritish subjects, and ves-i sels to leave Rangoon and- drop down to the mouth of the river to await troops or further instructions. - All is quiet in and about Maul main. * Crisp, the man of the peace association, has "sent large quantities of muskets and powder to Rangoon and sold' them to the Burmese, and ■because he could not get paid appealed to the Commodore.* There is no news in the Maul--main papers. H.M.S. Fox still sickly ; some -, a midshipman of her died on board the ■Tenasserim on the 20th. The Fire Queen left Maulmain on the 23rd. ! The following announcement is republished I>y the Madras Spectator from an English journal: — ' - . ." lii future all regiments destined for service in India will go out to, that country ' direct from .Great Britain, and after ten years' sojourn in the East, will go on to Australia or its dependencies for a term of five years more. The object of this arrangement is to afford discharged men of good character and their families an opportunity, of settling , in those colonies, where grants of land .with, other advantages, will be bestowed upon them on discharge there under 1 certain easy conditions, by which, means an efficient Tiody of pensioners will thus be organised'for local duty on any emergency." As the .colonists, we believe,, decidedly approve of military settlers, this regulation is likely to be as popular as it is prudent. We doubt however whether it will have the precise effect intended, which is evidently to secure a strong English party in each, colony. Another Indian officer has been cashiered for drunkenness. The unfortunate officer is Lieut: ■ Charles' Henry Middletoii, of the Bth, Madras Light Cavalry, who was tried on four 'charges ; first, of being drunk ; on duty ; se'coridly.of endeavouring to intimidate a Cornet of his own "regiment, an<T thereby .prevent

his " seeking proper redress.". for- an insult; thirdly, of breaking his. arrest; ,and, fourthly, of beating a mess servant for- rtot, giving him brandy. The Court found him, guilty of the first, third, and fourth, charges, and sentenced him to be cashiered, but added ,a recommendation to mercy ,t principally, on the ground of his debilitated health at the time when he was overcome by liquor. ■ The Commander-in t phief rejects the recommendation on the ground of Lieut. Middleton's *• intemperate habits," and confirms the sentence.