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My answer to all and every man was, that we must fight it out, attack the enemy vigorously at daybreak, beat him, or die honourably in the field. The gallant old general, kindhearted and heroically brave, entirely coincided with me."

Let the House observe how anxious my gallant Friend is to do justice to his companions in arms.

"During the night I occasionally called on our brave English soldiers to punish the Sikhs when they came too close and were impudent; and when morning broke we went at it in true English style. Gough was on the right. I placed myself, and dear little Arthur [his son] by my side, in the centre, about thirty yards in front of the men, to prevent their firing, and we drove the enemy without a halt from one extremity of the camp to the other, capturing thirty or forty guns as we went along, which fired at twenty paces from us, and were served obstinately. The brave men drew up in an excellent line, and cheered Gough and myself as we rode up the line, the regimental colours lowering to me as on parade. The mournful part is the heavy loss I have sustained in my officers. I have had ten aides-de-camp hors de combat, five killed and five wounded. The fire of grape was very heavy from 100 pieces of cannon; the Sikh army, drilled by French officers, and the men the most warlike in India."

From my affectionate regard for that gallant man, I am proud to be enabled to exhibit him on such a night as that of the 21st of December-going through the camp-passing from regiment to regiment-keeping up the spirits of the men-encouraging themanimating their ardour—and having lost ten aides-de-camp out of twelve-placing his young son, a boy of seventeen or eighteen years of age, in the front of the line, in order that the British troops might be induced not to fire on the enemy, but drive them back by the force of the British bayonet. It was characteristic of the man to read these details. He had two sons present, one of whom was a civilian, and the other in the army. On the night of the 21st he sent the civilian to the rear of the army, saying that his presence disturbed him, and that if he refused to retire, he would send him away in arrest as a prisoner; but the presence, he said, of his younger son, an officer, whose duty called him to the field, only made the father more desperately resolute in the discharge of his duty. On the 22nd, after the battle was over, he took his eldest son, when visiting the sepoys and the wounded, and he showed

them a Governor-General of India who had lost his hand, and the

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son of a Governor-General who had lost his foot, and endeavoured to console them in their sufferings by proving to them that men in the highest rank were exposed to the same casualties as themselves.

As I before observed, the accounts of all the military operations are given with admirable clearness in the despatches laid before the House. They must have been read with such attention by every Member of the House, that I will not weaken their effect by minute reference to military details. The pride and satisfaction we must all derive from those gallant exploits are no doubt counterbalanced by deep regret for the loss of so many men of the highest distinction and promise. We have had the misfortune-the great misfortune -of losing that gallant officer who on former occasions has so frequently distinguished himself-Sir Robert Sale. He, Sir, has closed a long career of glory by that death to which I believe he himself looked forward and which he coveted-that death in the field which entitles me to say that even in his own estimation, he was "felix etiam opportunitate mortis.” Sir, I do hope that this House will on no distant day mark their esteem and respect for the memory of Sir Robert Sale by humbly representing to Her Majesty their unanimous wish that she may be pleased to record the gratitude of the country by the erection of a monument to Sir Robert Sale.

We have, Sir, also to deplore the loss of Sir J. M'Caskill, to whom a brief but touching testimony of approbation is borne in the despatch of the Commander-in-Chief, as well as one of the most eminent men in the civil and military services of India-Major Broadfoot. In that gentleman the highest confidence was placed by every one who came in contact with him. He obtained the applause of every civil and military authority in the country, and his prudence and skill as a civilian were only equalled by his ardour and bravery in the field. He was, I believe, the last of three brothers, all of whom have died in the service of their country on the field of battle. Major Broadfoot was present with Sir R. Sale during the siege of Jellalabad, and took a most conspicuous part in its defence. It is mournful, Sir, that we should have to deplore

the loss in the same conflict of two gallant men so devoted to their conntry's service as Sir R. Sale and Major Broadfoot.

I shall not refer by name to officers of lower rank who have fallen in this conflict; for where all were so distingnished, it must be invidious to particularize; but whatever their rank, I can assure their surviving relatives that their country will do justice to their memory. I hope the thanks of the House will be conveyed to all the men of every regiment engaged in this brilliant exploit, without exception. If there were occasions on which the reputation for valour of some regiments may appear not to have been upheld, considering their former services-their known gallantry—their severe losses-the remembrance of one moment's default is altogether obliterated by the recollection of their former eminent conduct, and of the services they rendered on that very day. I am quite certain, Sir, that the men of Her Majesty's 62nd Regiment, of the 14th Native Infantry, and the other gallant Native regiment on the flank of Her Majesty's 62nd Regiment, will not suffer in the estimation of the country; that the willing thanks of this House will be given, without exception, to all the regiments engaged in this action. There never has been a greater example of extreme forbearance, strict justice, and a resolve to resist all the temptations to which the army was exposed-there never was a greater combination of those high qualities with the most brilliant talent and valour in defence of the British empire in India. The gallantry of those who fell in that conflict will not be without its fruits. Their lives will not have been sacrificed in vain. The remembrance of their conduct constitutes one of the brightest possessions—one of the great defences of this country. When we reflect what can be effected by discipline and valour, such as was manifested by our countrymen on these memorable days, we feel that in a just cause our country must be victorious. The memory

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of those men who have fallen through their devotion to their country will long serve to animate the British army. It will make us proud of that name which we bear, and encourage us, if need be, to emulate their heroic exertions, and exhibit equal devotion,

equal perseverance, equal courage, in the cause of our common country. (Great and enthusiastic cheering greeted the Right Hon. Baronet from all sides of the House in the progress, and at the conclusion of his speech.) He moved the first of the following series of resolutions :-

That the thanks of this House be given to the Right Honourable Lieutenant General Sir Henry Hardinge, Governor General of India, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, for the energy and ability with which he directed the military means at his disposal, to the repelling of the unprovoked invasion of the Sikh army of the dominions of the British Government, and of the Protracted States upon the left bank of the Sutlej; and also, for the firmness and gallantry with which he directed the operations of that portion of the army under his immediate command, in the afternoon and night of December 21st, 1845, and on the morning of the 22nd, upon which occasion the enemy's defences were carried by storm, the greater part of their artillery captured, and their subsequent attempts to regain what they had lost repeatedly defeated.

That the thanks of this House be given to General Sir Hugh Gough, Baronet, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Commander in Chief of the Forces in the East Indies, for the distinguished valour with which he directed and led the several attacks upon the enemy, and for the eminent services rendered by him in the battles of the 18th, 21st, and 22nd of December, 1845, displaying, as he did, in conjunction with the Governor General, a brilliant example to the troops, of perseverance and courage in critical circumstances, and of irresistible ardour in the several attacks made upon the enemy.

That the thanks of this House be given to Major General Sir Henry George Smith, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, to Major General Walter Raleigh Gilbert, and to Major General Sir John Hunter Littler, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, and to the several Officers, European (and Native, under their command, for the eminent services rendered by them in the recent arduous and successful operations.

That the thanks of this House be given to the non-commissioned Officers and Private Soldiers, European and Native, for the perseverance and fortitude maintained by them at Moodkee on the 18th of December, 1845, and for the daring valour with which they forced the enemy's entrenchments at Ferozeshah on the 21st and 22nd of December, captured most of his guns, and finally compelled the Sikh army, of greatly superior numbers, to retire within their own frontier.

That this Resolution be signified to them by the Commanders of the several Corps.

Ordered-That the said Resolutions be transmitted by Mr. Speaker to the Governor General of India, and that he be requested to communicte the same to the several Officers referred to therein."

The motion was seconded by the Right Hon. Lord J. Russell, and, after speeches by Sir Robert Inglis, Mr. Hogg, Capt. Layard, Sir Howard Douglas, and other honourable members, the resolutions were put seriatim and carried nem. con.

At a Special Court of Proprietors of East India Stock, the Chairman (Sir H. Willock, K.L.S.), stated that the Court had been especially summoned, in order to lay before it certain papers relating to the war in India, and to offer the thanks of the Court to the officers and men employed in that war. The Chairman, in a brief but affecting speech, submitted a motion, couched in the same terms as those adopted by the Houses of Parliament, and which will be found in that report; which having been seconded by the Deputy-Chairman (J. W. Hogg, Esq., M.P.), was unanimously agreed to.

ALIWAL AND SOBRAON.

THE THANKS OF PARLIAMENT.

On the evening of the 2nd of April, the thanks of the House of Lords were proposed by the Right Hon. the Earl of Ripon, who concluded a most effective speech with the following words. " I have purposely abstained from specifying the acts of those to whose victories I have called your attention. I felt that I could not have done justice to them; and I beg now simply to propose the motions, the objects of which I have explained. They are as follow:"

That the thanks of this House be given to Major-General Sir Harry George Smith, Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, for his skilful and meritorious conduct when in command of the British troops employed against a large portion of the Sikh army, of greatly superior numbers, and for the signal valour and judgment displayed by him in the battle of the 28th of January, when the enemy's force was totally defeated, and new lustre added to the reputation of the British arms.

That the thanks of this House be given to the several officers, European and

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