Native, under the command of Sir Harry Smith, for the distinguished services rendered by them at the battle of Aliwal.

That this House doth highly approve of and commend the intrepidity and exemplary discipline displayed by the non-commissioned officers and private soldiers, European and Native, on the 28th of January, in their attack on the enemy's position, by which the Sikhs were completely routed and driven in confusion across the Sutlej, with the loss of all their artillery and military equipment; and that the same be signified to them by the commanders of the several corps, who are desired to thank them for their gallant behaviour.

That in requesting the Governor-General of India to communicate these resolutions to the several officers referred to therein, this House desires to acknowledge the zeal and judgment evinced by the Right Honourable Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Hardinge, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Governor-General of India; and also by General Sir Hugh Gough, Bart., Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in India, in supplying Major-General Sir Harry Smith with such reinforcements and military means as enabled him, under Divine Providence, to overcome all the obstacles thrown in his way by a brave and determined enemy.

That the thanks of this House be given to the Right Honourable LieutenantGeneral Sir Henry Hardinge, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, Governor-General of India, for the judgment, energy, and ability with which the resources of the British empire in India have been applied in repelling the unjust and unprovoked invasion of the British territory by the Sikh nation; and for the valour and indefatigable exertions which he displayed on the 10th of February, at the battle of Sobraon, when, by the blessing of Almighty God, which we desire most humbly to acknowledge, this hostile and treacherous invasion was successfully defeated.

That the thanks of this House be given to General Sir Hugh Gough, Bart., Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in India, for the signal ability and valour with which, upon the 10th of February, he directed and led the attack, when the enemy's entrenchments were stormed, their artillery captured, their army defeated and scattered, and the Punjaub laid open to the advance of our victorious troops.

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, Major-General Walter Raleigh Gilbert, aud Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath; and to the other officers, European and Native, for the distinguished services rendered by them in the eminently successful operations at the battle of Sobraon.

That this House doth highly approve of and commend the invincible intrepidity, perseverance, and steady discipline displayed by the non-commissioned officers and private soldiers, European and Native, on the 10th of February, by which the glory of the British arms has been successfully maintained against a determined and greatly superior force; and that the same be signified to them by the commanders of the several corps, who are desired to thank them for their gallant behaviour.

They were seconded by the Right Hon. the Earl of Auckland; and in the course of the debate the following remarks fell from his Grace the DUKE OF WELLINGTON: In the meantime the distant points of the frontier were threatened; Loodiana was threatenedI believe it was even attacked, and the cantonments were burned; and then it was that Sir Harry Smith was sent with a detachment of troops towards Loodiana, taking possession of various points on his road-Durrumkote and other places, of which the enemy had taken possession by bodies of troops which had crossed the Sutlej. And I beg your Lordships to observe that, when Sir Harry Smith was sent, he had three objects in view: one to give security to the post at Loodiana, already reinforced by the arrival there of General Godby after the battle: the others to keep up his communications with the rear by the town of Busseean, a point of great strength and importance, with a view to the communication between Ferozepore and Loodiana, in the front line, and Ferozepore and Delhi in the rear, the point from which the heavy train and the means of carrying on the siege in the ultimate operations were to come. These must have passed between twenty and thirty miles of the enemy, while the main body of the army at Ferozepore was not less distant than fifty. These were the objects to secure which Sir Harry Smith was detached from the army. He marched upon Loodiana, and communicated with the British commander there, who endeavoured to move out to his assistance. While he was engaged with the enemy on this march, which he made in order to perform a part of his instructions—namely, to maintain the communication with Loodiana, they came out from the entrenched camp and carried off his baggage. I desire to explain that, because it was the only check which the gallant officer met with throughout the whole of this operation, and in fact it is the only misfortune, trifling as it is, which has happened during the whole operations that have taken place in that part of the country. This loss of the baggage, such as it is, has been written up as a great misfortune; but, in point of fact, it could not be otherwise. He was obliged to march within sight of the entrenched camp, from which the enemy had an oppor

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tunity of attacking him on his march. I beg your Lordships to observe that Sir Harry Smith had not only to secure his communication with Loodiana, but likewise to secure his junction with General Wheeler, who, alone, was not able to contend against the enemy. He performed all those objects, was joined by General Wheeler, and then moved on to attack the new position which the enemy had taken up near the river. And, my Lords, I will say upon this, I have read the account of many a battle, but I never read the account of one in which more ability, energy, and experience have been manifested than in this. I know of no one in which an officer ever showed himself more capable than this officer has in commanding troops in the field. He brought every description of troops to bear, with all arms in the position in which they were most capable of rendering service; the nicest manoeuvres were performed under the fire of the enemy with the utmost precision, and at the same time with an energy and gallantry on the part of the troops never surpassed on any occasion whatever in any part of the world. I must say of this officer, that I never have seen any account which manifests more plainly than his does that he is an officer capable of rendering the most important services, and of ultimately being an honour to this country.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

A vote to the same effect was proposed by SIR ROBERT PEEL in the House of Commons, from whose speech we extract the following:-The great battle was fought on the 28th of January, but earlier in that month Sir Harry Smith had sustained what some may consider a reverse. I allude to a period before his junction with Colonel Wheeler, and with the five regiments from Loodiana. In the absence of all intelligence he encountered the enemy, and was exposed to serious hazard. Writing to Sir Hugh Gough on the 21st, after he had succeeded in relieving Loodiana, he said that he had accomplished that object, but under circumstances not quite so fortunate as he desired, and he used these expressions: "When within a mile and a half to my left of Buddowal, moving parallel

with my column (which was right in front ready to wheel into line), and evidently for the purpose of interrupting my advance, I saw the enemy. Nothing could be stronger for the enemy than the continued line of villages. He was moving by roads, while I was moving over very heavy sandbeds. He was in advance far beyond, on my right flank; so far did he extend, and so numerous did he show his infantry and guns, and so well chosen for him was this line of villages, that with my force he was not to be assailed; and he opened a furious cannonade of from 35 to 40 guns of very large calibre, and, as usual, right well served. My object being to unite myself with the force from Loodiana, which every moment I expected to appear in sight, for it was nine o'clock, I moved parallel with the enemy, resolving to attack the moment the Loodiana troops reached me. He, however, so pressed upon me, that I opened in one body my 11 guns upon him with considerable effect, and moved up the 31st, and was preparing to form line upon this regiment, when the enemy most rapidly formed a line of seven regiments, with their guns between, at right angles with the line I was about to attack, while a considerable force was moving round my right and front. Thus enveloped and overwhelmed by numbers, and such a superiority of guns, I had nothing for it but to throw back my line on its right, which represented a small line on the hypotenuse of a triangle. The enemy thus outflanked me and my whole force. I therefore gradually withdrew my infantry in echellon of battalions, the cavalry in echellon of squadrons, in the direction of Loodiana, momentarily expecting to see the approach of that force-viz., one regiment of cavalry, five guns, and four regiments of infantry, when I would have made a vigorous attack. The ground was very deep and sandy, and therefore very difficult to move on. The enemy continued to move on as described for upwards of an hour, and until I knew the Loodiana force was moving not a musket was fired. Nothing could exceed the steadiness of the troops. The line was thrown back, under this cannonade, as if on parade, Native as well as British, and the movements of the cavalry, under Brigadier Cureton, were, without any exception, the most perfect thing I

ever saw, and which I cannot describe."

Of the battle itself I will not speak; the victory was complete, and it has been so admirably described by the illustrious commander, that I will not weaken the effect of his narrative. And what, let me ask, have been the services of this gallant officer? These recent events have given new lustre to his glory; but he was at the capture of Monte Video-at the attack upon Buenos Ayres; he served during the Peninsular war, from the battle of Vimeira to that of Corunna. He was then wounded in another action, but he was at the battles of Sabagal and Fuente d'Onor, and the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos, at the battles of Salamanca, Vittoria, Orthes, the Pyrenees, and Toulouse. He was at Washington and at New Orleans, and finally he was at Waterloo. What a series of noble services, and how rejoiced I am that there should be an opportunity, through this new and signal victory, of bringing before the gladdened eyes of a grateful country a long life of military exertion, and an unbroken series of military honours. After he had achieved that success for which we are about to give him our special thanks— after he had driven back the enemy across the Sutlej, he instantly returned to rejoin his commanding officer, Sir Hugh Gough. He arrived on the 8th, two days before the decisive victory gained by the forces under Sir Hugh Gough and Sir Henry Hardinge. But for his services in the victory of the 28th of January, I propose that there should be a distinct and separate vote-distinct and separate from that which I shall recommend for that not more glorious, though perhaps more important achievement accomplished at a later date by the whole British army. *

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There is much to adorn and nothing to sully our victory and I do hope that now it has been achieved it will give lasting peace to India; that a general conviction will be felt of our power—a conviction of the superiority of British arms that will ensure a long enjoyment of tranquility to that country, and the application of all our efforts for the improvement of its natural resources. I trust that this may be our last battle, and that hereafter we shall have nothing to do but to direct our attention to the amelioration of the