The Ranee complained that whilst the troops were urging the march, they were still going home to their villages as fast as they got their pay; and Sirdar Sham Singh Attareewalla declared his belief that unless something was done to stop this, he would find himself on his way to Ferozepore with empty tents. The bait of money to be paid, and to accompany them was also offered, and at length the Durbar broke up at two P.M. Great consultations took place in the afternoon, but I know only one result, that the Ranee had to give to her lover his formal dismissal, and that he (Rajah Lal Singh) actually went into the camp of the Sawars he is to command, and pitched his tent.

What the Ranee says is quite true of the sepoys dispersing to their houses; the whole affair has so suddenly reached its present height, that many of the men themselves think it will come to nothing, and still more who had taken their departure do not believe it serious enough to go back. On the day after this scene took place, i.e., the 19th, the usual stream of sepoys, natives of the protected states, who had got their pay, poured across the Sutlej, at Hurrekee, on the way to their homes. Every preparation, however, for war is making with probably more energy than if it had been a long-planned scheme, for every person of whatever party must show his sincerity by activity and virulent professions of hatred to the English.

Enclosure No. 1, in No. 10.

The Agent to the Governor-General to the Lahore Vakeel.

2nd December, 1845.

I wrote to you a letter on the 18th ultimo, requiring explanations as to the reported orders of the Lahore Durbar to its troops, to move towards the Sutlej with unfriendly intentions.

On the 20th instant, you answered from Loodiana, that you had forwarded a copy of my letter to the Durbar immediately on receiving it, and you stated that on receiving an answer you Would forthwith communicate it.

For several days past I have been in hourly expectation of your answer, but none came.

This day, on your waiting on me, you informed me, that though you had some days ago received from the Durbar an acknowledgment of the receipt of your letter, you had received no answer to it, but that you had in the interval written repeatedly to the Durbar on the subject of it, and that you confidently expected an answer this day, or, at furthest, to-morrow morning.

I pointed out to you that, notwithstanding the notoriety of the events which had occurred at Lahore, and notwithstanding the inconvenience suffered by the detention, on the frontier, of the battalions about to leave it for Scinde and Bareilly, the GovernorGeneral, in hopes of receiving without delay satisfactory explanations in answer to my letter, had continued the forbearance he has exercised so long, and to so great an extent; that no new troops had arrived on the frontier, and that the Governor-General had proceeded slowly on his journey in this direction, as intended, before the occurrence of the events of which explanation is now demanded; that I pointed out that, notwithstanding this forbearance, you had appeared, after so long an interval, without any answer to my demand for an explanation, and that I saw this with surprise and regret.

I have now to communicate to you the following orders from the Governor-General:

His Excellency has directed me to say, that the rules of friendship between the two states, and indeed the customs of all nations, require that in answering a demand for explanations of events so grave as those which have occurred at Lahore, not a moment is to be lost, because delay cannot but operate to confirm the (MOST UNFRIENDLY) worst construction of such events, and is, moreover an act of the highest discourtesy towards the Government demanding explanations. In this instance the requisition for explanation has been disregarded, and the apparently hostile movements have been continued.

Under these circumstances, the Governor-General feels it

impossible to permit you, who are the authorised representative of the Government which has offered to his Government so great a slight, to continue in his Excellency's camp, while this slight is persevered in; he has directed me not to admit you to any further interview with me, unless you come as the bearer of the answer of the Durbar to my remonstrance; and his Excellency further commands, that if this answer be not delivered before noon to-morrow, you will quit this camp.

To prevent, however, interruption to the business of this agency, as regards the Mahaja's estates on this side of the Sutlej, I request that you will leave with me a confidential Moonshee to communicate, during your absence, my orders, or those of the subordinate courts of the agency, to the managers of those estates; and you will warn the Kardars and residents in those estates to obey all orders coming from the ordinary courts through your Moonshee in the same way as if received from yourself.

(Signed)

Enclosure No. 2, in No. 10.

G. BROADFOOT.

The Lahore Vakeel to the Governor-General's Agent. Your letter, dated 2nd December 1845, has been delivered to me by Moulvee Rujub Ally Khan after midnight, and I have arranged for its immediate transmission to the Durbar.

Seal of KRISHEN CHUND.

The 2nd December 1845, after midnight, (i. e., by our reckoning, 1 A. M. 3rd.

The Governor-General to the Secret Committee.

Camp, Umballa, December 4th, 1845.

Major Broadfoot having reported to me that the Lahore Vakeel had joined the camp from Loodiana, I directed Major Broadfoot to see him, and to require from him the reply to his

perwannah, remonstrating against the procedings which had taken place at the time it was written, and demanding the cause thereof. The Vakeel waited upon Major Broadfoot, and in reply to his requisition asserted, that he had received no reply from the Durbar; that he had sent the communication immediately to Lahore, had received merely an acknowledgment of its safe arrival, and that he had repeatedly sent, urging that a reply should be forwarded to him, but hitherto without success; but he asserted that he fully expected the reply by that evening's post.

Major Broadfoot explicitly informed the Vakeel, as previously instructed by me, that the Governor-General would not permit the Lahore Government to trifle with him in a matter of such serious importance; that positive information had been received of the Lahore army having left the capital towards the frontier, avowedly with hostile intentions towards the British Government, to which course they had been instigated by the express and repeated orders of the Ranee and the chiefs, and that the Governor-General expected to receive, without further delay, an answer to the political agent's written remonstrance. Major Broadfoot then said, that he should report to the Governor-General the result of his interview with the Vakeel, and communicate in writing the orders he might receive. The Vakeel said very little at this interview; he protested that the had done all in his power to procure a reply to the perwannah; and on Major Broadfoot's saying that we knew positively that the Ranee and chiefs had ordered the present movement, he said he had no such knowledge.

When Major Broadfoot reported to me, in the evening, the result of this interview, I immediately directed him to address to the Vakeel the written communication, a copy of which is inclosed.

I considered that it was absolutely necessary on my arrival at Umballa, to take decided notice of the extraordinary proceedings that had taken place, and were stated to be still in progress. It was evident I could not permit the political agent's communications, in the face of what was going on at Lahore, to be treated with disregard. I took the mildest course in my power, con

sistently with the dignity, position, and interests of the British Government. I purposely left an opening to the Lahore Government to remedy, through the Vakeel, the discourtesy it had shown, by affording to that Government the facility of making any explanation it might desire. The plain construction to be put on the silence of the Lahore Government in the reply to the demand for explanation, evidently was, that the intentions of that Government were hostile, in which I did not deem it expedient to give to that Government the leisure to complete their hostile preparations; whilst, on my part, I had abstained from making any movement, expressly for the purpose of avoiding any jealousy or alarm; thus affording to the Maharajah's Government the strongest proof of the good faith and forbearance of the British Government.

Major Broadfoot entertains the impression that the reply to his demands had been sent to the Vakeel, and had either been returned by him, with a protest (as is, I understand, often done), or was, at the moment of the conference in his possession, but was withheld because the Vakeel was reluctant to deliver so unfriendly a document.

However that may be, the perwannah from Major Broadfoot of the evening of the 2nd December was received by the Vakeel the same night, and, with the reception of an acknowledgment of its receipt, no further communication has passed between him and Major Broadfoot. The Vakeel is not now in the camp.

I am satisfied that the course I have adopted was imperatively required, and before I authorise any precautionary movements to be made, I shall give full time for a reply to be received from Lahore.

This morning, news up to the 1st instant has been received. The Ranee and Sirdars are becoming more and more urgent that the army should advance to the frontier, believing that, in the present posture of affairs, the only hope of saving their lives and prolonging their power is to be found in bringing about collision with the British forces. The Sikh army moves with evident