ritory of Oregon, in exploring the coast, rivers, harbours, bays and straits, and also for the protection of our extensive commerce on the North Pacific Ocean.

"2. Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing an exploring expedition by land, to examine the various passes in the Rocky Mountains, and the territories adjacent thereto, for the purpose of ascertaining the most practicable route for connecting the navigable waters of the Mississippi with those of the Oregon territory.

"3. Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of employing a portion of the troops of the United States as a pioneer corps to aid and protect emigrants by land on their route to Oregon.

"4. Resolved, That the Committee on Indian Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expepediency of extending the laws regulating our Indian intercourse over the territory of Oregon, with provision for the gradual extinguishment of the Indian title to lands in that territory, upon principles of justice and equity, so as to avoid conflicts between the settlers and the Indian tribes, relative to their possessions, and for the purpose of securing lasting peace and friendship between them.

"5. Resolved, That the Committee on the public lands be instructed to inquire into the expe

diency of establishing a system of surveys in Oregon, commensurate with the settlement by American citizens, similar to the system already established in other portions of the territories of the United States.

"6. Resolved, That the Committee on the Militia bé instructed to inquire into the expediency of organizing the militia in the territory of Oregon, and furnishing them with arms and ammunition, to enable them to defend themselves against the encroachments of the hostile Indians in that vicinity.

7. Resolved, That the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads be instructed to inquire into the expediency of transporting a monthly mail to Oregon, by means of small detachments of otherwise unemployed soldiers, from Fort Leavenworth, so as to secure the mail facility at little additioual cost to the Government, and preserve a line of military patrol along the route."

The decision of the House of Representatives upon these various resolutions, and their ultimate fate in Congress, will be seen in our next volume.

At the close of the year two Bills, which had come down from the Senate, relating to the Annexation of Texas, passed into law Of these, one was for extending the law of the United States over Texas; and the other for organizing Texas into a collection district.

rience of this country, by far the largest returns are procured from passengers, the least from the traffic of goods. The condition of India is, in this respect, directly the reverse of that of England. Instead of a dense and wealthy population, the people of India are poor, and in many parts thinly scattered over extensive tracts of country. But, on the other hand, India abounds in valuable products of nature, which are in a great measure deprived of a profitable market by the want of cheap and expeditious means of transport.

"It may therefore be assumed that remuneration for railroads in India must for the present be drawn chiefly from the conveyance of merchandize, and not from passengers. It cannot admit of question that wherever railroad communication can be advantageously introduced and maintained, it is eminently deserving of encouragement and co-operation from the Government.

"III. Independent of the difficulties common to railroads in all countries, there are others peculiar to the climate and circumstances of India, which may render it advisable that the first attempt should be made on a limited scale.

"These peculiar difficulties may be classed under the following heads :

1. Periodical rains and inundations.

derwood upon earth and brickwork.

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5. The uninclosed and unprotected tracts of country through which railroads would pass.

6. The difficulty and expense of securing the services of competent and trustworthy engineers.

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· IV. Under all the considerations above adverted to, and with reference to the entire want of definite and scientific information relative to the applicability of railway communication to India, we deem it indispensably necessary that the subject in all its bearings should undergo the accurate investigation of competent persons on the spot. We propose for this purpose to depute to India a skilful engineer, fully and practically acquainted with the construction and working of railways in this country, and, if possible, in America likewise, to be associated with two engineer officers in our service, to be selected by you with great care as fully qualified to conduct the investigation required. One object of this committee will be to suggest some feasible line of moderate length as an experiment for railroad communication in India.

"V. In submitting to us the result of the proposed investigation, you will state in what respects the views of the engineers have your concurrence. You will also specify the nature and terms of the charter in your judgment proper to be granted to any railway company in India which may desire to undertake such a railroad, as well as the mode in which a similar charter from the Crown may be best brought into concurrence and harmony with that granted by the Indian Legislature.

subject which have been addressed to us, it is contemplated that railroads in India should be constructed and managed as they are in this country, by means of private enterprise and capital. In that view of the subject we are disposed to concur; but it will be necessary to make provision, as Parliament has latterly done, that the Government should have the command of railroad communication for its own purposes, on payment of a reasonable remuneration; and that at least the great trunk lines should, on settled terms, be liable to become, ultimately, the property of Govern

ment.

“VII. It will be necessary to lay down the rules under which railroad undertakings are to be sanctioned, and with that view we desire that the following may receive your consideration, and that you will submit to us such suggestions as you may have to offer, viz.

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1. That the intended line of communication in the first instance, and at a subsequent period the detailed plan and estimates, be submitted for examination to the Government.

"2. That the constitution and terms of agreement of the proposed company be in like manner submitted to the Government.

"3. That the books and accounts of the company be at all times open to the inspection of officers, to be appointed by the Government.

“ 4. That the rate of profit shall not exceed a proportion to be fixed, and that the Government shall have power to reduce the rates of conveyance, so as that they may not exceed that proportion.

"5. That, if satisfied on these points, the Indian Legislature shall grant a charter of incorporation, and that the Court of Directors shall concur in applying for a grant of a similar charter in England.

6. That the Government shall, by all proper means, facilitate the surveys and other operations of the company, as well as the necessary purchase of land, and generally promote the success of the undertaking.

"VIII. With regard to a guaranteed return on the capital laid out, which the parties who have applied to us request, we consider that mode of co-operation liable to many objections, and likely to prove very unsatisfactory; as, when the information now called for shall have been received, we shall be prepared to take into consideration the mode and extent of such pecuniary assistance it shall be proper for the Government of India to afford towards the execution of at least the first approved line of railroad in that country.

"IX. We feel assured that you will give your best consideration to the subject now referred to you, as one in which the interests of India are deeply concerned, and that without loss of time you will earnestly endeavour to carry into effect the views explained in this letter, and will report the result for our further instructions."

Until the close of the year uninterrupted peace pervaded the vast Peninsula of India, and Sir Henry Hardinge was actively but quietly employed in promoting the interests of the natives, by giving his attention to the important question of education, when the state of our north

western frontier summoned him to engage in warlike preparations. Although in a previous volume we stated our apprehension, lest the distracted state of affairs in the Punjaub should compel us to interfere, out of regard to the safety of our Anglo-Indian dominions on the left bank of the Sutlej, we did not anticipate that a bold invasion of the territories under our protection would be made by a Sikh army, and that they would venture to contest in British India the palm of victory with the troops of that power, which has hitherto been irresistible in the East. We deprecated interference if its object, however plausibly disguised, were the extension of our already enormous territory-for we convinced that such a course of policy is consistent with neither justice nor expediency; but the conduct of the turbulent Sikh soldiery has rendered collision with them an act of self-defence on our part, and national honour demands that a full measure of punishment should fall upon a state, which has dared to commit such a flagrant outrage against the peace of India as that of a hostile invasion, without the shadow of an excuse for war.

are

It is a mistake to suppose that the Sutlej is the boundary line between the Sikh country and British India. No part of the left bank of that river does in fact belong to us. It flows through territories on both sides inhabited by Sikhs, until it forms a junction with the Indus. But some portion of the territory on the left bank was under our protection, and we possessed two advanced frontier posts, Loodianah and Ferozepore, at the time when the Sikh forces crossed the Sutlej.

Our knowledge of the interior condition of the Punjaub is so imperfect, and so many conflicting reports have been spread as to the part taken by the nominal Government at Lahore, in the events which we are about to narrate, that it is extremely difficult to pronounce with certainty how far the invasion was countenanced by the Ranee, the Queen Mother, and the other advisers of the boy-king Dhuleep Sing. It is alleged on their behalf, that the Durbar at Lahore was at the mercy of the army, and that the restless and mutinous Sikh soldiers, in defiance of the wishes of the Government, determined to cross the Sutlej, in hopes of finding us unprepared, and carrying off an immense quantity of booty. But we confess we do not take this view of the case; we believe that the Lahore Govern. ment stood in terror of the army, and was glad of any pretext for finding it employment otherwise than in kindling the flames of civil war in the heart of the kingdom; and, perhaps, the chance of a defeat by the British forces did not appear so alarming as the prospect of what might ensue, if the army were left to expend its violence within the Punjaub territory. But whatever may have been the true state of things, it is clear that we had no alternative, but to treat the invasion by the Sikh army as a formal declaration of war on the part of the Lahore Government, and to take measures for proceeding against the Punjaub as a hostile state.

On the 2nd of December the Governor-General, Sir Henry Hardinge, arrived at Umballah, and we do not think that we can give a better or clearer account of the