11 DECEMBER 1841, Page 1

There is no news of the war in China, but

its echo rings in the troubled voice of India. In the North-west, disease promises to rid us of the imbecile despot whom we uphold on the throne of Afghanistan at the cost of perpetual warfare with his subjects. The " protected" provinces are contumacious ; and in many quarters the activity of our troeps parades, at the worst of times, the odious tenure of foreign domination before our alien subjects. China had already begun to make a considerable and a very untoward drain upon our Indian strength, when a new foe appears in the field : Burmab, the known ally of the cognate empire of China, has assembled a great " army of observation," as we should call it in Europe. No one doubts, of course, that the consequence of ag- gression on the part of the Burmese Monarch must be his own defeat ; and Lord AUCKLAND'S energy has already prepared to make that defeat instant and signal. But to conquer THARRA., WADDIE'S multitude, ill-disciplined as it may be, requires a con- siderable force, if it is only on account of the numbers to be beaten. Now, the commanders in China were already pressing for further reinforcements months back, and there is reason to suppose that their strength has been further diminished by climate. India is distracted. Under such circumstances, our Eastern possessions can ill furnish the forces for a third field of action. Yet they cannot avoid it. The necessary consequence has arisen : troops are sent from Bengal, not to the North-west, where their presence is much needed, but to the South-east, where it is more needed ; and vessels actually on their way to China are intercepted and directed to Burmah. Burmah has effected a diversion in favour of China.