A DISARMAMENT.
IF peace is to be secured by disarming a warlike people, then is the Punjaub pacified. The Lahore Chronicle gives a tabular ac- count of the arms surrendered by the people in fulfilment of the disarming order. "The sum of the various articles is as follows—swords, 43,283; shields, 1734; coats of mail, 4; matchlocks, 34,815; muskets, 1491; bayonets, 1029; =11,573; daggers, 248; jazails, 70; fowling-pieces, 34; carbines, 18; Crbusses, 43; bows, 6701; quivers, 204; arrows, 263; battle-axes, 25; pistols, 377; cannon, 55 ; jumbooruks, 106; sword-sticks, 63 ; large knives, 8; kutars, 127; ball-cartridges, 4617; cannon-balls, 7756; leaden balls, 131; pouches and flasks, 432; powder, 24 maunds 15 seers. The table also shows that 956 persons have been punished by fine for having arms in their pos- session, in contravention of the proclamation for disarming the people." The Bombay Times estimates this a store sufficient to arm 100,000 men, all savage in disposition ; and observes, what a mass of outrage such a mass of deadly instrumentality implies ! This is true ; but does the deprivation of fire-arms and edged weapons imply a disarming of the local malignancy P We doubt it. It may make the Punjaub for a time less difficult to hold; but other measures will be needed to consolidate the English tenure of that extensive province ; and probably it might be found not a wise economy, in the long run, to disarm the border population; for that throws upon a permanent English force the task of keeping back the external barbarians. Of course, such must be the in- tention ; but is it politic to accept that arrangement, once for all, as permanent P The garrison of a frontier like that of the Punjaub must be a heavy burden on Indian finance : the disarmament of the local population will always make them associate the recovery of arms and honour with a Mussulman invasion. The Bonilla) Times suggeststhiieatmlabOt t, ,c, the
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Exposition of 1851; and at least specimens should be sent of this great sacrifice to " peace." Would that the senders could accom- pany !the. s, with proof that xlisarmement is a genuine guarantee 4 peace • or that peace itself, compelled by each means, were 441-.11*.m4g4 iond I
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