NEWS OF THE WEEK.
HE Indian Government has sustained a disaster, not indeed of the first class, but still serious. The Maharajah of Muneepore, the little State between Bengal and Upper Burmah-8,000 square miles, and 200,000 people—finding himself threatened by his Commander-in-Chief, applied to Mr. Quinton, Chief Commissioner of Assam, for aid, as one of the protected Princes of India. As treaties justified this application, Mr. Quinton at once proceeded to Muneepore, taking with him as escort 450 Goorkhas, who on arrival were billeted in the Sepoy Lines outside the town. Mr. Quinton was welcomed, and at once proceeded to arrest the Commander. in-Chief, who, however, appealed for support to a body of Kukla, or hillmen, whom he bad imported into the State. These men attacked the Goorkhas, who retreated, fighting, on the Residency, and would have perished there, but, their ammunition failing, were permitted by Mr. Quinton to retreat. They retired on Silehar, having lost more than half of their number and Lieutenant Brackenbury, who was killed fighting ; and Mr. Quinton proceeded to nego- tiate. The Kakis, however, disregarding his flag of truce, seized him and five other officers as hostages. The Govern- ment of India at once ordered all available troops in Assam and Eastern Bengal—about five thousand—to converge on Muneepore, and in a few days we shall, we hope, hear that the State has become a British district. It is improbable that the officers captured will he murdered, but they may be, and of course their safety cannot be considered so far as to impede the instant occupation of Muneepore. They would them- selves repudiate any discreditable bargain for their lives, and it would be discreditable to delay the attack by half-an-hour.
