sition.

PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.

Parliament was prorogued on the 12th of August by the queen in person.
Having given the royal assent to several bills, her majesty expressed
her grateful sense of the assiduity and zeal with which both houses
had applied themselves to the discharge of their public duties. In her
speech her majesty also alluded to the measures which had been
taken into consideration; thanked her parliament for the loyalty and
affectionate attachment shown to her person by the act passed for her
protection; and made some allusions to reverses which had befallen a
division of the army westward of the Indus, and to a victory gained at
Jellalabad.

EAST INDIA AFFAIRS, ETC.

During the preceding year the British power in India came into hostile
collision with the Ghilzies. This collision was thus brought about. The
Khoord Cabul Pass is a long and dangerous defile through which the
road between Cabul and Jellalabad runs, and which, therefore, it was
necessary to keep open for the purpose of safe intercourse between Cabul
and British India. This part of Affghanistan was occupied by the eastern
Ghilzies: and it was thought advisable to purchase from them the right
of traversing the pass without molestation. An agreement was, in fact,
entered into with the Ghilzee chiefs, whereby it was stipulated that
a certain sum of money should be paid them yearly out of the Cabul
treasury, if they would keep the pass open, and offer no molestation
to our troops on their passage between Cabul and Jellalabad. Owing,
however, to the financial difficulties of the Cabul treasury, or to some
mismanagement on the part of the officer who was appointed to disburse
the money, the whole amount of the stipulated sum was not paid, and
the Ghilzies immediately rose in arms and closed the passes. It was
necessary to open it by force; and Major-general Sir Robert Sale was
sent by General Elphinstone from Cabul for that purpose. The brigade
which Sir Robert commanded entered the pass on the 12th of October. The
Ghilzies were posted behind a breastwork near the middle of the pass;
and as the assailing body approached, the enemy withdrew from this
position, and occupied the steep and precipitous ridges of the mountains
on either side, from whence they opened a well-directed fire. General
Sale was wounded in the ankle and obliged to leave the field; and
Lieutenant-colonel Dennie then took the command. Under his direction
one