The Press. — London, England, 1858-05-15 00:00:00

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Money Orders to be made payable to Mr. ALFRED IVY, 110 , Strand, London. Vtt ei xitgg• LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1858. POSTSCRIPT. SATURDAY AFTERNOON, THE INDIA MAIL. THE papers of this morning give us letters from India. these letters strongly corroborate the view we have taken on page 408, of the serious character of the present crisis in India. The correspondent of the Times says : It seems clear that we have a hot-weather campaign upon our hands. The sepoye, some 8,000 excepted, have escaped, and are swarming into Rohilcund and the pro vinces east of 13enares. Bareilly overflows with them and with the armed ruffians who, beaten everywhere. still con gregate whenever there is a chance of plunder or of anarchy. Bahadoor Khan is rapidly building up an admi nistration, collecting revenue, founding families, striking coin in his own name. All the discontented seek his pro tection, and leader after leader, the Nana being the first, submit to a man risen from the ranks. lie has, lam told, a strong body of cavalry, in which he reposes great confidence, some 25,000 eepoya, and an armed rabble which may be estimated at any number you please to fix These districts must be garrisoned after they aro won, and we have not the force to do the work. There are up. wards of forty of them, exclusive of Bengal Proper, all in more or less danger, and varying in size from districts as large as Scotland to districts as small as Suffolk. Each requires for the present one wing of an European regi ment. Where are they to come from ? Certainly not from the force now in the country, for Sir Colin Camp bell, after garrisoning only a few stations, cannot collect more than 8,000 Europeans for the attack on Rohilcund. We need more men if the war is to be brought to an early termination. It was the want of men which frus trated the operations before Lucknow,—so frustrated them that officers of experience hold our position actually worse than before we entered Oude. The same letter also enlightens us as to the mean ing of the term " confiscation ": From Delhi I hear that Sir John Lawrence has left for Lahore, having submitted full proposals to Government for the military and political defence of the territory. Arrangements for the management of the confiscated estates, Jhujliu r, Dadree, and ilahadoorgurh—they are as big as most English counties—have been completed. The text of Lord Canning's Conde Proclamation had not transpired at Calcutta, but all its leading features were known. The Hurkaru, which publishes a summary of its provisions, says of the confiscating clause:— The wisdorn of this measure has been questioned, on the ground of its sweeping severity on the sorest point of ■n Asiastie's feelings—his property. The Calcutta Phenix concludes its review of the state of things with this remarkable avowal . In conclusion, we ham only to observe that the temper of the people of this country has never been so excited against any former rulers as it is now against the British. There is no use in concealing the fact that we are regarded by most classes of natives with feelings of religious and national hatred. India must, indeed, for a long roll of years be held by the sword. 7717 THE PRESS, MAY 15, 1858. LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE. HOUSE OF LORDS. THE INDIAN DESPATCH. The Earl ofSHAFTESBURY moved the series of resolutions of which he had given notice, censuring the Government for their late despatch to Lord Can ning. The noble lord at great length contended, first, that the despatch in question was censurable; and secondly, that the whole Cabinet were respon sible for its production. He denied that the procla• oration issued by the Governor• General deserved to be characterized as a general confiscation. By Lord Canning himself, as appeared from the letters of Mr. Edmonstona, the manifesto was considered an announcement of pardon and amnesty. Yet this was the act which the Home Government had chosen to visit with a summary censure, before they had even received official information of its completion, or any explanation regarding its intention. Before their despatch reached India, the peaceable administra tion of Oude was a problem of enormous difficulty but it would now become impossible. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH declared that the manifesto of Lord Canning contained a violent and naked confiscation of all proprietary rights in Oude . He believed that it would stimulate a general con flagration of revolt in that province, and had con sidered it his duty to send out an antidote at the earliest possible moment. His despatch, it had been said, would weaken the hands of the Governor- General. He was convinoed that it would only weaken his power for evil, and strengthen him for everything good. The proclamation was not, in his opinion, the real act of Lprd Canning, who had, he believed, surrendered himself to evil counsellors. Remarking upon the serious perils, the exhausting efforts, and enormous expenditure which a prolonged war in India must occasion, he exhorted the house to avoid by every possible means embarking into a social war in that country, which would inevitably prove most disastrous, and in which it was impossible for England to be ultimately successful. The Duke of ARGYLL, after eulogizing the conduct of Lord Canning, charged the Government with having acted hastily, unjustly, and ungenerously in censuring his Oude proclamation. Lord CARNARVON opposed the resolution, and de fended the policy of the Administration. The Duke of SOMERSET supported the motion. The Lord CHANCELLOR argued, with regard to the publication of the despatch, that as Lord Ellen borough had assumed the entire responsibility of that step, the Cabinet generally cook; not be made liable for it. On the merits of the case be contended that a proclamation announcing a sweeping and wholesale confiscation in Oude had been justly rebuked by the Home Government. Earl GREY, though declaring his unwillingness to effect any change of Government, supported the motion. He disapproved of the publication of the despatch, and observed that the Administration would not free themselves from responsibility by the resignation of Lord Ellenborough, since they had themselves approved and adopted his proceedings. The Duke of NEWCASTLE was also reluctant to dis place the Ministry, but felt compelled, nevertheless, to vote for Lord Shaftesbury's resolutions. The Earl of DERBY concurred in the eulogies passed upon Lord Canning, whose only objectionable step had been the issue of an ill judged and ill-timed proclamation. The question was divided into two branches—the despatch itself, and the pub: lication of that despatch in England. On the latter point he would offer no defence ; it was an injudicious step, and he regretted it. But respecting the despatch, he fully adopted and approved the views taken by Lord Ellenborough in reference to the Oude proclamation, and thought that the Government were bound to send out word that they could not concur in the sweeping confiscation announced towards the population of a province which was now at our mercy. He remarked upon the wholesale character of this confiscation, contend• ing that it would excite extreme alarm and resent ment throughout Oude. When the document reached the Home Government they thought that no time should be lost in signifying to Lord Canning their disapproval of its tenor. If they had received any explanation or any private intimation that such ex planation were coming they might not perhaps have abstained from sending a despatch, but they should certainly have materially modified its expressions. That intimation had indeed arrived in England, but was never allowed to reach her Majesty's Ministers. Acting, therefore, simply upon the proclamation as it stood, they had found cause for serious censure, in which opinion they were borne out by many of the highest authorities on Indian subjects. Respecting the publication of the despatch, Lord Derby ob served that the document was intended to remain on record among the Indian archives ; but be re peated his regret that it should have been promul gated in England. He maintained, however, that nothing bad been done by the Cabinet generally which involved them in liability for an act of which Lord Ellenborough had declared himself solely responsible. --- Earl GRANTruz, with copious references to dates and details, attached blame to the Uovernment for their conduct towards Lord Canning as well as on account of the inopportune publication of their despatch in England. Their lordships then divided on the " previous question " Contents— Present 93 Proxies ... --Non. Contents Present Proxies Majority Their lordships adjourned at one o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS. TELE INDIAN POLICY. s a s n u d e ow n b e y r s Lord Cs a d n e Mr. CARDWELL rose to move his resolution, cen suringof the Government on account of th e i r d espatch i n n in r g ep w ly it t h o re t hfeerepnroccelatmoatithoen d That despatch, as he inferred from the language employed by different members of the Administra tion, the whole Cabinet had adopted, rendering themselves responsible for its concoction, its adoption and its transmission to ludic. Even after the document had been despatched, the Ministers of the Crown, when interrogated on the 6th of May, might have refused, under their official realm. sibilitres, to allow of its publication prematur e ly in England. The public, however, attached much greater importance to the assertion by the Chan. cellor of the Exchequer, that the Government had disapproved of Lord Canning's proclamation "in every sense." He adverted to the possession by Mr. Bright of an exclusive copy of the despatch, insisting that the matter required explanation, and was at pre sent not satisfactorily explained. After mentioning the fact that he had himself given notice of a resolution on the subject, he observed that on the following day Lord Ellenborough had chivalrously resigned office. He maintained, nevertheless, that the colleagues of the noble lord were not thereby exonerated from liability for the despatch which they had collectively approved. He did not intend to ask for any judg ment upon the policy indicated by the proclamation attributed to Lord Canning. (Ironical cheers.) If the Home Ministry disapproved of the conduct and policy of the Governor-General, they should have recalled him ; if not, they were bound to give him cordial and confidential support. Sergeant DEASY seconded the motion. As belong ing to a race who bad been so often afflicted by pre scriptions and confiscations, he would never have vindicated a similar proceeding towards any subju gated population. But the coming manifesto could not be regarded as confiscatory. At all events, the censure pronounced by the Home Government on that pro clamation was, he maintained, impolitic and premature. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL contended that the habitants of Oude, although they bad taken up arms against us, ought to be treated as enemies instead of rebels. This principle, be observed, had been adopted by all civilized nations, and he insisted that Lord Ellenborough was perfectly justified in enforc ing it upon the Governor-General. Mr. Lowe and Mr. LINDSAY having spoken, Lord A. V. TEMPEST opposed the motion. Mr. DILLWYN moved, by way of amendment on Mr. Cardwell's resolution, " That the house generally approves of Lord Canning's policy up to the time of the Oude proclamation, and is satisfied with the firmness and judgment he has evinced during the crisis in India ; but declines to give any opinion upon the proclamation itself until it has had further information respecting the state of :Dude when it was issued, and also Lord Canning's reason for issuing Mr. H. RAMIE explained that he had originally promised to produce the despatch on the direct authority of Lord Ellenborough. With respect to the proclamation, he observed that Sir J. Outram had some time since recommended an amnesty, assuring Lord Canning that it would completely p acif y the province. A month had passed since the mani festo was issued, and the Governor General bad sent home no single word of explanation in his official communications, whatever he might have said in private letters. Mr. V. SMITH defended the proclamation. To keep Lord STANLEY vindicated the despatch of the Government. It was, he contended, not only justified but demanded by the circumstances under which Lord Canning's proclamation had been issued and the consequences it was likely to producein . lndia. Lord J. RUSSELL narrowed the question into a single issue between the Home Government an d the Governor-General. Either the house must censure the Administration or declare Lord Canning unfit for his high post. The noble lord proc ee d e d to blame the Government on various points connected l with the writing, the transmission, and the proinu gation of the despatch. On the motion of Mr. ROEBUCK the debate was then adjourned to Monday. s 'clock. The house adjourned at half-put twelve o