The Press. — London, England, 1857-07-18 00:00:00

~7~ it has laid down to what he terms their legiti mate conclusion. What is their legitimate conclusion ? Mr. LINDSAY says i t is that not only private property in neutral vessels should be protected, but that all private property of every kind should enjoy the like privilege, even though found in a hostile ship. His notion of protecting from capture all private property found on the ocean came first, we may remind our readers, from the United States. The Government of that country refused to become a party to the Convention of Paris, on the ground that privateering, like slavery, was a domestic institution of the great Republic. President PIERCE and Mr. MARCY would not hear of tho abolition of letters of marque; but, in a memorable despatch, of which a good deal has been said, the last named gentleman informed the representa tives of France and England that if they would consent to the proposition that all pri vate property on the ocean should be exe►npt from capture, as private property is on land, he would be willing to treat with them on that broad ground. This proposition may or may not have been sincere, but we do not believe it could ever have been carried into effect. lts principle was that private property at sea should enjoy the same protection during war as private property on land. But when and where, we may ask, has private property on land been spared by an invading force ? We need not look to the practice of former ages for an answer; we have only to glance at recent and passing events. Was private property spared at Greytown the other day when it was wantonly subjected to the horrors of a bombardment? Was private pro perty spared at Kertch after it was entered by the allied troops? or at Canton, where, we blush to say, express orders were given for the destruction of the Governor's house? What, then, is the meaning of the protection of private property on hind, and when was it protected in time of war in the presence of a hostile force? We cannot tell. Mr. MARCY'S note, however, was intended to amuse politi cians of Mr. LINDSAY'S stamp, and that it did amuse them for a time is an instructive though melancholy fact. We are glad to perceive that Lord JOHN RUSSELL has at length had the courage to speak out boldly regarding the surrender of our rights by the Paris Convention. He, too, like Lord DERBY, complains that "no notice " was given to the people of this country, or to " either House of Parliament, that any such " question should be discussed." But, while denouncing the " Clarendon capitulation," he informi us that we are nevertheless bound by its disgraceful conditions. When the recog nised Leaders of the two great parties in the State are of one accord upon a question of this vital importance, surely some attempt might be made to force the Government to explain, and, if possil le, to justify its conduct. COST OF l'llE PERSIAN EXPEDITION. THE estimate of the " extraordinary expenditure" on account of the expedition against Persia is 1,865,4351., the items being as follow—liz., 530,83,11., the amount estimated by the Bombay Government from the Ist of October, 1850, to the 30th of April, 1857 ; 53,7631., the amount estimated to be due to the Peninsular and Oriental Company for transport service to the 30th of April last; 14,1641. paid in England for clothing and provisions ; 35,5621. for further supplies of clothing and provisions and for medical stores ; 370,1661, the amount estimated on account of the reinforcements from the Ist of January to the 30th of April, 1857 ; 120,000/. for further expenses to the 30th of April, 1857 ; 304,000/., the estimated charge on account of European and native troops for May and June, 1857 ; 364,0001., the estimated charge on aeconnt of native troops left in occupation of Persia or July, August, and September, 1857 ; and 3,917/. r.r coals supplied by the Peninsular and Oriental Company for the purposes of the expedition. ELECTION COMMITTEES. BAT/I.—Mr. Tite was yesterday declared duly elected by a majority of one. The Falkirk Burghs, Malden, and Weymouth Committees mat yesterday. THE PRESS, 18, 18576 Corrtsgolthttr. THE MUTINY OF THE BENGAL ARMY. TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS." Sir,—lt is some consolation to know that we have at least one statesman—Lord Ellenborough—who has shown himself able to take a wise and compre hensive view of Indian affairs ; but we .hould imagine, from watching the conduct of her Majesty's Ministers, that they studied his speeches with great attention, in order that by learning what was right they might the batter exercise their perverse in genuity in going wrong. When the first news of the Indian mutiny reached this country, its importance was instantly perceived by the noble earl, who did not lose a moment i❑ indicating the right course for the Government both here and in India to adopt. The authorities in this country seem to have vied with those on the spot in 't devising the best means of converting a local fire into a general blaze. Instances of such conduct in India are so abundant that it is difficult to make a selection, and it seems invidious to adduce an illus tration of fatuity on the part of one official, when perhaps a more splendid specimen of aberration might be mentioned of another. At the risk, how ever, of not doing full justice to the most deserving, I will bring forward one or two cases. Thus, when a spy came to the 9th Native Infantry to seduce them into revolt, their feeling was so sound that they delivered him up to the commanding officer, which led to his being tried by a court-martial of native officers, and being sentenced to death. The commanding officer ordered him to be hanged. Upon this the sepoys remonstrated, saying that as he belonged to their caste they would all suffer disgrace if such an ignominious death were inflicted upon him, and they begged that he might be shot—a sentence which they considered he richly deserved, and which they were willing to carry out. As the revolt had been occasioned by disregarding the pre judices of the natives, here was an opportunity—too good to be lost—of converting a loyal into a mutinous regiment, by studiously insulting their feelings. Accordingly, the commanding officer insisted that the man should be hanged, and the whole regiment revolted the same night. This hanging business is an instance of misplaced severity on the part of an officer who seems to have mistaken the vice of obstinacy for the virtue of firm ness ; but to counterbalance it the Lieut. Governor of Agra supplies us with an exhibition of lenity caricatured, for it appears that after the slaughter of some of our countrymen at Agra, this functionary issued a proclamation promising a free pardon to the mutineers if they would be so obliging as to return to their allegiance or deliver up their arms to the nearest magistrate. Without recounting a host of particulars, the sum of the matter is, that by an elaboration of blundering and misrule the 13engal army has been brought to such a state that the Government—which probably does not tell, and perhaps does not know, half the truth—admits 30,000 men to be in open mutiny ; and that our hold of the north-west provinces de pends upon the chances of the Maharajah of Gwalior remaining faithful to our cause. Now, I have reason to believe, from authentic in formation in my possession, that it will not be prudent to estimate the disaffected at less than double the Government calculation, and that it seems in some districts they have the support of part of the non-military population. Such an important stake as we hold in India, with its hundred and sixty millions of people, its exports of twenty millions a year, and imports of thirteen million, deserves from the Government the con sideration that Lord Ellenborough demands. Lord Palmerston feels "no alarm." I rejoice to hear it. I hope that the country may have no cause to regret the noble loird's eonfidence. It would be gratifying to know that the Directors share it, but I venture to say, sir, that no man acquainted with India regards this crisis without alarm.—l am, sir, A BENGAL RESIDENT. GOVERNMENT COALS AT CEYLON. TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." TRINCOMALEE, June 3, 1857. Sir,—This port, you are aware, is the principal naval station in the East, the place whence our Eastern fleet draws its supplies of scores—amongst others, coals. On Monday, the Ist inst., the small steamer, Fire Queen, put in here to coal in all baste—being on her way to Gallo for the purpose of embarking as many troops as she can carry and we can spare in this Indian emergency, and having run short of coals in consequence of a gale in the Bay of Bengal. It is, of course, a case of the greatest possible urgency. Every moment is precious. livery artilleryman and white soldier landed at Garden Reach will be worth his weight in gold, if landed without loss of time. Well, sir, when the official at the dockyard here had made up his mind to spare some coals for the use of this steamer—an operation, by the way, that took some consideration—the engineer on board proceeded o examine the dockyard stock in baud (the supply, and the only supply, available for coaling her Majesty's steam fleet should it call here), and at once pronounced it utterly unfit for fuel. What was he to do ? It was Hob..son's choice. What was done was this :—The Fire Queen had to remain here until lute last night, the Customs authorities having con tracted to supply her with► a certain quantity of firewood ! The supply of coal for her Majesty's navy at this station—the Malta of the East—and at this crisis, is condemned as worse than useless. The engineer compared it to gravel ! The lesson learned in the Crimea has been, it would seem, already forgotten : perhaps it never was intended to apply to Ceylon.—l am, sir, your obedient servant, A RESIDENT AT TRINCOMALEE. BURNING OF AN AMERICAN STEAMER. THE last mail from New York brings us full intelli gence of the terrible disaster which befel the steamer Montreal. A correspondent, writing from New York, thus details the melancholy cats• strophe : On the afternoon of Friday, the 26th, the steamer Montreal left Quebec at about four o'clock for Montreal, having on board about thirty cabin passengers, and some four hundred and fifty or five hundred emigrants, mostly Scotch. When about an hour out, and about twelve miles above Quebec, smoke was seen to rise from about midships, over the saloon, and in less than ten minutes the whole vessel was a mass of flames. It is not easy to get an exact idea of the amount of effort made by the officers and crew to arrest the flames. The accounts differ as to the conduct of the captain. One passenger, evidently speaking in a state of great excitement, says that everything was in confusion, and that there was want of proper manage ment. Others say that the hose were got out, and all hands set at work to extinguish the fire. It is also charged by one of the passengers that the steamer had already been twice on fire the same day, owing to the furnaces being badly secured and the woodwork not being properly protected by metal sheeting. Be the merits of these charges as they may—and their investigation may be left to the legal authorities of Canada—the terrible fact remains that all efforts to stop the flames were unavailing. The light, dry deck•houses which furnish the accom modations of a first-class river steamer afforded the readiest food to the fire, and when it was too late the captain bethought himself of saving the passengers instead of his vessel. Her head was turned towards shore, which was not far distant. Unfortunately, the river was shallow, and the heated machineryliad become unmanage able. Within 150 yards of the shore—easy swimming distance —they struck a sunken rock. The terror of the passengers, as usual, made the boats useless. Before the steamer's head had been turned toward shore, the mate had got out the jollyboat with the purpose of saving first the women slid children. The emigrants made a rush into it, and it was swamped. It does not clearly appear that any other boat was got out, nor is there any statement, so far as f have seen them, that any passenger was saved by means of a boat belonging to the burning vessel. The survivors appear to have been saved either through their own exer. tions in swimming, or by the aid rendered by the boats of another steamer, the Napoleon, which left Quebec at the same time with the Montreal, and at the time of the accident was about half a mile a head. She was towing a large boat, and this, together with her own boats, was sent to the relief of the burning vessel. It was impossible to approach very near to the flames, and consequently all persons who were saved had to make some effort to assist themselves by jumping into the water and either swimming or keeping afloat until they could be picked up. The descriptions, as yet imperfect, and given under the excitement of the first moments of safety, embody only recollections of rersonal dangers and struggles ; even these, in flashes, give vivid views of the agony, the terror, and the madness which in such aeci• dents always overturn the efforts of the few cool heads to save lif , and carry the crowd to irresistible destruction. With a shore within one hundred and fifty yards, with a friendly steamer plying within easy reach of them, and with boats close at hand to pick up the stragglers, we should think at this distance that nearly all ought to have been saved. Instead of that, there is every reason to be• lieve that more than three hundred persona were lost. r ~:: I 1