The Press. — London, England, 1857-10-17 00:00:00

worship of the country. But wo had a duty beyond the establishment of toleration in India, and that was a atrict adherence to propriety of conduct on the part of our European residents there : The avoidance of unjust and unnecessary wars—the avoidance of all countenance, and especially of all direct connection, and substantial connection, with all demo ralising practices, under whatever name they may be veiled, and with whatever apparent practical advantages or neces- sities they may be allied. Indeed, my lord, Ido not know how, although it is not always that the language of Scrip. tore seems to fit easily into the notions of modern policy, but I don't know how the rules of our policy in India can be better described than in one part of the Epistle ap. pointed to be read in the services on Wednesday last—l mean a portion of the 7th chapter of Jeremiah, in which it is said : Trust ye not in lying words, saying the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, are these. For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye tho roughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to soul hurt; then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to sour fathers for ever and ever. In these words, MT lord, I believe are conveyed the duties of the State and of the public as far u regards the govern ment of India. Mr. Gladstone deprecated the exercise of indiscri minate vengeance:— We feel that England has at this moment a great and even an awlul vocation before her. She has got to admi nister strict and stern justice; but to administer it, as I trust, even in a spirit of merry, which never can be sepa rated from that of justice ; and, above all, to recollect that vengeance is not an instrument which we are per mitted to take into our hands. The cry that went out from this country for vengeance was, I hope, but the passion of the moment. Unhappily, we cannot fail to perceive that the going forth of that cry from some portions of the organs of public opinion in England at once pro duced throughout the civilised nations of Europe a strong reaction in feeling unfavourable to us as regards the Indian mutiny. And as to those Englishmen who are afraid that there will not be enough blood spilt to wash out the crimes of the mutineers, let me say that there cannot be any ground for such a fear. The frightful atrocities that have been perpetrated must necessarily kindle to the very greatest heat the passions of those whose duty it is to put down the rebellion in India. They do not require to be inflamed and inspirited by missives sent from hence. In fact, that severity may—even that rage which can be un derstood and accounted for—which can be palliated and excused in those who have before them perhaps the reeking remains of English women and children—those passions which may be excusable there become odious and unna tural when they are cherished here. Mr. Glad•ztone, in conclusion, made an eloquent appeal on behalf of the society for which he sought to interest his hearer:, and resumed his seat amidst loud and long-continued chtering. The resolution was seconded by the Rev. W. Welch, unanimously adopted, and the meeting sepa rated. THE PRESS, OCTOBER 17,1857. and so much deceit and treachery, there must be some one to blame. Whether that blame rested with the Go. vernment of India or the Government at home, it would be the duty of Parliament at some future time to hives. tigate ; and he trusted that those who by their negligence, or by their procrastination in sending out reinforcements, had caused the loss of precious lives, would receive that punishment they deserved, and that we would visit with the strongest condemnation those who from fainthearted• ness or neglect had, he would not say caused, but had not prevented, the progress of these horrible disasters. He was happy to express his concurrence in what fell from his father as to the measures to be adopted towards those misguided and unhappy men the sepoys, who, having eaten our bread and been on terms of friendly intercourse with us, had turned round and perpetrated these unheard of atrocities. He hoped some measure would be taken to withdraw these men from scanes that must necessarily be associated in their minds with their bloody triumphs, ant to give them an opportunity of working out in another land some reparation for the atrocities which, perhaps, in a moment of excitement they had been led to perpetrate. With respect to foreign affairs, he believed they all felt that the less England interfered in the business of other States the better for herself : Other nations possessed the same keen sense of national honour which we possessed ourselves, and it was most unreasonable on our parts to attempt an inter ference with their domestic policy which we would not tolerate in our own case. He should feel that the expression of this opinion upon that point would be incomplete if he did not allude to the very great respect we ought to entertain towards the Emperor of the French for the noble example he had set, not only to us but to all Europe, in endeavouring to induce all countries to labour for the promotion of their own internal prosperity rather than indulge in dreams of unjust aggrandisement. Viscount ELMLEY, in responding to the toast of " The County Members for Worcester and Glouces ter," said that he was glad to find that men of all parties were at present prepared to assist her Ma jesty's Ministers in their endeavours to visit with stern justice a merciless rebellion, and to place our Indian government on a satisfactory and a durable basis. But he should add that he believed the House of Commons and the country ought vigilantly to watch the conduct of the Ministry in dealing with that subject : It was astonishing how completely the members of the present Administrati9n had underrated a few months ago the magnitude of the crisis. In that respect they had imitated the conduct of the Government of Lord Aberdeen, which had long obstinately refused to believe in the possi bility of a war with Russia. and had at one time actually ordered the return of the Guards from Turkey to Malta. He had been told that five regiments were at present under orders for India. But it appeared to him that we ought to carry our preparations to meet the emergency still farther, and that we ought at once to send out those reinforcements which might in the course of a few months be found so necessary or so useful. Passing to the more immediate subject of that toast, he had to state that since he had been honoured with a seat for Worcester. shire he had almost invariably voted with the Conservative party. It was said that that party was not united But he would ask whether the supporters of the Ministry were united. He found, on the contrary, that they were hardly agreed upon on any one public question ; and in fact the Government was like a house divided against itself, which was kept from tumbling to pieces solely by Conservative props. He was himself an earnest supporter of Conser vative principles, because he believed that in those princi ples was to be fonnd the best guarantee for the peace, order, and prosperity of the country. Some other toasts of a purely local character fol lowed, and the business of the evening, which had been conducted in the frankest and friendliest spirit, was brought to a conclusion shortly after nine o'clock. THE HON. F. LYGON ON INDIA. THE HoN. F. LYGON, 31. P., was entertained at a pub lic dinner last week at Tewkesbury, by his constituents. Among the noblemen and gentlemen present were Earl Beauchamp and Lord Elmley, M.P., the father and brother of the hon. member for Tewkesbury ; Mr. W. Dowdeswell, formerly M.P. for Tewkesbury ; Sir E. Lechmere, the Hon. W. Coventry, Mr. Brockle burst, M.P. for Macclesfield; Mr. Baker, of Thorn grove ; Captain Coventry, Mr. Weaver, &c. The chair was occupied by Mr. Dowdeswell, and Mr. Weaver acted as vice-president. About :200 gentle. men sat down to dinner. The usual loyal toasts having been drunk, the Earl of Beauchamp replying for the Army, the health of Mr. Lygon was proposed and drunk with great enthusiasm. The hon. mem ber, in reply, alluded to the subjects of political im- Prtance. There were two questions ,he observed, looming before us with which Parliament would have to deal in the next session : It would be unwise in him to give any rash promises when he might possibly bear many arguments and facts adduced that might alter opinions prematurely formed; but if any measure was introduced for a further reform of our parliamentary representation it would be the duty cf Ulf Conservative party to consider whether in 1•31 very grievous injustice was not done in depriving property of its legitimate influence ; and surely those who contended that there should be no taxation without representation were also bound to remember that property was entitled to be fairly represented. He could not imagine what the plan of the Government might be, and all he could say was that it would receive from him an honest and fair con• indention. In reference to the right of representation that attached to property, great injustice was in 1832 done to the Conservative interest. Those who possessed property were, in the main, Conservatives, because they knew well what would be the effect of changes that led to a loosening of the social fabric ; they knew that confusion and disorder and evils of every kind flowed from civil con• volsion, and therefore they were disposed to give their best support to Conservative principles. With reference to India : It was only a truism to say that where there had been so many horrors, so much misfortune, MR. MOFFATT, M.P.. ON THE INDIAN MUTINIES. MR. Morrarr, M P., attended a public meeting of his constituents at Ashburton a few days ago, according to annual custom, " to give an account of his political stewardship." In the course of his speech, nearly all of which related to the Indian crisis; the hon. gentleman said,—The Government of India for 100 years had been of a mixed form ; partly commercial, partly legislative ; more and more, as each period came round for renewing the charter of the East India Company, that tiovern• ment assumed a legislative and dropped its commer cial character ; but they still had a divided responsi bility, and that meant no responsibility, and every one was at a loss to say whether the Board of Con trol or the East India Company were most in fault in their utter ignorance with regard to the recent outbreak. Here occurred a revolt of tens of thou sands of soldiers ; the English had 12,000 civil and military officers in the country where it occurred, and not one discovered that the conspiracy was hatching, or how it was batched, or the reasons for it—none saw either its commencement or progress. Was there not a fault here, and who was responsible for it! They must fix a responsibility somewhere for the future. They must not tamper or trifle with the question. They must fix the responsibility in the 1011 right place—on the Ministers of the Crown, and abolish the outgrown and irresponsible powers of the Board of Control and East India Company. That was the question for the _House of Commons to settle. MR. PEASE, M.P., ON INDIA. AT a meeting at Darlington on Monday, called to organise subscriptions for the Indian Relief Fund, Mr. H. PEASE, M.P., moved the first resolution. He said he would only express his opinion that the time could not be far distant when the British public would no longer submit to have so fair and vast a region governed as India had been, in such a manner as to implicate our character, whether as statesmen, as merchants, as philanthropists, or as Christians. The Rev. J. G. PEARSON seconded the resolution. Mr. JOSEPH PEASE (late M.P.), in moving a vote of thanks to the chairman, spoke at some length on Indian affairs. As an Englishman, he took shame to himself for the way in which we had abused our power over 150,000,000 of human beings : It had been his lot to sit for many years in the House of Commons, and must say he felt shame as an English man that while the smallest and most trivial personal dispute would bring houses of from 300 to 500 members, and while senators would sit patiently to hear the cavil linga and personal piques snd prejudices of individuals, Lord Glenelg and others wh .m he had himself assisted found it the most difficult thing in the world to keep forty members together on a subject affecting the interests of millions. But the time was coming when England would say to her representatives and her Government., that if she was to have the shame and disgrace of misrule she would et any rate inquire into the cause. The agricultare of India ought long ago to have made us independent of that cotton supply with which the United States vauntingly flouted us in the face when we spoke against her abomi nable traffic in human flesh and blood, and of the sugar supply from all the slave labour in the world. But Indian agriculture had been shamefully overlooked. In religions matters it had been worse, and the state of things was such as no Government could long maintain provided a Christian people know how to do its duty. He had no desire to coerce, but if the native Indian wanted to burn widows or murder children in the name of religion he would certainly prevent him. And then as to our general policy. A hlue•book informed him that 1,000 millions sterling had been drawn from India without any return on earth that he could ascertain. A subscription was commenced in the room. The venerable Edward Pease (father of railways) sent a donation of 15/. in a letter, in which he requested its application to the relief of the widows and orphans of civilians. He sympathises with those belonging to the military rank, but in choosing their profession they knew what was before them, and he could not in any way countenance an employment forbidden by the Saviour. After the reading of this. letter the meeting broke up. THE BARNARD CASTLE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, which claims to be the oldest of its kind in the country, held its annual meeting on Tuesday. At the dihner, held at the King's Head Inn, Lord Harry Vane, M.P., presided, taking the place of the Duke of Cleveland, K.G., who was prevented attending through indisposition. In proposing " The Army and Navy," the noble lord said, although this toast followed the compliment paid to Royalty as a matter of course, he felt that at the present moment it was one which would be received with deep interest : If ever there was a time when Englishmen should hold their army in high honour and show their appreciation of its merits, that time was the present, when, in small numbers, surrounded by myriads of enemies, they had exhibited the most heroic valour and a constancy unassail able, braving every danger and maintaining the British flag unsullied. At a moment of such great and paramount interest Englishmen must be prepared to award to their army and navy more than the accustomed honours. We had at all times been accustomed to see those services perform their duty in a manner to command the admira tion of England and of the world, and more than ever was it now admitted by all nations that an army could not have acquitted itself more honourably than did our brave fel lows who had bad to make a stand against such fearful odds on recent occasions. We were led to anticipate that when a larger number of troops had been assembled our prestige would be vindicated, and that the army would be able to sustain everywhere the renown it had so honour ably acquired. He called upon the company to drink "to the Army and Navy," with three times three. THE EDUCATION OF THE C: 0 •.• . OF MINERS was considered on Monday at a me- ,' 1 : eld in Leeds, in connection with the West t ' . ire Northern Association, for awarding prizes •0'- , • children of pers3ns employed in coal and irons ..• i ines, when a number of priz e s varying from 11. to likt, together pith certificates, were distributed. The 4object of al l i t t ire the association is similar to that of those • ed by Mr. Tremenheere in Sta ff ordshire, De t Warwickshire, and Worcestershire, and which aye been attended with so much success in improving the educational status of the rising popttlation of those districts.