The Sun. — London, England, 1858-05-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY ____lB,_ 1858. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.-(YESTERDAY.) The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock. THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY'S RESOLD. TIONS The Earl of DONOUGHNLORE called their lord ships' attention to the fact of Viscount Falkland having voted in the division on these resolutions on Friday last, both in person and by proxy. The majority of the Government was thus diminished by one, and should sole 10 instead of 9. He hoped the house would adopt means to prevent such mistAkss in future. The Earl of BESSBO ROUGFI said that if their lord ships looked at the division lists, they would find that Viscount Falkland's proxy had not been tendered. piness it must be a merciful Government. (Hear, bear.) Now, having acquired this derninion in India there arose a rebellion against us. We had a wonderful army and that army mutinied. Let no one for an instant sup pose that I stand up as one not feeling, deeply feeling all the atrocities that mutinous army has perpetrated. No .man has been mere reedy to raise his voice against themthan I have been, a n d I wilt say let punishment to the uttermost follow those atrocities ; but f draw a broad distinction hetween the mutinous army and the people The Governor-Gen era l o f I n di a an d th e Directors of of India. (Hear, h ear. ) A n d now I co me to Oude. the East India C enpany were pleased to annex Oude to our dotninions. I hold some peculiar opinions on this matter. (Hear, hear, from the Oppotition.) You do not know what them opinions are, why do you cheer ? (Laughter.) The opini ons I h o ld are th a t I think the first injustice the least—(h ear, b ear) — t h at w h en you h ave conquered a country y ou aug h t to annex it a t o nce and not et eate intermediate authorities and enter into tit Wises with them ; but that having done so you are bound by these treaties. (Hear, hear.) Let me take the instance of Seinde. There we began unjustly, but still we conquered Scinde, and we annexed it. That I think a better mode of proceeding than we followed in Oude. We entered into treaties with Oude as far back as 1801, and these treaties contained certain stipulations with regard to the dominions of Oude. Another treaty was made after that, but though laid on the table of this house it has been declared to be no treaty at all. (Hear.) Ultimately it was declared, on the ground of the treaty, that because the King of Oude did not behave to his people as he ought to have done hits kingdom was to be annex-d to our dominions. Now, I say that was an injustice which it would have been far better to avoid by annexing Oude at once. (Hear ) 13e that as it may, it pleased the Go vernor-General and the Court of Directors to annex Oude to our dominions. We ought to recollect chat the people of Oude were accustomed to their nat ve dominion, and when the annexation took place they expressed strong feelings of dissatisfac•ion, and when the mutiny of the army broke out they joined the mutineers. We warred against them, but will any man tell me that we warred against the people of Owls as a band of muti neers, and not as a nation ? (Hear.) It was a nation war ring against a nation, and we conquered them. Now, I solicit the attention o f th e h ouse t o w h a t followed. A scene was enacted to which the history of mankind shows no parallel. (Hear.) Annexing Oude, we immediately proceeded to dispossess the landowners. That created die content. When the mutiny broke out the people of Oude, as I have said, joined the mutineers, and we conquered them. But before Oude was conquered the present Go vernor-General issued a proclamation, by which he con fiscated—l use the term in English as it was written in English—he confiscated, with the exception of that of six persons, all the landed property of Oude. (Hear.) I say that the history of mankind affords no parallel to such a case. (Roar.) I know that the Normans in their day confiscated a great deal of the land, but they did not go the length of confiscating all with the exception of the property of six per-one. (Hear.) But to come to the commencement of the question now before us. The Go vernment of India in this country receives from India a proclamation that was ordered to be issued on the fall of Lucknow ; and what did that Government do ? It sees that a proclamation is about to be issued which in that Government's opinion would make the whole people of Oude rebellious; to the very end of their lives. (Cheers.) And I ask gentlemen to observe that it has been said, and I believe cannot bo contradicted, that this procla mation,.so issued, so declared, was done in opposition to the opinions and wishes of Sir Colin Campbell, Sir J. Outram, and Sir J. Lawrence. (Hear.) I have seen pri vate letters in London from India which say that the effect of this proclamation was equivalent to a demand for 20,000 troops in addition to those we have already in India. I say, then, that the Government which would have passed over a proclamation of that description in n that (th e O ppos i t i on ) e ll a :e h n n ui enotn;(hear, hear), so ready to s saa i n l y e d n sl c o e u a w e is o k u tv l he d e t h hg a ee v rn e at l d we e mo s e ue r ind y e nh d oa i wy m e o p bench. (Laughter.) The President of the Board of Con trol, on receiving such a proclarottion was bound to express an opinion. Whose opinion? What opinion ? His own. (Hear.) He was bound, acttn„e on his own under standing, to tell Lord Canning what he thought of it, and he did tell him. (Hear, hear ) What other con clusion could he have come to when he read of the con fiscation for ever of the lands of the people of Oude —for it is idle to tell me this proclamation does not confiscate the whole land of Oude (Hear, hear.) There aro some ugly words ie that proclamation, the true sense of which too house cannot fail to see if it will only be guided by its own judg ment instead of being led away by party feeling. (bear, hear.) The Governor-General in this proclamation, it w:11 be observed, informs the people of Oude that the Government will remunerate these who preserve their allegiance, and he names six persons who are to be per mitted to retain their property. But be says further— and, mark you, this proclamation is addressed to the people of Oude—(cheers)—not to the chiefs, not to the landed proprietors, not to the Dukes of Bedford— (cheers and laughter)—bnt to the people of Oude, with six exceptions, and to them he soys that " The proprie tary right in the atoll of the province is confiscated to the British Government, which will dispose of that right in such manner as it may seem ftting." (Cheers.) You will recollect this was written in English—(hear)--and that words more complete could not be used to signify that the whole landed property of Oude was confiscated to the Government of England. (Rear.) And now I will make an observation, if the house will allow me, upon the statement made by the noble lard the member for the city of London on the injustice of publishing that proclamation and the despatch of the noble lord the President of the Board of Control. Now, let us hear how it did occur. This inteeded proclamation was sent home, but the proclamation was issued a t Luck no w, after the fall of Lucknow, and differed i n some res p ec t s from that proclamation. My hon. friend the member for Birmingham (Mr. Bright) read the actual proclama tion as it was published in the newspapers. He put a question, and an answer was given to him, to which by and bye I will refer. The answer given was the answer to this proclamation that I have read, and he was pro mised that the answer should be laid on the table. It was laid on the table. Could you lay on the table an answer that was not given 1 (" Oh I") All the Govern ment could do was to say, " We have sent an answer to the intended proclamation, and that answer you shall know." You did know it, and what was there wrong in that ? It is a very simple statement, but a very true one. Therefore, I say that Lord Ellenborough was bound to give an answer ; that, in the second place, he was bound to give that answer which in his honest mind he intended to give ; and that this answer was made. And now I come to the third ques tion involved. It has been said that Lord Ellenborough ought to have made an answer, but that he had no right to publish that despatch. Therein was the gravamen of the charge made by the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Card well). I would ask the house whether there are not cer tain questions that compel an answer? If I go up to the Secretary to the India Board and say—" Would you rob a tio rn n a s n?" of p a u n b d l c i f p t h o e l i hon. cy p r g e e v n e t n l e t m m a y n r a e n p a l w i plied, in " g C t o h n e s ti e O r !: tion," the presumption would be that he would rob him. (A laugh.) The hon. member for Birmingham said, " I have seen a proclamation from the Governor-General of India about Oude, and I want toknow if you have heard of it, whether you have answered it, and the nature of your answer ?" What occurred ? The Secretary to the India Board got up and answered one-belief that ques tion. He said, "We have answered that proclamation, and you shall see the answer." Upon which my hon. friend, who is not a roan to be put off, said, 4 ‘ I hope the Government are not satisfied with that answer ; I am not. I want to know what you said. Did you agree with the proclernatiou "No," said the Chancellor of the Exchequer, " we did not agree with it ; we differed from the policy indicated in every sense." Ncw I ask the house, as men of common sense, whether, if the right hon. gentleman had got up and said, "considerations of public policy prevent my answering the question," the conclusion of ev ery man would not have been that the ouhldavheaavnestwoeldrandstra,tatnhde cl by overn e decliningn t did c not eew a e g r r h e e e Covernment blam e d t h at proclamation! (Hear.) It is as certain as daylight. I f he hada PProved the proclamationhe wouldw with the proclamation. (Hear.) What then wits the con duet to be pursued by the right hon. gentlemen? That which he did pursue. He said, "We did disa gree w i t h t h e proclamation." W ill you tell me about paralysing th e Governor-General' s arm ? Who was to blame ? (Hear, hear.) WAS not Lurd Ellenborough bound to answer the proclamation as his own judgment told him it should be answered ? and, if you compelled the publication of that despat c h, the evil of it rests here, and not with the Government. (Cheers.) There is this wonderful 7 peculiarity - will not say mischief - of a Go !torment like ours—that the people should know what is going on. I believe that th e arguments use d i n thi s debate go further than some hoe. gentlemen think, and that they condemn the hidden diplomacy which is the curse of this country. (Cheers.) I firmly believe that, if we knew from day to day what the Government are doing, we should be better off than we are. (Cheers.) Now, we are led blindfold into every error. War comes on us, and we are told we must not i nqu i re. P eace comes on us, and we are told we are too late. (Rear.) When it is important that we should know the public interests step in, and when to know is of no use at all we are told all. (Loud cheers.) Sir, I want to know if this • is not a fair description ? There was no other course be fere the Government except that which they pursued. They were called upon to give an opinion. They did give an opinion, and they gave it according to the honest bias of their own minds. (Cheers.) When they were called upon to p ublis h that opinion it was by thi s side of the house, and they had no alternative. It was published in spite of t he mselves, and the publicati o n i s not to belaid are to regard our Indian do minion as a matter in which an interest, h we -ave a yet greater interest is we have _ a truth and justice. (ue r.) If you wanted to pacify India it would be by the couree pointed out in the des patch despatch ought to be printed in letters of gold. Sir, I believe so. That was an honest despatch, and Ido not know my own c ountrymen if th ey do not come t o t h e same conclusion. (Cheers.) I entreat my countrymen to remember that there are thingseabove party. If they are to consider mere party moves I will ask them what they will get if the Government are in a minority to-night ? Why, a Government that we have cashiered lately—(loud cheers)—because they neglected the honour of , Eng l an d. (Co n ti nued cheering. ) W e are to allow hon. gentlemen on this side of the house after passing a few weeks in th e co ld reg i on s o f Opposition, to go io State across to that (the Treasury) bench. (Cheers.) And for what ? Do the people of England expect any change in the policy of the late QO. 'cerement? If they do they are wofully deceived. Sir, I believe that good government, that happiness for the people, that the advance of liberal measures, which we all desire, are msre to be obtained from that weak Go vernment—(pointing to the Treasury bench)—than from the strong insolence of this. (Pointing to the front Op. position bench amid great chet Ting.) I have seen, Sir, both, I have tried there beee, aed I ;►um sure that we are further advanced in a course (.1 lett rove ment and liberty than we eheuld have been under the guidance of the noble lord (Lord Patmerwon). (Cheers.) It we seek simple honesty—if we want justice for the peop?is of England—if we seek the happiness of the people of England and good government for England, we shall give a decided negative to the resolutions of the right hon. gentleman the member for Ox`ord. (Loud cheers.) Sir C. WOOD considered that the object of the last speaker was to divert the attention of the house from the question before them. It was not a question of a strong or a weak Government, but whether Lord Canning had done anything calling for the censure of Parliament. He was not prepared to consider Lord Canning's policy and he asked the house if they were I (Hear, hear, and cries of yes, yes.) He wished to enter on the question irre- spective of party feeling. (Ironical cheers) He as• eared the house that he was not actuated in defending Lord Canning and condemning the Government from the paltry love of office (ironical cheers) but from a be• lief that put lis interests in this country and India were perilled by the course her Majesty's Government had taken. (Hear, hear.) He proceeded to defend the proclamation which he Paid was only addressed, as regarded confiscation, to those who had been in arms against our authority in India. There was a distinc tion drawn between the landholder and the people. Up to the sixteenth paragraph the proclamation had reference to the former and what followed to the latter, and as such, he contended, the proclama tion would be read and understood in Oude. The right hon. gentleman read numerous extracts from Col. Sleemau'e report, and also that of Sir J. Outram in reference to the rapacious conduct of the talookdbars, or landowners of Oude towards the people, observing it was their property only that had been confiscated. The proclamation must be looked at in the manner in which it was issued to the people of Oude; and in doing so, it appeared to bim it would produce benefit by inducing the disaffected to return to the British authority. The proclamation, as issued by Lord Canning with regard to confiscation was similar in language to those issued by a predecessor with reference to the Panjaub. After that portion of India had been for a long time in a state of anarchy by a decided policy such as that which had dictated the present proclama tion, it had become tranquil, and had furnished us with means for suppressing the mutiny. Was the proclama tion, then, a fit subject for censure ? (Hear, bear, from the Opposition benches.) Was Lord Canning, placed as be had been in a position of peril, and having acted with consummate judgment under the most trying circum stances, to be the target of vituperation? (Hear, hear.) But if the proclamation gave offence, it might have been repiied to with much more fitting language. (Hear, hear) Never until Friday last had he heard the lan guage of a subordinate quoted against a man in Lord Canning's exalted station. (Hear, hear.) Public ser vants abroad had of late years been attacked in their absence, but he (Sir C. Wood) contended that this was the first instance in which a high Minister of State had been so attacked by his own Government. (Hear, bear.) It would be difficult for Lord Canning to avoid resigna tion under such accumulated attacks, but his sense of patriotism might rise superior to the bad taste of his colleagues. He did net think he should have had to contend against the wisdom of publishing the despatch. He thought the Government stood unmistakably con victed on that point. The Government were responsible for this publication, although Lord Ellenborough, with that high-spirited and chivalrous feeling which charac terised bim, took upon himself the whole responsibility. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had been the delinquent in the matter, fur his words of disapproval of the de spatch might have been recalled, but the promise of Lord Ellenborough to produce it could not. (Hear.) If one Minister was to be responsible for the whole of his colleagues, the right hon. gentleman ought to take his fair share of the responsibility attaching to the publication of the despatch. (Rear, hear.) When it was stated by the Government it would be inceio venient to produce certain papers asked for in refer- I ence to the Cagliari, the motion was not persisted in, nor would the production of this despatch if her Mejesty's Government had given a similar answer. (Hear.) He would not allude to that part of the Sell citor-Generars defence, that a copy of the despatch had been given to Earl Granville and Mr. Bright, because from the dates it appeared the copies were not given till after its publication, but the noble lord the Secretary for the Colonies distinctly stated on Friday the circum stances on which it should or should not have been given. If this despatch had only been intended for Lord Canning's eye, there would not have been no much cause for complaint, but proclaiming it at the same time to the people of India was the most disastrous thing pos sible. (Hear, hear.) It was, however, writton and in tended for publication, for it partook more of the charac ter of a proclamation than a despatch. (Hear, hear.) , It was a document in its terms derogatory to the Go vernor-General and dangerous to the peace of the country. If there was just cause of complaint against the Governor-General, it was the duty of the Govern ment to have recalled him in a manly and honest man ner, but it not they ought not to undermine and weaken his authority. (Rear.) The effect of this despatch on the people of India would be far beyond that on the Governor-General, and twenty changes of the Home Government were as nothing in comparison to it. (Hear, hear.) It would encourage the people of Oude to con tinue their resistance against the British authority ; and the right hon. baronet asked the house if there was to be no settled policy in India, but that in every change of home government a change of policy was also to take place in India. If, as they now said, the annexation of Oude was unjust, why did not the house state so two or three years since ! Then, no breath was whispered against it, and ought now not to have been condemned, as it had been in the despatch referred to. If they were prepared to restore Oude and reinstate the king, let them do so ; but if not, let them say so, and then they would have credit for consistency. They, how ever, appeared to shrink from doing so, yet they told the people of Oade they were acting right in re sisting the authority of England. It was impossible this despatch could facilitate the pacification of Oude or encourage those they had called on to come in to lay down their arms. When it told the people they were doing right iu resisting British authority, on that de spatch would lie the blood of those soldiers shed in paci ficating Onde. (Cheers.) It would be published in every native newspaper in India, and the people would be told that the former rule, though bad, was at least native, and in consequence no part of India would be free from insurrection and war. (Hear, and cheers.( That was a question ten thousand times more important than the change of the Horne Government, and he held that the despatch, so far from proving a message of peace to ' India, would prove to be a firebrand of war. (Cheers.) Tee publication of the despatch could not now be re traced ; but he held it to be their duty to protest at the earliest possible moment against the writing and pub lishing of such a documebt, and counteract its prejudi cial effects as much as possible, by censuring the con duct of those who bad taken a step so fatal to our autho rity in India, and to assure the people of that country that we were prepared to maintain our possessions there a a n n d d t o t h r e ul e them skill o f w o i t u h r justice and clemency. s w t h at ic es h m t e b n e h v a al d ou h r ith of ertoo our Mr. HARDY said on rising to follow the ri ght h on , bt s a o i l n d e ie d r , s gentleman who had addressed the house with so much elcquence and so much vigou r he felt that some a pology was required from him, seeing that he so seldom ad dressed the house. He never addressed it, however, with out a strong conviction of the justice of the cause that he advocated, and he never felt more strongly the jus tice of his cause than he did now. The right hon. gentle man had spoken of the annexation of Oude, but, passing that by, he would at once come to the question whether this despatch was one which did justice to the people of England and to the people of India. The right hon. gen tleman told them that he had three objections to take— that they had prematurely condemned Lord Canning, that they had done it in unfit terms, and that the pub lication of the despatch in India was dangerous to British power. Now, as to the premature condem nation of Lord Canning, when was the time at which they were to condemn! if he was told that one of the servants of this country had published a proclamation which was in itself bad, was he to hesitate I He had re. ceived no intimation that any such proclamation was about to be issued. (Hear, hear.) He knew nothing, he heard nothing, but that a letter had come to a right hon. gentleman containing explanations. That letter bad never been produced to the President of the Board of Control ; but it had been shown Co a noble lord in another place, that be might use it as an attack on Lord Ellenborough. (Cheers.) That letter had been much spoken of ; but who produced it ? It was not produced en that side of the house ; and was it produced on the other by any fair means ? But when it was stated by Lord Ellenborough, the noble lord who led the opposi tion in the other house got up, and said he had not seen the letter. The noble lord,i t appeared was not in the secret ; it was not communicated to him. He did not see in his place that evening the right hon. gentleman, whose portrait, painted by himself, would be handed down to posterity. But he turned from that which was small point of the case. (Opposition cheers.) Hon. gentemen opposite cheered, but not one of them had been found to defend the right hon. gentleman. But he should pass from that point. And now with regard to the speech they bad just heard. He bad no fault to,find with it, except that the right hon. gentleman had en deavoured to alter the issue, and put the question on the issue raised by the noble lord (Lord J. Russell), who told them that in the despatch the Government not merely condemned Lord Canning, but declared him unfit tc hold the meanest office. Now, he asked if that was a fair representation of what had been done on the occa sion ? Then the noble lord threw out his taunts on those who sat on the Treasury bench, and said they had shown a spirit of animosity towards Lord Canning, and bad endeavoured to deprive him of the just tribute which was his due. Now, he should like to know to whom Lord Canning was more indebted for his defence, when he was attacked on a former occasion, than to the right hon. gentleman, the member for the University of bridge and the right hon. member for Oxfordshire, and who damned bim with faint praise more than the noble lord the member for the City of London. The noble lord did not then look with the same feeling on the ocon. pants of the Treasury bench, and in his desire to do them a little harm he did not care about disparaging , Lord Canning. The noble lord the member for Tiverton, on the motion for the vote of thanks to Lord Canning, said they would not be at all committed on the question of the memorial of the inhabitants of Calcutta. The noble lord (Lord J. Ressell) said he did not pretend to judge of the manner in which Lord Canning had t con ducted these operations, and then h e went on o praise Lord Canning. (Cheers.) Hon. members cheered as t. .• he had omitted to state that. Be stated in the first in stance that the noble Lord bad praised Lord Canning. (Cries of Read.) He hew' net get a copy of the riseech, (Cries of Oh, ob.) He e- it i only eay be ceecui red in what the noble lord had - lie morel C3lll age of Lord Canning. Bet the ~o, I erd ought to he the latit man to eay that the occuraote ef the Trtaeury bench wsre ready to withhold from Lorl Caenhee tribute of !Tete.) which was due. He was quite ready that they should take this qae,tion on the ground that, right hen. gentleman had put it—that they should treat it as affecting the interest of India, though at the same time he could not give eutire credit to the right te m . gentle man for being uuiuflaenced by party considerations. Ile could not say that the rectiou placed before them was a sort of motion on which they ought to be called upon to vote. Ile had Lever heard it cede lan Louest motion, but he had heard it character i-ed as au adroit one. It was a trap in which to catch members of different opinions. They were told that they had no right to con sider the meaning of the proclamation which L wd Can ning had issued, and then those who said that immedi ately went into an elaborate defence of it, and the right hon. gentleman who had just sat down told theta he per fectly understood the meaning of it. The right hon. gentleman the member for Northaruptonahire, whom he did not see in his place, told them that he approved of it. He should like to ask the right hoe. gentle man whether he had any knowledge of the proclama tion before it was published, and whether he had issued any directions for its publication. But the right hon. gentleman was not there. [A. MEMBER—Re could not answer if he was.] He presumed that there were members of the late government that could answer that question. His hon. and learned friend the member for Sheffield spoke of the proclamation in terms so distinct that neither in England nor in India could it be misun- I derstood ; and when the right hon. gentleman who had just eat down told them it would n be understood in India in the same sense, he could only say, on the con trary, that he bad been informed by those who had re sided in Oude, or the neiglabourhool, that so far from that being the case, it would be distinctly understood as taking possession of every right in the land, not only of the talookdars, but of the smallest holders. It was ad dressed to them all, and under it the whole of the pro perty would he seized. And when he read the letter of Mr. Edmonstone he found that all that was saved to the landowners was their lives and their honour ; their lives we had not the power to take, nor their honour, as they were spread over the whole of Oude, while we had only possession of Lucknow. If ever there was a docu ment which carried its own explanation with it, it was that proclamation—(hear, hear)—for if it was not in tended to apply generally, why were six exceptions epe• cified by name Or, again, if it destroyed no proprie ' tary rights, what was the value of the exception nrede in favour of the six loyal talookdars ! Throughout the allele kingdom the people, and not the talookdars and chiefs oily, were in arms against us. It wee, in fact, a rational revolt, as it had been described by Lord Ell,. • her mob and the Court of Directors. (Hear, hear ) It was not his (Mr. Hardy's) hit( wion to go into the an r exation of Oude, for the present was not the proper time to discuss that ; but this he would say, there was I not a single averment in Lord Elfenberough's desp a t c h which could not be proved by the most irrefragable eve dense. (Cheers.) The noble lord did not say that the peo ple of Oude had been unjustly treated, but he recom mended the Governor-Generai to consider the position in which they were placed, and what their feelings must n- ceeearily be. He asked the Governor-General to bear all that in mind in dealing with them ; and that was exactly what the Court of Directors had also done. In their letter to the Governor-General, dated the sth of May, they said—" In dealing with the people of Oude you will doubtless be more l by special considerations of jestice and of policy. Throughout the recent contest we have ever regarded such of the inhabitants of that coun try as, not being sepoys or pensioners of our own army, have been in arms against us as an exmptionel class. They cannot be considered as traitors or even rebels, for they had nut pledged their fidelity to us, and they feed scarcely become our subjects. Many, by the introluU tiou of a new system of government, had necesearily been deprived of the maintenance they had 1 etterly en joyed; and there feared that the speedy loss of their means of suleistence must follow from the same course. It was natural that such persons should avail themselves of the opportunity presented by the distracted state of the country to strike a blow for the restoration of the native rule, under which the permitted disorganisation of the country had been so long to them a source of un lawful profit. Neither the disbanded soldiers of the native Government, nor the great talookdars and their retainers, were under any obligation of fidelity to our Government for benefits conferred upon them. You would be justified, therefore, in dealing with them as you would with a foreign enemy, and in ceasing to c Bider them objects of punishment after they bavo once !aid down their arms." (Cheers.) That was the view r f the despatch to which he (Mr. Hardy) would invite at tention ; and what, ho would rt4e, was the position of Lord Ellenborough on the 12th of April, when the pro clamation arrived ? The Government had not been back• ward in expressing their opinions as to the mode in which the people of India should be treated. They had sent out a state paper dated the 24 - h March, aid laid it on the table of the house on the 29th of April ; arid in that despatch they declared the mode in which they had determined to act with regard to the people of India. [Mr. Hardy read the fourth paragraph of this document.] The document went on to state that for a huodred years the people of Oude had been faithful allies of the Government ; that whatever wrongs might have been perpetrated by them had been committed one upon another ; and that they had never offered any opposition to the British rule, hut had, on the contrary, assisted it with money and soldiers in times of emergency. It was after that it spateh had been sent out that Lord Ellenborough wrote the letter , which was now complained cf. it was sail that Lis right hon. friend (Mr. Deirael;) had stated in the house that the proclamation was disapproved cf by the govern meat in every sense ; but how was it possible, after having indited the despatch of the 24th of March, they could do otherwise than disapprove of it ! (Cheers.) But the right hon. gentlentue (Mr. Vernon Smith) paid he would never have agreed to make ore of his colleagu .s scapegoat. The right hon. gentleman did not seem to recollect all the passages in his political career —(laughter and cheer-)—other viso the right hon. gentleman might have mallet to mind a motion brought forward by an hon. baronet (Sir E. B. Lytton), involving one of the colleagues of the right hon. gentleman, namely, the noble lord the member for the city of L uion. But that colleague was abandoned. The noble lord retired from the cebinet, and the motion war given up. (Hear.) Upon the noble l o rd was thrown the onus whh belonged to the whole ministry ; and they refused to bear any part of it. (Seer, hear.) So that it could seem that the right hon. gentleman had after all keen a party to the abandonment of a c league. (Cheer.) The present government did not, however, wish to throw over the despatch of Lord Ellenberough. On the con trary, they adopted it from beginning to end. They adopted it as laying down the principles upon which they were prepared to treat the inhabitants of Oude ; and they adopted it as embodying sentiments of humanity which were as necessary for the honour of this country' as they were for the happiness of the people of India. The despatch reminded the Governor-General of those principles, but it did not encourage those who were in revolt. And here (=aid the hon. gentleman) I certainly do csinplaira of the noble lord the member for the City, in having in the course of his speech made use of an expression which I am sure in his cooler moments he will regret. (Ilear.) The nebl, lord told us that the mutineers, when they read the despatch would say, "True it is we have the Governor-General for our foe, but we have a friend in England." (Opposi tion cheers.) Hon. gentlemen opposite Fay they are free from party spirit, and yet they are ready to applaud that sentiment. (Ministerial cheers.) Are they not ashamed to say that we whose friends are fighting the battles of the country would wish to encourage Ooze who are in arms against it (Loud ministerial cheers.) When have we ever been negligent of the interests and honour of the country —we who, in support of those interests and that honour, assisted in sending the late Government out of office ? (Loud laughter and cheers.) Has it ever been said that the noble earl who was so lately at the Board f Contr . , I was slow to strike those who were in arms again-t him ? Has it ever been said that his arm was shortened again-4 rebellion ! But the noble lord is one that knew how to temper justice with mercy, and be was the first to receive those who came and submitted themselves to his mercy. (Load cheers.) The house was told that they must not regard the despatch as expressing certain sentiments, but that they must look at this tone in which it was written. (Hear.) Yet surely when the irtsrests cf mil lions were at stake, when the honour of England vta4 in peril, and when the cause of humanity was in question, people were not to dip their pens in milk and water. (Laughter and cheers.) They ought rather to state their sentiments with frankness, though without insult, as ho believed Lord Ederiborough had done. (Oh, oh, and oheers.) He (Mr. Hardy) had not the honour of Lord Canning's acquaintance, but be believed him to be a man of the highest probity and humanity. (Cheers.) In fact no tn•an could command so many and such devoted friends, except his character was deserving the respect of all. (Loud cheers.) If, then, Lord Ginning was actuated by those noble and patriotic motives which had been ascribed to him, he would read the despatch in a very dif ferent light from that in which it was regarded by hon. gentlemen opposite. (Hear.) He would look OD it, not as intending an insult, but as calling his attention, no doubt in strong and forcible terms, to the opinions enter tained by Government with reference to the conduct his should pursue towards the inhabitants of India. (Hear, hear ) The passage which the noble lord had specially reprobated was the 17th paragraph, " We cannot but think that the precedents from which you have departed will appear to be conceived in a spirit of wisdom supe riorhiave to that which appears in the precedent y made." (Opposition cheers ) Well, that migla o he in read in two ways. (Laughter.) He ventured to ar s y that n addressing that despatch to Lord Canning, Lod Ellen like him berous,,h thought he was dealing witl e a man himself, had the self —(laughter)— good of India at heart would s o n a d e w w h h o w o,l i i r k uld not e momentsuff,.r iu inry feeling of wounded pride to stand f o r on competition with the interests both th of country. (Loud cheers.) Hardy)f)ade a believed o ed f thm He (that Lord Canning, en far wishing to resign, would bow to the arguments c f o r n ona tained in Lord Ellenborough's letter, and to tho-e w hich had been submitted to bins by numerous parsons in India of the greatest consideration and weight. I n deed, he hoped that long before now Lord Canning w ould have adopted a different course, and woald have offered to the people of Oude terms more i suitable than those contained in his proclamatio n . But t was said that the Government had sent out this despatch without waiting to see what explanation the Governor-General had to offer. Well, but this was not the first occasion on which the same thing had taken place with regard to Oude. In 1832 there was a Go. vernment of which the noble viscount (Lord Palmer ston), the noble lord (Lord J. Russell), and he did not know how many right hon. and hon. gentlemen opposite were members. Lord Auckland was then Governor- :a t e►< - w General, and a despatch was eddreered to Men, ceiling en en hire to cenee! a treaty which he had eutered into the King ef 03de. (ili ate) wonlii it have been if despatch had been published. [Mr. BRIGHT —" Hear, lecar.l The King et Oude would then have knewn bow the treaty was reean'ed in this country, and he woeld rot on a late occasion have appealed to a treaty which rr, Eueland had no existence, and which Lord Auck land, Lord Hardinge, (Jul. Sleernan, and Lord Dalhousie said bad never been prop,rly explained to him, nor had he been wade to understand that it was annulled. (Cheers.) But how did the Government of 1839 deal with Lord Auckland ? He would tell thein in Lotd Auckland's onn word , : : " I cannot fully express how deeply I must regret that a measure admitted to be so well-timed and beueficial by the great majority of judges in this country, a measure which, after years of uncertainty and disorder, promised, as it ap peareit to me, to place our relations with Oude on a stable and practicable footing, just and useful alike to the British Government, to the king, and to Lis people, should have been so u eequivocallycondenn e d nod rejected inEngland, without permitting to the Government in India even the opp rtunity of one explanatory represntation. (Cheers.) This condemnation has not only been aneounced to us, but it has been declared publicly, and it remains for me only to act as best becomes the obligations of my duty is the difficult circumstances in which I am situated." (Cheers.) He would only say in pas , ing that the exam i n givesn igno. tle ins 7as f r position,thin their seas here set him was one which Lerd C aneing would do a well to fll (Cheers.) And wh a t was the gnaws ?of the Government ? They did a n v e e t r c n e n t r id . Generale , ed to placing t a a they confirmed th e i r previous dee t bu elision in the most peremptory language. They simply said, " We have only to observe that we adhere to our former instructions, and direct that they may be forth with carried into effect," (Cheers ) Ho had, therefor e , a right to Fay that the noble lords who sat o n th e oppo. site benches, and who appeared so anxious to cross over —(laughter)—had been parties to cot demuing a Cover. cmor- General of India without waiting for one explana tory remark, and the publiehieg in the House of Lords what they bad done, He might add that Lord Auck land did not resign. (Hear, hear.) The proclamation of Lord Canning could not be confined to the kingdom of Ou le. In the neighbourhood there was a district, Ro h leund, where there was a peculiar tenure of land—a jo - nt family tenure. Several members of a family heti the same piece of land ; and as it was not often suf ficient to support them all, some of them took service in neighbouring provincee, and under the East India Compaey. Would it not be thought that the procla- mation twilled to them? (Hear.) Would not the people of Rohilcund ask one another, " If such things are dene in the green tree, what will be done in the dry I —if the Btitieh Government treats the inhabitants of (Jude in this manner, what will it not do to us, who are confessedly under its rule (e)hei re.) Again, the proola• motion would be peculiarly grievous to the Hindoes ; for they held that unless they had land which they could charge with payments on account of sacrifices for their souls their eternal welfare as well as their temporal in terests would be compromised. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Hardy) would ask his hon. and learned friend (Mr. Roebuck) what was the object of this motion ? (Cheers.) Was it England or in India ? (Renewed cheers.) If in India, he could only say that serious as would be the eff.ct of the proclamation, a majority in favour of the resolution would be still more fatal. (Cheers.) It ap- Peered front every newspaper o f tt at d ay that, as re garded the result of the - proclamation there was but one opinion in India. (Cheers.) He would quote a few lines from an article which appeared on the 6th of May in what was called "the leading journal," but which he hoped would not lead the public much longer—it led thew in many contrary directions. (Laughter and cheers.) fortnigir. ago the journal in qi stion wrote—" All the authorities concur in affirming that we might come to termite with the inhabitants without any trouble at all. Neither landholders nor people, even in Oude, have any otjectiou to our rule or supremacy ; but the former cllB9 desire a satisfactory tenure of their estates, and the latter look for assistance and protection." (Laugh ter.) Very different was this fr nn the course that great journal had since taken. (Hear, hear.) lie (11r. Hardy) bad received or had seen wetly letters, which, however, he would not produce, because ho should be c:lied upon to read them ; and that he had no autho• ray to de. This, however, he would state, namely, that they entirely confirmed the statetneete in the In dian niNspapers, and showed that the proclamation was con:16111nel from ono end of India to the other. (Hear.) He could venture to say that if the proclamation was carried into effect, they would require not merely rein• foreemente fez the troops in India, but a new army of 20,000 men. (Loud cheer. He read in the Friend of India, which had just arrived : All the authorities who describe the impediments to a forcible subjugation of Oude concur in affirming that we might come to terms with its inhabitants without any trouble at all. Neither landholders nor people, even in Oude, have any objection to our rule or supremacy; but the former class desire a satisfactory tenure of their es- Cates, awl the latter look for assurance and protection." (Cheers.) Aped again -" All efforts to conciliate the people round Lucknow have hitherto proved unavailing. They will neither return to the city, nor provide our troops with supplies. Not one of our men dare wander far from the main body. It makes every man iu Oade a declared enemy, and does not exhibit any means of coercion. (Loud cheers.) As an amnesty, the. boon conferred is ridiculous; for what po wer h ave we to put to death five millions of human beings ? But the In dian treasury has been for some times exhausted ; the pro. clamation cannot refill it. Lucknow cannot bo put up to auction, aor the castles of the talookelare sold to the highest bisiders. Oude cannot be parcelled oat into small farms and let to aliens, for interlopers would as soon take possession of the forfeited estates as an Irish gauger of a Tipperary estate in a year of famine, or a church neissionary of a lie iug under the Neapolitan Government. The reports that the proclamation will give rise to will be endless. The British Gove'rument will he held up both as weak-and rapa cious; as weak, in offering the life it has not theepower to take ; as rapacious, in seizing estates to which it has no right." (Loud cheers.) The ri g ht hon. gentleman (Mr. V. Smith) told the house that it had no irdormation upon which to pronounce an opinion upon the mneaning of the proclamation ; but the gentlemen opposite, in some of their speeches, had put an interpretation upon it which no one in Eogland had a right to put, and which the people of Onde had not put. (Cheers.) But this, forsooth, was not a party question—this was not a question that affected the tenure of office. He did not know with what feel ugh hon. gentlemen regarded those (the Ministerial) benches—and, for himself, the sooner he was turned out the better it wonl I be for his ease and comfort. (Laugh ter.) But there were rights to he vindicated and a duty to be done. (Cheers.) He should wish his right hand might either if ever he held it up in support ef anything that owtmaged lteintteity ; but he was proud to say that he could on this occasion hold it up in the common inte rest both of England and of India. He did most firmly believe that when the recollection of party struggles had passed away, it would be admitted that the noble lord, the late President of the Board of Control, though he might have been irjudicious, had been actuated by nothing but an honest desire to promote the good of the people fit whose sake he had sacrificed 30 yearn of his life. (Loud cheers.) If boo. gentlemen op posite suco (sited in their attempt to re-occupy the Trea sury benches, they would have done so without pro• claiming a policy. (A laugh answered by loud cheers.) Tney wool l not have declared whether they intended to maintain the proclamation or whether they intended to disavow ; and the public would justly say that they had taken office under false pretences. (Loud cheer'.) Lord DUNKELLIN hoped the house would extend to him its u.nal forbearance to a new member, while he expressed his opinions upon a question of painful and peculiar interest t i bine (Hear, hear.) He felt with the learned S ilicicitor•General that it was impossible to dis cuss the suhject before them without referring to the do cameo ,te a inch were supposed to have been publi s h e d i n India.. - Anil yet, it could not be but painful to the Go v, ruor-General to be told that the House of Common. heel consumed documents as emanating from him, with out any certainty that such was the case. The procla mation had been condemned as too severe —as being too sweeping—on the supposition that tee people of Oude were not in rebellion. Now, he begged to deny at once the very foundation upon which that argument rested. Not only were the people of Oude in rebellion, but in a rebellion of the very worst kind. Oude had long since been sun, zed to the Biitish dominioue, and it formed a portion of eur territory in India when the pretest G,.- vernor-General assumed his office. The outbreak com menced at Meerut, far away from the confines of Oude, and it had raged at its height before it burst upon that kingdom. Lord Cunning's proclamation was not the men-are of confiscation, it was intended to plaoe t n proprietary rights of Oita° upon a lief._ footing, a n d a th d e without which there would never be country. It had. been suggested howevhepere,:ntchea.nti Lordhave Cunning's proper course would have n eunnestyt might issued an amnesty. No doubt such . a state effect Governor-General a i m m fic e t d i i t a in te ns have wou hl b ra n y o ' been ] to a nd h av p e r p b r a o h d ly atchse i d ts of quietness. But, althoug h been eminently unworthy of him, course, it would have interests at stake, and fur the might have consulted his own ease in adopting that succeed him in the govern followed such a policy. Ile chaarveienrgorfegth4,%ieti whotlm ehaae have were futuretn w m n i t d o:otlandeoia; toh resolution of the right hon. gentle ten unjust as well as man the membert for Ox t f t o n rd h , av b e ec h ause he believed the t o i v e er e n e m et en interests of our Indian empire. (Hear.)l LOVAINg having been on terms of conside rable with . Lord Canning, confessed to enter p detrimenta l olc .); nf th e t o G the highest possible opinion of his merits. Ho ad miredtainhis firmness as well as his humanity ; nor had he been sleek in justification of his n o bl e f r i en d . B e also very much regretted the publication of the despatch, at the seine time that there was no overlooking the fact that it was useless to Attempt to suppress it. However, the real question before them fur diecuseion was, what was to be their future policy towards India, and whether it was right to have issued such a proclamation— which, let them made - , must be read unmitigated and uninter preted by any of those private instructions which would never reach the bulk of those to whom it was directed. (Hear, hear.) Attempts had been made on every side to gloss over the fulject of the wholesale confiscation. Now, one thing was certain, that whenever previously the tide of conquest had swept over India the property in the soil had invariably remained where it was. The latest account- from India showed how the proclamation hail been interpreted in India. Much had been com plained of the sending out such a despatch at such ajunc ture to the Governor-General. Now, be would recall to the house that during the progress of the Crimean war a Minist er i n o ffi ce did no t h es itate to s forwar d letters t o th e C r i mea ac t ua ll y i m p ug ning the honour (Hear, and the veracity of the commander-in -chief. his f . h hear.) W e ll, were civil governors a e be left un questioned when the gallant chiefs of our armies were thus unmercifully dealt with in the mtihdast had Lord Can t of unparalleled difficulties ? He honestly confessed Ling asked Lis advice as to the issuing of his prociams, THE WEST INDIA MAIL. Intelligence from Ragusa states that Hussein Pacha had collected near Trebigue a corps of 2,000 regular troops, and was awaiting a rein forcement of 3,500 regulars recently landed. An attack on Trebigne was not apprehended. It is stated that the late defeat of the Turks is to be attributed to a perfidious act en the part of the Montenegrins. , The nature of the act of perfidy is not stated. Trinidad ;; 27 j TURIN, MAY 16. France and England having decided on the appointment of an international commission to examine the plans of the works to be executed at the mouths of the Danube, King Victor Emanuel has nominated M. Menebrea, deputy, to be mem ber of the commission on the part of Sardinia. MADRID, MAY 15. The Gazette publishes two royal decrees, one closing the session of 1858, and the other nomi nating M. Possada Herrera, .deputy, to be Minis ter of the Interior in the room of M. Diaz, re biped. FRANCE. PARIS, MONDAY. Fuad Paella, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, had the honour of being received by the Emperor yesterday. It is believed that the Turkish and Montenegrin troops have already suspended hostilities. The two ships of the line, the Algesiras and the Eylau, which, we have stated, were two days back ordered to put to sea at Toulon, are, it is said, to proceed to the Adriatic, in consequence of the dis turbances in Montenegro. The Pays announces, on the faith of letters from China of March 30, thatin consequence of despatches which he had received from Calcutta, Lord Elgin after consulting with his allies, had decided on sending one of the English regiments to India so soon as the first reinforcements should arrive from France, and which were expected about the end of April or beginning of May. Marshal Bosquet is so much recovered as to be shortly expected at Pau, where the villa Olympia has been prepared for him. It is hoped that his native air will have the effect of completely restor ing him to health. A most unpleasant effect . has been produced here by a duel fought some days ago between a writer in the Figaro (the Legitimist Charivari) and two sub alterns of the army. The quarrel originated in a Paragraph published - in the Figaro, and signed Nemo," in which some jokes, more suo , were cut at the e x p ense o f th e su b-li eu t enan t s o f the army. , Th e Youthful Bayards took fire, and numerous let rra were addressed to " Nemo" provoking him to Justify his words by his acts. " Nemo " soon threw ?T the mask which concealed his features, he avowed 'i:nself as H. de Pene, and informed one of his chal lengers that he was completely at his disposal I tenever he should be called upon to give satis faction. The challenger was an officer of the 9th , — ,useseurs, named Courtiel, and the encounter took Place in the neighbourhood of Paris, in presence of Wounded witnesses. In a short time the officer was wounded in the arm by the civilian, and the affair te rminated. The former assured his opponent that be had n o t th e s li g ht est an i mos it y aga i ns t hi m , an d t hey shook hands now that all was over. To the "erPrise of the civilians, another subaltern, of the . 31 , 4 1ne of Hy ene , w h o was one o f th e w itnesses, ePPed forth, a n d sa id th a t th e a ff a i r co uld not end i'l tos—that th e pl easan t r y o f th e Fi garo h a d offended the whole body of the sub-lieutenants of the French ; 1 , 1131 Y ; and that h e , as o ne , demanded satisfaction ` 4l ,the spot. M. de Pene declared that he did ho t consider himself bound to renew the contest ; bad already exposed his life by giving antis “leton for the presumed offence, and if he con sented to expose himself to the sword of another adversary for the same cause he might be called njon to fight with the whole army. Sub-Lieut. ItlYene was not satisfied ; he answered angrily ; the rejoinder was equally warm ; a discussion arose; hard words were exchanged ; according to some a blow was struck by the officer—according to others he flung a glove in the face of De Pens, whit., on ...the other hand, others affirm that neither the one nor the other occurred. The upshot was that a second duel ensued, and M. de None, who had already escaped one adversary, was in a few minutes run through the body by a second, and now lies in a desperate state in a public-house hear the bridge of the Pecq. There is little or no hope of saving him. The principal editor of the Figaro, _ named Villemalsam, demanded an audi ence of the Emperor ; it was declined ; he was referred by the Emperor's private secretary to the Minister of Justice. The officer has been ordered under arrest by the Minister of War, and a report has been presented to this functionary for the Minis terial department. It is thought that the result ill be the adoption of severe measures to check !Welling, the necessity for which seems to be shown . 1 ?y th e p resen t a ff a i r f o ll ow i ng so close on that of Lieutena n t de Mercy, who lies under sentence of death for murder. The effect produced in Paris by this duel is most painful. It is the subject of con versation in every society, and, though I do not well b , see how the Government can be made respon ill Le for th ese f a t a l encoun t ers , y e t it i s un d en iable that the military element, which so largely enters Into its composition, and which has gained for it so much unpopularity, tends to excite discontent a mong the population in an unusual degree ; and You 'nay judge of this by the fact that this duel is regarded as an important and even ominous event, and it is this only which induces me to notice it. el otg it q s u lli ota Ma tioyus 17.—The - following were the s per Cents ...... 92 75 Do. end month trr Cent. ..... ... 69 70 . end month.... 69 65 Rank Shares.... .. 3120 Credit M o bilier..:. 692 50 Acc0unt......... 680 Credit Foncier Belgian 44 Piedmontese (5) 9l Roman 93 Austrian Spanish Threes Home Debt -- -FOR CASH. Midi 4824 65 West er n 5 Strasburg . Sardi n i an ntral Austrian 6671 Orlosnm RAILWA.YB.- 1245 Northern ........ 9374 New Ditto 7574 Lyon and Mediteran. 75 6 1 Now Ditto Gansu SOUTHAMPTON, MAY 17. The Royal Mail Company's steam-ship Parana, Captain Bevis, arrived this day at noon, from the West Indies, with the usual mails, in charge of Lieut. Irwin, .R.N., Admiralty agent. On her homeward voyage the Parana expe rienced fine weather, with light and moderate winds. Her dates are : Nassau April 13 Grenada April 28 Blewfields Gray Town „ 19 Jacmel .... 2B Colon Carthagena TRIESTE, MAY 16. Demerara St. Thomas . „ 2 She brings 185 passengers, of whom 128 are saloon, 35 children, 16 servants, and 6 children. The Parna brings on freight—Total specie, 973,807 dole. ; gold, 373,632 dole. ; silver, 520,862 dole. ; platina, 1,580 dole. ; gold coin, 66,338 dole. Also 186 serons of cochineal ; pearls, 14,400 dole. ; 42 bags of cocoa, 125 barrels of ginger, 14 tamarinds, 81 bales of tobacco, 8 bales of sarsaparilla, and 80 packages of sundries. The news is unimportant. Sugar making was proceeding with great spirit in the islands, the weath. r hitherto being extremely favourable, and the yield far above the average, amounting, in Martinique, to one-fifth, and that of Barbadoes equally good. The southern islands are much in want of rain, not havinghadany since the fall of last year. They have had some slight showers at St. Vincent's and the northern islands. When the packet left, freights at Tobago and Trinidad were from 39. 6d. to 45., and at Barba does 35., with the prospect of full cargoes. On the 16th, at noon, the Parana spoke the English ship Glenwillie, for Honduras ; all well. IRELAND. LIMERICK, MA.Y 17. CITY OF LIMERICK ELECTION. The city has been in a state of the greatest con fusion from the last few days. Last night a despe rate mob from the Irish-town, with stones and bludgeons, broke in the windows of several of the houses ; the magistrates investigated several of the cases this day, and in the majority of them it ap pears that the persons whose houses were thus at tacked were supporters of Mr. Spaight. The police have been acting on the alert and the resident magistrates in the city are Mr. Barron, Mr. How ley, Mr. Taviteau, and Mr. Beal They are most active in preserving the peace. This day the high sheriff, Dr. Kane, made a proclamation in the Court House to the effect that the election is to com mence on Friday, when the nomination takes place, and the polling on Monday (this day week). The result of the contest continues doubtful, and even disinterested persons are unable to hazard an opinion. MARKET NEWS.--(This Day.) HAY MARKETS. SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, 21 lOs to 41 Os; clover, 31 10a to 51 Os; and straw, 1/ 5s to 1/ 10s per load. A full average supply, and a sluggish demand. CUMBERLAND. —Meadow hay, 21 103 to 41 2s ; clover, 31 lOs to 5/ Os ; and straw, 11 6s to 11 10a per load. Trade dull, at our quotations. Supplies tolerably good. WHITEOHAPEL.—Meadow hay, 21 10a - to 41 Os; clover, 37. lOs to 51 Os ; and straw, 11 5s to 11 103 per load. A slow trade, at barely stationary prices. PRUSSIA. A. letter from Berlin, in the Cologne Gazette, an nounces that the fortifications of Konigsberg are to be considerably strengthened. The works are to be commenced immediately. Additional forts are about to be erected at Spandau. A line of 18 detached forts, extending as far as the heights of Pichels dorf, about a mile and a half beyond the town, are to be erected, and Spandau will become a fortress of the first rank. T he ring and Queen of Prussia were to proceed t o Sans-Souci on the 17th inst. • SARDINIA. TURIN, MAY 12. Thy important and respectablehouse of Felix Rig plandeo., o f thi s place, have suspended payment. The circ umstance transpi re d l as t even i ng . It seems ' 0 have been little expected, and the shock is the thLore sever e . T urin passed so successfully through " calamitous period of the crisis which caused such consternation and misery at Milan, Venice, and elsewhere, that hopes were entertained the silk houses would succeed in carrying on until better times. Messrs Rignon's failure is said to be due entirely to the great fall in silk, of which they are large holders. With the exception of the above unpleasant in telligence, there is nothing new incommercial affairs here or at Milan. The silk market is exceedingly calm, and little or nothing doing. Encouraged by the great abundance of mulberry leaves, many growers have made provision of an enormous quantity of eggs, and it is said that if only a fourth of the numberproduce healthy worms, which arrive at maturity and do their work properly, a satis factory crop may be reckoned upon. The news from Naples, Spain, and elsewhere is generally good. The Chamber of Deputies, in its sitting of the 14th, commenced the discussion on the bill for a loan of 40 millions of francs for extraordinary pub lic works, consisting of 15 millions for buildings connected witli the army and navy, and 23 for the docks to be built at Genoa. During the discussion, which was finally adjourned to the next sitting, it was stated that the public debt of Piedmont amounted at present to 630 millions, but that on the other hand the railways belonging to the State represented a capital of 1,200 millions. COLONIAL. TEA.—The market continues very dull, and there is not the slightest alteration to report in prices. SUGAR.—There is a steady demand for all good grocery qualities at fully late quotations, but inferior descriptions are neglected, although holders demand full values. In the refined market a fair demand exists for dried goods, the finer descriptions being at rather easier quotations. COFFSR.—Several large lots are announced to-day for public competition, and prices are expected to rule firm. The demand, however, is not active ; good coloury quali ties of Plantation Ceylon realise fully late values. RICE.—The market continues very inactive, and the few sales effected have been at lower quotations. Rum.—The inquiry for good qualities of Demerara con tinues steady, and full rates are current. A few purchases of fine quality Jamaica sold for 4s 9d per proof gallon. SALTPETRE.—The market is still very firm, and a rather large amount of business has been done at fall values. TALLOW.—There is not much business doing, but prices remain steady. P. Y.C. on the spot, 53s 6d; June, 53s 3d; and last three months, 503 ad per cwt. 4--MAT 17. the close of the market WsllBend, &o. s Braddyll l6 0 Eden Main l5 6 Haswell 17 6 Hetton l7 6 South Hetton 17 3 Russell's Hetton 15 9 Kelloe 1C acorn Close l5 6 Eden Hartlepool l6 6 Heugh Hall 15 3 Hunwick l4 6 ,South Hartlepool l5 9 ~ 75; sold, 66. io trade, there will not be any -.) THE INDIA TELEGRAPH. Lord DE NIAULEY moved fir copies of all corres pondence between the English and Austrian Govern ments respe..ting telegraphic correspondence betvfeen Ragusa and Alexandria. The Earl of MALMESBURY said that all the papers referred to by the noble lord were being printed, for the purpose of being laid before Parliament. SUPPLY OF MEAT TO THE METROPOLIS. Lord BERNERS presented a petition from the butchers, graziers, farmers, salesmen, and others en gaged in the trade and supply of meat to the metropolitan markets. The petitioners com plained of the bad accommodation for slaughtering animal-, the loss occasioned thereby, and they prayed that their lordships would niter or repeal the various acts raiting to the subject, or paws new measures ti remedy the serious evil complained of. The petition was ordered to lie on the table. THIRD READINGS. The Chelsea Hospital and Water Works (Exchange of Lands), Chief Justice of Bombay, Trustees, Mort gagees, &c., and Loan Societies Bill, were severally read a thir time and passed. Their lordvhips then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.) TUe SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed : —Brantford and Richmond Railway ; Carhsls, Lang holm, and Hawick Railway ; EAst Kent Railway (Wes tern Extension) ; Fife and Kinross and Kinross-shire Railways ; London, Brighton, and South Coast Rail way (Shoreham to Henfield, sto.); Worcester and Here ford Railway. The following bills were further considered and or dered to be read a third time :—Andover Canal Rail way ; Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, and Portrush Junction Railway ; Belfast and County Down Railway ; Corns, Machynlleth, and Riv-r Thvey Tramroad (Ma chynlleth, and River Davey Railway) ; Dean Forest Turnpike Trust; Hesketh Marsh ; Llatidaff and Canton District Markets ; Luton, Dunstahle, and Welwyn Junction and Hertford and Welwyn Junction Railway Companies Amalgamation ; Taunton Water ; Water ford Gas ; and Windsor New Road. The Stanhope and Wokingham Rectories Bill was read a second time. NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY BILL. Mr. ELLIOT moved that the minutes of the proceed ings of the committee on the North British Railway (liawick and Carlisle Junction Railway) Bill, and Bor der Counties Railway Bill, in croup 13 of Railway and Canal Bills, be printed at the expense of the parties and distributed with the votes.—Agreed to. METROPOLITAN TOLLS Colonel FORRESTER, Comptroller of the House hold, appeared at the bar of the house with her Ma jesty's gracious answer to an address voted to her Majesty for a Royal Commission to inquire into and re port as to the best means of abolishing tolls and toll bars within six miles of Charing-cross, to the effect that her Majesty, having taken it into consideration, had directed the Royal Commissioner to issue as requested, THE OATHS BILL—CONFERENCE WITH THE LORDS. The SPEAKER announced that he had received a message from the Lords, appointing a conference with this house to-morrow, at half-past 4 o'clock, in the Painted Chamber, ou the Lords' amendinente to the Oaths Bill. TEIE DERBY DAY. Capt. VIVIAN gave notice that he should to-morrow move the adjournment of the house at its rising till Thursday. (Cheers.) THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA. In answer to a question from Mr. LYGON, Mr. 11. BAILLIE said that the first private letters received by the present Government from India arrived by the mail on Saturday. On that day three private letters from Lord Canning reached Lord Ellenborough, in which he stated he had received information that Lord Ellenborough had accepted office. He (Slr. Baillie) thought that Lord Csaning's sending three private letters by one mail was a sufficient prof that the noble lord was in the habit of corresponding by private letters with the late President of the Bard of Control. (Cheers.) CONSOLIDATED FUND (11,000,0001.) BILL. Ibis bill was read a third time and passed. STAMP DUTY ON PASSPORTS BILL. This bill, as amended, was considered. THE VOTE OF CENSURE ON THE GOVERN- MENr-ADJOURNED DEBATE On the order being read for the resumptios of the adjourned debate on the motion of Mr. CARDWELL, Mr. ROE aUCK. said—Sir, a question of more im portance was, perhaps, never submitted for discussion in ny legislative assembly than that which now occupies the attention of this house. If we think of the number of persons likely to be affected by it, and of the time at which the proposition is brought forward, all these con siderations indicate the importance of the subject now under discussion. Sir, Gibbon, in his History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," enters into a discussion on the probable capacity of that empire, and in that magnificent resume which he gives of the power and importance of the empire of Rome he says that the Italians and provincials together amounted in round numbers to about 120,000,000, and he adds that that was the largest community of men ever subject to any system of domination. But, sir, our Indian empire leaves this far behind. There are not only 120,000,000, but I think the persons who are influenced by our domi nion in India amount to nearly 200,000,000, and there is now submitted to our consideration a question in volving the happiness of this large section of the human race ; for we have now to determine whether this domi nion is to be guided by the great principles of honesty and virtue—(cheers)—or whether the power which we exercise is to be the only guide of our conduct, and that the object of England . bject which we A has an Englishman, I veinviewisthesoleagg meet cannotrandhissiep. feeling strongly for the dominion, the happiness, and the power of my country ; still, there are th in g s which in my mind are even greater than England's importance, and one of these is that mankind should learn to re cognise and practise the great principles of honour and i virtue. At th e p r e s e n t moment there is nvolved in our discussion this important question—shall we, i▪ n the furtherance of our dominion, for objects purely .selfish, forget the grea t p r i nc iples of virtue and justice. Shall we, in order to establish oar dominion over what I may call the defenceless people of India, utterly re gardless of that which civilisation ought to teach us i to regard— s h a ll we , I say , p urs ue our own objects without any considerati on o f the principles which ougbt to govern us a s a p eop l e The motion made by the right hon. gentleman the other night is, I think, one of the most transparent of party manouvres I have ever seen —(loud cheers)—and I h ave seen ma ny transacti▪ ons of that sort. At this very moment we, the House of Com mons, are vindicating to ourselves the government of India—for it is idle to talk of the Crown. The Crown means the House of Commons. (A. laugh.) That ap pears to excite in the minds of some a feeling something like surprise ; but I would ask any man who under stands the practical working of our system of govern ment to answer me this question—is not all the power said to be centred in the Crown really exercised by this house Shall we say, when we transfer the government of India from the East India Company to the Crown, that we do not give it to the Ministers of the Crown who act under the control of this house I Therefore I say that when we talk about transferring the government of India from the East India Company to the Crown, we really declare that the House of C immens is to govern India. And at the very time when we aro so discussing I this matter of the government of India there comes before us a mere matter of party politics. (Cheers.) We forget the happiness of 200,000,000 of men, and we re- I duce the question to the consideration of this bench and that. (Renewed cheers, and Ne, no.) No, no I is there any man so utterly void of consideration of what is going e rgtqs y heu ieatnesssaot—thtai country.eota i s s nht e e t ta pas e ) p r ra a e atpffy: pcce any pechni to .eeri on around him and of what is being enacted before his politics — let e t a h n at so w i h ik a e t a w b e lin a d re p fi u g p li p t y in — Pfo l r au n g o b w ) r s tgis c. o )st — f h eul e aht India , happiness sir, rbiniue lettsws et us, i f 2n g i bf o oe v v:oo e ne r os n oci md,aoenetinotf thisa o or f f. human beings. Now, w h a t i s th e quest i on b efore us dt C d hee a rsn r ep dw t saotpfc e ah l ti l h ) ai ent p s r ßa o fnoo p sar o wr u de n ro d tf a a consideration.o ct resolution hoen trol proclamation as First,which he reall ysa says The rig ht hon. gentl e m an th e mem b er for Oxford (Mr. w ron o g f Lordiwr i t i ngny Canning a n y ; th i e nv p o r l e v s e i s . then he says he wrote the wrong despatch ; and then I he says he was wrongin the publication of that despatch. Now, lam prepared to meet him on all these points. I say, first, he was bound to write that despatch ' - I say, secondly, he wrote the right answer to that despatch • and, thirdly, I say he was not answerable for the pro: duction of that despatch. (Cheers.) I have no doubt that may astonish some gentlemen in this house, but before I have done I hope I shall be able to satisfy them of its justice. Was he or was he not bound to write an answer to that proclamation ? I will not now enter into any dis• cussion of the mannar in which we have acquired do ' minion in India ; I will only say this—that having en- I tered it as a body of mere merchants we in course o f t i me i acquired the dominion of that vast country, b u t th a t we ' I did not do so without sacrific ing on almost every ocoa ' sion every principle which ought to guide the justice of a nation—(cheers) --that we have been rapaoious, that we have been cruel, that we have been unju s t, b u t th a t we have acquired dominion. (Cheers.) We h ave d one it by the great power and capacity of the men we have sent there—by the wonderful valour of our troops, than which nothing can be more wonderful, bat notwithstand ing, we have sacrificed troth, honour, and justice. (Hear, hear.) I know these are to many gentlemen unpalatable truths, but they are truths nevertheless. (Hea r .) Th ere is only one justification of domin ion, and that is, that it is such as to promote the happiness of the people over whim it is exercised, but in order to produce that hap- --.........m. as. Business WS dal• L &TEST NEWS. THE BOMBAY MAILS. The Peninsular and Oriental Company have received the following despatch from Marseilles this (Tuesday) morning : " The steam ship Panther, with the Bombay mails, arrived at Marseilles at five this morning. " The mails left for London at 10 o'clock." MONTENEGRO. PARIS, TUESDAY MORNING. The Moniteur of this morning contains the fol- lowing : "The much to be regretted fighting which has been the consequence of the entry of the Turkish troops into the territory of Grabovo has instigated the 'Governments of the Emperor, and of those Powers who are acting in concert with him, to take new steps in the matter. " The Government of his Majesty the Sultan has now listened to their advice, and on the 14th last. transmitted to his Majesty's Commissioner, and to the officer in command of the Turkish force s , the formal order to suspend hostilities. "There is, therefore, every reasen to hope that, thanks to the common efforts of the Powers, and to the disposition manifested by the Ottoman Govern ment, this affair will shortly be concluded in a peaceful mannEr." COAL MARK Prices of Coals per ton al s. d. Tanfield Moor Butes 12 6 Howard's West Hartley Netherton 16 0 Bobside's Hartley 16 0 Hastings Hartley 15 9 Morpeth West Hartley 15 C Wylain Walhend. &c. Powell's Daffryn Steam 20 0 Tees l7 6 South Kelloe 16 3 Birchgrove Graigols, _lB 0 Hartlepool Hatton l6 3 Ships at market By a general resolution of t] market to-morrow (Wednesda; LLOYD'S SHIPPING.—(This Day.) LONDON, May 18. —Wind this day at noon, S.W. ; light airs and fine. FALMOUTH, May 17.—Wind S.W.—Arrired—Betsy, from Singapore. SUNDERLAND, May 16.—Wind S.—Sailed—Young Sam, for New York. Orr DOVER, May 17.—Arrived —Helena, from Rio Janeiro ; British King, from Damerara for London. SOUTHAMPTON, May 17-- Sailed—Orinoco (s), for St. Thomas ; Tagus (a), Gibraltar. OFF PLYMOUTH, May 17.—Arrived—Juno, from Bre. men for New York. QUXENSTOWN, May 'C.—Arrived—Enchanter, from Callao ; Venilia, Monte Video ; Junita, Cardenas ; For tunate, Rio Grande ; May Flower, Demerara, ; Glanmure, Barbadoea. HULL, May 17. —Wind S.E.—Arrived—John Arthur, from Buenos Ayres. OFF QuEENNEowN, May 1 6.—Arrived—Georgetown, from Barbadoes, and sailed for London. QUEBEC, May 3.—The Pride of Canada, from Liverpool to Montreal, which went on shore on Red Island on the night of the 27th April, is still aground, and the tide flows in and out of her. MARSEILLES, May 18.—Arrived----Panther (es), from Bombay ; mails to leave for London at 10 a.m. (BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) SOUTHAMPTON, Tuesday Morning. Wind W. ; rain. Arrived—Money, from Swansea ; Eclipse, Madeira ; Ham monia, (a.), Hamburg; Courier, (a.), Jersey; Parana, (a.), St. Thomas. Sailed—Displtch, (a.), for Jersey; South-Western, (a.), Havre; Orinoco, St. Thomas; Tagus, (a.), Gibraltar; Marquis of Bute, Sunderland. LIVERPOOL, Tuesday Morning. Wind S. W. Arrived, May 17.—National Guard, from Galveston ; David Harrison, Bahia ; Bugio, Lisbon ; Emerentia, Huelva ; Frederick Gustav, Dantsic. Arrived, May 18—John Fielden, from Bombay ; Camilla, Rio ; Hache Rouachon, San Sebastian ; Lialdade, Aveiro; Anneberg, Stettin ; Matthew King, Marseilles ; Celeste Henry, Caen. (BY SUBMARINE AND BRITISH TELE(IRAPIL) GRAVESEND, Tuesday Morning. Wind S.W. ; tide 5 hours' ebb ; cloudy. Arrived, May IS—Caroline Chishohn, from Trieste ; Vibilia, Guernsey ; Canterbury, Rangoon; Volunteer, Leghorn ; Igues de Castro, Figuera. DEAL, Tuesday Morning. Wind W.S.W., strong. Passed —Dolphin, from Froemantle ; Dem e tri us , Mauri tius; Albion, Jam aica; Clementina, Alg oa B a y — a ll f or Londo n . Passed off Dungeness, May 17—Amelia Augusta, from Rangoon ; Infanta, Mobile ; Blossom, Odessa ; Grace Longstaff, Sierra Leone ; As I Said, Algoa Bay ;,,Joven Euspaquia, Porto Rico ; Ignes de Castro, screw steamer, Figuiera ; Jamaica, Antigua—all for London. Report of brigantine Demetrius :—Passed the brig John Romney, of London, standing south, in lat. 42,.36 N., long. 18.32 S., all well, on May 10th. COMMUNICATION WITH RUSSIA. —The Aaiglo-French Steam Packet Company have established a line of steamers between St. Petersburg and Great Grimsby, in connection with the Manchester, 'Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway. The first vessel, the Grimsby, a fine ship of 900 tons, was de4patcbed lit week, and has been followed by the Yarborough. di I