The Sun. — London, England, 1857-08-12 00:00:00

SUN, LON DON, motives were bounty and pension, but depend upon it the best way to induce men to enlist was to impress on them the fact that their country was in danger. But the people of this country did not understand the emer gency ; the scene was remote, and they listened to persons in high places, and inferred from their tone that the country was not in danger. The president of the Board of Control said the Governor-General of India wrote in high spirits. He was not di-posed to speak with any severity of Lord Canning. Lord Canning had had very little experience in India, and was not respon sible for the present position of affairs in India ; he was willing to believe that Lord Canning bad displayed some energy in this state of affairs. It was some consolation to them that some one had displayed energy. But ro one could deny that the first movements of Lord Can ning showed irresolution and vacillation. Lord Canning was surrounded by men who were the creators of this state of things, whose pride and arrogance had been the cause of this state of affairs. They must not put confidence in Lord Canning when the Legislative Council of India were the prime criminals, and therefore, whenever they criticised his conduct, they were criticising the conduct of those men whose policy had brought upon them such disastrous cir- cumstances. Well, then, with these general views, he was of opinion that the noble lord at the head of the Go vernment had altogether uneerrated the state of affairs in India, and he could not agree with the noble lord in his view of the disposition of the European powers. He should have treated that subject abstractedly; he should have said that he could only suppose thatthe great powers of Europe would at a m iment of danger to England pro bably behave as the great powers of Europe had behaved before. What had happened within thellast few days— what had induced him to make the inquiry to-night as to what had taken place at Constantinople ? If it had not been for the extraordinary state of affairs in India, what bad taken pare at Constantinople would have produced great agitation in that house and the country. He was told that these c rcumstances would lead to no estrange ment between England and France. But that was be cause the noble lord had renounced the whole of his po licy for which he had been agitating that p irt of the world for a considerable period. And yet the noble lord said there was nothing in the disposition of the European powers to give us the least annoyance. He would not trust the European powers more than he would trust in divi loads. When men were in prosperity they bad a great many friends, who admired them and complimented them on their resources and their powers, but when the hour of disaster came upon them those individuals would walk on the ()Veer side of the way, and if they appealed to teem for character and support, they would say either that they did not know,thetn, or what they did spy would be to their disadvantage. He bad moreconfidence in the support of the people of this country and its resources, if wisely administered, than be bad on any European alli ance. If they went into a third campaign, they would be o* the eve of great disasters for England. At present it i was his firm conviction, if they made up their minds thoroughly to comprefiend the difficulty they had to en counter, that they must bring an irresistible force into India before eight months were passed, and accompany it with some announcement of policy on which the 150 millions of people in India might rely with confidence, and it was his conviction that they might emerge from this struggle not only with undiminished lustre, but with that accession of strength and character which was always ascribed to those who showed they bad confidence in themselves, and that they had energies which they knew how to exert w.th effect. And then, when they had settled India, they would also have the advantage of those amiable dispositions on the part of the European powers of which the noble lord had spoken to-night. Colonel SYKES said the time would come when the origin of the events that had taken place in India would form a proper sudject for inquiry in that house, but the time had not, yet arrived. He read several extracts of a letter which he had received from Colonel Ed wardes, dated Pesbawur, June 1, to the effect that the mutiny hal met with but little sympathy on the part of the people, who stood alto!. He had also another letterfrom Peshawur, dated June 13, stating that the princes in India were placing themselves at the disposal of the commanders of our forces. He (the gallent colonel) had received the other day another letter from one of the highest and most experienced officers in India, in which the writer made the following remark :—" The people of England will say we ought to have been prepared forthis outbreak. (Hear, hear.) Oar reply to the people of Eng land is, you might just as well have expected us to be pre pared for an outbreak of cholera or for an earthquake." (Oh, oh.) In that opinion he (Col. Sykes) perfectly con curred. For the last hundred years the same thing might hays happened at any moment in an army of Brahtnins and Rajpoots; but had it ever done so? (Hear.) The only mutinies that had taken place bad reference to questions of pay, of going on foreign service, and such things as those. These men had fought for us a hundred battles, and had won for us ahundred victories. They had reduced under our sway a great portion of our Indian empire ; but if there had ever happened to break out amongst them a frantic religious delusion like this, which had seemed to run over the country like wildfire, exactly the same sort of disaster would have taken place. The proof that there had been no concerted plot against the British government was the simple fact that it had crept from station to station, commencing with the first delivery of these unhappy greased cartridges at the depot of instruction so long ago as May last. And what did the men say in the first instance 1 They said, " You may take us to any pat t of the world you please—you may lead us against any foe ; but we cannot lose our caste." (Loud cheers.) Gentlemen who were read in the history of the middle ages , would know what the effect of excommunication used to be. (Hear, hear.) Ttiey would recollect that when the Pope, in the pleui tu,,e of his power, excommunicated an emperor, that sovereign oould not find amongst his servants one that would du a single menial office for him. (Hear, bear.) Now, what excommunication was in the tuidille ages, that was loss of caste to a Brahmin at the present day. Every one of tbo.e men supposed that if he put these unlucky cartridges into his mouth, his very mother would shrink from him, and his lather and brethren would refuse to sit with him in the same room. (Cheers.) Was it at all to be wondered at, then, that they would rather die than submit to such a degradation ? (Cheers ) He (the gallant colonel) was not in the least apologising fur their conduct, he was merely showing how it might bs ac.sounted for. (Hear, hear.) The fearful atrocities at Meerut mi g ht all have been spared if common pru dence and knowledge of tee native character had been shown. When the 90 skirmishers of the 3rd Cavalry (15 from each troop) were ordered t- parade and to use harmless cartridges they did not believe that those cartridges were harmlips ones. They begged their native to go to their European officers, and entreat them not to bring on a crisis ; for they said, " Whatever a e do, we shall be looked on as criminal by our co-religion iste." The commanding officer, in the first instance, assented to their request ; but unhappily his better feel ings were overruled by another officer of the regiment, who told him that the men would say he was afraid of them. The parade was, therefore, ordered ; and the men, with the exception of five, refusei to use the car tridges. What was the result ? Of course their dis obedience was mutiny. They were sent to their lines, and there they remained fur three weeks, till an order came down from Simla from General Anson, to try them by a court-martial. The eighty-five men were accord ingly tried, and they were sentenced to ten years' impri sonment to hard labour. They were sent to the common gaol ; but tbey were afterwards brought out upon the parade with irons upon their leg , , and then they were sent bank to prison. The native troops thought that this would be their own fate, because they knew that they likewise must necessarily refuse to use the obnoxious cartridges. This was on Saturday. On the next day a disturbance took place. The men turned out in the first instance with sticks : they broke into the gaol, and they released not only 85 comrades, but 1,400 felons, who, be believed, had committed moat of the atrocities which bad taken place ; and he said this after hav ing commanded native regiments un 'er very try ing circumstances. (Hear, hear.) At Allababad 3,000 of these gaol birds were released ; and he firmly be lieved that it was by them that the horrors had been perpetrated which had filled this country with so much indignation and disgust. (Cheers) Under all the cir cumstances of the case, he (Colonel Sykes) did not fear for the result. The rebellion bad arisen from one of those frantic delusions which might at any time have occurred. It, was like one of those tropical storms tvhiciwburst upon then so suddenly, and which were so disastrous in their effects ; but which so soon spent their fury, and left the sky calmer than before. lie trusted that when this mutiny had been trampled out (and he believed the European forces which were being sent would be ample for the purpose), they would have once more a clear horizon and hope for the future. (Hear, bear.) Ile trusted, however, that there was no one iin the house or in tha country who supposed that we could rule India by European forces alone. (Hear, hear ) To suppose that these little islands, with their population of 28.000,000 could permanently reduce 181,090,000 persons to subjection was an utter absur dity ; and to attempt to put it in practice would ruin India, and prove permanently disastrous to England. (Cheers.) Lord J. RUSSELL—I rise merely for the purpose of noticing some of the arguments which have been used, and some of the assertions which have been made by the .right hoe, gentleman the member for Bucks. I regretted the able speech which that right hon. gen tleman made on a former night, and I certainly regret some of the observations which he has now offered. The right hon. gentleman says that a resolution of this house to support the Crown in the efforts it may be making and the measures it may afterwards take for the pacification of India will have no moral force. My opinion is entirely different. (Hear, hear.) I agree with the sentiment lately announced by an honourable genii on an who is no lover of war, and who, I ani happy to say, is again a mem ber of this house—(hear)----I mean the - hon. member ' for Birmingham, when he said that the first thing to be done at the present time was to prevent anarchy and to suppress revolt ; and that then,. having done so, e e ought to turn our whole attention to remedying any grievances or any evils which might exist in India. (Hear.) That stems to me the right course to pur• sue. It may be, as the hon. and gs!lant gentleman who has just sat down says, that there has been a sudden impression amongst the troops of high caste that there was to be an attempt to induce them to do that which was contrary to their religion ; but I do not think that that alone was the cause of the revolt. I think it will be found that the movement was not so sudden. I should rather conclude from the steps which Lord Canning has taken in arresting one of tee native princ-s that his opinion was somewhat different. I should rather think that there has been a general con spiracy to overturn the - British in India and that as one of the means of sffec ing that object, the conspirators endeavoured to inspire a belief amongst our troops that their religion was to be insulted, aed that they them• selves were to be defiled by the cartridges they would be required t) use. (Hear, hear.) The right hon. gen tlemen compares the present case with that of the American war, but I believe there is no similarity be tween the two whatever. (Hear, hear) In the A me rean war we bad to deal with a people of British origin, and we insisted upon a payment from them which they conceived was inconsister,t with their rights as colonists and with the charters which they held. We were per fectly wrong in that quarrel ; and these who supported the minister of that day, supported him in a cause which was urjust in itself, and which led to the loss of America. (Hear, hear.) The right hon. gentleman considers the conduct of the Governor-General of India during the last ten years, and of those who counselled Lord Dalbousie, to have been criminal; but I will not take for granted any such assertion. I will not attempt to de ny that the whole of our policy deserves the fullest and most deliberate inquiry. It may be that errors have been committed ; but I am not inclined to believe that there has been any intentional inhumanity to the people of India on the part of our Government. I believe that our Govern ment of India—whether by the East India Company and its Directors, whether by the cabinet and the Board of of Control—has been in its intentions as benevolent to wards the people of the country as any Government that has ever existed. (Cheers.) It may be that the hen. and learned gentleman (Mr. Whiteside) is right as to par ticular laws—it may be that we may have to retrace our steps with respect to those laws—but I own I cannot bring myself to take for granted that the Government of India has been an oppressive one, and I cannot agree to the case which the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Disraeli) endeavours to make out, viz., that this has b een a j us t an d r i g h teous revolt, inspired y a desire to get rid of an oppressive and tyrannical government. That is a case which I believe will not be borne out on investigation by the facts. The first thing we have to consider is the manner in which this re volt can be suppressed. I believe with Mr. Bright that anarchy will take place in India unless we are successful in that ; and it is therefore the duty of this house fo consider whet are the best means by which the revolt can be sup pressed, and what are our prospects of success. I should say that the mutiny having been unforeseen, it was only natural that the first success should be with the mutineers. I should may, when a regiment of several hundred men has mutinied, and when there are in it only three or four Eu ropean officers, the murder of those officers would be a mat ter of very little difficulty ; and when there are perhaps only 200 or 300 European soldiers to confront some thou sand mutineers, it is only natural that the latter should be able to march away and make use of those very greased car tridges which it is said they have had no scruples in using. But when that first success has been obtained—when those horrible scenes have taken place of which we have read the details with infinite disgust —we may then fairly consider what are their farther prospects of success. Let us recollect that we have on our side an organise I government, the representative of an ancient mower by which has all the advantages to be derived from the action of a free people, and all the organisation of which the - most civilised government can boast. On the other hand, it is not probable that this puppet King at Delhi will be able to enforce order against his followers. The people must be disgusted by the plunder which will tke place. Those who are engaged in trade and commerce at Delhi will tint that the rule of a licentious soldiery is oppressive and in jurious to their interests; and the Mahonnuetans and Hie duos will hardly long agree ; for the Ilindoos are afraid of religious persecutien, and they believe that the Mahom metans will not long be restrained from oppressing them. We may therefore calculate upon dissentions among those who at first obtained a triumph. Troops will, moreover, be weekly arriving in India ; and we may trust that that gallant General Sir Colin Campbell, who so well deserves to be named among those who have been menti +ned this evening, will soon be able to collect a force sufficient to suppress the revolt in whatever quarter it may appear. The subsequent steps that will be required must be dis cussed hereafter ; and they will need both time and wisdom to decide upon them ; but I own that after hearing upon the high authority of Col. Edwards that the people in gene ral do not participate in the rebellion of the sepoys, I can not but think that means will soon be found to resters tranquillity. If that be the case, it seems to me that our prime duty during the short remainder of the session is to assure the Government that no efforts on our part will be wanting. I cannot believe that this is a matter of indiffer ence, or that a resolution to that effect will be wanting in moral support. On the contrary, I believe that both in Europe and in India such a declaration will have a ere at effect. It has, I must confess, caused me some disappoint ment to find that we are to have uo means of sending out reinforcements to India differeut from those which would have been adopted a great many years ago. We all know that of late years mechanical improvements have been in troduced of which our ancestors were entirely ignorant. We know that there are In Egypt the means of conveying troops by.railway ; that large steam men of war have been app oin soldiers tme n t em ployed as troop ships, and carrythatthesyomceandis with greeter certainty and probably iu less time than sailing ships. I cannot help feeling that neither of these are to add to our means of reach ing sooner the scene of the revolt. (Cheers.) My noble friend (Lord Palmerston) says that it would be necessary that preparations should be made in India, and that ships would have to be sent from that country to Suez. But should have thought—ignorantly perhaps--that when the Government first heard of this mutiny they would have instantly given directions for those arrangements to be made, and for troops to be sent on from Gibraltar and Malta. I am convinced that if 5,000 men had arrived suddenly in India, and had arrived quickly there after the revolt had become known, it would have produced a very great result. (Haar,) Stiil, I have no doubt that the government are taking those steps which they think ade quate to the ocizsion ; and that in sending out the 30,000 men of which they have spoken they will adopt measures which will proride sufficient force in India for the coming campaign. I entirely agree with the right. hon. gentleman (Mn. Disraeli) that this country, too little forbearing, per haps, in time o! peace, always shows itself to advantage in adversity. Wien any effort is to be made nothing can be more admirable than the spirit and courage which it dis plays, and the contempt which it shows for every con sideration but that of effecting the end in view. (Hour.) I agree with the right hon. gentleman,that while the govern ment showed too great a disposition with regard to China ) to magnify every insult, with regard to India it shows too _ great a disposition to underrate the danger. I think that if that proceeds from a policy, the policy is a mistaeeen ono; eecause the more the people of this country are convinced of the reality of the danger the more ready will they be to make those sacrifices they may be called upon to make. There is one point which has been mentioned this evening with regard to whieh we have had no explanation—it is with respect to the financial efforts that will be necessary. It is obvious, from all the accounts which have b,ea re ceived from India, that, except at Calcutta, wherever there has been any treasure collectea it has been sAze It is obvious, also, that, with respect to the taxes, there will be the greatest irregularities, and in many cases there will be a total suspension of their payment. We are in the habit, when troops are sent out, of saying, as a sort of consola tion, " Oh, the troops are going to India ; they will be charged to the East India Company, and the Consolidated Fund will be relieved of the burden of maintaining thew." (Hear.) In ordinary times that might be a consideration, but at the present moment I think it would be more pa triotic to look at the subject as pertaining to the empire, to view it as a whole; and for the Government to profess their readiness— perhaps they have already- done so---to come to the aid of the East India Company in any effort which they may determine on making. (dear, hear.) Un less they do so, I do not see how the ordinary payments are to go on in India, or even in this country. It is most important that the machinery of a government should nut be interrupted by the troops or the civil servants remain ing unpaid, stores running short, or any of those greet operations which are necessary to carry on operations fail ing in any respect. (Hear.) The East India directors are of course fully aware of their own situation ; it is for them to say what their probable wants will be ; but I trust that if they do make any representation to the Government, and if it is necessary to bring any bill into Parliament be fore the session is over, that the Government will not re fuse their assistance. (Hear, hear ) It would be a ques tion for Parliament to determine hereafter what pert of the expense should be borne by the country and what part by the East India Company. But at present there are seri ous dangers which we ought to meet with the means that aro necessary, whether it be by ships, by troops, or by money. No part of this danger ought to bo overlooked ; no means ought to be neglected which are necessary to meet that danger. (Hear, hear.) With respect to our situation in Europe, Ido not think that-Mr. Disreeli very correctly understood the answer made by Lord Palmerston. I did not understand the noble lord to say th..t he entirely relied on the present tranquillity of Europe, and the ami cable dispositions of all the powers towards us, but that even if any power in Europe was hostilely disposed toward s us (and I thought it a very just observation) they would probably reflect that if they offended us, though the retort might not be immediate, this country had the strength to punish any insult that might be offered to it, and that they would probably find themselves the sufferers if they pure sued such a course. (Cheers ) But Ido hope that in the midst of all these great affairs the Government will not again allow diplomatic squabbles to interfere with the great interests of the empire. It was agreed at Paris last year—whether it was a wise proposition or not 1 will not now inquire—that a divan should be assembled in Mol davia to represent the wishes of the Principalities as to their form of government. Well, our only object was this: I would say, let those wishes be fairly ascertained. If there is any doubt about the irregularity of the notice, let us not put ourselves forward to countenance or cover fraudulent elections • let us agree with the other powers of Europa in wishing elections; elections to be as free and as fairly carried out as possible. (Hear.) lam afraid that the embassies at Constantinople have been the source of a good deal of readiness occasions, meetingn both his fidelity mischief. lam glad that the Emperor of France, who, on this emer gencies, has surrendered the p oint in dis p ute to u s, and I trust that we shall hear no more of this disa g re ement. (Hear, hear.) Provided we do nut uuneceeseri y —uot fo r any interest of this country , but merel y to satisf y the p ri d e asto on nis many country other aiel his or vanity of some of our agents abroad—(cheers)—under take and support a quarrel in which this country and the government of this country h as reall y nothin g to do, and is certainly uninterested iu the result, I certainly amnot apprehensive, with the strength and the p rest ige of this country, of any European quarrel arising out of this matter. (Hear, hear.) lam sure this question of India The House of Commons attention of the Government. has shown that it is ready to support the Government; and is one of sufficient magnitude to occupy the whole of the I believe that the house will be equally ready,. w h en India ma have reason to Wm evils of which the people of h of people eve cal led upon us plain. These 180 millions rat and justice. (H • ear.) the proper time comes, to investigate any grievances or for the utmost of good government Wo have no right to attempt to govern them, unless we of this house. 1 is the disposition I believe that such no believe that this unhappy revolt will n produce Lll trust that if indisposi tion to investigate grievances ; a govern them with justice and for their beuefi . (hear.) (Chee • be unanimous in seeking to apply a remedy. fa ) lord has attributed to me Mr. DISRA.ELI—The noble ny I never us d• He says that I call d this well founded grievance is proved to exist, the house will a some words which ton . I never sed to i . nduce the hours u tei 's that this is a fo do not bullion—not a just revolt.ul to those words, and I never attemp a just and a ri g hteous revolt , and.t.hat I endeavoured. to impress upon the house that c adopt that opinion. My olh n •T i l e" l ae, h ear. ) But I causes which had led to this ladl e () I r a ) endeavoured to trace the rebellion. Lord J. RiTSSELL—I referred to the . woi l el n s u N u vhich the believe that foul rebellions occur without . causes ; and I right hon. gentleman used about India c u r t imi a n m a ur 8, led by the Government of . Indi •b I g not .ae,„ (Hear, hear.) this la just and righteous revolt. from me M r , DISRAELI—If the . noble lord refers to what fell s mon somewhere about a month brctight from him the admission that he does consider word criminal in reference to inly used the ago, I cer..attended • had been with such dis astrous cowls°. which d not see how the inference on a former occasion estrous conseqn. 9 "" that expression that I considered the is to be drawn frau. t ous one. revolt a just and rigs, risen to put the question that he The SPEAKER having shouldi leave the chairs but I o rnent, and especially in the noble l ord, the y ought to b e gone further and made more suggestions as to the orga nt to be guided by his opinion. I eisation of the army, on which he would have been an , conte Mr. W HIT ESIDE agree - ! w ith the bon. member for excellent authority, instead of confining himself to the Backineh Int that we all ttneterr eted the importance of the p resent state of affairs. But he wished to correcta state present crisis in India. S ince he bad last addressed the ment which he made as to the manner in a la ch the rein. forcements bad been sent out. Tney were not all sent out rence e had been receive house on this subject intelligence ; ligence of most painful occur in sailing ships, but it was thought advisable to send he bad heard from the hon. member f , r Dublin and the hoc. member for Armath some of them is sailing ships called clippers„ and tbe that they had relativesin the ma-secre at Delhi. Was ethers in auxiliary screw steamers. There were at least there to be no re dress for all that had occurred, and was 12 or 13 auxiliary screw steamers employed, and they as the House of Commons to adopt the poi .7 laid down by well as the clippers are all under a penalty to arrive in a the member for Lambeth, and take it for granted that all certain number of days ; and the time of arrival would that was said and done by the Government was said and be the best suited to the climate. He hoped also they lone r ightly and well. There was nothing the Governs would arrive in time to be of service, and that they re en t could ask from that side of the house for the wou ld be p er p etuall y pouring in, so as to astonish the — Wietwace of India that they would not grant; but the mutineers at t he extent of our resources, which he was re medy to be adopted in this case depeeed on the i xrent t old would have a great effect. With regard to the troops o f the disease, and the military force required in India de- being sent overland, he believed ald that the passage by the pended on the policy intended to be pursued by Govern- Red Sea at this t t h in e i r e ei wo e it w b a e s noxious to the health of thou ht better to send ment in that country. He had read, a few days ago, a the troops, and statement in a journal of great circulation which might them by the usualroute. her or They would arrive in the course be translated and appear in the Indian papers, and be of September,. and Majesty's w n Government woutl not read to the East Indian soldiers. This was the policy have it on their consciences that they had neglected any out troops to India by the best recommended by a writer who signed himself " Anglo- e opportunitys. _n addition o l sending to the troops sent out from this Indian " :—" I am happy to hear that evidence is being m cou a n n tr there would be a large body of men called the obtained both as to the Emperor of Delhi and the King Punjaub y levies, to the amount of from 39,000 to 40,000 of Our 4 e. It will be pleasant to save 250 0001. or all of whom he was told were to be depended upon, 300,0001. a year in their forfeited pensions. I have some men, and they had been organised . by such men as Brigadier hopes that the Nawab of Moorshedabad may be impli- Chamberlain and Colonel Nixon. But in mentioning the cared too. That would save 120,0001. a year more. Once again do allow me to plead earnestly that, instead names of the civil and military authorities, including the two Lawrencee, the hon. and gallant general only men of now yielding to caste, and pottering about the " pre tinned those who were at the top of the tree, who were judices" of the natives, our future policy should be an • unbending, stern, and avowed discouragement of ever y but he (Mr. V. Smith) in an exalted station ' thing opposed to civilisation, social morale and Brittth could detail to the house such acts of heroism on the part supremacy. If we now issue a proclamation declaring of young lieutenants and of men in civil positions, as that, whereas caste has been used as a plea for sed ition, were he to do so , gladden the hearts of Englis. and whereas it is based on falsehood, and the British men, and make them p would rou dof having such men for their Government regards all men as!born equal, therefore countrymen. henceforth it shall not be recognised in any form, the Mr. DISRAELI said he was rather surprised at tho whole Hindu population wilt bow, admit the justice of tone which had been adopted by the President of the our indi snation, and this monstrous anti-social absur. Board of Control in answering the observations of his day will soon perish. I am not for letting the State hon. and learned friend. He was cot surprised that his turn missionary ; but if our soldiers knock down every bon, and learned friend should take any o pportunity of filthy idol they see, and lay every nausjid level with the ground, and if they pollute every shrine and plunder denouncing the system of mismanagement of India, every one which is worth plundering, I shall not be But what was the rejoinder of his right hon. friend ? sorry. For as to these " religions," what are they, in That he objected to these comments because they were fact, but lust, lies, treachery, murier, and social dears not making a party question of it ; that the criticisms dation 'I I should like to see our government cause it to be known that its past forbearance has been abused, applied to previous governments as well as to him ; that and that now Mahomedans and Hindoos must look to it they did not apply to him perhaps as much as to for no sort of countenance." He wanted to know if that any one else ; and he asked why they did not make a wet the policy to he acted upon. The "Anglo-Indian" ayes party question of it instead of wasting their time in of opinion that 56,000 additional troops, in addition to showing that the most important dependency of the Bri our present force, would not be more than sufficient to tish empire was in danger of being lost. He (Mr, Dis re:ionquer India. The policy recommended was a very 'eel') thought the house was very much indebted to the clear one. I was a policy of extermination—a policy hon. and gallant general who had called their attention making war with caste. And that policy bad been pure to this important subject. It was one that must occupy sued by the Government. They had changed the law of their attention whatever might be the state of the ses inheritance and th e l a w of marriage. It was not to sion and whatever might be the state of public business. be expected that old customs could be suddenly set aside No public business could be more important. He could by edict,. The disaffection which had manifested itself not say that the answer of the noble lord gave him the in the shape of open mutiny bad long been in ex:eterce satisfaction that he desired. He would say of the and publicly declared in the native newspapers, which reply of the noble lord that he underrated our position bad been writir g sedition for months. The star emen s in India and overrated our position in Europe. He in these papers had printed out, the disaff-ction arising thought he might state with the hon. baronet the from the use of the cartridges, and the manner in which member for Bucaingham that the state of affairs was that disaffeetien was spreading in the various provinces. very much to be regretted. Tine Government, and the When statements of that kind were made, it was time country taking its tone from the Government, did not not. to inquire but to act. A letter writen by a genWernen think tnere was that vast danger to the empire and ea, at Calcutta on the 13th of March, confirmed what ap- tional power which in his conscience he believed existed peared in the printed papers under the date of Feb. 8. and which, though it ought not to appal us, was one It appeared [rem that letter that the number of white of which they ought to take full cognisance. There was men for the defence of Calcutta did not exceed 250, that no greater mistake that a minister could make than to there was not a ship of war in eight, and that there was undervalue public peril, certainly an English minister no protection whatever for the shippioz, except what could make no greater mistake. The English nation might have been afforded by a little ship of war belong- was never so great as in peril. In prosperty they might ing to the King of Sardinia. The idea that bad prevailed be accused of being ostentatious ;in their middle fortune in the minds of the people. ever since the fatal decree of they might deport themselves unreasonar ly ; but there 1350 or 1851, which made war upon catte, upon the laxs had never been a moment when a great responsibility of inheritance and the fundamental customs of the Hin- I devolved on a people that they had not answered to the dome was that the Government intended to overthrow occasion, and shown that matchless energy which load their religion and customs. Triers with respect to the I enabled them to maintain their position among the w ithd r a wa l of t r oops, Lord Canning stat e d in his des- nations. The position of the noble lord was that the patch of Feb. 7, that three regiments might be with- emergency was not one of the magnitude that he (Mr. drawn for the Chinese wai; but in allowing that with- Disraeli) believed it to be, or if the noble lord believed drawal he was going to the utmost bounds of prudence. it to be such, it was his opinion that he should veil its At that time Lord Canning was receiving daily cernmu• hideous proportions from the people of this country. nications informing him of fresh mutinies, and then he It was there that be thought the noble lord made a great declared that the lest thing the G ivernment w al l ed t o d o mistake. The noble lord said it was only an affair of was to interfere with caste or religion. The whole thing pounds, shillings, and pence. Now that was not the tons had been a ridiculous blunder, for no steps ought to have to take if it were really the fact that our lodine been taken in that direction without an adequate force empire was in danger. If it were in danger it was not to carry them out. For a series of years the warnings of for the noble lord to say that the resources at his dis the bast military authorities had been neglected. Sir C. posal were limited and that the m e asu re s h e s h ou ld a d op t Napier stated that 12,000 troops were required for the must of course be proportionate. Now he did not want defence of Delhi, where a magazine for the supply of our to re-open a controversy which they had a fortnight ago, troops should be established, and 10,000 men stationed when he introduced the subject of India. The views at Meerut for the support of Delhi. Although the G u . that be expressed could not be answered by the observ vernment were in possession of informati in of what was ations of the hour, which could not test their sound likely to take place in February, they bad thought pro- ness and authenticity, but as the question had been per to send troops from India to China, with which coon- re-opened, he might be permitted, in passing, to try we were at war, whist the flames of war were raging. make one or two observations. He thought he had from one end of Bengal to the other. It was not stiff. a right to say that nought that bad occurred since, cient merely to vote men and money, The policy to be none of the information that had reached them from pursued ought to be clearly stated, and some one must he India, had at all refuted the views that be then with made responsible for the consequences wnich Could be great humility laid before the house. He remembered ascribed to causes patent to every one. It might be easy ou that occasion the right hon. gentleman called him to recognise India, but would it be possible to hold that to task because he ventured to point out the causes that country if the people knew their customs and ancient bad led to an understanding between the Hindoo and laws were to be overturned ? The affairs of I n di a were i n Mahometan princes, and had intimated that they were a most awful and terrible condition, and the causes of that dissatisfied with the government of India. The right condition must be inquired into. When a gentleman com- hon. gentleman then treated them as a monstrous intl. mending a wing of the nd Regiment at Calcutta; ordered mation. He said no proof whatever was in their posse , - a company of his troops to be provided with ten rounds sion of such a feeling on the part of those princes, and of cartridges, to d ot al., their guard, he was called to ac- he treated it as a will idea that he should give expres count for giving such an order ; and yet, when such pre. sion to such a contingency. What was the news by the cautions were considered necessary, a few days alter- next mail I That one Mahometan prince bad been wards the Governor-Generat was called upon to send arrested by the Indian government, and that one prince away three regiments. Having withdrawn these troops, on whom we relied had gone with his forces against us. the conduct ot the men who were fighting against such And it was only lately that be saw a letter from General great odds would be critised, and no doubt great sum- Hearsay, in which he stated that emissaries from all prise would be expressed that Gen. Barnard had not tbe Hindoo princes were to be found in the ranks of the done without means what could net be accomplished army. He (.11r. Disraeli) ventured to say on that OCCa. unless large and efficient means were supplied. He main- sion that our government was mistaken in treating this tained that there had been no foresight, no watchfulness, merely as a military mutiny. Ho shout I not enter into nor judgment ; for if ordinary precaution had been taken, that, but among the papers laid on the table yesterday, the state of things in India must have been discovered. he found a despatch from no less a person than the Although the house was now called upon merely to vote lieutenant-governor of the North-Westera Province, is men and money, he trusted the day was not far distant which he spoke of dissatisfaction among the great mass when the principles on which India was to he governed of the population, and that he found it spreading to the would be stated and determined upon by Parliament— intelligent classes. He ventured then to cell attention to when the voice of the Ilene° of the House of Commons the tampering, as he expressed it, of the Legislative would be heard in such a rnanneraste conduce to the wet- Council of India with the religious prejudices of the fare of England and the consolidation of our power in people, and he said there could be no doubt that from an India. aggregate of circumstances great prejudice had been Mr. V. SMITH said, although the Government were produced in the minds of the population of India. Now anxious to get into committee of supply, he could not in the minutes of the lest Governor-General of India, help entering his decided protest against the assertions the celebrated minutes of 220 paragraphs and 50 pages, which had been made by the hon. member for Bucking- there would be found in page 12 a very brief announce ham (Sir H. Verney), and repeatedbythe hon.and learned ment, which - was spoken of as a matter of great iignifi member for Ennakillen (Mr. Whiteside), that the Go- canoe, that the boy Maharajah Dauleep Sing load be vernment were not a rare and conscious of the gravity come a Christian, and that the daughter of the Rajah of the events which were occurring in India. They of Coorg had been baptised, our gracious soverei g n b e i n g were perfectly aware ot the gravity of the present state the sponsor. That paragraph was translated into the na of affairs. But he doubted whether the hon. andlearned tive language, and circulated in every bazaar in tee member was equally conscious of that gravity when he North-Western Province. With such evidence in their came down to the house quoting scraps from newspepers hands, combined with many other circumstances towhich as if they were manifestoes from the Government ; and he he would not now refer, who would say that the gwtern certainly expected that the hon. gentleman would have ment of India was exempt from that grave charge which concluded his first extract by reading the signature of had entailed such vast consequences on England tnd on "Palmerston," or his (Mr. V. Smith) ; but after all the India itself? He doubted very much whether the noble lion. and learned gentleman was merely attempting to lord, having overrated our position in India, was tdopt fasten an anonymous letter on the Government. (Hear, ing measures adequate to meet the emergency. Ttlf noble hear.) He repudiated the assertion that any scheme had lord told them that the amount of troops which might been adopted for the purpose of putting an end to caste, be expected soon to assemble in that country, aud the and counteract and destroy all the institutions of the resources on which he relied, and he said if more were people of Ineia. He regretted that the hon. and wanted he would call parliament together. But abet be learned gentleman had troubled the house with so many (Mr. Disraeli) wanted to impress upon the home was, ohs .rvations, particularly as they had been much better that the present must be a disastrous canipaige. The expressed in one of his prior speeches, rind in that of the hon. and gallant general expressed a hope that Dslhi was rolit hon. gentleman (Mr. Disraeli.) 11 the hon. and taken. learned gentleman had heard two or three sad stories, he General Sir DE L. EVANS observed that be did net (Mr. So,i!ii) had heard hundreds, but did not thick it express any confidence in Delhi being taken. would be right for the Government to assume a tone of Mr. DISRAELI thought it much better they should despondency, and excite additional alarm. (dear, hear) have au impression that Delhi should not fall easily. The sy-ttm which had been pursued in ludia was one It was prudent to believe that in the present campaign for 7:bleb the whole country was responsible. Fur the they should do nothing, and in effect Nov. would be the last 20 years a determi na ti on h a d existe d to i mprove t h e commencement o f the second campaign. Now, what he condition of India and its inhabitants, aud to use it as wished to impress on the house was that everthing de a field for religious improvement; and when the Govera- pended on that second campaign. All Europe, all Asia, went bad been acting slowly in that respect, it was not would be watching their efforts. If their efforts were lair to turn round upon them and accuse them of going adequate at the commencement of Nov. the opportunity toe fast. Instead of indicating remedies, it was a great would be at their command. If their efforts were ads waste of time to throw out torrents of abuse against all quate they might save their empire, and establish it with the Governments of India which bad existed during the renewed force and vigour. But if they got into a third llst, 20 years. If inquiry was nee led, let inquiry be in- campaign, if they did nothing decisive and definite be stituted, and he would do everything to facilitate such fore then, they would find other characters on the stage inquiry ; but the present object was to put out the fire. with whom they would have to deal. The noble lord (Hear, hear) It was said that the Government were said the business of a minister was not to under. only asking for men and money. Why that was all that rate danger, but at the same time not to take an ex was required at the present time, and there was but one aggerated view of things. That was one of those opinion on the subject. (dear, hear.) With respect platitudes that could not be contradicted. He to the alteration in the law of marriage, the hon. and (alr. Daraell) maintained it was the duty of learned gentleman seemed to have overlooked the fact the Minister to make himself thoroughly master of the that it arose out of a petition from the Hindoos, and tuaject with which be bad to deal, and to form a sound having put an end to the old system, it was quite natu- opinion on what he heard. This country had once be ret that widows should be allowed to marry again. Toe fore been despoiled of a rich inheritance, our empire had hon. aud l e ar ne d gen tl eman was q uit e mis t a k en in at- been shaken, and surely in the p as t th ey m i g h t see some t ribotn g want of foresight, arrangement, and activity to vision of the future if they were to be governed by a the Government, and he was equally wrong in supposing Mi n i s t er w h o undefeated danger. The other night they that in February they were aware of the events to wi,icb passed a resolution that they would rally round tee he had alluded, for they did nut happen till February. C rown on th e p re s e nt occ ,sion. What good did a reso- Mr..WHITESIDE said he meant the government of la - ion of that kit] effect ! A resolution formed after India. Mr. due deliberation, founded on ample knowledge of the V- SMITH said that as soon as the government subject, doubtless offered moral support to a Ministry of Lelia wtre aware T on s effective rerii.of the facts they at one adopted the and strengthened the throne. But a resolution, the The hon, and learned les to put a stop to the mischief. crew ore of perplexity and ignorance, did no good to a moos authorities. in gentlema n had referred to anony- Ministry, and added no stability to the throne. It did referred to the staterneetposition authorities he harm, becau-e it imposed on the country an idea that who Governor-General and the House of Commons was doing something, when, in tine Commander-in-cei e t , t3 4 veces of any vessels at Calcutta () did not reclaim the set- fact, it was doine nothing. At the commen cemen t o f r the ret en ti on o f t h e our A mer i can trou bl es t h ere never was a di saster but array. Stated that he could th ere was a member of Parlianaent to come forward with not spare more troops for China ) but did , not say he a resolution to support the throne. A resolution of the he was unable to spare the number which!lnt to that House of Commons, unlose it were the expression of an country. Then with regard to the opinians of Sir C assembly which thoroughly understood what it was Napier, No doubt the opinions of that gaiatnt officerC. were most valuable, but it was a great rnisthrtu,e that about, would only mislead the nation. That was the Delei had been made 3 nia,;azine or arsenal, and it would- position in which they were placed at the present cuoinent. T a b d ere was not in that house er in the country generally have been wor,,e still if OA dive regiments h a d been whiotm ite t s h e e n p -e au of the gravity of the emergency. He heard stationed there, for they might have joined the mutt rvers. The accosa;ious of the bon, gentleman against the now hat e b r a e t at pleasure fro e the right hou. gentleman just large body of irregular troops would enter government of India had not been sustained in any way. was naub and assist us ia our campaign. Weil, He defied any man to show that Lord Canning had been lie d isposed uiaer to be sanguine, and he bad little in fault, and maintained that he had shown the greatest doubt that man who. the guidance of the energetic n ere at the head of our army possible judgment and vigour, and the greatest personal aed able , wehad reaniv Courage that cool Ibe expected front a man in his position in India ; but t i n t' they could combine that expect beneficial results No one expected that such an outbreak would tale e fr , m that movement place, anti any person who had ven tured upon such a movement with an expeditio n up the Indus, then the complete. An4 . they might perations •in the next pre,liction would have been regarded almost as a madman success wool Ibe sudden and E nn ng a lan r d e on the whole ofthategreat penal in India. lie did not expect - to . be called upon to arsvv , r rely upon it that unless theire the observations which the hon, gentleman bad made l c i a o m n, p s a p i;n we w r e e r f e b g at "ale— " 1"" tb ' Y threw the to night ; but be thought he had answere I most of lie Hilts. But they had bad this de batebefore them, stria, by advancing from Bengal on the and the hon. and learned gentleman ' i notonthis side, and down the Indus on the other, it 6nl cation introduced any ,was doubtful new subjects ft r argument. One whether they would succeed. Ile did not think that cc- coming word on tine speech of the hon, and gallant general tho 1 their preparations were on that scale. The noble lord m. tuber for Westminster. 1:1 --- e only wished that he la , 1 Isaid 'lt was difficult to enlist men , and that the principal rHE WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 12, 1857 Mr. HADFIELD said that he hoped the militia esti mates would not b 3 brought on at that late hour. SIR CHARLES NAPIER ANDTIIE EAST INDIA. DIRECTORS. Mr. 11. A. BRUCE rose to call the attention of the house to a statement contained in a return on tenures of land in India male by the East Indian Directors on the 18th of June last. It would be recollected, he said, that on a recent occasion the important subject of the growth of cotton in India was brought before the house, and that, in order to elucidate and illustrate it, the hon. member for Dumfries moved for a return on tenures of land is India. That return was prepared in the East, India-house, and contained much interesting information is a small space ; but, unfortunately, instead of being confined to tenures of land, it referred to a matter utterly irrelevant, far the purpose apparently of reviving what he bad hoped were forgotten calumnies against the late Sir Charles Napier. Th• statements of which ho complained were to the effect that Sir Charles Napier, while Governor of Scinde, sold the grain to the people at famine prices, and by artificial means raised' the market, in order that he might obtain high prices from the commissariat. The meaning of those statements was, that Sir Charles Napier, having conquered S dude, and being desirous to enhance the value of his conquest, forced the people and the commissariat to pay exorbitant prices for the grain which constituted the revenue of the country. The charge first appeared in the newspapers, but subsequently it was repeated in a more regular form. Sir C. Napier said so long as the imputa tion was confined to the newspapers he could afford to laugh at it; but afterwards, when it was made in other quarters, ho took steps to inquire into its origin, and fouud, through the mistake of a clerk in Calcutta sending him a wrong letter, that a secret note, to be registered against him at Calcutta, had been sent from Bombay. Had it not been for the clerk's mistake that secret charge would have been found in the archives of the India G.wernment, and would have served as the basis of many bitter attacks upon him. That secret despatch made the same charge as was now contained in the 'return before Parliament, when Sir C. Napier was dead and unable to defend himself. He (Hr. Bruce) hal moved for a despatch from Sir Charles Napier in reply to that charge, and he was then told by the hon. member for Guildford (Hr. Mangles) that the charge was copied from a Bom bay return. That had been answered by Sir Charles Napier, but now that reply could not he found. He did not doubt the good faith of the India Board, but cer tainly there must be something wrong elsewhere --in Bom bay if the answer was not forwarded to this country, or here if, being received, it had been thrown aside and lost, while every charge against Sir C. Napier was carefully preserved and duly ticketed. (Hear.) The charge in ques tion having been used by one of Sir C. Napier's bitterest enemies, perhaps the house would permit him (Hr. Bruce) to quote a high authority in justification of the gallant general's conduct while in Scinde. Mr. Pringle, a civilian, succeeded Sir C. Napier in the government of Scinde, and in October, 1847, that gentleman reported to the Govern ment of Bombay that— " Moderation, simplicity, and equity have taken the place of rapacity, complexity, and oppression ; and al though there may be still much room for improvement, I am inclined to think the progress hitherto would bear a very favourable comparison with that of most provinces which bad been for the same time under our rule, and re flects much credit on the officers to whom it is due." Hr. Pringle, in another part of the same report., said,— " I hope it will not be considered in excess of my pro vince if, in concluding this report on the civil administra tion as I have found it to exist, I take occasion to express the sense with which my inquiries have impressed me of the wisdom, energy, and ability with which it has been organised and directed by his Excellency the late Geyer nor, Sir Charles Napier, under circumstances of consider able novelty and difficulty." Two years afterwards, when Sir C. Napier was appointed to the command of the army of India, Mr. Pringle wrote to him in May, 1849, " On your fitness for the military command there is but one opinion ; but I speak as one who has had more than ordinary means of forming a judgment, when I say that your aid will be found not less valuable in the civil go vernment, if your colleagues be wise enough to avail them selves of it ; and I can wish nothing better for the in terests of our newly acquired provinces in the Punjab than that they may have the benefit of the same strong and j eet government which was so successfully applied to the in troduction of order here." The charge which had been made was ono that affected Sir C. Napier's character in the 'highest degree, and it was not possible that Mr. Pringle, after two years' expe rience iu Scinde, would have written in such terms had there been any foundation for it. Mr. Pringle was suc ceeded by Mr. Frei., who stated that, high as he estimated Sir C. Napier's military qualities, he ranked his abilities for civil government still higher. The same gentleman also spoke in the highest terms of the humanity, tender ness, and sense of justice which distinguished a nature which all knew to be somewhat rude and irritable. That he (Mr. Bruce) was justified in adopting the present course was proved by the fact that in a pamphlet recently pub lished by Dr. Buist that gentleman referred to the Par liamentary return, and added : " It shows that not only may we have war and conquest in India prosecuted against all authority, but we may have couked accounts, gr sin raised by monopoly to famine prices, transit duties under the most obnoxious form of taxation, without any one having the power to punish or prevent it." Fortunately there happened to be in this country a gen tleman who served with Sir C. Napier, as collector—Col. Rathbone—who had made the following statement : " Under the rule of Sir C. Napier the Government share of the produce was taken in kind, and was stored in the Government granaries, as had been the case for ages previ ously in &dude, and as had been the case till comparatively lately in some of the provinces of Bombay itself. The mode of realising the price was by public sale, but the grain was not sold at artificially high or famine prices, as the return made by the India-house untruly avert, nor was the market interfered with by the grain being drawn from the stores by the Commissariat at a nominal price. When grain was drawn by the Commissariat from Govern ment stores it was charged for, not at nominal rates, but at the rates of the day as indicated by the price current of the place where it was drawn. The Government was debited in the military department and credited in the revenue department, as happens daily in Eng land and in every other well-regulated State where trans fers of the kind take place between different depart ments under the Crown. The Commissariat accounts of the period must be in existence, as must also the price currents of the several military stations at Scinde at which such transfers took place. A refe, once to these will show that the imputation contained in the return on the go vernment of the late Sir C. Napier in Scinde as to this point has no foundation whatever." Nothing could be more explicit than that statement, and yet he had been told by the hon. member for Guildford that it was upon Colonel Rathbone's evidence he relied to support the charge against Sir C. Napier. The statement of Colonel Rathbone which was referred to stated that " the collector was in the position of a wholesale corn mer chant, and acted precisely as one in the trade would do." That was quite true, but the revenue was raised by Sir C. Napier only in the same manner in which it had been pre viously levied. He introduced great improvements, but it was his duty, corn being the revenue of the country, to sell it at the highest price that could be obtained for it. In that particular year, however, there was from several causes great pressure upon the population of the province, and Sir C. Napier did all in his power to alleviate their sufferings by sweeping away all monopoly and permitting the introduction of corn at a nominal rate of duty. Scindo was the only province of India where no duty on salt was imposed. Mr. WILLOUGHBY was not presser's(' to enter into this subject, and regretted that the Chairman of the East India Company was not in his place. The words of the minute to which the lion. member referred were taken ver batim from the annual report of the Bombay Government in 1855. Sir C. Napier was not responsible for the system which he found in force in connection with the revenue, though he might he for the way in which the revenue was afterwards realised. In connection with the subject he would read an extract from the minute of Sir G. Clerk, dated April 24, 1818, which appeared in a voluminous blue-book on the affairs of Scinde, published in 1851, in order to show the evils that existed : - " The Government share of grain having been realised and stored, the collector brings forward or withholds por tions of the stock in hand, according to the temper of the market, prospects of the season, &c. Should the number of troops in the district render it probable that the demand will be largo, or should appearances tend to show that the succeeding crop will be short, he withholds; and when the scarcity does come his grain is issued in quantities so small as to prevent any fall from a glut in the market. If his information loads him to suppose that the existing prices will remain stationary or decrease he sells." Then came the words quoted by the hon. member, as used by Captain Rathbone : " ' The collector is in the position of a wholesale corn merchant, and acts precisely as ot:e of the trade would.' The opposite statement shows the extent to which whole sale prices varied under this system, even in the same year and in the same collectorate." General CODRINGTON said the house had heard the charges against Sir Charles Napier, and he would be glad to see the answer to them. (Hear, hear.) The hon. mem ber who had just spoken had repeated the charges ; and it was but fair to the memory of Sir Charles Napier that his answer should be produced. (Hear, bear.) Mr. ROEBUCK, in order that the house might know the real value of the statement which had been read to it, begged to read this following note which his kon. friend the member for Merthyr Tydvill had received from Colonel Rathbono - "My dear Mr. Bruce,--I have just received your note, in which you inform me that Mr. Mangles intends to justify the statement as to the sale of grain to the Commis sariat at fictitious prices, by the authority of Sir George Clerk, who, he says, quotes me as his authority. "In reply, I would merely observe that he no donbt has the authority of Sir George Clerk for the statement, be cause it forms one of the charges ag .inst the Scinde Go vernment, contained in that tissue of falsehoods called Sir George Clerk's Scinde Minute ; but which, in fact, was drawn up for his signature by his then revenue secretary, Mr. Goldsmidt. " But, though Sir George has been thus unhappily made to father official falsehoods, I am sure ho is quite incapable of giving birth to any, and therefore it is impossible that he could have given roe as his authority for so gross a mis statement." (hear.) He agreed with what had fallen from the gallant general. The memory of Sir C, Napier was a thing that belonged to the British people, and they ought not to allow his reputation to he frittered away by the base calumnies of base people. (Hear.) There were always a cot of ver min ready to prey on the memories of great mon. (Hear.) If ever there was a man who did great service to his coun try and who exhibited a spirit of gentleness, and power, and humanity, and wisdom, that went almost before his time, that m an was Si r C. Napier. (Hear.) He fought the battles of Englend against greater odds than ever bad been found even in India, and by his ?masterly movements and his great skill as a general he won for himself and for e 1 's tice us a renow n till th en unknown. (H ear. ) Th e country he and paying humanity. him a ha river, paying he governed with the skill with which he had gaiiieti it; and when ho left that country the peop:e looked on their conqueror as a fr i en d , an d a t ten d e d him down the he had, by hi s capac i ty an d courae e, wrung from them ) their count r y an d con f erre d it on E ng land, yet, notwith standing what he had done, so thoroughly were they per suaded of hi s j us ti ce an d liumenity, that they attended him down the river, and bade him a farewell such as men only pay to their great benefactors, showing that Sir C. Napier's capacity 119 a ruler was as great as he had shown in the character of a soldier. (Hear.) We now know the full value of Sir 0. Napier. He asked any man to read his life as drawn by his brother, and, looking at what had just occurred, to say whether it did not almost seem as if he possessed the gift of prophecy. (Hear.) Every word he had told them with reference to India had been ful filled, and had his warnings been attended to it would not have fallen to the lot of the Chairman of the East India Company to say that what had happened Lai come like a thunderbolt on the Government of India. (Hear.) If they had taken the warnings of this wise and farseeing man they would have foreseen the inisChief; and guarded a g ainst it. (Hear.) But there was that in the minds of the home Government—there was that in the minds of the Govern- went of India—that led thorn to hate this great man. (Hear.) They hated him because he was a great man-- (hear)—for he towered above them, and showed by the comparison their inferiority to himself. (Hear.) Mr. D. SEYMOITR could say with ceitaiuty that Sir G. Clerk never put kis name to a document the truth of which he did not believe and into which he had not himself in quired. Sir G. Clerk fully inquired into this subject, and it was a mistake to suppose that either he or the Bombay Government wished to depreciate the merits of Sir Charles Napier. He concurred in what the hon. and learned gen leman had said as to the supereminent merits of Sir C. Napier. The paragraph in the return to which objection was taken had been accidentally inserted there, and he di l not believe it was done with any intention of disparag ing the character of the eminent mar , to whom it alluded. Mr. BUTT thought the house should give some expres sion of its opinion on the que• tion before them. A charge had been made against Sir Charles Napier in a return made to that house, and surely they were entitled to know the reply made to it. Sir Charles Napier himself, on dis covering by accident the nature of the charge male against him, replied to it iu words that had been published, and thereforej there exists 1 a complete documentary answer to the accusation. (Hear, hear.) It was said that this answer was lost, but as the hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. Willoughby) had reiterated the charge, some effort ought to be made for the production of th answer to it. He would suggest that the Lon - unable member for Merthyr Tydvil (elr. Bruce), who said that he had seen a copy of it, should send that copy to the President of, the Board of Control iu a private letter, desiring him to ask the Court of Directors whether it was a true copy, and that then the whole correspondence should be laid on the table of the house. (Hear, hear.) That would be an indirect mode, certainly, of getting the document ; but the respect due to the memory of so valuable a public servant as Sir C. Napier, demanded that it should be produced even in an indirect manner. (Hear, hear.) The house then went into Committee of Supply on the miscellaneous estimates. SUPPLY. On the vote of 27,8101. for Pimlico Improvements, Mr. WILLIAMS said it was time to put a stop to the expense incurred in the purchase of houses around Buck ingham Palace. The house ha 1 alrealy voted 70,0001. for this purpose, and now they called for another large sum. Sir B. HALL said his hon. friend could not have read the paper which was laid on the table of the house, and which gave an account of the proceedings connected with this vote. Its object was to carry out the provisions of an Act of Parliament which was passed in 1833. Mr. WILLIAMS said that the expenditure of the pre sent year was most exorbitant. The civil service expen diture, which was 2,000,0001. under the Duke .of Welling ton's administration, was now 7,465,0001.; and in the present year there was an increase of 741,0001. over the expenditure of last year. It was time to put a check to this extravagance on the part of the Government. After a few words from Sir H. VERNEY, Lord J. MANNERS supported the vot3. Mr. W. WILLIAMS opposed it on the ground that it was a vote not for Pimlico Improvements, but for improv ing the vicinity of Buckingham Palace. Colonel KNOX supported the vote. Mr. D. NICOLL objected to such a vote at a period when co much money was required to re-conquer India, and intimated that be shculd divide against it. A call was made for a division, but none took place, and the vote was agreed to. On the vote of 80,0001. for the purchase of the site of the proposed new public offices, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER cbserved that that amount wax necessary to carry out the object of the 18th and 19th Victoria, under which the notices for the prchase of the land fur two new offices had already been served. In reply to Mr. HENLEY, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that before anything definitive was done in the way of buiiding, the plans would be submitted to the house, and a further sum of money asked for. All that was wanted now was the means of acquiring the land. Mr. W. WILLIAMS thought that an estimate should be given of the contemplate f outlay after the ground had been cleared. Agreed to. 7,5001. was voted for the erection of new buildings in connection with the Rgistry-office in Edinburgh. THE MILITIA. - - - On the vote of 200,000/. for the expense of embodying the militia, Sir J. TRELAWNY wished for explanation of the delay which had occurred with regard to the settlement of the accounts of the militia—a delay which had in many instances caused great inconvenience. Its the case of one regiment, the accounts for the quarter ending the 30th of June, 1855, were outstanding at the beginnuing of this year. One consequence of such delay was that the pay masters had to pay an additional amount to the guarantee societies. Another point requiring explanation was the long period which had often elapsed between the issuing of the warr ,nts for the embodying of militia regiatents and their actual embodiment. In one case, the regiment hav ing been called out ou the 17th of November, 1851, it was not embodied till the 18th January, 1855 ; the result being that an expense of 2,0001. was incurred without any ser vice having been performed. Sir J. RAMSDEN said the cause of the delay in making up the accounts was that the work thrown on the depart. ment during the war was so enormous that though the number bf clerks was considerably increased, it was never theless quite impossible to keep pace with the amount of work required. He thought the hon. bed. was mistaken in supposing that any additional expense was thrown on the paymasters by the delay. He believed the Guarantee Society remained liable after the regiment had been dis embodied, without the payment being continued. As regalded the money paid previous to actual service, it was not possible for the Government to prevent that, because it took place under an old act; but in the bill which his noble friend at the heal of the War Department had introduced in another place, and which would soon be before that house, there was a clause to the effect that the militia should not be entitled to any pay between the period of issuing the warrant for embodiment and the period of actual service. Colonel KNOX knew many instances in which great in convenience had arisen from the want of promptitude a ith regard to the accounts. Mr. RIDLEY hoped the noble lord would take into his serious consideration the best method of lodging the militia after they were embodied. Colonel NORTH wished to know whether any decision had been come to by the Government with regard to the memorial presented by the surgeons of the militia staff complaining that their remuneration was very inadequate. Sir J. RAMSDEN said that the subjects referred to in the memorial had been fully investigated. With respect to the surgeons' allowance in the militia it was not thought advisable to increase it ; but in all cases where medical assistance was necessary, it was wished to give the militia surgeon a preference over the civil practitioner. The sub ject had been referred to the Consmareler-in-Chief, brit his answer had not as yet been received. With respect to the billeting sytem, it was the intention of the authorities to dispense with it as much as possible, because they deemed it a great bar to the efficient „discipline of the soldier. (Hear.) Mr. ADAMS complained of the difference in the allow ance of line and militia surgeons for the examination of recruits, the former getting 4s. and the latter only half-a crown for each. He saw no reason why such a distinction should be made. Colonel GILPIN considered that the militia surgeons had been liberally treated by the Government. Sir J. RAMSDEN said that with regard to the case of the militia surgeons, their position should ho considered ; on the whole, it was one now much coveted, for in addi tion to the actual allowances, it gave au introduction to private practice, and ,the Government did not intend to make any change. The vote was then agreed to. 450,0001. for the disembodied militia. Mr. WILLIAMS wished to know on what principlo this estimate was framed. In 1855 a vote was taken of 3,813,0001. for 136,000 militia ; it appeared from a subse quent return that only 62,400 1 were actually embodied, yet the expenditure was 2,930,8841. If the whole number had bean raised the expenditure would have exceeded the estimate by nearly two millions, and it showed that the, militia was a more expensive force than the standing army. Lord C. HAMILTON wished to know whether the hon. gentleman had taken into account the number of men sup plied to the army by the militia, whose bounty was de frayed out of the militia estimate. Mr. WILLIAIIS—said the total expenditure on that head was only 161,0001. Sir J. BULLER wished to know whether the Govern ment would take into consideration the case of the rifle and other volunteer corps raised daring the war? They got 110 assistance from Government, not even a supply of ammu nition for practice, a nd if some help was not afforded them the colonels would find it difficult to keep them up. He suggested that they should be allowed ammunition for practice, and par day when so engaged. Sir J. RAMSDEN remarked that these corps were vo lunteer corps, and when they were raised it was understood that they should not cost anything to the public. There was no intention of altering that arrangement. The vote was then agreed to. On the next vote, 32,000/. for the Ordnance survey in Scotland, Sir D. NORREYS inquired whether the noble lord had agreed to the appointment of a commission, as recom mended by the Lords, and if so, on what terms, and whe ther the scale was to be uniform for the whole kingdom. He also inquired whether there was any system in con templation for the registration of title and the transfer of land, and recommended that if there was, it should be re ferred to the commission. He likwise wished to know whether if any change in the scale should be recommended the house would have an opportunity of expressing an opinion upon it? Lord PALMERSTON stated that the appointment of the commission was not intended to override the decision of the House of Commons. The commission would inquire and report, but that report would by no means involve a decision. There would be no change in the scale without an opportunity being afforded to the house to consider the matter. When the commission was issued the names of the commissioners a d a copy of the instructions on which they would be required to act would be laid before the house. In reply to Mr. LOCKE, Sir J. RAMSDEN said this estimate was merely to conclude work already begun, not to commence the moving of any fresh ground. The vote was agreed to, and the announcement was re ceived with loud cheers, it being the last veto in the esti mates. The report of the votes agreed to on the previous day was then brought up and agreed to. Parochial Schoolmasters (Scotlanl) Bill was read a second time and ordered to be committed. Pinilico Improvements Bill was read a third time and passed. Police (Scotland) Bill was read a thi rd time and passed. REFORIIATORY SCHOOLS BILL. The Lord's amendments to this bill were considered and some of them having been disagreed to, a committee was appointed to confer with the Lords on the subject. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS BILL. The Lords' amendments to this bill were considered and agreed to. ' PROBATES AND LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION BILL. The adjourned debate on the consideration of this bill was then resuined. Mr. ROEBUCK sail that if Leeds was entitled t o he cons tit u ted a district, Sheffield was equllly entitled to the same privilege. In his opinion the West Riding ought to constitute only one district, anti the court ought to be held at W a kefield, but as tho West Riding was to be divided, he submitted that Sheffield ought to be made a separate district as well as Leeds. Mr. BEECROFT said the registry at Leeds would be most convenient for a large and important district, and onght b) the registry for the nor th ern di s t r i c t o f the Wst Riding. After some discussion, in the course of which Mr. Vance and Lord Goderich supported the registry being at Leeds; a Sir Charles Wood and Mr. Hadfield advoca,d its being at - Wakefield, The amendment was negatived without a division. Mr. CLAY then proposed to substitute Hull for York as tho place of registry for the East Riding; but after a short discussion the schedule was agreed to as it stood. Mr. BIiRESFORD moved that the two divisions of the county of Essex be added to the schedule as one district for the purposes of registration under the bill, and that the town of Chelmsford be the place of district registry. The house divided-- For the motion 9 Against it Majority ' —46 Mr. HADFIELD (for Mr. DILLWYN) moved after " counties of Cardigan, Carmarthen, and Pembroke," to insert " with the deaneries of East and West Gower, in the county of Glamorgan ; " and after " counties a Glamorgan," to insert " with the exception of the deaneries of East and West Gower." Agreed to. Sir J. EAST moved to insert "and Isis of Wight,' after tho word Southampton. Agreed to. The third reading of the bill waq fixed for Ibis day. CROWDED DWELLINGS PREVENTION BILL. On the motion for the second rea ling, Mr. AYRTON asked whether it was decent to bring forward at two o'clock a bill to put all the dwellings of the poor under the control of the police ? The meqsure was perfectly monstrous ; and he moved that it be read second time that day three months. Mr. CO WPER, said the hon. gentleman misunderstood the bill. Its object was merely to stop a flaw in the Lodging House Act. The measure was badly worded, but it should be corrected in committee. - The bill was read a secon I time, on the understanding that it should ba committed this day, pro forma, in order to introduce the proposed amendments. CHARITY TRUSTS CONTINUANCE BILL. The bill was read a first time. The house adjourned at 23 minutes to three o'clock. R AIL WAY INTELLIGENCE. EASTERN COUNTIES. The directors of this company have declared a divi dend of per share on the consolidated stock for the half-year ending the 30th of Jane last, carrying forward a balance of 6,8791. to the credit of the current half-year. MONKLAND. The report of the directors of this company proposes a dividend at the rate of 8 per cent. per annum on the consolidated stock, being an increase of 1 per cent. over the last dividend. STOCKTON AND DARLINGTON. The half•vearly meeting of this company was - held yea terday at D• trlington. The report was adopted, and the following dividends declared :-5 per cent. on prefersnc e shares, 6 per cent. on Wear Valley and Redcars, and 1 0 per cent. on the ordinary shares. NORTH LONDON. The half-yearly rneetivg of this company was beid yesterdhy at the Euston Station. The report $ O5 a , lopted, and a dividend for the half-year at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum on the preference shares, and 4 / per cent, per annum on the ordinary shares was declareJ. Country Markets. LIVERPOOL—AUG. 11. A fair attendance to-day, hitt wheat and flour did 1 1° sell so readily, no r i n ex t en t, as on F r id a y, an d tho , varced rates of that day were barely obtained. LAW' corn was again 6,1 per qr. lower on the Mediterranean Or lities, making the week's reduction fully is per qr.' 03 1 ; meal also declined 6d per load. Oats, barley, beans, slit' peas at late rates. The day has been showery and sultry, to the detriment of potatoes, which are represented 38 tainted with disease to some extent. HULL— AUG. 11. We bad a moderate show of-farmers' wheat to-day, very little business done, and the prices unchanged. Best rap, of red fetch 62s to 635. Foreign not pressed—trs.nsactio9o only in retail. There have been liberal arrivals of barlef during the week, and good grinding qualities meet fair da" mand at previJus rates. Considerable imports of oats fr° l3l St. Petersburg, which meet a slow sale. B ea n s and 1 0 7 3 sell well. Heavy arrivals of linseed, chiefly t a ken to war ,`,"; house. The demand for cakes is rather checked by t' rain ; but the high prices of seed prevent any decline. Wheat, English red, 60s to 639 ; white 63s to 655; oats' 28s to 30s ; barley, 403 to 46s ; Indian corn, —s ; lines cakes, Hull, 101 12s 6d to 101 15s ; ditto, foreign, 81 to 15s ; rape cakes, 6/ ss. to 6/ 7s 6d ; guano, 81. to 131. 10 1 ; bones, His 6d.; flour, —s to --s; tares, 30s to 40s. LEEDS--AUG. it. w hich meetare moderately supplied with wheat to-day, s a fair demand at last rriday's rates. No alteratioa jn other articles. Average prices of grain —Wheat, 62s 11d ; barley, 3814 63 ; oats, 31s —d; beans, 46s 6d ; peas, 41.8 rye, —s. Od. COURSE OF EXOTIANGB.—YESTEMAY. Amsterdam.......... •• 11 17 Gilbraltar •• •• ••••• • • • -- Ditto, three months .. 11 19% Leghorn ... ...... 29 0 0 Rotterdam 11 1y Genoa .......... 25 80 Antwerp 25 40 ,1111 an .„ „ ............ Brussels 25 4 Venice— aamburgh •• •• •• •• •• • • 13 8% Naples •• •• .........• 42 Altona ..•• •• •• •• •• •• •• • • Palermo .• • • Paris • • ...... ... • • .... 25 25 :Messina ... l2B!‘ Do. three months .•.25 65 Lisbon .. S2N Mars as •••••• •• • • 25 65 Oporto .• •• •• ... ••• • • • 3 Bourdeaux ............ :Rio Janeiro Frankfort-on-Maine 119% Buenos Ayres •• •• •11 ••e••• • • •• • • :New York,6o days' sight --- Vienna 10 22 Philadelphia Trieste •• •• .• •• •• •• .. 10 32 PRICES OF BULLION, rya 00, Petersburg ........ ,; 36% Foreign Gold in Bars £3 17 Madrid 487 Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 0 Cadiz ......... .• 4931, Mexican Dollars .... 0 0 Barc.clons New Dollars ...... 0 6 ,:r* Seville•• •• •••....... Say, .11 ban 0 5 LOCAL SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL. AuG. II • STOCK EXCHANGE.--The transactions in this mar ket r . to-day have been dull, and prices clo s ed a shade London and N, rth-Western, 102.}—Caledonian, 3Si, Lancashire and Y or k s hi re , 98A—South Eastern, Great Wester ), s.si—Great Western of Canada, : 4 1 f Eastern Counties, IN—Midlands, 83 1 —Grand Truro- t i. Canada, 13—Dutch Rhenish, 41 d.—Lux em b o urg On e tuted, 64—Chester and Holyhead, 17k - .---North East er l i ' Berwick, 23, 1 2 —Ditto, Leeds, 22. LEEDS, AUG. 11. STME EXCHANON.—The market is steady, and pri ce r° without any material change. Midlands, 83/—Cons °D' 901. BIRMINGHAM, AUG. 11. , STOCK EXCHANGE. —The mark e t o p ene d rat c er lowe r again to-day, and there was not much business d° 11) ° • ,1 London and North Westerns, 102 i 1031—Chester Holyheads, 36i—Birmingham and Stour Valleys clo g e d at 8,--Birmingham Canals, 91. i. MANCHESTER, AITO. 11. tl t STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market was active today , b prices were giving way. Dovers, 21 11-16—Midland, " —Leeds, 98i—Grand Trunk of Canada. 13A—East „, cashiro, 954—East Lancashire Pref., Fifths, preO' Great *Vestern of Canada, 214 Caledonians, 381 -Do c Rhenish, 41 d—Sheffields, 40i. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—The following are some out of ma ny thciusand extraordinary cures without medicine effected ;'4, , Du Barry's delicious Health-Restoring Revalenta Food of Indigestion (Dyspepsia), Flatulency, Constipatn"'" Nervous, Bilious, and Liver complaints, Cough, Asthn ° 2 Consumption, and Debility : —Cure No. 41,617.—Winchest er, Dec. 3, 1847.—Gentlemen,—I am happy to be able to idol you that the person for whom your R eva l en t a l i as pro cure has derived very great benefit f rom it s use ; distressii)°. symptoms of dropsy, dyspepsia, and constipation of 10 % standing have been removed, an d a f ee li ng of restored be33° induced. Having witne sse d th e b enef i c i al effects in the a boY": mentioned case, I can with confid ence recommen d it, an shall have much pleasure in doing so whenever an opPo r gi: nity offers, &c., & c. —J ames Sh or l an d , l ate S urgeon Regiment. Cure No. 52,2.—Btidgehouse, Frimley,„ ." M A 42 , 3, 1854.—Thi r ty-th ree years di sease d l ungs, sp itti ng o f bloc , ' liver derangement, deafness, singing in the ears, constipatili debility, shortness of breath and cough, ha v e b een remoV a by your Revalenta Arabica. My lungs, liver, stomach, head a n , ears are all right, my hearing perfect, and my recovery is a tnai vel to all myacquaintances.— Tames Roberts, wood merch 3n Supported by testimonials from the celebrated Professor s Chemistry, Dr. Andrew Ure ; Dr. Shorland ; Dr. Harvni l . Dr. Campbell; Dr. Gattiker ; Dr. Wurzer ; Dr. Ingram; Lord Stuart de Decies; the Dowager Cou n tess of Castil e Stuart; Major-Gen. Thomas King, and many other re spectsb , `: persons, whose health has been restored by it, aft er a ll °the` means of curs had failed. Suitably packed with full 111 : structions. In canisters, 11b, 2s. 9d. ; 21b, 4s. 6d. ; 51 "' lls ; 121 b, 225. The 1211 canisters are sent carriage free , on receipt of Post-Office order.—Barry Du Barry, & 77, Regent-street, London. IMPORTANT CAUTION against the fearful dangers. of spurious imitations :—The Vice-Chanc e for Sir William Page Wood granted an Injunction on t " 10th March, 1854, against Alfred Hooper Nevi.l, for imitat ing `Q Da Barry's Revalenta Arabica Food." 'BIRTHS. ors SON. On the 9th inst., at 11, Grosvenor-crescent, M rs . An trobus. ' On the 9th inst., at Chiddingstone Rectory, th e wife of Colonel Barker, C. 8., Royal Artillery. ' OF A DAUGUTER On the 11th inst., at Barkham-terrace, Lambeth-roa do the wife of Mr. George William Barnard, solicitor. On the 10th inst., at Hitchana Rectory, Suffolk, th e wife of Dr. Hooker, F.R.S. - MARRIED. On the 11th inst., at St. James's, Piccadilly, John D . Hay Hill, Esq., late 12th R oyal Lancers eldest son of d: D. 114 y Hll, Esq., of Gussenhall-hall, Norfolk, to Kat i l, rine Frances, the on l y d aughter of the late Robert Ne o "' Esq., Bengal C.B. DED On the 10th i ns t ., at S. lAlban'i,-bank, Hampton, t he Right Hon. John 'Wilson Croker, aged 77. On the 10th inst , at New-road, Chatham, g e nt, SO' AtthileY, Esq., aged 89. On the 10th inst., John Payne, Esq., of Gloster-stre et ' Regent's -park, aged 88. On the 10th inst., at Bishop's Stortford, Herts, Johnstone. Esq., aged 86. g e len On the 10th inst., at West-hill, Wandsworth, Wilson, second daughter of Alderman Gabriel, ag d Ou the 9th inst.,' at Upper Clapton, Mr. Thos. Marten chemist, aged 31. On the Bth inst., at Bicester, Edward Deakins, Esq.' aged 68. On the Bth inst., at Kingston, Surrey, -Charles Vic° l White, Esq , aged 61. __so! LONDON : Pi:nted and Published by of No, 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Mee, 112, Strand, in the Preoinet of the Savoy, iu the ca ll ' of Middlesex, Wednesday, August 12, 185 r. 11 0 T HE 'roal El 1 gent %lc gallery, is i tlif w. s.l acter. . 8, except A Mini ~Yrlvate a+ 0, 1 80l Inas: Pos. ims.Eu& tal.slon is this mar health to I also a-e di and Abus( Acid ; at ; 8, On Neg' i t oN I3A LLOO ng. 13th duced and 'week the Croat CHI mimic Ba band, earl TUESF Fishmong I 0 AI has the gr Maeame NIGHT ( the secom Mesta," 1 'Rode's cc' Admiss past 7 ; flay be and Co., Performa; in the Ga the Conec EA Crystal BATI7RDA Cricket A don and I pitched a Gu irds) of th- Up the " Vo( Benedct, Concert I hal , -priec 35, Lud Or' YE ARIA Pally wi the Brist one cede taken at ho Ti and will big on ti Paddir. ~R Li;eipoc . Trains August, and 7th Dub!] 20s. Gd. ; Blrlienh, 15s. ; W tan, 225. 21s. 61. For p ban, B Mediate Com pt) Paaei at very Art Trei G . ' during On Sa ter, Clic On Su the sam On Sa Yeovil, on Tuu 0311 , 1 ton, Ws the foil , On S 1 leg on) on $i cester, Fare. ES. ; Lc and 7s. tenhan and 7s or 1 e ) Bath, For te be r areal only al r----- TrAim Cro: don Traini roa. die DA from secor leave naive Salm able And Wed Cros Reg(