The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-27 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

from illness, fraudulently issued and forged some
four thousand shares of the company. Upon the
accountant's return to business laNt week, he dis-
covered that the certificates of transfer for certain
shares were missing. Mr. Robson was sent for, and
explained that he had the certificates at home. The
accountant immediately went with him to his house
to obtain the certificates. Robson showed him into
the parlour, and ordered luncheon. He then kft the
room for an instant and returned again. This going
out and re-entering, occurred several times without
occasioning suspicion on the part of the accountant,
until a longer absence than before led to suspicion.
On inquiry it was found that Mr. Robson had gone
out, and a man arrived at that moment with a note
stating that he (Robson) had sent a man and an ac-
count back to the Crystal Palace, as he himself was
compelled by urgent business to go to London. The
accountant returned to the palace, and commenced
an immediate investigation of the accounts and
shares, which speedily led to the discovery that Mr.
Robson bad defrauded the company to a consider•
able amount. A reward of 2501. has been offered for
his apprehension. Robson has since written letters
to the directors explaning the circumstances of his
f oestions. He is supposed to be hidden in
London.

A CASE OF ACCIDENTAL POISONING, through the
administration of opium instead of black draught,
occurred at the Lancaser Lunatic Asylum last
week. One of the patients, Martha Lanton, aged
thirty-seven, was given two table-spoonfuls of mixture
cut of the " house medicine " bottle, supposed to
contain salts and senna. The bottle had been filled
in error by the porter from the " laudanum jar."
The woman shortly after taking the draught became
comatose, and, in spite of every effort to save her,
died in a few hours. A verdict of " Accidental
death " was returned, but the coroner commented
upon the negligence displayed in the dispensing, and
forwarded a recommendation on the subject to the
visiting magistrates.
JOHN PRATT, a boy of seventeen, and late clerk in
the Bank of Australasia, has been committed for trial
for stealing from the bank a sum of 981. 104.
MR. Asrr.E, a practising surgeon at Bamford, Lan-
cashire, has been committed to Kirkdale prison on
a charge of manslaughter, for having, through igno-
rance, caused the death of a woman, Hannah New-
ton, in her confinement. The prisoner was an un-
qualified practitioner.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTT POUNDS, in notes and
gold, were stolen last Saturday from the pay-office in
Plymouth Citadel. After a close search, 901. worth
of notes were discovered hidden in a coal-hutch, and
the gold under some flooring-stones. Two officers'
servants have been arrested.

A DARING ROBBERY was effected on Tuesday night
at a public house between Sheffield and Barnsley,
kept by a Miss Hobson. Five men, with painted
faces, entered the house by the kitchen, broke open
Miss Hobson's bedroom door, threatened to cut her
throat if she stirred, and cleared the house out of
everything valuable, and some 141. in gold and
silver.

ttoneenrEs OF GROUSE BOXES have long been no-
torious. This season a regular sy,tem appears to be
adonted. A correspondent to a contemporary this
week writes :

lam in the habit of sending boxes of grouse from the
north of Scotland to my friends in various parts of Eng-
land. I see that the boxes are made strong and well
nailed down, and yet, I am sorry to say, scarcely a box
reaches its destination which has not been robbed on the
road. If it contains ten brace these bold robbers generally
take two; if it contains twenty they take four. Surely
this scrt of thing ought not to go on in a country which
boasts of having such good regulations.

A FARMER—one Hale—in North Devon was last
week sentenced to six years' penal servitude for
poisoning a neighbour's donkey with corrosive sub-
limate.

MR. CLARKSON, THE BARRISTER, still continues in
a very precarious state of health at Brighton.

THE NEW AMERICAN STEAM FRIGATES, rumour
hes asserted, are a match for any liner built. One
of these monster modern Yankees is lying just now
at Southampton—the screw steam frigate Merrimac,
Captain Prendergast; she is anchored off Netley
Abbey. The Merrimac is described as one of six
screw-frigates recently built, and in which every im-
provement in ship-building machinery and -marine
armament has been introduced. The Merrimac is
3,5(X) tons burden and 500 horse-power, with a crew
of 600 men, and is armed with 40 shell-guns of the
heaviest calibre (110 cwt. guns we presume). She
was built at Boston of live oak, and launched a
twelvemonth since. Her pivot-guns are Dahlgren's
improvement on Paixhan. Her screw is Griffith's
patent, and her compasses are adjusted by a secret
process, which entirely prevents local variation. She
will remain about three weeks at Southampton, and
will most probably winter at Brest. The frigate is
ofi mmense length, and sits well upon the water.

923

THE EAST INDIA COMPANY AND OUDE.
TIIE East India Company's Quarterly Court of Pro.
prietors was held on Wednesday. After a motion by
Mr. JONES for a return of the sums annually ex-
pended by the Company in dinners and other refec:
tory expenses, Mr. LEWIN rose and proposed the fol-
lowing resolution :

That the seizure of the tenitories of Oude is one of the
worst examples of Indian spoliation, and an act of the
basest ingratitude towards the family of a native print e
who in a season of extremity (1815 ), when the rule of the
East India Company was waning, its treasuries exhaust( d,
and the Government of India unable to borrow money to
oppose the Mahratta confederacy, opened his coffers wish
a loan of 2,500,0001. sterling on the bare receipt of 11 e
Governor• General Lord Heating; and subsequently, in
1825, under a similar exigency, assisted the East India
Company with a further loan of 1,500,000 L; and again, in
1842, when the East India Company was in want of funds
to enable it to carry on the Affghan war, assisted the Go.
vernment of India with a further loan, to relieve the pres.
sure on the Indian treasuries. •
The honourable proprietor then entered at length
into the political condition of Oude previous to
annexation, with the view to show that the king-
dom was so entirely in the hands of the British—the
King being secondary to the British Resident, who
bad power to correct every administrative abuse—
that the British authorities in India were the
real responsible parties for the condition of the
country. If the courts of justice were corrupt, the
revenue system pernicious, the army unpaid, it was
the fault of our interference or the result of our
intrigues
It was argued that Oade was in such a condition of
oppression and distress that the Company were justified is
taking possession of the territory on the principle of
morality and of piety. It was extraordinary that this
principle of piety never came forth unless there was
something to gain by it.
Then, as to the character of the King, there was
ample testimony of his fidelity to England :
Colonel Sleeman, in his report, dated December 10,
18.51, said :

I believe no native sovereigns in India have been better dis-
posed towards the British Government tan they have been, or
have in time of difficulty rendered aid to the extent of their
ability with more cordiality or cheeriulneQs. Though it is in
vain to hope for a just and efficient administration, such as a
British Government has a right to expect from the hereditary
sovereigns of this family, no reigning family in India has, I be.
neve, a juster claim to the protection and consideration of the
paramount power.

That was Colonel Sleeman's manner of speaking of the
King of Oude. And what did Lord Dalhousie say of him?
He said that the subsidies were paid with regularity; and
he wrote that however gross might have been the neglect
of his Government, and however grievous its misconduct,
as yet the King of Oude had been faithful and true in his
adherence to the British Power. And yet this was the
man the East India Company bad turned off his throne on
the ground that his country was in a state of confusion.

Mr. JONES, in a speech of considerable length,
which embraced every detail of the history of Oude,
from the dark ages downwards, supported the motion.
He had carefully studied the case, and came to the
conclusion that the annexation of Oude was a gross
act of spoliation urged on by motives of cupidity.

The CH kIRNAN, who, in the course of Mr. Jones's
speech denied that the treaty of 1R37 hsd any
exis ence at all, rose and said:—

The Court of Directors has given every possible facility
to the mover and seconder of this motion for the exprt s-
alon of their opinions. The Directors have shown great
forbearance in nut bringing into operation the law which
renders it necessary that a quortrn of twenty proprietors
shoall be present at any discussion; but the Directors
are superior to auy consideration of that nature, and ate
quite willing that the opinions of the hon. proprietors
should go forth to the pnblic in their own modes of ex
pressing them. The hon. proprietors have entered very
minutely into details, but it would be most improper on
my part to endeavour to follow them They have read
carefully the blue-book upon these affairs, and it is clear
they are thoroughly conversant with the contents of that
volume. They have formed their opinions, and equally so
have the Court of Directors. They have studied that
book, and are capable of forming a judgment upon it
equally with the mover and seconder. After a careul
consideration of the whole details contained in that
volume, they have determined to approve and support the
policy of Lord Dalhousie. Her Majesty's Government
also say that they have equally studied the details of that
book, and equally approve and support the policy of Lord
D.alhonsie. The consequence of this has been the mea-
sures adopted by the Government of India. That being
the case, it is quite unnecessary to follow either of tl.e
hon. gentlemen in their arguments. I shall, therefore,
simply confine myself to giving a direct negative to the
motion.

The motion was then put and negatived, and the
eourt adjourned.

31. BENEDETTI has been presented by her
Majesty's Government, through the Earl of Claren-
don, with a very elegant objet d'art, form n an ink-
stand. M. Benedetti was formerly French Mnister
at Constantinople, and, from his knowledge of the
Eastern question, was selected as secretary to the
Plenipotentiaries at the recent Conferencelat Paris.