The Press.
London, England, 1857-07-04 00:00:00

644

Vrottatings xn V arliantent.

HOUSE OF LORDS-HONDAT.
THE MUTINY IN INDIA.

The Earl of ELLENBoaunarr called the attention of
the house to the disaffection which had broken out
among the native regiments of the Bengal army, and
inquired what measures the Government were about
to take to crush the revolt and punish the rebels. He
remarked at much length upon the gravity of the
pending crisis, and pointed out that to the delay of
the Government of Calcutta much must ba attributed.
On the 22nd January a fire broke out in the canton-
ments of Calcutta—a thing almost unheard of. From
that period indications of ciissausfaction in the native
army were more or less apparent. The cause was
perfectly well known. On the 25th of February the
19th Regiment broke out in revolt, yet it was not
until the 31st of March that the regiment was dis-
banded. On the oth of March the Indian Govern-
ment sent to Rangoon for H.M.'s 84th Regiment;
and so deluded were the authorities with respect to
the extent of the mutinous disposition of the native
army and the effect of the disbanding of the 19th
Regiment, that within a few days of that event it
was considered advisable, and was actually under
discussion by the governor in council, whether the
84th should not be sent back to Rangoon, although
now it appears they have thought it necessary to
send for three other English regiments to protect the
capital of British India. Indications of a had spirit
appeared at Meerut, Umballah, Agra, Allahabad,
and, in short, at all the great stations. No one,
therefore, could doubt that the outbreak must have
been the result of combination and one general feel-
ing animating the whole. At Meerut the conduct of
the authorities was different from that of Sir H.
Lawrence in Oude
On the 30th May, we find that Sir Henry Lawrence, a
very distinguished and a very decided officer, had reason
to expect an outrage on the part of the 7th Oude Infantry,
and immediately moved up, at the fall of night, two native
regiments, together with the 82nd Queen's Regiment and
a battery of artillery This force came upon the mutineers
in the night, disarmed them, and made them prisoners.
He took the initiative, and put down the mutiny. But
what was the case at Meerut? There the mutineers were
allowed to take the initiative. They rose in revolt at six
o'clock in the evening, and, according to the accounts we
have received, it was not until nightfall that her Majesty's
Carbineers were enabled to move down upon then:. If
General Glossop, at Arcult, had not moved his dragoons
down upon Vellore with more promptitude, the mutiny
which broke out there would have spread throughout the
whole presidency and produced effects and dangers similar
to those winch we have in the present instance to deplore.
How happens it that with a Queen's regiment of infantry,
another of cavalry, and an overpowering force of horse and
foot artillery, the mutineers were enabled to escape from
Meerut to Delhi, a match of between thirty and forty miles P
It is said that the name of the officer in command at
Meerut is Hewitt, an unknlwit man—at least, so far as I
can find, he has never served with troops in the field. Yet
this unknown and inexperienced man is placed in corn-
mend of one of the most important military stations in
In
But what was the position of the commander-in-
chief in India?—
My 1.-r.le, he is opposed by two enemies far more power-
ful than the mutineers, of which we in this ectintry are in
the habit of taking no account, but enemies infinitely more
dangerous and fatal than any army, however numerous—
the climate at this season of the year and the almost
absolute want of carriage. It is almost impossible for
General Anson to move hie troops down from their canton-
ments without means of carriage transport, and carriages
are, I believe unobtainable ; his only resource is to press
men from tile hills. lu this way he may possibly bring
down 2,000 or 3900 men to carry burdens, but to obtain
the necessary carriages and animals fur moving an army a
distance of eighty or a hundred mites I believe to be im-
possible. Then there is the season, which, as I have said,
is the most severe of the whole year. This is just the con-
clusion of the hot weather. During the prevalence of the
hot winds we know that Europeans cannot venture abroad
in the sun. No European soldier is able to do his ord.nary
duties in the sun. Your lordships will recollect that on
one occasion when the late Sir C. Napier was compelled
to go into the field during the hot season, forty-five
Europeans were struck down in one da), and of the whole
forty-five he was the only one that survived the stroke.
This is the most serious danger we have to meet.
As to Delhi, it might be easily captured without
assault, by simply seizing its only canal and thus
cutting off the supply of water. But General Anson,
from the abolition of the police battalions formed by
him (Lord Ellenborough) for the purpose of en-
abling Government in case of necessity to move all
the troops from any particular spot, would now find
himself seriously hampered :
When the invasion of the Sikhs took place General
Hardinge was enabled at once to move on three battalions
from their cantonments to the scene of action, which he
could not else have moved without leaving the places
from which they were drawn unprotected. But General
Anson has no each police battalions to fail back upon. He