The Press.
London, England, 1858-02-13 00:00:00

THE PRE S S, FEBRUARY 13,1858.

. mutiny, desertion, and rebellion during the
disturbances in India, and as to certain in-
issued " for the guidance of civil officers
_ carrying out those measures, and vested
extraordinary powers for the purpose." Lord
-st sets out with a reply to the complaint
law was not proclaimed sufficiently early,
that martial law was proclaimed wherever
necessary, and as soon as it could serve any
• dolso.

Canning then shows that when these enor-
- were abused by the officials, and men
executed on trivial and untrustworthy
an, and then only, did Government im-
interfere to prevent the punishment of the
In what manner this interference was
Lord Canning explains :
instructions in question were issued for the
' civil, not military, officers, and were of neces.
only where civil poser was exercised. They
discrimination between the guilty and those
reasonably be supposed to be innocent. They
lenity to the guilty. They give to the civil
power of finally releasing even the inno-
) not exempt•mutineer or deserter, or in
. or soldier, from trial by court-martial ; but
military offenders, they lay down rules for the
',ivilians in the exercise of the powers newly
by Act XVII. of 1857, by which cogni-
first time given to them of offences of a
• character.

cannot believe that these instructions need
are addressed only to civil authorities; to
tried far and wide through the country, are
ale powers, but powers which in the actual
India we have not hesitated to confer. It is
Ae that they should have hampered the action
soldier. Wherever troops have been available
se, they have been employed without any
restriction on their acts but the humanity and
their commanding officers. In such cases,
resistance has been met with, quarter has
given, and prisoners, whether tried on the
officer in command or made over to the civil
e been punished immediately with extreme, but
necessary severity. If, in such a lamentable con•
errors have been committed, it is assuredly
of undue leniency.

•a - •
whole, we may observe that the effect of
, as regards the native public in the Bengal
te vast majority of whom have shown no
the rebellion, has been to allay in a great
apprehension of a general and indiscriminate
Hindoos and Mussulmans, guilty or not
revenge for the massacres of Delhi, Cawnpore,
nsee, which evil-disposed persons have indua-
raised.—We have, &c.,
CANNING, J. DORIS,
J. Low, B. PEACOCK.
' important inclosures coupled with this
first, a copy of the resolution of the Indian
dated the 31st of July, 1857, issuing
. instructions for the guidance of civil officers
treatment of mutineers, deserters, and rebels,
T of preventing the hasty resort to mea-
. extreme severity. No native officer or
belonging to a regiment which had not muti-
be punished as a mere deserter, unless
apprehended with arms in his possession.
were to be sent back to their regiments to
by the military powers. Native officers
, being mutineers or deserters, taken by
power without arms in their hands, not
with any specific act of rebellion and belong-
regiments which had mutinied, but had not
their officers or perpetrated any other
crime, were to be sent to Allahabad and
over to the commander to be dealt with
itary power. Mutineers or deserters taken
' power and found to belong to regiments
killed European officers or had corn-
sanguinary crimes, might be tried
by the civil power.
despatch to the East India Company of ttie
December (No. 154) Lord Canning (in
gives explanations of his reason for the
above orders beyond and apart from the
`To. 144) already published. These
I to the effect that great and excessive
. been exercised in the punishment of
supposed to be inculpated in the mutiny, to
exasperation of large communities not other-
hostile to the Government.
" follows a series of local reports from local au-
and a long list of persons tried and punished
Acts of 1857, principally by hanging.
ers before us conclude with a minute of
'ng of the 24th of December, 1857, on the
Ueutenant-Governor Grant, which has
aspersed for his alleged liberation of
or rebels placed in confinement by
Brigadier-General Neill.
Other papers are added, such as a petition from
'habitants of Calcutta praying for the proclama-
,
martial law in that city, to which Lord Can-
ning replies, 21st Aug: 1857, that the substitution of
military courts in Calcutta for the ordinary courts of

judicature would infallibly be accompanied with
much private uncertainty, inconvenience, and bard..
ship, without any commensurate advantage to the
community.

jortign rat 4 Colonial nttiligtate.

FRANCE.

The retirement of M. Billault from the post of
Minister of the Interior is the chief event of the
week. General de L'Espinasse, aide-de camp to the
Emperor, has been appointed to the post, as
Minister of the Interior and of Public Safety. The
general has published a circular, in which he an
nounces the special grounds of his appointment, and
declares that there is "no intention of having
recourse to discretionary measures or superfluous
severity." This declaration has given great satisfac-
tion throughout France.
Prince Christian of Denmark and the Baron de
Sprentporten of Sweden have arrived in Paris on
special missions from their respective Governments
to congratulate the Emperor upon his recent
escape.

It is said that the King of Naples, in consequence
of the friendly disposition of the Western powers to
prevent a rupture between him and the Court of
Piedmont, has intimated that he will submit the
question as to whom the Cagliari properly belongs
to the arbitration of a third Government.

PRUSSIA.

guilty of mutt'
recent disturbs
structions issue
charged with ci
with extraordi
Canning first 1
that martial la
by showing tha
it was necessai
purpose to dol
Lord Cannin
moss powers w
were being ex
evidence, then,
peratively inter
innocent. In
exercised Lord
28. The instrt
guidance of civil
pity in force only
prescribed discri
who might masa
sanction no lenit
authorities no po
cent. They do I
fact any offieer or
as regards milital
guidance of civili,
vested in them I
sance was the fin
purely military c
•
31. We canno
defence. They
men who, Beattie
wielding terrible
condition of Indi
not conceivable tl
of a single Boddie:
for the purpose,
practical restrict
discretion of thei
when forcible res
been rarely giver
spot by the office:
power, have beer
just and necessar
dition of affairs, e
not on the side o
•
33. On the wh
the resolution, as
Presidency, the
sympathy with tb
measure the appi
war against lib
guilty, in revenge
and Jhansee, w
trimly raised.—
The most im
letter are, first
Government,
detailed instrui
in the treatmet
with the view (
sures of extr
soldier belongi
vied was to be
found or appr(
Such men were
be dealt with b
and soldiers, b
the civil powe
charged with a
ing to regime]
murdered t e:
sanguinary cris
there made ove
by the military
by the civil poi
which had ki
mitted other
and punished 1
In a despatc
24th of Decei
council) gives
issue of the abe
despatch
reasons were t
severity had bi
persons suppos
the exasperati
wise hostile to
Then follows
thorities, and a
under the Acts
The papers'
Lord Canning
conduct of
been so much
150 mutineers
lirigadier-Gen(
Other papers
the inhabitants
tion of martial
Meg replies, 2
military courts