The Press.
London, England, 1856-03-08 00:00:00

ESTIMATED SURPLUS IN OUDE.

IVE were not a little astonished to read in
the Times of Wednesday last the estimated
surplus that we were to pocket by the annexa•
tion of Oude. This, according to that paper,
is to amount, after payment of all the costs of
occupation, both civil and military, to no less
a sum than two millions five hundred thou-
sand pounds. At first we began to rub our
eyes and doubt our senses, but a moment's
consideration showed us the true nature of
the case. It was just the old story : a pro•
spectus, such as is concocted by the promo-
ters of every scheme, whether sound or rotten,
in this country, and which in India has been
the general prelude to the annexation of every
State. It helps to make the thing go down
with the public; and that temporary end
served, the advocate and his arguments are
alike forgotten. We cannot, however, deem
that morality sound which allows statements
of this sort to be put forth at random, when a
little inquiry would show the writer of them
that there is not a particle of foundation for
the assertions that he makes.
In order to see at once that the whole state-
ment is fabulous, we would only ask our
readers to turn to the pages of " Thornton's
Gazeteer," an India-house authority, and
whose testimony therefore is unimpeachable
when it goes against the body under whose
banners he serves. There it will be found that
the whole population of Oude does not exceed
two millions nine hundred and seventy thou-
sand souls, and that the British Resident had
estimated one million one hundred and forty
thousand pounds sterling as the amount of
revenue that might bo derived from the country
under a moderate assessment. The sum, there-
fore, estimated by the Times as surplus is a great
deal more than double the whole sum that the
revenue of the country, in fact, amounts to;
while it cannot be supposed by any one who
knows anything of the matter that the costs
of our establishments will be less than the
revenue which will be obtained. Indeed, as
by the absorption of Oude we shall be
brought into immediate contact with our old
enemies the warlike Nepaulese, whose coun-
try borders on our proposed new frontier,
there cannot be a doubt that our expenses
will be much greater, as a powerful disposable
force will always have to be kept ready for
immediate service in that direction. We are
not of those who think that the morality of
an annexation depends in the least on the
value or worthlessness of the country that
is annexed ; but it is right to show that if gain
be our object, we shall gain nothing whatever
in a. pecuniary sense by the annexation of
Oude.

It is ever thus with sanguine people. Each
new scheme of aggrandisement is expected to
bring with it that wealth equally hoped for,
but somehow or other missed, in all that have
gone before. When the Punjaub was con-
quered the argument derived from right was
but faintly dwelt on, while great stress was
laid on the fact of its being certain to prove a
sure and speedy source of riches to the State.
Yet, what is the fact? Seventy-five thousand
troops, regular and irregular, are required
within its borders to maintain the peace, and
they scarcely suffice for the task, while the
whole revenue does not amount to fifteen
hundred thousand pounds. This, of course,
is insufficient to cover even the military
charges of the occupation, and all the civil and
miscellaneous expenses have to be paid out of
the revenues of the other parts of our Eastern
empire. It is said, to be sure, that a large
portion of these troops would be required in
any case to watch the Punjaub if it were still
ruled by a native prince ; but, then, the great
advantage to be gained by the extermination
of such princes is always alleged to lie in the
non-necessity of watching them any longer.
But, setting aside this consideration, it is a
fact that ten thousand troops sufficed to watch
the Punjaub when it had a prince of its own
to rule it, and twenty thousand sufficed to con-
quer it on its first invasion ; yet seventy-five
thousand are required to hold it and keep its
people from rebellion now that it is become

A

our own. The propriety of taking the Punjaub
is not here in question ; we simply show that
the conquest has not in any way benefited us
in a financial view.
in regard to the question of the annexation
of Oude generally, that is a matter into which
we do not purpose here to enter. The Go-
vernment have taken on themselves the re-
sponsibility of the act; the fiat has gone
forth ; and it will be time enough when the
papers are regularly before Parliament to
enter into the merits of the general question.
In the meantime, however, we may remark that
there seems but Little consistency between
the statement of the Government as to the
feelings of the people and the steps they are
taking to coerce or overawe them. It has
been dinned into our ears incessantly for the
last twelve months that the native rule is so
hateful to the people that nothing but the
presence of our supporting troops prevents
their immediately rising on the Sovereign and
tearing him in pieces. Yet one of the largest
armies ever assembled in India (more than
six times the number present in the great
battle of Meeanee) is being concentrated
within three marches of Luck now ; and we are
significantly informed by the papers that
the artillery, with the force, are furnished with
fifteen hundred rounds per gun. Now, if the
native Government be really so unpopular
and powerless that it is by us alone that the
King is maintained upon his throne, a force of
this kind is evidently needless. If, on the con-
trary, his army, his nobility, and his people,
are prepared to fight for his and their inde-
pendence, then a deep responsibility will rest
on the Ministry for all the blood that may be
shed in this deed of violence and rapine,
which will thus be shown to have rested upon
grounds that were wholly false Parties may
differ upon many points, but there is one point
on which we do believe that the honest men
of all parties will be found to agree. This is,
that, of all the crimes a British statesman
could be guilty of, it is undoubtedly the
greatest to get up a cry of protection against
oppression as a cover for a flagrant breach of
treaty in forcing our rule at the point of the
bayonet upon a protesting and resisting race.
Whether the Ministry will have so deep a
deed of guilt as this is to answer for or not will
speedily be proved, by the mode in which they
employ the sixteen thousand bayonets now as-
sembled on the borders of Oude.