The Press.
London, England, 1857-07-18 00:00:00

putt6ings znVartiaincnt.

HOUSE OF LORDS—MoND.ty.
INDIA.

Lord ELLENnottorou called the attention of
the house to the alarming condition of our empire
in India, and complained of the small amount of
official information that had been afforded on a sub-
ject of such paramount importance :
It is now three months since the minds of the most
reflective men have been directed with great anxiety to the
state of the army in India, and every successive mail has
tended to increase that anxiety. But, notwithstanding
this state of affairs, no one word of official information has
yet been given to Parliament. We have b-en left to de-
pend upon private letters and upon articles in the news-
papers, while the empire is in danger. We know nothing
of the cause of the danger or the nature of the measures
adopted by her Majesty's Government to suppress it. Ido
not think that this is a state of things that ought to con-
thine. I have said that every successive mail increases
our anxiety, and yet by every successive telegraphic de
%patch we are told that the crisis is Fast, that the (linger is
over, and that things have been at their worst. My lords,
it is not so. In a case of this kind—of a dangerous and
extensive mutiny—things go on from worse to worse, and
so will proceed until the strong hand of power has inter-
fered to suppress the resistance to the authority of the
Government. As yet no indication has been given of the
existence on the part of the Government of India of that
nower which is necessary to suppress the present mutiny.
Toe general tendency of those who call themselves the
public instructors of the country is to endeavour to induce
persons to believe that this is only a passing calamity, and
that slight measures indeed are required to put down the
rebellion in India. It seems to me that there are many
among us who resemble that sagacious animal which,
when pressed by its pursuers, hides it head in the sand
and thinks it is not seen because it cannot see. All
Europe is regarding with the deepest interest the conduct
which under the present circumstances we are pursuing.
Upon that conduct depend our present character and our
future position in India. I do not believe thst there
exists in this house or in the other any indisposition to
grant to her Majesty's Government all the means they may
ask for the purpose of establishing our authority in India.
If we do not do right the disgrace is with the Government,
the loss of India must undoubtedly lie with us. But it
depends upon the noble lord at the head of the Government
whether he shall obtain for himself a reputation similar to
that which was obtained under difficult and dangerous cir•
cumstances by Lord Chatham, or allow his Government to
go down to posterity as the most calamitous, the most
disastrous, and the most disgraceful since the time of Lord
North.

He congratulated the Government on the judicious
appointment they had made in selecting Sir Colin
Campbell to succeed the late General Anson as
Commander-in-Chief in India. In order, however,
to give full effact to the abilities of Sir Colin Camp-
bell two things were necessary-Ist, that he should
be completely emancipated from the thraldom of
politicals ; and, 2ndly, that he should carry with him
the whole weight and authority of the Governor-
General. He thought also the temporary appoint
ment of Sir Patrick Graut a very good one, and
suggested that so able and experienced an Indian
officer should be at once appointed an extraordinary
member of council at CAlcutta, in order to act as
military adviser to the Governor-General in this
crisis. The noble earl was not disappointed at not
hearing of the capture of Delhi by the present mail,
for he thought it could hardly have fallen within the
time that had elapsed since the last advices ; hut
these advices showed that the insurgents, by ventur-
ing to give battle without the walls of Delhi, must
have been far stronger than we anticipated. The
main thing, however, for consideration was so to take
measures as to have a really efficient force in the
field by the Ist of November, before which time our
reinforcements could hardly reach India. The noble
earl anticipated what would be the position of affairs
in Bengal on the Ist November :-
1 assume that we take Delhi-1 assume that our troops
continue to held Delhi, Meerut, and the neighbouring
stations; but 1 know the locality. No European regiments
are ever stationed there, on Recount of the sickness which
prevails; and at the end of the rains even the native regi-
inenta have from two-thirds to three fourths of their
strength prostrated. Therefore, if our troops take and
occupy Delhi, if they expel the King from his palace and
drive out all his forces, and even if they do everything in
their power to promote the health of our men, you cannot
possibly expect them to be in a state to resume operations
on the Ist November. All I can venture to hope is that
they will be able to hold the places they occupy. In the
very centre of the mutiny our troops will be like the French
in Spain—they will hold what they stand upon, but little or
nothing else. When the army which constitutes our
strength is dissipated and gone, and the men have become,
as they will do, rebels or robbers, it is impossible to believe
that we shall be able to collect the revenue and administer
the government. In the Punjaub things may be a little
better. You have able men there who, I trust, will be able
to maintain their own. They may perhaps bo able, through