The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-02 00:00:00

THE PRINCES OF OUDE.

THE ParscEs OF OUDE have been received at
Liverpool with tnatked distinction. They have
visited the Art-Treasures Exhibition, the Docks, and
other public work., and were present at the conver-
sazione held on the 22nd ult. in honour of the inau-

pration of the new wive of the reel-park Museum,

SATURDAY,

Salford. Major Bird, who attended the Princes,
addressed the company at some length, pointing out
the staunch friendship and alliance the Kings of
Oude, in periods of peril to our supremacy in India,
had yet maintained towards the English Go-
vernment :

But let them contrast with this staunchness and the
munificence displayed by the Kings of Oude the treatment
they had received. It was melancholy to see the change
that had taken place, their country taken from them, and
they themselves in this country seeking protection from
the British Government. The mode of taking their
country from them was a very remarkable act. Thirty•five
thousand men were collected by telegraph on the frontier,
14,000 men were marched to within seven miles of the city
of Lucknow, the capital, and then the King was called
upon to sign a certain document and to abdicate, and, in
the event of his refusing, it was threatened that his
country would be taken from him. Thus, the King who,
in times of emergency, had assisted the East India Com-
pany with men and horses, and to whom the Company
now owed 2,640,000/., this faithful ally was deprived of his
kingdom, and was now a suppliant to the 13ritish Govern.

men-t. He said, through his accredited agent and himself
( Major Bird), "We have always been friendly to the
British Government, and we wish to continue friendly
still. We do not appeal to other nations for justice, but
we appeal to the British Government, and to the British
nation, against an act committed by British officers. We
do not wish to appeal hostilely, but we wish a clear and
impartial bearing of our case upon its merits, and if we
prove that our country has been taken from us in violation
of treaties, and contrary to the principles of justice and
honesty, we ask for redress ; but if the contrary is the
case, then we will bow cheerfully to the verdict of the
British nation."

Their Highnesses, on the 27th, were entertained
by the Mayor at the Town•hall, on which occasion
Major Bird, briefly alluding to the political nature of
the Princes' visit to ithis country, claiming for their
case "a free, fair, and impartial inquiry," passed on
to the subject of the resources of India, and asked,
whether the East India Company had encouraged
their development? :
Has the Government of the East India Company, as it
has advanced in territorial extent, filled the countries it has
acquired with the rudiments of that civilisation which would
improve the condition of the inhabitants, while it would
also aid in developing the resources of the country? I fear
they have not. I find the province of Bengal worse
governed than any other portion of India. Within two
hundred miles of Calcutta, the capital of British India,
find the Santhals, the Goondes, and the Bheells, a set of
miserable tribes, living in a state of barbarism, not one step
in advance of what they were two hundred years ago.
These poor creatures, in the pursuit of their wrezched
agriculture, scratch the ground here and there. They live
together in a migratory manner, in holes and huts, until,
by the undue pressure of taxation upon them, and
oppressed by the debts they had in consequence been
forced to contract, they were driven into insuriection, for
the punishment of which they were deprived of their lands
and their independence. In surveying the progress of the
East India Company's Government, we find that wherever
there has been a comparatively paying or flourishing kins,,-
domordistrict, that Government has always found an excuse
for appropriating such kingdom or district to themselves,
either by lapse of heirs, or through the intervention of that
friendly feeling towards the inhabitants as induces their
newly acquired friends to remove their original rulers, and
take upon themselves the responsibility of the government,
as well as the benefits accruing from the province.
The Princes' visit the North before returning to
London.

THE EXPLORATION OF THE LUNDHILL PIT pro-
gresses satisfactorily, but slowly, owing to the vast
falls of roof which impede the work. Nine bodies
have been recovered. The subscriptions in aid of
the families of the sufferers already exceed 9,0001.

A COPY OF LAWRENCE'S PORTR UT OF THE LATE SIR
ROBERT PEEL has been placed in the Town hall,
Tamworth. The Mayor gave an entertainment on the
occasion of the presentation of the picture last week
by the present baronet. Sir Robert Peel, who was
present, addressed the company at some length
upon—" his terrible experience of his tragic ship-
wreck !"

TIIE BROTIIERTON MEMORIAL, it has been deter-
mined, shall consist of a monument over his tomb
in the Salford cemetry, at New Barn, and of a bronzo
statue in the Peel park, Salford. The commission
for the statue has been given to Mr. Matthew Noble,
and its cost will be 1,000 guineas. The pedestal will
be of granite.

SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHDAY (April 2:1) was kept lase
week with great honour, both at Birmingham and
Stratford. Dinners, of course, celebrated the event.
At Stratford upon-Avon, Mr. Wise delivered a lec-
ture on the beauties of Shakespeare, and a meeting
of the Shakespearian Club was held later in the day.
The report presented to this body contained some
interesting facts respecting the measures which are
being adopted to preserve the Shakesperian property.
it also stated that the committee wish it to be under-
stood that the voluntary contributions from visitors
to the birthplace are more than ever required for the
purpose of defraying the current expenses attendant
upon showing it to the public free of charge. At
the dinner which took place in the Town-hall in the