The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-17 00:00:00

THE PRESS, OCTOBER 17,1857.

and so much deceit and treachery, there must be some
one to blame. Whether that blame rested with the Go.
vernment of India or the Government at home, it would
be the duty of Parliament at some future time to hives.
tigate ; and he trusted that those who by their negligence,
or by their procrastination in sending out reinforcements,
had caused the loss of precious lives, would receive that
punishment they deserved, and that we would visit with
the strongest condemnation those who from fainthearted•
ness or neglect had, he would not say caused, but had
not prevented, the progress of these horrible disasters.
He was happy to express his concurrence in what fell
from his father as to the measures to be adopted towards
those misguided and unhappy men the sepoys, who,
having eaten our bread and been on terms of friendly
intercourse with us, had turned round and perpetrated
these unheard of atrocities. He hoped some measure
would be taken to withdraw these men from scanes that
must necessarily be associated in their minds with their
bloody triumphs, ant to give them an opportunity of
working out in another land some reparation for the
atrocities which, perhaps, in a moment of excitement they
had been led to perpetrate.
With respect to foreign affairs, he believed they all
felt that the less England interfered in the business
of other States the better for herself :

Other nations possessed the same keen sense of
national honour which we possessed ourselves, and it
was most unreasonable on our parts to attempt an inter-
ference with their domestic policy which we would not
tolerate in our own case. He should feel that the
expression of this opinion upon that point would be
incomplete if he did not allude to the very great respect
we ought to entertain towards the Emperor of the French
for the noble example he had set, not only to us but to
all Europe, in endeavouring to induce all countries to
labour for the promotion of their own internal prosperity
rather than indulge in dreams of unjust aggrandisement.
Viscount ELMLEY, in responding to the toast of
" The County Members for Worcester and Glouces-
ter," said that he was glad to find that men of all
parties were at present prepared to assist her Ma-
jesty's Ministers in their endeavours to visit with
stern justice a merciless rebellion, and to place our
Indian government on a satisfactory and a durable
basis. But he should add that he believed the
House of Commons and the country ought vigilantly
to watch the conduct of the Ministry in dealing with
that subject :

It was astonishing how completely the members of the
present Administrati9n had underrated a few months ago
the magnitude of the crisis. In that respect they had
imitated the conduct of the Government of Lord Aberdeen,
which had long obstinately refused to believe in the possi-
bility of a war with Russia. and had at one time actually
ordered the return of the Guards from Turkey to Malta.
He had been told that five regiments were at present
under orders for India. But it appeared to him that we
ought to carry our preparations to meet the emergency
still farther, and that we ought at once to send out those
reinforcements which might in the course of a few
months be found so necessary or so useful. Passing to
the more immediate subject of that toast, he had to state
that since he had been honoured with a seat for Worcester.
shire he had almost invariably voted with the Conservative
party. It was said that that party was not united But
he would ask whether the supporters of the Ministry were
united. He found, on the contrary, that they were hardly
agreed upon on any one public question ; and in fact the
Government was like a house divided against itself, which
was kept from tumbling to pieces solely by Conservative
props. He was himself an earnest supporter of Conser-
vative principles, because he believed that in those princi-
ples was to be fonnd the best guarantee for the peace,
order, and prosperity of the country.

Some other toasts of a purely local character fol-
lowed, and the business of the evening, which had
been conducted in the frankest and friendliest
spirit, was brought to a conclusion shortly after
nine o'clock.