The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-31 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

Most persons mixing in London society must have met some of
the parties of native Indian Princes who are now in the capital seeking
justice at the hands of the Government. Among them are the Princes
of Oude, the Nawab of SURAT, ALI MOORAD (Talpoor of Khyrpoor,
Upper Scinde), and his son, and the Carnatic stipendiaries. The
Nagpore mission has lately been recalled. The peculiarity of the
cases of these petitioners for justice is, that there is no legal court to
which they can apply. Their cases are political cases. The Indian
Government has dealt with them as it deemed expedient
and there is no tribunal to which they can appeal for redress•
We have met with several of these Indian parties, and been much pleased
with their intelligence and courtesy. Usually, the conversation com-
mences with his Highness hoping firsttliatyou arc well, and secondly that
you are very well. In one interview we said, that we regarded visitors from
India as our brethren, seeing how closely the two countries and races
were now connected. The answer was immediate. His Highness
regards you as more titan a brother, for his brother he sees constantly,
you but seldom. We observed the Hindoo language was pleasing.
The answer was, all languages are pleasing when just sentiments are
expressed in them. As cite house in which we were, overlooked one of
the parks, we said that the situation was agreeable; again we were
checkmated in compliment. " All houses in London are agreeable,
" but those of our friends especially so." When we came to closer
converse, we found our Indian friends keen and cogent in their
remarks. They stated that they had come to London from their own
country, knowing that their cause was just: otherwise why should
they have travelled so fin', and gone to so I.r,mt an expense? They said
emphatically—" We believe in Gon. and we believe in justice ; there-
" fore we trust that right will be done us. If we believed in neither,
"we should have none of that confidence which we now possess."
When we said we hoped that they would not petition for right in vain,
the answer was, " If all men had hearts like you, justice would have
" been done us already." They particularly insisted that they wished
for nothing so much as a searching but fair investigation of their
claims, and repeatedly pressed the question, " Why are we here, if not
" conscious of our right ?" These parties all labour under the great
disadvantage of not speaking our language at all, or of speaking it but
imperfectly ; and there is always danger of their falling under bad
guidance. We can only hope, for the honour of English fair-dealing,
that their claims will be impartially considered by the Government,
and that no attempt will be made to shuffle them away by mere
technical objections. Might is with us. If these Indian princes
appeal to our sense of justice in vain, there is no earthly power that
can give them relief. To the minds of English statesmen—especially
those who are called to administer the affairs of our Indian empire—
should the famous sentences delivered with such emphasis by Lord
CHATHAM in the House of Lords be always present,—" Power without
" right is the most odious and detestable object that can be offered to
" the human imagination. It is not only pernicious to those who are
" subject to it, but leads to its own destruction. lies detestabilis et
" caduca."

The death of the Princess LIEVEN, which took place at Paris last
Monday evening, will be felt as a severe loss far and wide in the upper
ranks of society, and especially in diplomatic circles. The deceased
lady was well known for the part which she played in European
politics for upwards of forty years ; but as this has been fully dis-
cussed in the columns of the daily journals, it may, perhaps, prove
more interesting to our readers if we offer them some few particulars
concerning the closing years of this illustrious lady. The breaking
out of the Russian war was a great shock to the affections and sym-
pathies of the Princess. She had once been one of the stars of English
society. She had still many friends in England, and, among others,
had contracted a most intimate acquaintance with Lord ABERDEEN.
She, like many others, could never bring herself to believe in the pos-
sibility of his declaring war against Russia, a country with which he had
always advocated the closest alliance, and professed and felt the warmest
sympathies. When the scales fell from her eyes, the blow was severe.
Being compelled to quit France, she selected Brussels as the place of
her sojourn, but she had been too long accustomed to the Parisian
atmosphere to be at ease in her new domicile. Paris had become her
home, and by the warm intercession of the Empress EUGENIE, she was
at length permitted to return, on its being clearly demonstrated to the
Emperor that she was no longer engaged in espionage. Although
warmly attached to Russian interests, the demeanour of Madame DE
Li EVEN, during the two trying years which succeeded her return, was
rather that of one who mourned over the breach of an ancient friend-
ship, and the loss of an esteemed ally, than of one who shared in
the sensations of either combatant. It is difficult for those unac-
quainted with Paris to realise the gap that this lamented lady will
leave in its society. Few persons who had the privilege of admission
to that small Sunday reunion will forget the intellectual hours there
spent, where talent and rank vied with one another in their respectful
homage to her, and where she did the honours with quiet grace, ap-
parently unconscious of the despotism she exercised on all around her.

We have authority to state, with reference to the expected vacancy
in the representation of Colchester, that Mr. JOHN TAVERNER MILLER,
formerly member for Maldon, is the candnotte on whom the choice of
the Conservative party has fallen, and there can be no doubt of his
triumphant return. Mr. HAMILTON, who also issued an address to the
electors as a Conservative, will not persevere on the present occasion,
being very properly resolved in no way to divide the party. Mr.
Guiuos liEnow is the Whig candidate. lie is a great partisan of
Lord JOIIN RUSSELL, and at Brookes's is regarded as one of the aristo-
cratic fraternity which constitutes the Whig oligarchy. In 1817 ho
stood for North Essex on Conservative principles, and had election
cards printed, in which his name was coupled with that of Sir JOIIN
TYRELL. But he managed to let the secret out as to his real sympa.
thies, and he was disowned and soundly defeated accordingly.