The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-15 00:00:00

THE PRE S S, AUGUST 15, 1857.

of foreign powers in which the noble lord has so much
confidence. (Loud cheers.)
Colonel SYKES read extracts of a letter from
Colonel Edwardes at Pesbawur, who stated that the
mutinous soldiery had met with very little sym-
pathy from the people in any part of the country,
and that the Hindoo sepoys were beginning to find
that they were made tools of by the Mahomedans.
He showed the extreme danger attending the
slightest interference with the laws of caste, owing to
the jealous susceptibility of the Hindoos upon this
point.
Lord Joni; RUSSELL referred with approval to the
sentiment expressed by Mr. Bright in a printed com-
munication, as to the necessity of putting down the
revolt in the first instance; and that then, having
done so, we ought to turn our whole attention to
remedying any grievances or any evils which might
exist in India :

That seems to me to be the right course to pursue. It
may be, as the hon. and gallant gentleman who has just
sat down says, that there has been a sudden impression
amongst the troops of high caste that there was to be an
attempt to induce them to do that which was contrary to
their religion ; but I do not think that that alone was the
cause of the revolt. I think it will be found that the
movement was not so sudden. I should rather conclude
from the steps which Lord Canning has taken in arresting
one of the native princes that his opinion was somewhat
different. I should rather think that there has been a
general conspiracy to overturn the British power in India,
and that, as one of the means of effecting that object, the
conspirators endeavoured to inspire a belief against our
troops that their religion was to be insulted, and that they
themselves were to be defiled by the cartridges they would
be required to use.
In opposition, however, to the views of Mr. Dis-
raeli and Mr. Whiteside, Lord John Russell main-
tained that British rule in India had upon the whole
been upright and humane as regarded the natives.
As to the financial part of the question, his lordship
expressed a hope that the directors of the East India
Company would not hesitate to apply to the Govern-
ment for such assistance as they might require, and
that the Government would not hesitate to ask the
concurrence of Parliament. The apportionment of
the expense could be afterwards settled.
The subject then dropped.
THE DANUBI.tN PRINCIPALITIES.

Mr. DISRAELI :
T think it will be more convenient that I should bring
the inquiry respecting recent proceedings at Constantinople
within the strict limits of a question. The house is aware
that the Ambassador of France at Constantinople and the
ambassadors of three other powers have struck their flags.
and, I infer from that, have at least suspended diplomatic
relations with the Porte. It is understood that this ex-
treme and violent proceeding is the result of a difference
of opinion respecting the form of government to be estab-
lished in the Danubian principalities. It was understood
at the time of the conferences at Paris that between
France and England there was an accordance of opinion,
and that both powers were in favour of a union of those
provinces. It would appear now, however, that there is a
contrariety of policy on that subject. I wish to inquire of
the noble lord whether be can give any information to the
house on this subject; whether there ia any prospect of
an amicable settlement of existing differences on this
head between England and France, or whether there is
any apprehension of an estrangement of feeling, which all
would deplore, between us and our much-cherished ally.

Lord PALMERSTON
I am not surprised that the right hon. gentleman should
have asked the question which he has just addressed to
me, for statements have recently appeared in the
newspapers which must have excited some anxiety
in the public mind. There has been a misunderstanding
at Constantinople, nor arising, as the right hon. gentle-
man imagines, upon a question of the union or non-union
of the Principalities, hut from a difference of cpinion
which prevailed in regard to the regularity or irregularity of
the elections which have taken place in Moldavia. The
right hon. gentleman is aware that by the Treaty of Paris
there were to be chosen in the two provinces representa-
tive assemblies, which were to take into consideration the
wants and wishes of the people in regard to their internal
organisation and arrangements ; that there were to be
commissioners appointed by the six powers to be in the
Principalities during the period of the elections and of
the subsequent deliberations, and that when the assem-
blies should have expressed their wishes and the com-
missioners should havo made their reports, both wishes
and reports were to be submitted to the Congress at Paris,
which was to reassemble for that purpose, not to re-
assemble in the same manner in which it sat before, but
to be composed of the resident Ministers in Paris. The
congress so composed —the Turkish representative being
present—wss to deliberate upon the representations and
reports so submitted to it, fuel, in concurrence with the
Sultan, to come to an agreement with regard to the future
condition of the two provinces. The Porte, in execution
of those engagements, issued a firman directed to the
Governors of Wallachia and Moldavia, setting forth the
manner in which the elections were to take place.
Questions arose as to the interpretation of certain parts
of the firman. The finnan bad been settled by the
unanimous consent of the representatives of the six
powers acting in concert with the Turkish Government.
Certain explanations were given aterwards—on the 30th
or 31st of May —by the Turkish Government in regard to
that firman. Those explanatious were sent to the commis-
sioners at Bucharest, and they were to be transmitted to