The Press.
London, England, 1858-05-01 00:00:00

FUTURE POLICY TOWARDS THE INDIAN

RE BE LS.
LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL.

A return to an order of the House of Lords, re-
quiring a copy of a letter from the Secret Committee
of the Court of Directors of the East India Company
to the Governor-General of India in Council, dated
the 24th of March, 1858, relative to the policy to be
pursued towards tha natives of provinces lately in a
state of hostility, has appeared. The letter is as
follows :
The Secret Committee of the Court of Directors of the
East India Company to the Goveruor•General of India
in Council, March 24, 1858,
The telegram from Calcutta, dated the 22nd ultimo,
which arrived this morning, conveys intelligence of the
concentration of the force under the commanderin-chief,
and of that under Jung Bahadoor, upon Lucknow ; and
we trust we may indulge the expectation that, ere this,
that city has been evacuated by the rebels, and that no
considerable corps remains united against us in the field.
2. If this happy result should have been attained, it
will be very satisfactory to us to learn that you have deemed
yourself sufficiently strong to be enabled to act towards
the people with the generosity as well as the justice which
ive congenial to the British character.
3 Crimes have been committed against us which it
would be a crime to forgive, and some large exceptions
there must be, of the moons guilty of such crimes, from
any act of amnesty which could be granted; but it must
be as impossible as it would be abhorrent to our feelings
to inflict the extreme penalty which the law might strictly
award upon all who have swerved from their allegiance.
4. ro us it appears that, whenever open resistance shall
have embed, it would be prudent, in awarding punish-
ment, rattier to follow the practice which prevails after the
esejtmet of a country which has defended itself to the last
by desperate war, than that which may perhaps be lawfully
tirafter the suppression of mutiny and rebellion—
ade always being exempted from forgiveness or mi.
tigetims of punishment as have exceeded the licence of
hostilities.
1.1111.171 we may be unable to forget the insanity which,
daring the last ten months, has pervaded the army and a
larva portion of the people, we should at the same time
remember the previous fidelity of a hundred years, and
so conduct ourselves towards those who have erred as to
remove their delusions and their fears, and re-establish, if
we can, that confidence which was so long the foundation
of our power.
6. It would be desirable that in every ease the disarming
of a district, either by the seizure of arms or by their
surrender, should precede the application to it of any ani•
nesty; but there may be circumstances which would
render expedient a different course of proceeding. Upon
time neeptioumi eases you and the officers acting under
your 'Mitre meet decide.
7. The disarming of a district having been effected, with
exceptions under your licence in favour of native gentle-
men whose feelings of honour would be affected by being
deprived of the privilege of wearing arms, and of any
other persons in whom you may confide, we think the pos.
session of arms should be punished in every case by a
severe penalty; but unless the possession of arms should
be combined with other acts leading to the conclusion that
they were retained for the perpetration of crimes, that
penalty should not be death. Of course the possession of
arms by Englishmen mast always remain lawful.
8. Death has of late been too common a punishment.
It loses whatever terror It might otherwise have when so
indiscriminately applied ; but, in fact, in India there is
not commonly a fear of death, although there ever must
be a fear of pain.
9. In every amnestied district the ordinary administration
of the law should, as soon as possible, be restored.
10. In carrying there views into execution, you may
meet with obstructions from those who, maddened by the
scenes they have witnessed, may desire to substitute their
own policy for that of the Government; but persevere
firmly in doing what you may think right, make those who
would counteract you feel that you are resolved to rule,
and that you will be Bernd oy none who will not obey.
11. Acting in this spirit, you may rely upon our unquali-
fied support.

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH IN INDIA.
The application of the electric telegraph to the
necessities of a campaign has been illustrated in
India with remarkable success
Never since its discovery has the electric telegraph
played so important and daring a role as it now does in
India. Without it, the cornmanderin.ehief would lose
the effect of half his force. It has served him better than
his right arm. By it he is enabled to direct the march of
his bettalioas, the movements of his artillery and cavalry,
to receive news of their successes, to survey, as it were, at
any oae time the whole position of his army and of its
auxiliaries, to communicate with the Governor-General
and with his subordinate generals, to sift the truth from
the falsehood of native information, to learn what poets
are likely to be threatened, where the entail are in force,
to spare his staff and his messengers, and yet to send
messages with clearness and despatch. So much for its
importance. As to the daring action of the telegraph,
which includes of course those who direct it, I need only
observe that in this war, for the Ant time, a telegraphic
wire has been carried along under fire and through the
midst of a hostile country. Peri passe, from post to post
it has moved on with our artillery, and scarcely has the
commander in-chief established his head-quarters at any
spot where he intended to stay for a few days when the
post and the wire ware established also. The telegraph
was brought into communication with the Governor-
General at Allahabad, with Outram at the Alumbegh, with
Calcutta ,Madras, Bombay, and the most remote districts