The Express.
London, England, 1862-06-28 00:00:00

BRITISH FORCES IN INDIA.

Mr. BUXTON rose pursuant to notice to call attention to
thearnount of European forms in India. He believed that the
more anyooe studied Indian affairs the more profoundly
convinced he became of the truth of a remark made by Mr.
Kaye, the celebrated advocate of the East India Company,
that. "it would be well that it should be clearly under-
stood how, at the bottom of all our miadoinp, and all our
altortoomilge, is the miserable want of money r and that it
was absolutely impassible for us to have an overflowing ex-
chequer, and avoid the disastrous evils that had arisen from
the want of means of the Indian government, in any other
way except by reducing the army to the lowest possible
point mosistent with the entire security of the empire.

Mr. VANEITTART could not but feel alarm at the
pohey suggested by the boo. member for Maidstone (Mr.
Boxtoe ) and the hon. and gallant member for Aberdeen
(Oolmel kes), that a reduction should be made in the
strength tithe European fora, employed in India. He was
not one of those to Le carried away by the wild and Utopian
notion that India could be governed without a large
Europese force. He thought that that amiable but mu-
taken theory, if adopted, would tend to promote another
mutiny, with all its fearful horrors, similar to that of 1857.
Mr. KINNALAD agreed with every word that had fallen
from the boo. gentleman who had just sat down, and with
rerd to the views of the bon. member who introduced the
subject, although he believed his intention was very good,
and that his only wish was to economise the resources of
India, he was inclined to think that it was • little early to
undo the result of the experience of three who had them-
selves lived is the country, who knew the native character,
and who were better acquainted than the hon. gentleman
could possibly be with the arguments and necessities for
the employment of so large a force. (Cheers.)
Lord STANLEY rid that there were circumstances in
the condition of India which might lead to local outbreaks
which might require a large European force to deal with.
Looking to all Use circumstances, whether as regarded the
Alsace& of India, of which he was hopeful, or its social con-
dition, he was of opinion that it would be more prudent to
let two or three years elapse before any serious reduction
was made in the European env.

Sir C. WOOD, in reply to the hon. and gallant member
who had just spoken, said that the eases of these soldiers had
nothing to do with the Indian revenue. Whatever these
men might be entitled to was addicated to them by the
commissionersat Chalets under the regulations of the army.
The Indian finances contributed a certain pose sum in re-
spect of these soldiers, but with the distribution of it the
Indian government had nothing to do. As to the
number of young men sent out to India of late
years, he had frequently wished it were possible,
withoat breech of faith, to have sent out older
men. But there must always be a succession of young men
in the army • and with regard to the nomination of young
men for ILlien commission; he (Sir C. Wood) must
observe that be and the members of his council had each of
them voluntarily given up their right of appointing to corn-
missions by nammation. (Hear, hear.) With respect to
the Indian revenue, be would reserve any remark until he
made his financial statement on the subject. But he fully
agreed in the absolute necessity of maintaining an adequate
force in India. It was nonsense to suppose that because
everything appeared smooth in India there wu no danger.
(Hsu' hear.) Six weeks before the mutiny broke
out, he supposed any man who thought he knew
lodia, would have said such a thing was impossible. (Hear,
hear.) But the question mine to this—what was an ade-
quate force for the safety of our dominions and the mainte-
nance of peace! He did not see by what argument& that
question could be eettlod one way or the other. It was a
matter of opinion only to be decided by authority. At pre-
sent oar aggregate force in India was somewhere about
92,000 men. The home government consulted Lord Clyde
and Sir Patrick Grant on the subject, feeling that they were
better informed, sad that on them the responsibility moat
ultimately rest ; and so late as last May, it would be found
from the papers before the house, that the opinion of the
government in India was that the number of men necessary
was 73,000 odd. His hon. friend talked about the number
of recruits who had been sent out ; but the bows was aware
that recruit& only left this country in June and July. It was
calculated that in order to maintain the strength of the
India garrison, it. number after the arrival of the recruits
ought to be at least 5 per cent above its average strength.
In other words, taking the average strength at 71.000 odd,
there ought at the end of the year to he 75,000 men ;
whereas the number on the Ist of December last was only
74,419. It wu therefore au error to suppose that any ex-
travegant number had been soot out. With regard to the
artillery, it had been found necessary to send out reinforce-
meetsuf 2,000 men in order to bring up the strength to its
minimum. This had been now fixed at 13,000; but only
two years ego the:lndian government thought it ought to be
20,000. He doubted whether they had not settled it at too
low a figure ; for the artillery was precisely that arm which
was of most importance is a country lite India. (Hear,
hear.) Be could assure his hoc. friend that the government
would not send out bey more men than they could help ;
but they would be guilty of a culpable neglect of duty if
they kept the force in India a single man below the strength
which was necessary to maintain our sway, and to protect
the lives and property of our European fellow.subjects in that
part of the world. (Hear.)