The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-12 00:00:00

and delays must be taken CIA/11 gran salis—for what they
were worth. (Hear.) What was wanted in Ireland was a
parliamentary title, and so far ho went with the hon. baronet
the member for Clare, that it would be a great improvement
in the law to give such a title in la d.
After referring to
the many disadviuttages of the law of entail, the hon. meta-
-1 ber contended that all artificial stil.ulants in the shape of
loans or grants to create a demand for labour would be of no
avail so long as the present law of real property remained.
If they would eradicate crime they must so alter the law as
to create • race of small proprietors. This was what was
recommended by the Irish land commission, and they had
added that if the necessary facilities were given, there were
numbers of persons in Ireland who would be glad to avail
themselves of them, and to invest their capital in small landed
properties. So far, therefore, front this bill having a ten-
dency to reduce, he was justified in saying that its effect
would be to inerease the value of property by et couraging
competition. He thought Ireland owed a deep debt of gra-
titude to the English Solicitor-General, who had taken a
step in the right direction in respect to this measure, to
which, without at present criticising its details, which were
in many respects still capable of improvement, be should
give his support. (Hear.)
Mr. HERBERT, though be did not look Upon the bill as
a panacea for all the evils of Ireland, believed it wool : tend
to augment the capital of the country, increase employ meat,
equalise capital and labour, and improve the condition of the
labourer, and he should therefore give it his hearty support.
(Ikar, hear.) All the reasonable rights of the landlords
were protected I.y the measure, and unless that class were
prepared to make some sacrih es of their extreme rights,
ere long those rights would altogether cease to exist.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR thought the measure a useful one,
as releasing Ireland from the dominion of the attorneys and
solicitors, and as enabling the landlords to relieve themselves
and their tenants without prejudice to the rights of the
mortgagees. He thanked the government for this measure
—the only one introduced by them for Ireland to which he
could give his entire and hearty assent,
Mr. S. CRAWFORD opposed the am nrlment, and cor-
dially supported the bill. The cause of Ireland's distress
was want of employment and wages, which want was greatly
aggravated by the emlarrassed state of landlord and tenant.
(Hear hear.) It was impossible to remedy. the evils arising
out of charges upon land, unless by improving the laws by
wl.ich that land was held. Ile therefore hoped the house
would pan this measure. (Cries of " Divide.")
Sir G. GREY said that if the house would now terminate
the discussion on the minciple of the bill, he would fix
Thursday for the consideration of its details.
Mr. CALLAGHAN opposed the bill, believing it would
cause more injury than relief to Irish proprietors. He would
much rather see the government engaged in an endeavour
to improve the law of parl:amentary elections, by a
gistration bill, and a bill for the better reguleion opolling

places.
Col. DUNNE likewise opposed the bill, and expressed
his regret that it bad been brought forward with.
out having first received the sanction of the law
officers of the crown either in Ireland or England.
The Attorney-General for this country had not even made
his appearance during the discussion of the measure, so re•
luctant was he to Rive it his countenance.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR.—Iie is prosecuting the chartists.
Col. DUNNE (continuing) —lt might be so; but that
could have been obviated by fixing a day for the discus-
sion when that learned functionary eJuld have been prerient.
Regarding the bill itself, he believed it would precipitate the
transfer of property, instead of gradually faci.itating it, and
would therefore detest the object in view. It was surrounded
with embarrassing technicalities, which would only aggravate
the existing evils, and have the effect hesiika of throwing a
quantity of land into the market at a time when a remune-
rating price could not be had. Ile was not opposed to a
in &ions measure for regulating the transfer of estates in
Ireland, but he saw as many objection to the details of this
that when they went into committee he should feel it his
duty to oppose it.
The amendment was then withdrawn. The house went
into committee pro jiff ma and having resumed, the chair-
Tan reported progreto, and obtair.ed leave to sit again on

Thum*.
Sir 0. GREY hoped to go into committee on the bill
soon after 5 o'clock on that day.
CORN MARKETS (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill passed through committee, after a short conver-
sation, originated by Mr. OSBORNE, who declared it to be a
most useful measure, as regulating the Irish corn markets,
and imposing penalties for certain offences connected with
obstructing them. Bill to be reparted to morrow (this day). 5
The house then adjourned tillo'clock.
The house resumed at that hear accordingly.
CASE OF LIEUT.-COL. OVANS.
Mr. G. THOMPSON rose to move, pursuant to notice,
for a select committee to inquire into the coiffiuct of L'eut.-
Col. Charles Ovens (of the Bombay army),while British politi-
cal resident at the court of Sattara ; and into the proceedings
of the Bombay government and the Court of Directors of
the East India Company, in relation to certain charges pre.
ferrcd against that officer. Ile admitted at the outset that
this motion involved a personal charge; but it was against
an individual of whom he (Mr. Thompson) had no know-
ledge, and could therefore have no personal motive in
briuging forward this charge. lie only dii so because Col.
Ovens was a public servant; and on the same grounds he
was bound to impeach the conduct of those under whom
that officer bad acted, and by whom his acts had been
sanctioned and approved. He did not regard Col.
Ovals as the exclusive, or even the principal, offender, but
merely as • link connecting those acts with the Indian go-
vernment. This question was inseparaaly connected with
the fate of the Imo illustrious prince, the Rajah of Sattara,
with the disposal of his now vacant throne, and with the
destiny of the people now without a prince. lie had long
indulged the hope ef seeing this question fairly investigated,
and with that view had frequently but unsuccessfully brought
it before the court of directors of the East India Company.
The charges he had; now to prefer against Col. Ovens had
been preferred there ; copies of the charges were furnished to
him and of the documents by which those charges were sup
ported, but to this day not a tittle of counter-evidence had
been adduced by the directors. He had still Tepid that the
directors would do justice, and that hope had been revived on
the death of the individual who hal been placed on the de-
posed rajah's throne, which gave the Indian government the
, onportunity of placing on that throne the adopted child of
' the deposed rajah as a species of justice to his memory and
[ compensation to his family. He had waited for
this till the eleventh hour, but the applications to
the right hon. genth man tie President of the Board of Con-
trol had not led to any result, nor had the court of directors
taken any desisive step. At length they had adopted a re-
m durion on Wednesday last, which comoelleet him (Mr.
Thompson) to adopt the course he now took, denying that
the late rajah was competent, owing his being guilty of
treason, to adopt a son to succeed him in his dominion. He
should now show that there were abundant grounds for
doubting the guilt of the late prince, and if his innocence
could be established by an inquiry into all the facts,
it was the duty of the house to grant such inquiry.
Col. Ovens had put forth an elaborate defence of the charges
brought against him, which he declared to be false and
groundless. lie (Mr. G. Thompson) could only express •
deep conviction that he was able to prove them, and he
would do so if he had a committee granted him. Colonel
Ovens complained of the vindictiveness of the charges, and ,
urged that he was relieved of responsibility by virtue of the
orders under which ho acted; but he could never be relieved
of the responsiffilil of telling the truth. He contended that
Col. Ovens did, on his arrival in Sattara, in his eapaeity as
resident, give his aide-decamp money to procure documents
from a native servant called !Show Lely, in order to incul-
pate the rajah, whom it was his duty to protect. He had not
lightly brought these charges against Cot. Ovens, and should
not lightly abandon them. If any ono would read Sir J.
alalenlin's instructions to residents, he ,oul.l fi of that Cal.
Ovens had directly violated every one of them. That
officer was sent to act as a friend to the Rajah of Sattara,
But how did he act ? The papers proved that whilst
Colonel Lodwick was yet resident at Sattara a
conspiracy was got up between • Lieut. Horne and a cer-
tain native called Paudurang Hari, in order to procure trea-
sonable documents against tha nine; and these were con-
cealed from Col. Ladwick until Col. Ovens arrived, when
they were communicated to him. The duty of that officer
was to institute inquiries as to the persons who had aced in
this matter ; but instead of that, he authorised Capt. Durant
to give Bhow Lely 200 rupees, in ori:er to get these docu-
meets, and promised more money if the rajah should ulti-
mately be criminated. This native servant of the rajah,
however, repented, and warned his prince Col. Ovans never
informed the government of Bombay of his proceedings ; nor
did they come out until some time alter. It was only in the
September following that Col. Ovens confessed, under cons- I
pulsinn, what he bad done. The man, Bhow Lely, who had
been suborned, returned the money, and confessed
all; on which the rajah wrote a statement of tho
whole transaction to his friend Dr. Mile, of Bom-
bay. The c-rresoondence was sent to the Go.
vernor-General of India, who transmitted it to Col.
Grans, with directions to him to make any remarks upon it
that he deemed necessary. Col. Ovans confessed, and his
agent also (Capt. Duran.) confessed, that they had suboxped
witne‘sea against the rajah ; hut Col. Ovens said that fur the
present he would nut act on the evidence he had procured,
but would give the rajah another trial. Now, was this con-
duct worthy of a British officer, who, whilst he professed to
be on • friendly footing with the prince at whose court he
was placed as a protector, was acting in this treacherous man-
ner? That was the .fir.t charge against Col. Ovens. The
former resident (Col. Lodwick)-had been removed in conse-
quence of his not enjoying the confidence of the rajah. Col.
Ovens was seat to endeavour to win back this con-
fidence; and the result he had stated. When
the rajah was apprised of the intrigues which had
taken place, he summoned Col. Ovens to his presence,
and then placed in his hands • letter addressed to
the Bombay government, praying to he relieved from his
government, since he found that covert attacks continued to
be made upon his character. This letter, Cal. Ovans, as in
duty bound, delivered to the Bombay government. The
rajah'e touching appeal for justice was met by the Bombay
council with a minute signed by the government, intimating
that the application indicated • sense of guilt, and that no
notice ought to be taken of the rajah's letter, so that he, a
sovereign prince, never received any answer to hie letter. It
must be recollected also, that from June to Sept., during
which Col. Ovens had bribed and suborned the rajah's native
servant, Bhow Lely, and procured the letters already referred
to, no mention was made by that officer of the corre-
spondence having taken place. The whole papers had under-
gone inspection by an English barrister, who pronounced
that they exhibited a con inuous desire on the part of
Col. Ovens to procure evidence in every possible way
tending to inculpate the rajah ; and
.yet, notwith-
standing all this, Col. Ovens did not hesitate to make
affidavit that he had never bribed any one to procure evidence
against the rajah. The defence which Col. Ovalle would set
up was that the 200 rupees were given to the native in order
to defray the charges of his journey to procure the papers;
but whoever knew the value of money in India would at
once see that Otte wan a futile pretext, for 200 rupees was a