The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-23 00:00:00

SPEECH OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL
TO THE CHIEFS OF OUDE.

The eight days' festivities at Lucknow, com-

mencing with the state entry of the Viceroy and
Governor-General on the 9th of November, and
terminating with an illumination of the Hosseina-
bad Imambara on the 17th, are described in the
Bombay journals of the 29th ult. His excellency
was at that date again in Calcutta.
MaharajahMaun Sing presented an address from
the Talookdars, to which Sir John Lawrence re-
plied in Hindustani, speaking fluently and under
the influence of feeling. The following is a transla-
tion of his speech—a speech, says the Bombay
Times, no preceding governor-general of India
could have even attempted to deliver :

Maharajahs, Rajahs, Chiefs, and Gentlemen of the Pro-
vince of Oude,—l have come to Lucknow at your invita-
tion, to meet you at this Durbar, in order that we may
exchange expressions of kindness and courtesy, and so
knit together the bonds which should unite rulers and
abject* in all countries. Though we differ in race, in
religion, and even, in a great degree, in habit of thought,
we are all created by the same God ; we are all bound by
the same general laws ; and we shall all have to
give an account to Him at last, of the manner
in which we have obeyed His commandments. In this
way, there is a common bond of union among us all,
whether high or low, rich or poor, learned or ignorant.
In the name of our Most Gracious Sovereign, the Great
Queen of England and India, I thank you for your ex-
pres►ions of loyalty and attachment to her person, which
I shall duly represent to her Majesty ; and which I am rare
that she will receive with much pleasure. Her Majesty
never fails to take great interest in all which concerns her
subjects in India, and fully sympathises in their feelings
end wishes. I acknowledge also most heartily the good-
will and confidence which you have evinced in your address
towards myself ; and I assure you that, on my part,
I quite recip.recats these sentiments towards the
chiefs and people of Onde. You admit that the policy
which I have pursued in the settlement of the landed
tenures of Oude has not proved detrimental to your in-
tereste, but that, on the contrary, the result has been
beneficial. This is to a certain degree satisfactory. It is,
however, a result which should induce you to treat with
kindness and real consideration those whose interests and
well-being depend on your will and pleasure. Some of
theft people are nearly related to you ; many more of
them, or of their ancestors, originally had rights and in-
terests, either independent of your control, or which
from various ciramstences you were obliged to respect. It
is the misfortune of these people that in many instances
their ancient rights, their peculiar advantages, have been
swept away, and have passed into your hands ; and, there-
fore, they have a strong claim on your consideration, and
on your sense of justice. I readily express my acknow-
ledgments for the liberal spirit in which the Talookdars
and Zemindars of Oude have generally met my efforts to
mitigate the hardships which the arrangements of 18111,
and the too strict interpretation of the conditions in the
sunnuda which were subsequently issued to them by the
British government, entailed on those whose claims were
antagonistic to their own. A good deal has been done to
redress these grievances ; and all which has been agreed
on will be carefully recorded, so that everyone may
be able, in case of dispute, to adduce evidence of the
rights to which he has been admitted. But much must
still depend on yourselves, and on the good relations
which are maintained between these people and your-
selves : much which laws and rules can never reach, and
which must rest on your own conception of fair dealing
and justice. I acknowledge with gratitude how much I
am indebted, in all that has been effected, to the Chief
Commissioner, Mr. John Strachey ; to the Financial
Commissioner, Mr. Robert Davies; to the Commissioner
of Lucknow, Lieutenant-Colonel Barrow ; and lastly,
but by no means least, to Maharajah Mann Sing, who
has used his great influence among his brother
Talookdars for the accomplishment of my wishes.
It is many years since I first visited Oude, and many im-
portant changes have since that time taken place, I hope
that all of them will eventuate for the general benefit both
of its chiefs and people; and that all will long enjoy peace,
prosperity, and contentment. I have paid much attention
to the administration of this province, and can
bear testimony to the energy and ability with which
its affairs have been conducted since it came under
British control. And I am to understand that you are
generally satisfied with your rulers, and I believe that
they work for the public good. It is only right
that I should remind you that no govern-
ment can be based on solid foundations, where all classes
of the people are not generally prosperous and contented;
where they do not fairly enjoy the fruits of their own
labour ; and where peace and security do not prevail. A
government ought not to exist for the special advantage of
any one class, but for the common benefit of all. Every
chief and every landholder should endeavour, as
far as may be practicable, to act in co-operation
with the government officials of his district. In
this way improvements of all kinds will be made,
and the intelligence and physical condition of the mass of
the people will be gradually elevated, while the legitimate
influence of the nobility and gentry will be maintained,
and indeed will increase. If, however, on the contrary,
these classes should unhappily be regardless of the welfare
of the people, and unwilling to aid in measures for their
improvement, they will certainly lose their influence
in the country. Then, however aggrieved they may
feel, the fault will lie at their own doors. But I
hope for better things from the chiefs and gentry of
Chide. In your address you allude very justly to the
vast benefit of railroads and canals tothe province of Onde.
Such works are of great importance in every country ; and
it is the constant desire of the British government to ex-
tend such advantages, as far as may be practicable, in
every direction. Their tendency is to enrich ell classes and
to impoverish none. But such works, and indeed many
other improvements, are greatly needed everywhere, and
vast sums of money are necessary for their adequate
development which the resources of the Statecannot afford
to the extent required. The government of India does not
spend the public revenues in pomp and show, but in neces-
sary and useful objects ; and you may be quite certain that
(fade will receive her share. My friends, I again thank yon
for the kind terms of your address. I feel an earnest desire
for your welfare, and I trust that as years flow on, you
may become more and more sensible of the solid benefits of
British rule in India.

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

The Arenir National says :

Since the French government, after many oscillations,
has allied itself with a clerical policy, we have from day to
day exposed the new facts which have arisen in Europe,
and have been driven to the conclusion that these
facts are anything but re-assuring. Russia and
Prussia have had, or believed that they have
Thad the advantage over France, involved in a
baleful system ; and the black spots, which an official dis-
course pointed out to us, have reappeared and have
been multiplied. Thus, M. Marie could ask in the
Corps Legislatif on Saturday, "Can you tell us that
we are not to have war next spring ?" and M. Greasier,
• member of the majority, and the reporter on the
Army Bill, was not less sombre although he adjourned his
fears to a more distant date. Speaking of the European
equilibrium he said, "It must be reformed ; but it will be
reformed not by the consent of nations, not by the endeav-
ours of conferences ; it will be reformed by war." The
Harm-Bullier Agent,, has at length decided on in-
forming us that hostilities recommenced in Crete on
the 19th. There is a simple error of date here.
Fighting was going on at the gates of Canes the very day
the Grand Vizier declared before the delegates chosen by
him that the pacification of the island was an accomplished
fact. Only it was considered prudent to conceal as long as
possible an insurrectionary movement, which might pro-
' duce an immense explosion in the east of Europe.
Whilst fighting is going on in Crete, there are obscure
seraglio intrigues going on in Constantinople, and
a breaking up of the present ministry is more and more be-
lieved to be imminent. It is also reported that General
Ignatieff has asked his government not to be called just
now to St. Petersburg, being anxious to remain at his post
in Constantinople till the crisis is over. This request will
probably be seceded to, and the Emperor Alexander 11.
will put off till the first days of January his consultation