The Express.
London, England, 1858-02-06 00:00:00

for the mamma of Delhi. Cawspore, mad Aimee, which
evil-disposed persona have Industriously raised.—We
have, &0., Canatmo, "J. Doing,
"J. Low, "B. Paacomt.
" Fort William, DSO. 11, 1867."
(rim.coP7.)

CICIL BIADON, Sottryd. to the Government

" Home Department—Ho. 164 of 1857. December 24.
" To the Honourable the Court of Directors of the East India

'. Company.

"Honourable Sirs,—ln your de.patch, No. 144, dated the
10th ultimo, you observe that the order. homed by us, on the
July Met, "for the guidance of the several civil Motes
ranted with extraordinary powers for the apprehension and
punishment of mutineers and deserters under acts Nos. XI.
XI V., and XVI. of 1857," were sent to you without the
explanation usually afforded In such ceese of the parti-
cular acts that gave woman for them. Yon add that you
cannot judge of the expediency of those order, or of the ne-
cessity for their issue at that particular jut:wenn until you
receive such an explanation from us, and rut desk* that the
grounds of the measure may le communicated to you as soon
as possible.

"2. The reasons which led t• the iaette of the orders thus re-
ferred to are expressed in the first five paragraph, of the reso-
lution in which the orders are conveyed. They have been
more fully explained in oar despatch No. 144, dated the 11th
instant.

" 3. Unlimited powers of life and death for the punishment
of all heinous crimes had been placed in the heads of many
persons, both in and out of the regular aereice of the govern-
ment, in many parts of the country ; rewards had been
offered by proclamation for the capture of ell mutineers and
deserters; and the exercise of the power of pardon in aims of
mutiny, desertion, and rebellion, by any authority except the
Governor-General of India in Council, had been prohibited.

"4. It subsequently became known to us, partly through
official channels and from documents recorded on our pro-
ceedings, and transmitted at the tune to your honourable
court, but chiefly through the medium of unofficial commu-
nications, written and verbal, which, especially at such •
time and on such a subject, it was impossible for
us to disregard, that the powers above referred
to had been in some cases unjustly and recklessly used ; that
the indiscriminate hanging not only of persons of all shades

of guilt, but of those whose guilt tess, at the least, vary
doubtful, and the general burning and plunder of villages,
whereby the innocent as well as the guilty, without regard
to age or sex, were indiscriminately punished, and, in some
instances, sacrificed, had deeply exasperated large communi-
ties not otherwise hostile to the government—that the coma-

tion of agriculture and consequent famine were impending—
that there were Sepoys passing through the country, some
on leave, others who had gone to their homes after the break-
ing np of their regiments, having taken no part in the mutiny,
but having done their utmost to prevent it, others who had
risked their lives in saving their European officer, from the
wingainary fury of their comrades, and that all of these men
In the temper that at that time generally prevailed among
the English offices and residents throughout the country,
and still unhappily prevails in some quarters, were liable
to be involved in one common penalty ; and, lastly, that the
proceedings of the officers of government had given colour to
the rumour, which was industriously spread, and credulously
received, in all parts of the country, that the government
meditated a general bloody prosecution of Mshomedans and
Hindoos in revenge for the crimes of the &pops, and only
waited for the arrival of European troops to put this design
into execution.

"5. At such a time and in such a critical position of affairs,
it was impossible fa us to stand by and see such things
done, done in the name of justice, without interposing to
prevent it. We were fully alive to the necessity for resort-
ing to measures of extreme severity for the punishment of
guilty men, and all our acts have been framed with a view
to the prompt attainment of that end. Where military force
was available everything was left to the discretion of the
commanding officer, and rarely, It is to be feared, was it
found possible to save the lives and property of all nnoffending
subjects from the vengeance of the European soldiers and the
rapacity of the &pop (Sikhs and others) who have fought
loyally on the side of the government ; but It was in our
power, and we felt it our bounden duty, by a timely caution,
to check the undue action of the civil authorities in whose
hands these extraordinary powers had been placed, to prevent
that which, though formidable enough, was then little more
than a military revolt, from growing into a more widely
spread and implacable feud between the agricultural classes
and their civil rulers ; and to enstrre to faithful native
soldiers, and to those not guilty of mutiny or outrage, a trial
before a militmy tribunal better qualified to judge of the cir-

cumstances under which they might have been absent from
their regiments, than say civil officer.
" 6. If we had refrained from taking memos to this end,
—if we had allowed the spirit of bitterness and hatred which
was rapidly rising up and laying fart hold of the minds of
men of every class and race to develop itself unchecked,—we
should have miserably failed in our duty, and should have
exposed ourselves to the charge of being nothing better than
instruments of wild vengeance in the hands of an exaspe-
rated community.
"We have felt that we bad a higher function to discharge.
We have felt that neither the government of India, nor
any government, can wisely punish in anger ; that punish-
ment so dealt may terrify and crush for a season, but that
with time and returning calm the acts of authority are re-
viewed, and that the government which has punished blindly
and revengefully will have lest its chief title to the respect of
its subjects.

"We have felt that the course which the government of
India may mustiest this crisis will mainly influence the feelings
with which, in tiros to come, the supremacy of England will
be viewed, and the character of their rulers estimated by
many millions of the Queen's subjects. We have therefore
avoided to weaken by any impatience of deliberate justice the
claim which England has estabrshed to the respect and at-
tachment of the well-affected natives of India.

" That numbers of them, of all classes, religions, and meta,
have supported the government with true loyalty is known
to your honourable court. This loyalty it has been our study
to confirm and encourage.

" 7. That our motives should hare been misunderstood and
our acts misrepresented—that instructions issued for the

guidance of civil of in the performance of their duty
should have been described sea restriction on the free action
of the military authorities to whom they were not addressed—
is not surprising. But we look with conlidemoe to the time
when in a lees excited condition of the public mind, and
upon a calm view of the events which are now peening in
India, the orders contained in our resolution of the 31st of
July will be no longer misconstrued.
"8. A few extracts from official documents already ro.
portal to your honourable Court, and from unofficial letters
now within reach, are appended to this despatch. They will
show that we had ample ground for warning the necessity
of cautioning our civil officers against an over-zealous exer-
cise of the enormous powers then entrusted to them. But
other communication, both verbal and written, were not
wanting to °warm our opinion.

"9. If the merits of a measure ere to be judged of by its
success, we challenge criticism. Not a single instance has
been brought forward, or, as far sa we know, has
occurred, in which the real efficiency of any magistrate to
deal with the offences of mutiny, desertion, and rebellion,
has been impaired ; while the effect of the instructions has
been to impress civil officers inverted with power under the
penal acts of 1867 with a more just sense of their du-
ties and responsibilities; to save innocent men from
shameful death, and innocent families from the destruc-
tion of home and property; to prevent the fields from
remaining unfilled and the crops unaown ; and to aware the
people generally that notwithstanding all that has past, jus-
tice—and not vengeance—ls the policy of the British govern-
ment.—We have, &c.,
(Signed) " Cateterro, "J. DOWN,
" J. Low, " B. Peacoce.
" Fort William, December 24, 1867."
arse coll.)
Cent. Beswort,
Secretary to the Government of India.

ROYALTY us THE BICE Llsg.—Jut at this time
it would seem that the kings of European below the average
of health which men& meow' their sub Mets. The winter
has be= so =usually mild that tut health of the people
mends same than commonly high, eitille half the crowned
Made of lance have ham on the sick Nat. The King of
Prussia la snaring ham a severe wawa election, for which
no favourable Woe eis hardly be anticipated. The Grand
Duke Lobel, of Bei= who has long been under strict
medical surveillance, dad lest week. The K Swedes,
slowly recovering from a serum Mom, Ina thrown back by
an attack of fever early lent month, from which he is owe
more eoundeecent. The King of Wurtercburg is reported
to be Met breaking ; he recently Wand Wen an attack of
grippe." Finslly, the Gerd Deka of Weimar le invalided
by an attack of q-asock• tonailleria, aoostopsaied with in-
fluenza, fever. Seth a test albedo ample food for the moralist.
It will inspire regret in the minds of the loyal 'Ojeda of
those monarchs. The dennerata, induenoed by other
hasp, will
,be tempted to sick* " 0 ei en onense,"—
bleak