The Express.
London, England, 1858-06-03 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 3, IEISB.

THE EAST INDIA COMPANY AND LORD

CANNING'S PROCLAMATION,

This morning was lamed, as a return to parlia-
ment, the following copy of a letter from the Court
of Directors of the East India Company to the
Oovernor•Qeneral in council, dated the 18th day of
May last :
Political Daputatiat, 18th of May (No. 20), 1858.
Oar Goveracw-Omend of India in Council.
Paragraph 1. The Beast Committee has communicated to
us the Governor-Ommall morel letter, dated 6th March
(No. 9), 1858, with its enclostwei, consisting of a letter
addressed to the Chief Ossambidaser of Cade, dated 3rd of
March, and of the prosionation referred to therein, which
was to be lamed by air James Outrun to the chiefs and
inhabitants of Oads es soon u the British troops should
have poseession or command of the City of Lucknow.
3. We have also received communication of the letter
addressed to your government by the Secret Committee,
under dais the 19t► et April last, on the subject of the
draft of proclamation.

3. Our political letter of the 6th of lday has apprised you
of our 'lrons sense of the distinction which ought to be
meintainid between the revolted Sepoys and the chiefs and
people of Onde, and the comparative indulgence with which,
*puny from justice and policy, the insurgents of that
country (other than &pop) ought to be regarded. In ac-
cordance with these views, we entirely approve the guarantee
of life sad honour given by the proposed proclamation to all
talookdara, chiefs, and landholders, with their followers, who
should make immediate sehmisekm, surrender their arms,
mad obey the orders of the British government, provided
they have not participated in the murder " of Englishmen
or Englishwomen."

4. W e are prepared to learn that inpablioly declaring that,
with the exception of the lends of mix pereona who had been
steedfut in their allegiance, the proprietary right in the soil of
the province was confiscated to the British government, the
. .

Governor-General intended no more than to reserve to
him-
self entire liberty of action, and to give the character of
Marry to the conlimation of all right' not prejudicial to the
public welfare, the owners of which might not, by their
(=duct, have excluded themselves from indulgent con-
sideration.

5. His lordship must hare been well aware that the words
of the proclamation, without the comment on it which we
trust was speedily afforded by your actions, must have pro-
duced the expectation of much more general end indiscrimi-
nate dbpossession than could have been consistent with jus-
tice or with policy. We shall doubtless be informed, la dee
course, of the reasons which induced the Ciovensck-Osseeni

to employ theee terms, and of the means which, we prawn*
have been taken of making known in Oude the merciful chew
rooter which we assume must still belong to your Cows. In
the meantime, it is due to the Governor-General that we
should express our entire reliance that on this as Cu forme
oceweirms it has bcen his firm resolution to show to all whose
orimes are not too great for any indulgence the utmost de-
gree of leniency consistent with the early rest nation and
firm mentenance of lawful anthoriLy.
We accordingly have to inform you that, on receiving
communication of the papas now acknowledged, the Court
of Directors peened the following resolution
" Resolmd,—That, is reference to the despatch from the
Secret Committee to the Governor-General of India, dated
the 19th ult., with the documents therein alio& I to, and
this day laid before the Court of Directors, this court desires
to express its continued confidence in the Ooveracir-Omeral,
Lord Canning, and its conviction that his momentum for the
pechloation of Onde and the other disturbed districts in India,
will be chermoteriaed by a generous policy, and by the utmost
ohmency that is found to be coneistsat with the satidaokey
accomplishment of that important ebjeot."—We see, ho.,
(811PRI) F. etrinill.
W. J. Raerwtcn.
Loudon, May 18, 1868. &a, am.