The Express.
London, England, 1857-07-18 00:00:00

tufty, which tends to distract attention and to
perplex counsels previously too much confounded.
Nothing, in a word, could have been less promising
than a meeting of members of Parliament, convened
by pablic advertisement, at the King's Arms, Old
Paimre-yard.
Nevertheless, we must own, and we do so with
peat eatisfaction, that the meeting of the Pali*.
misettary friends of Jewish emancipation on Thurs•
ow proved a signal exception to the rule. We do
mil mean to say that some loose talk and random
den& may not be traced in the report we pub-
liskilsewhat took place. But the general tenor of
dee proceedings was eminently practical and wise.
Whenever a precipitate step was suggested, more than
one of those present were prompt to point out its true
character, and to distinguish it from that which had
preceded it, and from which it was illogically de-
duced as necessary. The result was the agreement
that Mr. Diummg's amendment shall only be
resorted to in ease the course recommended by Lord
Joe"; Rumex'. should fail.
Failure in the House of Lords wee indeed antici-
pated by many ; and we are not prepared to say
that we see any mean for believing that the
obstinacy of the Peers will be less during the first
week of August than it was in the first week of July.
Bat on all sides it was felt that the hands of the
advocates of self-asserting privilege would be
strengthened by al reiteration of their lordships
refusal to accede to the claims of justice; and
the more timid friends of statutable redress
were naturally glad of any alternative that
held out a hope, however faint, of accom-
plishing by an Act of Parliament what must
otherwise be attained by the dernier ressort of a
resolution. It does net seem to have occurred to
any of the gentlemen assembled at the King's Arms
that difficulties might arise in the Commons, which,
at the present period of the session, might actually
prove insurmountable. The noble Member fur
London having given notice of his intention to move
for leave to bring in a Bill last night, to extend the
provisions of the Act to the cue of Peers and
Members of Parliament, which enables persons to be
sworn in the manner most binding on their con-
sciences, everybody took for granted that facilities
would be afforded by Government to enable him
to do so. Great was consequently the surprise and

disappointment when Lord PALIMRSTON declared
that he could not undertake to give a day for the
consideration of the proposed Bill. Opportunities
will of course arise, in going into Committee of Sup-
ply, when Lord Jowl, thus driven to the wall, may
insist upon his right. But these opportunities may
come too late for practical nee, so far as the second
appeal to the House of Lords is concerned. The
Peers have a standing order against entertaining
any Bill that does not come up to them from the
Commons by this 24th of July ; and, with a
numerous and fanatical opposition, it is but
too probable that this objection of form
will not be waived in order to allow a
measure so distasteful to be brought forward. Under
these circumstances, it is plain that the responsibi-
lity of forcing matters to extremity has now been
assumed by the Passtisa. When he assumed the
post of leader on a question which for many years
Lord ions litlitSELL had honourably made his own,
the latter cheerfully and eloquently repudiated all
feeling of jealousy, and volunteered to tight in the
ranks which he had previously led. But when the
campaign was over and the battle lost by
the Minister, Lord JOIIN rightfully and gallantly
came forward to resume the post of prominence,
and said—You have not succeeded—let me once more

try. But Lord PALMERSTON does not appear to
relish the appeal. The state of public business will
not admit of hie giving up even a single day. The
hope in Lord HARZOWET'S conversion to toleration
has failed, and the shaming of Lord SuArresoolty
has proved delusive; the latest episcopal creations
have served bat to swell the hosts of bigotry and
sectarian wrong; yet Lord PALM ER4TON refuses a
few hours to a friendly and constitutional discussion
of the question, and declares that, for his own part,
he hoe nothing to propose instead. Can matters rest
there ? We think not.

THE complaint of the representatives of 3,000
Bengal officers and 600 widows, authenticated by
the opinions of actuaries and of counsel of ihe highest
eminence, as given in the pamphlets, newspaper
statements, and memorials to the India Boards and
to Parliament, of the managers in England, is as
follows :

In 1811 the India Company proposed conditions
for the establishment of a Widows' Fund in the
Bengal Army, pledging the Company to support the
Fund on those conditions bring agreed to. The
terms and arrangements were precisely those of
the Madras and Bombs, Funds, already exist-
ing. In 1823 the Directors desired to combine
other objects with that of pensioning widows, in
order to relieve themselves of troublesome business
in connexion with the passage-money and allowances

of sick subalterns, returning home on furlough.
On this °erasion the Madras and Bombay regu-
lations were made compulsory on the Bengal officers
as a condition of amistanee from the Company; and
every officer joining the service was obliged to become
a member of the institution. In 1824, the Bengal
General Military Fund was thus established on the
Company's terms, and it was formally approved
by the Court of Directors, in all its particulars, in
1826. The pledge of the Court, thus formally
announced, was this. The Court declared itself
bound by the same terms which existed in the other
two presidencies, viz., that the subeeriptions of all
the officers in the Bengal Army should be deducted
from their pay ; that the Company would " maim
advances to the agents of the Fund in England, •
the same terms as are allowed to other Indium be&
tutions, viz., 2s. 4d. per Sicca Rupee r and that the
rate of " eight per cent. intern* en the lesnl fuls
balances of the Fund paid into the tawny,' should
be allowed. (We quote from Se letter of the
Directors, dated August 30th, 1826, in reply
to the announcement of the Supreme Govern-
ment, that the Bengal Fund was established
according to the orders of the Board.) At
that time, and up to 1836, the Sicea Rupee formed
the currency in Bengal, while the Madras Rupee cir-
culated elsewhere. The Siva Rupee contained 176
grains of standard silver, and was worth one-six-
teenth more than the Madras Rupee. The Court,
however, allowed 2s. 3d. per Madras Rupee ; and the
Sieca Rupee should, at that rate, have been computed
at 2s. 41d. and not 2s. 4d. This disproportion
(which is the least item in the list of complaints)
occasioned a difference in the treatment of the Ben-
gal and Madras Funds amounting to 61,7921. during
the period in dispute, from 1824 to 1833. Nothing
would have been heard of this original miscalcula-
tion, however, if the Company had fulfilled their en-
gagements on their own terms of 2s. 4d. per Bicca
Rupee. For some years they charged the Indisa
Fonds five per cent. interest on the balance of
advances made in Europe. This was done till 1832,
when the Company changed their method, in a way
which involved a most serious mention from their
terms. There ware then above 2,000 subscribers to
the Fund ; in that year 185 widows drew pensiono.
ad above 60 Ask cams had punermasney, and