The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-17 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb.,!l6.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woo:
sick at Five o'clock.
MAYNOOTH GRANT. _ _

The Earl of Re DEN presented a petition from the
Protestants of the city of Dublin against the continu-
ance of the grant to Maynooth.
EAST INDIA COMPANY'S CHARTER.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said that since he
had given notice of his intention of putting a question
to the Noble Marquis opposite on this subject notice
had been given in the other House of Parliament for the
appointment of a Committee on the subject; and there-
fore the only question which he could put now would be
on what day it was intended to move for a Committee i❑
this House. He should also wish to know whether, on
moving for these Committees, her Majesty's Govern-
ment were prepared to lay before them ample informa-
tion on the present condition of the country; and he
would venture to hope that that information would com-
prise all the papers necessary to throw light upon his
(the Noble Earl's) rectal from India. Whatever might
have been the motives which induczd Sir
Robert Peel to refuse the production of these
papers, eight years ago, they could now exist no
longer, and he thought that when the time came to fix
the nature of the future government, these papers would
be of the greatest use in considering the relations be-
tween her Majesty's Government and the government of
the Court of Directors. With regard to the latter part
of his question, relating to the armament sent to Ran-
goon, he would wish to be informed whether the Indian
Government had taken care to ascertain by trustworthy
agents the truth of the representations which had in-
duced the Government to dispatch the armament. He
could recollect the circumstance attending certain
claims brought forward by a celebrated person—Don
Pacifico. Athens rejoiced but in one Don Pacifico, but
he could assure the Noble Marquis that there were
dozens of Don Pucificos at Rangoon, if there were not
the strongest misapprehensions and grossest misrepre-
sentations on the part of all persons who at any time had
been indirectly connected with India, and who bad
written with regard to Rangoon and Ave. Rangoon
was the sink of Asia; it was the Alsatia to which all
went who could not live elsewhere—persons who found
the rest of Asia too hot for them, and who went there
and endeavoured to obtain a new reputation and new for-
tunes. He was the more inclined to regret that this
course was not adopted, because as soon as the commo-
dore arrived he found the case different from what he
expected it to be. All sorts of persons came with griev-
ances; all the Don Pacificos made their complaints, and
it was said that he was obliged to send to Calcutta for
fresh instructions. He had no doubt the King of Ava
would do justice, but he felt confident that he would do
no more than his commissiouers recommended him to
do. He should like to know distinctly the grounds on
which the expedition was sent to Ave; whether any
attempt had been made to ascertain the truth of the
statement which had been made? And if the Noble
Marquis could tell him, he should like to know what the
objects of her Majesty's Government were, and to what
extent it was intended to press on the Government of
Ava conditions which might not be altogether acceptable
to them?

-- -
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that it was, of
course, the wish of her Majesty's Government to afford
all the information relative to the important subject of
the future government of our Indian empire, in order
to enable Parliament to form that deliberate judg-
ment which the subject merited, and when that
information was produced it would be for the
Noble Earl, if he did not think it sufficient, to move
for any addition. With regard to the latter part of the
Noble Earl's question, the arrival of the Indian mail
had happily brought intelligence that the dispute with
the Government of Rangoon bad been settled in an ami-
cable manner. He, of course, was not aware whether
the King of Ava was sincere in the arrangement, but
he could say that no steps had been taken by the Indian
Government to dispatch an armament to that quarter
without having been fully satisfied that several British
subjects had been treated by the authorities at Rangoon
in the most unjust and vexatious manner. The state
of the question was this :—ln June last a distinguished officer
employed by the company, Colonel Ogle, then superinten-
dent of the nearest settlement to the port of Rangoon, re-
ported to the Governor-General and Council that a merchant
of high respectability and character had satisfied him that
he had undergone at Rangoon grievous acts of injustice ; and
Rangoon being a port occasionally resorted to by European
ships for the purposes of commerce and shelter, he thought
that redress ought to be demanded. It was represented
to him that a person having been led into Rangoon
by the ignorance of his pilot, and having found fault with
him, the man threw himself overboard ; that it was then laid
to his charge that he had endeavoured to drown the pilot,
the object being to obtain pecuniary compensation which
he was not entitled to pay; and that the merchant and
his crew underwent the most vexatious treatment. The
Governor of Rangoon directed a court of arbitration to be
held on the subject, and that court having pronounced in
favour of the captain of the ship, the Governor arbitrarily
set aside the award and required him to pay the
alsoarge
the deceased a considerable sum of money ;. a
It was
amount for the benefit of the Governor hr
also represented to Colonel Ogle that anothae
obliged to pay
suffered vexatious treatment, having bee
been accused of the
himself.
eerchant had
wages he was not entitled to pay, and
murder of a man who died from natural cazse.
in India the ations were of a kind so enormous pencil Colonel Ogle
NOTO
upOn this
expe-
to submit to the President and C
ground - upon
diency of obtaining redress. Itotahsat.
the Governor-General
the responsibility of Colonel (30ti; the President and Council,
of.lndia, in communication w
sufficient force to demand
Rangoon with a s
suggested it to be his opinion that Commodore Lambert
should be sent to &in
eases.
When he came there he
reparation in those p_e
was, as the Noblesharl had stated, assailed by several Don
Persons came to the Commodore and made
Mane per
Pacificos. their grievances; and those cases exceeding
statements of
case for which. he was ordered to demand redress,
the specific
he exercised a wise discretion by abstaining frroesmenptreoaceteodbinegsos
against the gevernor,whose conduct was re
uniformly unjust and.
.exorbitant; but he feted with justice
and propriety, addressing, in most decisive terms, the King
of Ava, demanding reparation ; and the result was, that the
icing approved of the course which Commodore Lambert had
taken ; he admitted that satisfaction was due from him ; and
the governor who had so misconducted himself was imme-
diately removed from his place. An arrangement was made
which he (the Marquis of Lansdowne) had no reason to think
would not be fairly carried out ; the course proposed was to send
two persons to the spot, to find the nature of the injustice
which had been done, and the compensation which was due.
He must presume this would be , such as the nature of the
case required; and it appeared to him that Colonel Ogle re-
presenting the British interests, the Governor-General, and
the Commodore employed, had done their duty
in a most
satisfactory way, with a view to the interests of the count'?
and the honour of the Crown.—(Hear, hear.)
THE TROOP SHIP MEGA:ERA.
The Duke of MONTROSE wished to ask a question ofitillade
Government with reference to the ship Me sera, whie.h.
, wan re-
s
been employed to take out troops to the Cape, aa
coin-
ference to which a letter had appeared in the
plaining of the want of accommodation for
the
consequence
men, as well as for their arms and baggage, Pa They had
Toigceers and
of the quantity of ordnance stores 04 board.