The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-22 00:00:00

"TO SIR CHARLES YORBVS, BART.
" Dear and respected Sir,—We have long cherished
the desire of publicly recording the sentiments of respect
and esteem universally entertained towards you by the
native community of India, and of evincing the admira-
tion and deep gratitude with which we have beheld your
unceasing efforts to promote the interests of this country
and the moral and political improvement of its people:
" Twenty-seven years have now elapsed since you
parted from us, but so vivid are all your recollections
and se great is the interest you take in all that concerns
India and the welfare of its inhabitants, that it would
seem almost as if you were still present amongst us,
directly participating, as you formerly did, in all our
anxious cares for the amelioration of our condition and
the extension of lour social, privileges. This feature of
your character is highly honourable to you, as it is a
rare and remarkable one, for our experience has fully
shown us that but few men, however estimable, retain a
recollection of their Eastern friends when they have re-
turned to their native country. New connexions, new
friends, new ties, break the links of their regard; and if
they do not forget us, they cease to take that warm
interest in our affairs which we had hoped for and anti-
cipated. To this common failing of humanity your
conduct has ever formed a distinguished exception; time
and absence, instead of lessening your regard fur the
natives of India, appear to have the effect of increasing it.
"To your steady and uncompromising advocacy of
oar cause we feel that we in a great measure owe the
important civil rights of sitting as jurymen and acting
as her Majesty's justices of the peace. It is felt and
acknowledged by all, that unless you had stood forward
as you did, many years would have elapsed before these
important concessions would have been yielded to us.
Our individual character and capability for appreciating
such high distinctions of social life, if not altogether
disbelieved, was at least reluctantly acknowledged by
those authorities who have the control of our destinies
in England, and the prejudices existing on the subject
could only bo overcome by such exertions as your zealous
interest in our cause, your personal knowledge of us,
, and we may add, your peculiarly prominent position as
an acknowledged and unvarying friend of India, enabled
you to afford.
" Reverting to the earliest period of our connexion
with you, we aro proud to acknowledge its beneficial
influence on all that relates to our worldly prosperity
and the prosperity of this island. Your penetration,
intelligence, and enterprise as a merchant, afforded a
stimulating example to commercial undertakings which
was previously unknown in Bombay, and which, being
followed by others, has been productive of the best
•effects i❑ developing the capabilities and resources of the
country. At a period when natives were held less
entitled than they now are to the courtesies of European
society, your condescending kindness and friendly treat.
meat on all occasions of personal intercourse effected
much, in your person, to attach them to European cha
ratter and customs, and paved the way for many social
advantages which they now enjoy, and for which we and
our posterity must ever feel grateful.
" To the existing generation your virtues and their
obligations are well known. The old are acquainted
Kith them from experience, and the young have learned
them from grateful report. This, however, is not suffi-
cient, and we should be wanting in duty to ourselves, did
we not take steps to perpetuate in the moat lasting form
the sentiments entertained by us. With these feelings,
•it is solicited by us, that you will afford to Sir Francis
Cbantrey, or any other eminent artist whom you may
appoint, such sittings as may enable him to execute a
statue, which it is our wish to hare erected in some con-
spicuous place in Bombay, so that our children and our
children's children may have before them the image of
him who n as the friend of their fathers and the unwearied
advocate of all that tended to benefit India and the people
of her soil.

" With every sentiment of respect, we beg to subscribe
ourselves, dear and respected Sir, your most obliged and
grateful servants,

CURAbiCHUND RUTTONJEE,
" TABACHUND VASSANJEE,
" And 1,040 Principal Native and other
Inhabitants of Bombay."
But it was in his private charities that the character
of Sir Charles Forbes was peculiarly manifested ; their
extent throughout along lite was probably unparalleled;
they were distributed without reference to any other
consideration than the necessities of the recipients, and
in a manner best calculated to soothe and cheer the
unfortunate. The afflicted never solicited Sir Charles '
Forbes in vain ; the appeals made to him might be
those of simulated distress, but he frequently observed
he would rather be deceived any number of times than
reject the claims of one real sufferer. And so unos-
tentatious was his charity that almost literally the
right hand knew not what the left had bestowed.
One more paint, out of many, deserves notice in the
character of this truly good man—one of whose last
acts was the appropriation of a very large sum of money
to procure for the natives of Bombay a plentiful
supply of pure water in all seasons—the liberality of
his mind was as remarkable as the benevolence of his
heart; he was ever disposed to look favourably on the
faults of others—to extend his sympathy to those who
were suffering even from their own errors—to respect
and esteem goodness in others, and to think most
humbly of himself.