The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-21 00:00:00

long antecedent engagement to which the British Go-
vernment had bound itself never to take part with Shah
Sooj ah in the enforcement of any claim upon the Ameers
for arrears of tribute. Upon most unquestionable au-
thorites I am also prepared to show the flagitious
extent in other respects to which the suppressio rerz
has, in that folio of ex parte statements been carried.
Upon the testimony of several of the most honourable
men living I am likewise prepared to show, that in
the laboured attempt therein made to make out a
sufficient pretest for the confiscation of the Sinde
principality, many of the assertions by which it is
supported, and to which it so suited the convenience
of Ministers to give credence, with the unworthy
view also of casting as much odium as possible on these
fallen Princes, are alike unwarranted by the realities of
the case. Alas, for the remaining states in India,
when on the same occasion it was argued, that in
dealing with semi barbarous states the civilized and
greater power may adapt its solemn engagements to
the exigency or expediency of the occasion 1 After
which it mu .t be evident to this Court how little
the Princes of India have to look for, from an
appeal to the sympathy or justice of British states-
men, even when it is backed, as in the case of the
Ameers, by the recorded conviction by the Court of
Directors of the truth of the grievances complained of.
I would also urge in favour of the Ameers the hard-
ship of their case by comparison with those not so
momentous ones, for discussing which this Court had
so long been made the battle field, the victories
gained in which were made the chief grounds on
which Ministers were. but too happy, when taxed
with injustice by Mr. Hume, to rest
,their defence,
thus obtaining corresponding majorities in the House
of Parliament. I here allude to the cases of the depo-
sition: of the late ex-Raja of Sattars, and
the recent annexation of that principality to
the British dominions—upon which occasions the
aggrieved parties were allowed the benefit of every
minute of dissent in their favour, as well as of the
opposing opinions and the reasoning on which they
were based, of the majority of the Court of Directors ;
and why the Ameers should to this day have been
debarred the same privilege is the more inexplicable,
after that persevering stand which was made by the
Court of Directors pending the discussions pre-
vious to the last renewal of the Charter, in
favour of publicity ; for if ever there has occurred
a case in exemplification of the exigence therein
contemplated, it is that of the confiscation of
Sinde ; it is therefore deeply to be regretted that
our Executive did not proceed one step further, and,
as in the case of a like threatened act of injustice by
the Board of Control against the Nabob of Oude, in
the year 1834, again indignantly declare there
are obligations superior to that of yielding "to
a mandamus, and there are acts which cannot be
performed without a violation of those principles on
which all law depends," the effect of which I need
hardly add was to stay the meditated act of
infamy and injustice by the controlling power.
In like manner is it the height of injustice that the
case of the Ameers is made a solitary exception to
the usage in India on all such occasions—inasmuch as
in every other instance where charges have been
brought forward against a prince or prime minister
involving the penalty of deposition or exile, the
parties have been confl °cited with those by whose
evidence the accusations against them were supported,
and in no cases have they been pronounced
guilty on seals, signatures, or other docu-
ments not proved to be authentic, or on
parole evidence obtained under suspicious cir-
cumstances or undue influence. The cases to
which I more particularly allude are those of the
Nabob of the Carnatic, the Nabob of Karnoul, the
Raja of Sattara, Prince Tej Sing, and that of Mool-
raj of Moultan—to all of whom had been accorded
the usual privileges of persons charged with
political offences both previous to and during trial.
In like manner has the case of the Ameers been made
an exception to those of other chiefs who had long
been engaged in open hostility ith the British Go-
vernment; the Princes so captured and exiled, or
driven into rebellion, having been reinstated in their
former principalities. The cases to which I here
allude, amcng others, are the two Chiefs of Beni-boo-
Ali and that of Nussur Khan of Kelat, upon a more
dispissionate review of which the British Government
admitted there had been many extenuating circum-
stances for such resistance to our rule, and
that their restoration would be hailed as
a blessing by the tribes over whom they
had before exercised sway not one of whom
have given us cause to regret such acts of tardy
justice, at any rate of clemency ; and to say that in
these times the tanquillity of Sinde would be endan-
gered by the restoration of the Ameers to their here-
ditary estates is a plea which would hardly be advanced
by the most timid of those vested with political
responsibility. As well might it be urged that the
peace of the Sattara territory is jeopardised by
the presence of that party, with the virtuous
Mr. Frere at its head, who supported the
claims of the present Reja to such possession.
Looking around me, gentlemen, it is upon no slender
grounds I build my hopes that your exertions will
not be wanting in aid of my own to obtain for these
id-used princes the privilege of being heard in their
defence, not as in the case of the Mannings, before a
jury of their countrymen, but before any commission,
be it of only three competent and impartial persons, in
view to that redress, to which the justice of their cause
may be found to entitle them, consisting, moreover, as
this Court does, of so many gentlemen whose chief
inducement in availing themselves of a seat in it,
was, for the disinterested object of promoting every
measure directed to the welfare of our Indian em-
pire, and by which the condition of our native sub-
jects may be ameliorated (more especially when such
measures are directed to obtain for them the redress
of any well-proved grievance, and to the preserva-
tion to them of all those hereditary rights and
privileges, upon which it is the avowed object
of our present legislators to make such
fearful encroachments) and among these so many
gentlemen who have passed the greater portion
of their lives in India, and those risen to offices of the
highest dignity and trust in the judicial, diplomatic,
and military branches of the service, eminently quali-
fied therefore for the due and important consideration
of all such cases as that now before us. I cannot,
gentlemen, in appealing to a Court so constituted—l
cannot allow myself to believe that any considerations
based on a servile deference to those authorities who
have thought proper to sanction that foulest blot on
the character of England—the confiscation of the
Sinde principality—will stand in the way of your
cordial assent to toe prcd uction of the papers for which
I now ask, and to what else I have in view by the
present motion. Well might the Emperor of Russia
exclaim, when hastened out of England by the near
approach of that festival commemorative of its exe-
cration on this hind of freedom, law, and justice,
against the dismemberment of Poland, "that the
ssizure and retention of Sinde would be viewed by
posterity as a national crime of still deeper dye,"
more especially so when such measure was insisted
upon by Ministers against the united denunciations of
the press, and, to the honour of our Executive be it
added, from one end of this House to the other.
"Earth is sick,
.And Heaven is weary of the hollow words
Which states and kingdoms utter when they talk
Of truth end justice."
This motion—iu a not less feeling than argu-
mentative speech, of which we regret we have not
a copy—most warmly seconded by Mr. Sullivan, and
followed by a not less eloquent and emphatic denun-
ciation by Mr. Clark, of the unmerited wrongs in-
flicted on the Ameers of Sinde, which clearly mani-
fested the pains which had been taken by that
gentleman to render himself familiar with the
merits of this important case. Mr. Lewin and
General Briggs having addressed tee Court to the
same effect, the Chairman rose to observe that no persons
more deeply lamented than themselves the unmerited
treatment of the Ameers of Sinde, but under the
peculiar circumstances in which the Court of Direc-
tors was placed, he did not feel authorised to give
his assent to the present motion, which was by a show
of hands carried,in the negative.
Mr. SULLIVAN seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN, in opposing it, briefly referred to
several previous discussions upon the subject, and
assured the proprietors that the Court of Directors
had sent out directions for the condition of the exiled
Ameers to be made as comfortable to them as it could
possibly be made. What more could be done in that
respect he knew not. Papers had been laid before the
Court and before Parliament in their case in great
numbers, and no further information would be given
by furnishing more. He therefore trusted the Court
would see the inexpediency of acceding to the motion.
After a discussion the motion was negatived by a
large majority.
Several notices of motion were then given for the
next Court.
THE LATE EMPEROR OF DELHI.

Mr. SULLIVAN then moved that the documents re-
lating to the treaty with the late Emperor of Delhi
be printed for the use of the proprietors. He con-
tended that the object of the Governor General was
to annihilate the empire of Delhi in the same way as
had been done with the territory of the Raja of Sat-
tars, with a view to absorbing it under British rule.
IRV%PA 11-1.• The terms made by the Marquis of Wellesley for
* • ....}1 the reigning family were now being broken, much to
*IICI-17\r:, N the di•honour of the British Government. After
%‘-'xt,y,,, quo.ing the various treaties with the dynasty of Delbi,
_ Ai. ‘)* and instances of infringement on the part of the corn-
• _.,, . pany, the Hon. Proprietor concluded by a hope that
a ~.6,
_,,, the Court would not refuse the object of his reso-
inclzt
'-1 • •~, lution.
is.. •
's Major-General BRIGGS said he was unprepared to
NI fi S enter into the merits or details of the question—not
being aware that the motion would have been brought
forward to-day. Notwithstanding he rose to second
the motion that these papers he produced. He could
not help expressing hie regret that the Government of
Judie were infringing all the solemn treaties, one

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