The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-07 00:00:00

thousands of camp followers and of camels, had been I
followed by a most brilliant triumph, and were the re-
sults
of a true economy. He would only say that it was
with the most cordial Satisfaction he would join in the
vote of thanks to the Gallant General who had com-
manded that force, and to the brave men who had acted
under him. It was a pleasure to him, who had lately
been a sojourner in that country, to hear of the vigour,
the efficiency, and the ability with which the British
army had performed its duty. If there was any-
thing that might strike a person who had associated
with our soldiers in India, it was a disposition on their
parts to think that Indian services were not so highly
valued in England as services which had been rendered
in other quarters. It was most striking, too, to see the
interest with which they read every line in the Trnglish
newspapers which related to the opinion entertained in
this country of their efforts, because old men who had
served their country in a foreign land were anxious to
see that their services had not been forgotten.—(Hear,
hear.) He therefore felt particular pleasure in believing
that the House would unanimously concur in paying
that honour to our gallant army, and in passing that
vote of thanks to them which had been given by the
other House, and which he knew would be confirmed
by that which he had the honour to address. He
trusted, too, that the testimony so nobly borne to their
merits by that Gallant Captain who was himself the
greatest General England had ever produced would in-
spire every man in that brave army with a resolution to
expose himself to every danger which the service of his
country might require.
Sir R. JENKINS said that,'as he had already hind
an opportunity at many events of great importanee,
resembling those under the consideration of the House,
he could not reconcile it witkhis duty to give a silent
vote on the present occasion. It would, moreover, be ex-
cusable in him, as he had been himself tke mover of a
resolution similar to that submitted to them, which had
been passed by the East India Proprietors—a body
nearly interested in the prosperity of our Indian pos-
sessions. He felt that if he addressed the House after
others, there was this advantage in his doing so, that he
need not enter into any lengthened details, as the facts
had been already placed before Hon. Members. He
could not, however, avoid adverting briefly to the rapi-
dity and to the effect which had attended that won-
derful campaign.—(Hear, hear.) When he considered
the great extent of country which our troops had to
traverse, that extent being a space of twelve hundred
miles, and when he considered the great difficulties
they had to encounter in their march, both in the way
of natural obstacles, and of obstacles presented partly
by their want of knowledge of the country, and partly
by the savage nature of the inhabitants of those lands,
—when he considered he felt considerable anxiety as to
all this, the results of so hazardous an expedition. Need
he say, however, that each successive report removed the
anxiety which he had naturally entertained, and showed
him that the skill of the commanders-, and the steady
bravery of the troops, would bring the campaign to a
triumphant issue ? Deserts had been safely crossed,
and mountain-passes had _ been traversed, equal, he
should say, to those of the Alps. All those efforts had
been terminated by an achievement almost unparalled in
the annals of any country—by the capture of Ghuznee
—a triumph which had astonished the most powerful
chieftain in India, had paralyzed his strength, and had
compelled him to disperse his troops, and fly to the
distant hills. The whole course o. these military ope-
rations had been exempt from the usual vicissitudes of
war. Mighty armies had fled before a handful of men,
and the strongest fortresses had fallen before a few
thousand British troops. After appealing to the mili-
tary officers in the House, and to the Gallant General
opposite, as to the skill and bravery with which the
entire expedition had been conducted, the Hon. Mem-
ber proceeded to say that he would briefly allude to the
general policy from which the expedition had its rise.
He would say that there never was an expedition con-
ducted at such a distance from the scene of action, which
had so completely answered the conceptions on which
it had been based. There never was an expedition,
he would venture to say, in which every individual
concerned, from the Governor-General to the lowest
soldier, deserved greater praise. With these impres-
sions he begged to second the resolutions which had been
proposed.—(Cheers.)
Sir HENRY HARDINGE said that the testimony
borne to the merits of the English army in India had
been so unanimous, that nothing remained for him but
to express his admiration of that army, commanded as
it had been by a Gallant Friend of his. The subject
had already been brought before the House so ably
that he had little to say as to the services of that army,
and if he were to indulge in any observations on the
' subject, he should express his opinion that, great as
were the merits of our troops in the taking of Ghuznee,
their efforts, previous to those operations, were no less
great than in the event which followed.—(Hear,
hear.) Hon. Members had remarked that the army
had patiently borne all the sufferings of a long and
severe march, but it was also to be remarked that
that march would also be celebrated for another event
—our, troops had crossed the Indus, and that was, he
believed, the first time that such an operation had
been accomplished since the time of Alexander. That
was a circumstance, which reflected honour on the ex-
pedition. He believed that the history of the entire
campaign would show that the science of our troops
was equal to their valour. He believed that the expe-
dition would show not only the endurance and the spirit
of obedience which animated our own troops, but he
also thought that the native soldiers, the Sepoys, had
greatly distinguished themselves by their patience under
fatigue, and he would state, that from what he had
heard they had raised themselves greatly in the estima-
tion of their officers. Hon. Gentlemen had alluded to
the extraordinary nature of the march, but he did not
think that the circumstances which had attended the
capture of the town had been sufficiently appre-
ciated by the House. That capture had been effected
,by a very simple expedient—by applying a bag of pow-
der to the gate. After some further observations on
the skill displayed in the taking of the town, the Right
Hon. Baronet concluded by saying, that it was with
the most perfect cordiality and heartfelt satisfaction he
found that her Majesty was about to confer on
different parties engaged in the expedition the honour
which she intended to bestow on them. He should
conclude by setting aside all party and political feeling,
and, by expressing a hope that the effect of our late
military operations in India would be to impress on the
inhabitants of Central Asia a conviction of our power,
and Ly this means to secure the peace and prosperity of
the people.—(Cheers.)
Sir H.VIVI AN said, having been directly referred to,
by the Gallant Member for Shrewsbury, and having
en intimate acquaintance with the Noble Lord who
held the Government of India, with whom he was in
some degree connected, he could not but feel a deep
interest on the question before the House, and would
venture to over a few observations en it. The Noble
Lord to whom he alluded was the party principally con-
cerned in the expedition, and he therefore thought that
he was fully entitled to the praises that were
given him. After some further observations,
the Gallant Member proceeded to say, that with
respect to the principal event the capture of
Ghuznee, he would not enter into any details.
There was one point, however, and an important one,
omitted in the debate—that was, with respect to the
conduct of the troops after they had forced their way
into the town. There had been no instance of any im-
proper proceeding on their parts—there was no case in
which females had not been respected, and there was
no case of brutality, as was usual under such cir-
cumstances. He should say that he sincerely re-
joiced that the gallant soldiers engaged in
the undertaking had upheld, by their moderation
in the city the high character which they had acquired
by their previous achievements. He should also state
that his Gallant Friend, the commander of these troops,
had maintained the high character which he had ac-
quired under the great English Captain in his various
campaigns. When he considered all the circumstances
of the case, he felt great pleasure in voting to the
gallant Indian army, as had been proposed, the thanks
of the House.

Mr. HUME felt great pleasure in concurring with
every Member that had spoken as to the great praise
that was due to the army in India, and that their
exertions richly entitled them to the thanks of that
House.—(Hear, hear.) He looked back with great
satisfaction at the bold manner in which the expedition
had been carried into effect. The conduct that had
been pursued by Lord Auckland richly entitled him to
the thanks of the country, and that pursued by the
native troops, was worthy of the highest praise. He
was most happy to hear it stated in that House that the
army in India looked more to a vote of thanks from
Parliament for any of their exploits than to promotion.
He thought that the Indian army had not received its
full 'need of approbation for the great exploits it bad
effected. As to the expenses of the present expedition
although they might be great, he was sure that they
had been well spent when the result of the expedition
was looked at, and the short time in which it had been
effected considered.—(Hear, hear.) He most cordially
concurred in the vote of thanks that had been proposed.
Sir DE LACT EVANS concurred entirely in the
vote of thanks that was proposed to be given to the
Indian army, but he could not agree with the doubt
thrown out by the Right Hon. Baronet the Member
for Tamworth as to the propriety of givinga vote of
thanks specially to Lord Auckland. He
had had the
pleasure of hearing the Duke of Wellington House of Lords last night ; •and that Noble in the
Duke's
remarks were stronger in his favour than any other in-
dividual. If any doubt could be thrown upon the pro-
priety of the vote of thanks to Lord Auckland, consi-
dering the situation that he held, he thought the House
would do well to make it a precedent now.—( Hear.)
Sir R. PEEL could assure the Gallant Officer op-
posite, that in the observations he had made he
did not intend to do any injustice to Lord Auckland.
He had no doubt of the great zeal of the Noble Lord,
but he doubted as to the propriety of giving a vote of
thanks to persons placed in the high situation which the
Noble Lord held, but he begged it to be understood I
that he had expressed no doubt whatever as to the ab-
stract
merits of Lord Auckland.—(Hear.)