The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-21 00:00:00

PRICE 5d

THE RAJA OF SATTARA.

INDIA HOUSE.—TUESDAY.:
The adjourned debate on the above case was com-
menced this day by
Colonel SYKES, who said he did not intend long to
occupy the Court, but wished to make a few observations
upon the charges brought against the Raja by some
Hon. Proprietor who had taken part in the debate. It
was imputed to the Raja as crimes that he was actuated
by overweening pride of ancestry, and deep ingratitude
to those who had placed him on the throne ;—over-
weening pride, which led him to entertain views
inimical to the British Government in India. He trusted
that mite), in the Court had seen a book lately published,
entitled " The Commoners of Great Britain." In it
they would see that the people of this country had as
great a pride of ancestry as any people in the world.
Was that, then, which in this country was thought a jus-
tillable pride, to be considered in India as a crime ?
General Briggs had told them that even when the
Raja was a prisoner in the fort of Swam in the
hands of his usurping servant, care was taken to
minister to .that pride. His servant, who was then upon
the throne, carefully kept him surrounded with all the
majesty of state. Nay, even the Peishwa himself was
obliged to come to hint as the descendant of the house
of Mahratta for investiture. Nay even the Indian Go-
vernment itself did him homage so far as was in their
power, for when they seated him on the throne, it
was done with all the pomp and pride of
military show. That was not confined to the period ; for
eight or ten years.afterwards, upon the occasion when
the Raja paid a visit to Poona, at the time when he (the
Colonel) was present, he saw the Raja received as a
sovereign Prince. All the troops were turned out, with
Lord Elphinstone at their head, and the Raja was re-
ceived with royal honours. He said, therefore, that if
the Indian Government had not promoted that feel-
ing of pride which the Prince had a right to
entertain, they had at least nourished it. But
because he entertained those feelings, did it follow
as a matter of course that he must necessarily entertain
feelings hostile to the Indian Government. and that he
must be deeply imbued with ingratitude? Let them
consider the Raja, and the relation in which he stood with
them when he was placed upon the throne. The autho-
rity of his family had been usurped by a rebellious ser-
vant, who, having quarrelled with the English, as was
usual, and would always be, failed in the contest. What
did the Indian Government do then ? They set the lawful
Prince upon the throne ; but did they give back the
whole of his territories ? They did not ; they gave him
back only a part of that which had been his inheritance ;
not only so, but some of the forts which were peculiarly
interesting in the history of the family were kept from
him. But so far from showing any ingratitude, he sub-
mitted calmly and patiently to the tutelage imposed upon
him by the treaty—he submitted without a murmur to
the guidance of Captain Grant and those other officers
who followed him as Residents at the Court of Sat-
, tara:—(Hear.) So far from showing any ingratitude,
he had always expressed the utmost good will towards
the English ; his country had been governed with
statesmanlike ability, with great financial prosperity,
and with the utmost satisfaction to the people under
him. He would now come to the treaty entered
into with the Raja. The first article of the treaty
made the schedule annexed to it part of the treaty
itself. In the schedule, certain places were named as
being granted " exclusive of Jagheerdars," and at the
end there was the expression " together with." Now, if
those expressions did not mean to include all the Jag-
heerdars, he did not know what they meant at all.
The Raja was, however, a much better interpreter of
English than many in the Court appeared to be. Well,
he was seated upon his throne; one of our officers inter-
fered with his sovereignty. A reference, of course, was
made to the Government of Bombay ; the Government sup-
ported its officer ; an appeal was made to the higher au-
thorities, and, much to the honour of the Court of Direct-
ors, an order was sent out, as he understood (for he had not
seen the despatch), disapproving of the proceedings of
the Bombay Government. Had that Government obeyed
the proper orders of the supreme authority, that Court
would never have been troubled with the pre-
sent embarrassing question.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
So satisfied was the Court with the conduct of the Raja
at the time, that they sent him that which was the great-
est token of respect which a Prince in India could receive
—namely, a sword ; but in consequence of the disputes
which then existed, it had never been presented. But
did not the Raja know well enough of the intended pre-
sent, and that it had arrived in the country ?
General LODWICK—I told him myself.
Colonel SYKES—And of course the non-pre-
sentation must have deeply influenced his mind
against the Bombay Government. He com-
plained of his grievances over and over again,
but during a period of two years, he had been unable to
obtain even an answer. He then said to himself as an
honourable-minded man would, " I can get no justice
here, I will send my agents to England—l will make my
appeal to the supreme authority, and I cannot then
fail to obtain justice." It was true the Resident
warned him, but what was that warning ? It was
not for corresponding with deposed Rajas nor
with the Portuguese Viceroy. It was warning him
that he might run into danger by acting against the advice
of the Resident. Matters went on this way for years.
The whole country was aware of the situation in which
he stood, and did not that situation afford an opportunity
to the enemies of the Baja, which they were too cunning
to allow to escape. It had been denied that any motives
could be assigned for the persecution of the Baja. He
would supply three at least. One was the fact of the
universal feeling of hatred attached to him throughout
the whole Brahmin caste, because the Peishwa who was
deposed was a Brahmin, and the Raja who ascended the
throne was a Mahratta. But there was another mo-
tive. Sonic years after he ascended the throne there was
a violent dispute between Purooes, who claimed to be
Brahmins, and the Brahmins, who repudiated them.
Most unhappily for the Raja he took part against the
Brahmins, and rendered them still more his enemies.
But there was a still stronger motive. Unfortunately it
was the personal feeling of revenge of an individual.
When we put the Raja on the throne, there was an officer
of ours who had contrived to make himself peculiarly use-
ful to our Government, and he coveted the place of Mi-
nister to the Raja. The Raja, who was well aware of the
doings of that individual during the last twenty years in
the Deccan, refused to receive bun or to give him any of
his confidence. Here, then, were three distinct and
strong motives for the movement made against the Raja.
About this time there was a general feeling, both ill the
minds of the Government and the people of India, that
there was a movement of a very extensive nature through-
out India against our authority, and he believedinquiries
were going on throughout India, from Calcutta to Bom-
bay—from the Himalayas to —, and our a,,oents were
regular gobenwuches, they were ready to swallow any-
thing against the Raja of Sattara. He would not enter
into the question of the guilt or innocence of the Raja ;
but suppose he had been guilty of all the charges that had
been brought against him, what were the consequences to
follow ? He communicated with the Raja of Nagpore.
Now, was the Court aware that the audience chamber of
that Prince was a court-yard 20 feet by 10—that he was
a isoner in such a state of destitution that the present
off pair of shoes sent by the Raja was a welcome, if not
a necessary, gift ? Many denied that the natives of In-
dia were persons of a high moral class ; they denied that
they had any magnanimity, fortitude, or nobleness.
Well, the Prince was in prison in a state of utter desti-
tution, when the Governor-General of India, with the
kindliness of disposition which had ever characterised
him, offered to restore him to liberty and maintain him
in independence. The answer of the Prince was, " There
are but two ways, a throne or IL prison ; I prefer a pri-
son to protection from those who have dethroned me."
man had since died in his poverty, and he (Colonel
S.) co„lered that he had shown as much magnanimity
right to think as he pleased, and of
,
as any hero of antiquity. With regard to the Goa ques-
tion every one a right
course every one's would be formed upon hs im-
pression of the authenti.7lt.Y of the documents. The
Raja was a man of acknowledgZ`si abilities. Was it at
all likely that he would enter 511 to a treaty with
a Viceroy for the supply of thirty Zikiusand troops,
whose whole standing army was three hun!lred men ?
respectoffieer to
officers,
erecootlhlectedchartz. tianmstpaenrciensg w`th the
nativelnVaititsile officers had told their superiors that they bad
been tampered with. One of the cases happened to
himself, while in the command of a
regiment;
following, in the footsteps of a and he
brother officer, refused'
credence to the tale, until the money was brought which
had been paid as the price' of treachery, Those two men
had produced each live thousand rupee, and they were
richly rewarded. Now was it not just possible that the
two native officers who brought the charge against the
Baja might be stimulated b the h f
However, in spite of the absurdity of the charge,
Raja was
the Rajy ope o reward ?
deposed. lie had the highest regard
and respect for Sir James Canute. No one could dotibt
for a moment his integrity of purpose, and his kindly
feelings towards the natives of India, but upon this
question he thought hint wrong ; and he regretted that
he had not shown as much forbearance towards the
Raja, as lie had towards another potentate. It was quite
apparent that Sir James had never contemplated the ul-
timate measures which he had recourse to, as was clearly
shown by his minutes. The memorandum which the
Raja was called upon to sign contained apreaninbslet,thlTtl,
which was set forth all the charges broi
pdroperl'h feeling or Baja, the truth of which he was required i
totcaognafiess. It
was a document which no man of (milt. But
sen-
timent could sign, without acknowle
the 4th article had not yet been
ghis
alluded -to, and it
document
.
was such a monstrous one, that he was astonished
it had ever found its way into a
English Government. By it
propounded by an
,* his friends and supporters, but of
wards, &c.. not 0.
the Baja had to guarantee the property, pension, re-
those plots. It was an as-
of('-nie to which no loan who
agree. Ile could not sign
tthi,Quititrie.u7pn zri v
did
was now come to
and heit like a gentleman,
d
;to vacate his throne ;
71:esdOcinium.mceeiHiL c°Ownlyl)-olie alternative was offered to him,
• of the deposition. A OWI3 of soldiers
the question
in the middle aside his being a Prince. lie.
Came to his palace of the night, and
setting
marched hint off, without any preparation, vet not one
criminatory document was found behind liirn.—(llear,
hear.) The whole subject had been very considerably
embarrassed by the substitation of another in his place—
unfortunately, too, that other was not one who was en-
titled to the distinction, for they had it upon the autho-