The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-17 00:00:00

EVENING SISN.

ceive him.—(Hear, hear.) Lord Clare h. sd desired him
to assure the Raja that the Government- had no wish
to interfere in the internal management of his territory.
The petition which was inclosed in Lord Clare's letter
complained that the Raja had deposed t. tie Brahmins
from certain offices, and had confined them in the Car-
coons, and that by so doing he was destroyinit thtir re-
ligion ; that he had given to the Carcoon.t. a.. Commis-
sioner to perform the popular rites of the Brahmin re-
ligion, which had .not been given by any of his ances-
tors, and which was not permitted anywhere= - and that
he had ordered such of the Brahmins as refused to- sub-
mit, to pay a tax ; that no one had paid it twillingly,
but that for two years it had been forced from the peo-
ple ; that his Highness had been applied to, and had re-
fused redress. Now, very probably the Court might
think these charges 11 true. They were all false. The
petition then complained that a Sepoy had taken off his
shoe and struck a Brahmin, and that the Brahmin was,
wounded. This might very probably happen in a
scuffle. It then proceeded to set forth that the Brahmins:
had been committed to prison, where nothiny, was given
them but the fare usually given to criminals, which they
had refused to eat. He (General Robertson) thought it
extremely probable that they had refused to eat any
food—it was a very common trick of the I:rahrnins,
when they could not carry a point, to refuse to oat, and
in that way they generally accomplished . their object,
because native Princes were generally afraid of
the consequences if one of these fellows should . die
of starvation. This, therefore, was no new dispute be-
tween the Raja and the Brahmins. He (Genersl -RQ-
bertson) had, during the time he was resident at Sat-
tarn, been frequently appealed to by the Brahmins, but
he had always declined to interfere, because even if he
had been able to comprehend the nature of such a dis-
pute, he thought it better to give the parties an opportu-
nity of soothing their passionate:feelings by giving them
vent, as the peace of the country was not likely to be
disturbed by the dispute. He (General Robertson) re-
plied to the letter of Lord Clare, that it was, not the
first time that those sort of attempts had been made by
the Brahmins to procure the interference of the Gover-
nor, and that he had no doubt but that it had been done
for the purpose merely of endeavouring to ascertain his
Lordship's opinion of this dispute—that eight days be-
fore the Raja had liberated, of his own accord, the Brah-
min who had been placed in confinement—that he had
not, as had been stated, been offered only the food
Usually given to criminals, but that the Brahmin had re-
fused all food.—(Hear,, hear.) He had also a copy of
another, letter in his possession, which he had
written to Lord Clare, in which he informed
.his Lordship that the Raja had expressed himself
as willing to keep aloof from those disputes. He had
also a rough draft of a minute of Sir J. Malcolm's,.
-written sometime about the year 1829 or 1830, recom-
:vending that no interference should take place in their
di ~utes with the Brahmins. The Brahmins had followed
sir ;)". Malcolm in crowds during his first tour wherever
he we, lt for the purpose of making complaints of the
Raja. ; ut Sir John Malcolm had found it necessary
pay any attention to their complaints. The
B
ad been unceasing in their endeavours to
nljreure
1. They had even gone so far as to de-
e neverrahini( tf )Is
no Hindoo. The Bramins finding they
injure the
could not succeed Icith the Government were determined
to succeed somewhei%. It was they who had concocted
this business at Goa. Any person who read the papers
must be convinced of it. It was they who had laid their
heads together to plot the Raja's ruin. Muhdeo Row
Sickey had lived at Sattara. He went from Sattara to Goa;
he had transactions at Goa. But what could they make out
of the evidence of these people? What was there to im-
plicate the Raja? , They had seized all the Raja's papers,
and not anywhere could they find any communication
from the Raja to the Governor of Goa, or any letter from
the Governor of Goa to him. Not one little fragmeat of
anything like evidence of the connection between the
Raja and Goa could they produce. He knew that the
Raja kept a daily journal of everything that occurred ;-
and frequently in his conferences with the Raja, the
Raja had referred to that journal, to show what he might
have said on a former occasion. The Bombay Govern-
ment said these letters were written by the Raja's accom-
plices. Now, the Raja was not the sort of man to dele-
gate his authority in such a way ; and could it be be-
lieved that he would depute such a trust to Brahmins—
to those who were known to be his enemies?—(Hear,
hear.) The Bombay Government had treated the Raja.
harshly, and were desirous of justifying themselves. The
following extract from the minutes of the sth May, show.
that they felt that snch was their position:—
Under these circumstances, however, it cannot he
denied that the character of the Bombay Government is
almost as deeply committed on the event of the present
discussions, as that of the ruler of Sattara. We owe it,
to ourselves to show that we have not acted lightly, or
harshly, or credulously ; that, from first to last, we have
had no object but the discovery of truth, and have taken
no measures but such as that object justified ; that there
were good and rational grounds for the several inquiries
instituted, and that those inquiries have uniformly been
prosecuted with judgment, with prtidenee, with all-prac-
ticable dispatch, and with the utmost consideration for
the feelings and interests of individuals, which could be
ma de to consist with a supreme regard to the ends of
justice."

0
The fact is, they were quite as much on their trial as the
Raja was. Now one objection struck him in limine to all
their proceedings. The accused party had never had
an opportunity of answering the charges. He had never
seen the evidence.—(Hear, hear.) Reference had . been
made to the practice of Courts of Justice in this country.
He was not going to contend those practices ought to be
followed out to the very letter in India. but the principles
of justice were the same all over the world.—(Cheers.)
Ntr-man euuhl -be---convirted -of charges unless he--had
heard what those charges were, and the evidence by
which they were supported. Even in declaring war
against an independent Sovereign, the declaration always
set forth the grounds on which the war was undertaken ;
land if the Raja were dependent upon us, that was the
more reason why we should treat him with justice.—
(Hear, hear.) But then it was said that the Swamee of
Sunkeshwur had visited the Raja, and that at his insti-
gation the Raja had been led to aiming at framing a con-
nection with the Portuguese at Goa. Now the fact was,
the Swamee and the Raja were enemies ; they were at
daggers drawn. It was true the Swamee had visited
Sattara ; the Swamee was on his way to Nassuck ;
what was more natural than that he should take
Sattara in his road?—(Hear, hear.) But then it was
slid that the Raja had worshipped the Swamee—why,
the Swamee was by some thought to be a god. He was a
Pope, among the Brahmins, at least ; and what could be
more oatural, than that, going through Sattara, he should
pay a vis:t to the Raja ; and that the Raja, on the terms
he was with Brahmins, should pay attention to the Swamee,
in order to conciliate his influence ? It should be re-
collected thataltnost all the witnesses against the Raja
were Brahmins ; that almost all those with whom he was
accused of conspirin' were Brahmins. Now let them re-
mamber that the Raja bated the Brahmins ; that he was
training youths in the scfiools which he had established
at Sattara for the purpose of s'ziperseding the Brahmins in
the Government. Did they suppose that he would put
his life and sovereignty in their power ?—(Hear.) .No
doubt the Dewan had one consolation in giving evidence
against his master, and that was, that i:e was supporting
his caste. The whole was a manufactory of lies. These
people might have written a letter to the Viceroy of
Goa, and the Viceroy might have returned an answer ;
and these papers might have remained in the Lufta.
The Portuguese Governor's answer .may have remained
there also. Did. they suppose that if the Raja
had been really guilty, he would have suf-
fered them to remain there? The letter found
there was in the handwriting of Wfteed ; and he stated
that the letters had been sent to Goa, and returned by
the Raja's directions. Now, if the Raja had made that.
communication he would have had them sent to Sattara,
but instead of that he showed no anxiety, at all about
therm, although his life and sovereignty depended upon
those letters. Was ' that likely ? Did they believe tha,t
these letters were written by the authority of the Raja :
One of' the lettcri from Goa was said, undoubtedly, to
they were
fStara—
bsteaatrodthtoebVeicta TrootsarkSigrotounree: wßhiucth
suSpirp.oßseobert Grant
genuine-7if they were intended for the Raja o_
e,.
in
the
why were they not sent ?
Late. until Nana Wared was dead'
whose death-bed scene Sir Robert Grantvo‘-er the de!
said 'he} almOst
ritf4ten by. . this.
wept.
In
the mystical letter
lobert Grant nds
..a
blackguard on his death-bed, 1,„
,were they kcAt,tionof
tie says that the eXpret-
solution of all the difficultiese
to the 30,000 men than
lions made use of in it
of the Raja of Setters. . Num--
that it related to the
trovoln
were to come from Goa:
letters, dated the 6th of July.,
hers 10 and 11 wore reneer (General Robertson) mod,
whose
during the whole time, that they bad
distress
.ice‘li:rsmhwereere,thma.etrteheinpearssotanstein-of .
not one courie
not ' gangs to rob the Treatsury.,
oing about in
were ac
~, tuallh
Yhgese letters in their possession; involving
to rub against another ; that the 3r
olui fle of
htahe Brae.' ma ' a iwnaeds iti
t o-
t h" bf
te, :astuapt e--.
Could it'-._ be;
• d that they would not have gone ' tes
imagiiwd
rupeesiNl4tgb'leolc:im:lsttteshasQt.retel,els k ivdaisßettr eiall ijia:rttu?thih—teleYesYbea(en‘and
Hearn
tP°ht7Pß(l°2l;ear, poverty
Yand have procured an ample sufficiency-from
his fears 7 These letters were not given up until they got
1-or them. They might have been to Goa,
r;orove that the Raja knew of it. This
Pe that
to the were
thatthe Rinajsate' sa
instead
g oe eats t sg,oi andu
have put themselves at the head.
itdd
noti d npo
how ridiculous was it:
iyuushdoeurlathe s
eountry. He could not hut
ofsthai atnhgesaetotlhepetters forgeries, ,because Don Manoel hacli
iadnkgthat he had not had any correspondence with
the Raja, and he did not think it noble-
man like Don Manoel could asset t a fa.‘ o•l3°°d•
On the one side he asserts that he Aid s at, and e.l the
other they have the assertions of the robbers to
the contrary. Raojee Kontenees said he kn„‘tvr
Portuguese, and that he knew the Governor's sig-
nature, and he was the evidence that explained these-
enigmatical letters, saying that such a word measie
Eveulan, and such another, the man who was to sitcom-
eany him to England. Now, let them look at the ;reaty-
which was alleged to have been entered into between the;
Raja and the Portuguese Government, and which was 0.,
document of the highest importance. He would read it:—
" Art 1. Sets forth that the English had swal-
lowed up the Raja's dominions, and that, to aid in re-
capturing them, the King of Portugal is to furniiih
30,000 troops, or such number as may be considered nes-
cessary, with gunpowder and shot. The Raja to defray.
their monthly pay, from the date of their departure until_
the termination of the project, together with the ex-
pense of ships, sailors, and gunpowder and shot.
" Art. 2. After the territories, forts, districts, poste,
and tributes held under the Administrationof m;hahow-
Row Narrain are recovered, the Raja ;agrees to retain.
12,000 Portuguese troops, and to assign territory of the,
annual value of one crore of rupees for their support,
and,:
AtAhrert.th.
3o:
PoNrraiarstoyi treatment
;eersstorescaptured
capturedo thef
duringrt a d s h a h .
btheelown:toVat-hbee Raja;
with as both parties may consent.
European stores to be divided between boll parties.
" Art. 5. Of whatever new country may titskon, ex.-