The Sun.
London, England, 1824-08-27 00:00:00

FOR Tit E SUN.

FREE PRESS.
(No. VI.)
SHORT FACTS, AND HONEST OPINIONS.
" For him, who lost to every hope of, life
Has long with fortune held unequal strife, •
Known to no paren4 love, no human core, .
The friendless, honikiess object of despair.'!

There is a class of society in India to whom 1
have not at all reverted, because; during the pre-
sent century, neither their numerical strength or
importance gives them a preponderating weight
in the community. I need hardly say, I allude
to Indo-Britons, or hay' casks, the offsprings of
European fathers and native mothers. In the
discussion we are now pursuing,attention must
be called to this respectable and loyal body of
people. The question %Pt fail under review.
more for the 9urpose oNrari k4N4 eatention to
moral condition, than to their political.

some progressive
It is much to be desired that
and gradual measures were introduced for their
amelioration, but it would be worse than mad-
ness to grant them the immunities; or place them
in the situations at present, filled by Europeans
only. Some attention has of late been bestowed
upon them, and no one more than myself ap-
plauds the widom and liberality of a late Act of
Government, by which they may possess laud in
any part of our territories. Most of these per.
sons receive good educations, are intelligent, and
inherit from their fathers some portion of the
energy and enterprize of the English character.
I am by no means unwilling to admit but that
there at'e many who have a keen sense of the dis-
regard with which they are treated, and are im-
patient and dissatisfied with their station in so-
ciety, aud, with that portion of an amiable class
of people, nothing can be more certain than that
unlicensed liberty of writing and publishing
would produce much ferment, and eventually
disastrous results. They are high-minded from
their accomplishments, proud, because their
progenitors, probably, have filled high situations,
confident of their powers, from the English blood
that flows in their veins. With these qualities,
they possess in the admixture of blood the ad-
dress, industry, and acuteness of the native ; the
latter qualities are sharpened and improved by
their English education and habits; altogether it
may be supposed that they are vastly superior to
the natives, and many of them but little inferior
to their Eeropenn ancestors ; in short, there is
much to admire in their character, and much to

be lamented in their political situation. But from
this class I never apprehended any danger ; true,
increasing, but they are docile
d with 10 closely by ties of consanguinity
identified the
that while a vigi-
a4l:llllPdlyt it)asYrneatiir'au"ll conciliating policy is suarsued with re.
Bard to them, no fears need be entertained.
It would be a singular act of inconsistency,
and monstrous injustice, that, because they are
natives of the soil, that they should be exempted
from the salutary and wise restrictions placed on
Europeans with regard to the 44 Free Press."—
They themselves never thought of such a thing
till lately, when more enterprizing and ambitious
men instilled into their minds " strange doc-
trines," and gave an impetus to their feelings by
an example of a systematic opposition and cen-
sure of the Government. They were, as with the
pure native, made a cat's paw of, and it would Le
a sorry reflection to suppose that the British
Authorities would be deceived by such a flimsy
pretext, or that they would not have the wisdom
and firmness to suppress pure and unqualified ra.
dicalism, from whatsoEver quarter it might ema-
nate. The Judge, in the late proceedings in the
Supreme Court at Calcutta,very properly says,--.

"He had heard his character from men who knew hint well,
and men who were qualified to judge of his merits; and every
thing he had heard of hint was in his favour; but it was his
opinion that the name of that gentleman had been used in such
a manner as a Government like this could not possibly en-
dure. If he had been a British subject, and committed, an
offence against the British Government to-day, he might be or-
dereel to depart from the Country to-morrow. Yet what is the
insolent boast ? That he is free from all tontroul of the Govern-
ment, and amenable to this Court alone. That is, that he may
print and publish any thing, however seditious and destructive
of this Government's authority ; that he may continue such
publications at pleasure; and that they cannot even be ques-
tioned until the next Sessions, which will be in June. And
although a bill of indictment may be found against him, he may
perhaps traverse over until October, giving him all the inter-
mediate time to bring the Government into hatred and con-
tempt, and to hold it in open defiance."
Ist the cause of humanity I do not mind wan-
dering a little from the direct subject now before
us, and ire so doing I hope to be guided by the
candour of a soldier, and the benevolence of a
Christian. It is not much of a digression, for it re-
lates entirely to the Indo-Briton. There are
monsters that I have known, who, after begetting
native children, and accumulating large fortunes,
have quitted India fur ever, leaving their off-
spring totally unprovided for, have arrived in
England, have married an English woman,
bought a large estate, and dashed away splen-
didly, quite forgetting that their children in In-
dia, to whom they had given a wretched exist-
encv, were in want of bread, or paupers on so.
ciety, whilst the parent revelled in luxury and
dissiptttlnn_
" Would look gay, and smile against his conscience."

When a youth, and returning from my first
voyage to India, I was earnestly implored by a
young gentleman of irreproachable character, to
wait on his father, an old Indian of large fol.-
tune, ut *** Pnrit, in E-- County, and re-
present his distressed situation, with three legi-
timate children, and a salary, as a crainy (clerk)
of only GO rupees a month. He had attained,
by his own industry, a good education ; this,
Probably, in his distressed situation, increased,
rather than assuaged, the anguish of his mind.
°, my arrival in England, I went down to the
Park ; it was half a day's journey, but the

itfectionJte father, the tender parent, teas not
to be seen. That rebuff would not suit the
ardour of my temperament, and I insisted - upon
seeing hitn, and-at last succeeded ; after a short
private conversation (for he did not wish his
dear wife and dear children to know of his
misdeeds in India), he made an engagement to
meet mein Baker-street ; .to this he honourably
pledged himself,- and as honourably broke his
engagement. I did not fail, • young as I then
was, to favour him with my sentiments, On
my return to India; finding the•iii success of my
mission with the other, his son retired from the
room where we had been sitting, and blew
brains out with a will give another in-
stance of baseness and • cruelty, and I am nut
without hopes that these facts may lead to a
beneficial anti practicable result. A person. of
large forttint“it would. 1w .an inscit to huruassity •
to say a gentleman) was retiring from India, and'
his son and daughter having received their edu-
cation at home, had imbibed with their know-
ledge some portion of our spirit, and they insisted
that before their fond and doating parent, (which
he always was in India), for the sake of public ap-
i: :otilani e
ch tt vieemss,y, ii‘env
ere o his al d:d,elaerrs,lait
r:tieegf4uoolra,
hands,Ort
ieoitdrrhuomenp
eueiett
fu)sot,aefrior
tar,is)ty:l:;otai.
fr;
fit monthly.
and upwards, but the young man having obtained a
trilling situation, and the father in England finding
that his dear English wife spent his dear slew rupees
rather fast, he drew out of the agitnt's.hands the
40,000 rupees, and wrote to his dear son, ' that
now he had got employment he could maintain
himself and sister genteely.' Great God ! will
monsters like these have the impudence to call
themselves Christians and Gentlemen, who have
" Disclaimed all his paternal care
Propinquity, and property of blood."
lot such things are, I do assure you, Reader,
and both these events I can prove beyond all
doubt. I have promised to write my adventures
and opinions, under the head of '' Travelling
Memoranda for 2.0 years in India ;" a few events
and anecdotes of an.extraordinary and interest-
ing kind will appear in their true undisguised
dress.

The two little anecdotes in your Paper nre
sure to be seen by Indians, and they are not im-
properly introduced, nor I hope uselessly brought
before the Indian authorities, or the good folks
from or connected with India. It will be seen,
as we go on, that they are not unconnected kith
Ole main subject of India, and the Flee Press.

As before observed, I would not grant the
Indo Britons a Free Press ; but, in the name of
justice and common humanity, I would grant
them a substantial and available benefit, and
which I now humbly propose to the Rulers of
India.

t is for no one to deny but that it is our im-
perative duty, exclusive of those feelings of corn-
passion and humanity ever found in the acts of
the British Government, to endeavour, by every
safe and practicable means, to ameliorate the
state of these persons. One measure appears to
me to promise them some comfort and provision ;
there may be objections to the suggestion, but
none compared to the permanent interests of a
large and deserving body of people, nor can we,
Ali. Editor, go fully in these Essays or into the
merits or objections which may exist to the adop-
tion of my proposal. it simply is this, That no
European, be he a Governor, or Judge, or a Ge.
neral, a Licensed Settler, or any other person,
shall be allowed to take his final leave of India
until he has to the satisfaction of the Govern-
ment made a due provision, according to his means,
for his offspring by native women. It is incalcu-
table what misery and wretchedness would be
prevented by such a judicious and salutary mea-
sure, and how many young and worthy people
would be rescued from want and destruction.
The gaieties of England, the blandish-
ments of a young and probably an artful wife,
and the endearments of a brood of legitimates at
home, will influence the father to forget those
whom he has caused to be brought into the un-
feeling world, where they are thrown in a state
of destitution and helplessness worse then any
thing of the kind can be in England. They can
have no maternal relatives, and the paternal ones
disclaim them ; they know their parent to be af-
fluent and elevated in society ; their despondency
is aggravated by the very circumstances which
in others is productive of happiness, nor does
their superior education, or English ideas, at all
tend to remedy the evil. Those worthy per-
sons in England, overseers of parishes, take
especial care that no children shall become charge-
able to the parish, or to a community ; and, the
same thing, upon a more extended and liberal
scale, ought and must be don© in. India. It is
not an act of kindness, it is an act of justice.
Our regulations preclude these persons from serv-
ing as covenanted servants, in either civil or mili-
tary capacities ; then surely it is our duty to pro-
tect them in their just rights against the unfeel-
ing or rapacious parent. I do not say that the
treatment of which I complain is frequent—God
forbid that 1 should utter such a libel on human
nature, but it has occurred, and will again ; and
it is to prevent its recurrence that this suggestion
it thrown out. Another just complaint the Ind°
Briton has against his prospects, the numerous
importation of young men from England, who
go asvierk6) factors, &c., to the evident m-
jury of the class we are speaking of. These
young persons go out well recommended to some
house of business, or person in power, who
makes it a point to provide for him, and thus de-
oporigvhets tthoe
bea native-bornlimitseytouttob
theo fhnisom bread.
0f freei
/lere
merchants and free mariners. Political reasons,

as, well f 4 qpe unquestionable claims of the Ithor
Class imperatively demand that a limit should:be
placed to the importation of either free or sinug,
.led Europeans.. It is not only necessary that
the nurnher of licenced persons should be limit-
ed, but a 'check,
.and a strong one, ought to be
placed upon the " Country Consols," who clan-
destinely go out as
seamen, Wand as such are
borne on the bOoks,
while they are nothing of
the kind, and themselves as gentlemen, mess
at the -Captain's table ; this dangeions and
illegal mode' Of getting people to 1 India does
nut apply alone to the Free Traders, but
to the East !Odle Company's • leguliti.
lutlia-
men, es I. well knew, from hiving 'been two
voyages to India before I went out ara Cadet of
In short, this evil has get to that exietit,
that many a valuable military *iieintritentin the
tory; of the eatir ?ow'or.,-xt#trartfostbtett--eseti
just property of the Company's Military Officers,
is obtained by these adventurers, whose interest,
and the influence of their powerful friends, stir.
mount every obstacle, to the manifest -injury of
the well-tried veteran, and of the Indo Briton.
Another source of injury,not only to the latter,
but even to my brethren, exists in the King's
service. It frequently happens, that in corps
ordered homer officers will sell out, or, after
ranking others do their duty in their own regi-
ment for a -number of years, have accumulated
such property in the situations I have referred to,
as enables them to purchase a majority or a cm-,
pony, when they turn round and laugh .at their
own officers who have done their.duty. and at Us,
who have been thus deprived of that which, by
long and zealous service, knowledge of the
country and languages, and devoted for life to
the native army, give us unquestionable claims
upon. I forbear, from motive of attachment to
two or three individuals, to go further into detail
on this particular point, but it is not for want of
knowledge of facts and persons that prevents me.
At this part of our subject,all of which relatively
bears on the free-press, and its concomitant, the
colonization of India, I wish to draw the atten-
tion of the Home Administration to the defective
way in which the licenses for settlers are drawn
up. It is only said " they shall not' become
chargeable to the Fast India Company!" This
politically speaks nothing. Their duty to the
Rulers, their obedience to all orders, with sundry
other judicious and salutary iegulatlons, should
be clearly and explicitly defined, and 'let their
bondsmen or securities perfectly understand the
nature of the contract, civil and political :

" Make assurance doubly sure,
" And take a bond of fate"—
We shall then hear no more of complaints in
the parties, outrageous conduct towards the Go-
vernment., or of excitement given to public feel-
ing, either in India or England. The road wilt
then be clear, and it will be the settler's own
fault if he commits himself. There can be no
objection to this, it is strictly legal ; and it is no
more than just to inform a person proceeding to a
domicile 7,000 miles distant, of the acts of the
Legislature and of the Municipal Laws of the
Country. He cannot err then ;if he does it. is his
own fault, and he must abide by the conse-
quences. One of the ancient Sage's observes—
" To make an Empire durable, the Magistrates
must obey the Laws and the people the Magis-
trates." If the settler does that, 1
would pledge
my head (were it worth any thing) that the
Government in no wise will molest or atintrbim.
lie must not, however, think of harassing or an-
noying them. Do not let him have the temerity
or vanity of running his head into the lion's mouth;
if he does, be assuredly will get it nipped off.
Weak and contemptible indeed must that Go-
vernment be, who would receive the dictation or
the insults of its subjects, without preventing the
recurrence of the former and punishing the latter.
A Government too like that of India, which rests
on a mine of gunpowder that the lea“ spark
would explode, leaving behind a night of eternal
darkness and horror.

I am called upon to offer a passage from my
late publication, that I may not be charged with
inconsistency, or that have engrafted my ideas
on what been said in the House of Com.
mons, and at the India House, The passage
alluded to will exculpate me from having late(v
imbibed my notions ; and as the paragraph e-
luded to was originally written iu 1810, and re-
vised in January 1824, the latter period being
about three months before the subject wasyub.
tidy discussed, or bad appeared in Pant, #w.lll. ti
n
, evident to'thosor who. quartet with gate, ,
se ill t
ments oar tha ifirt'Ce Piesi in
that I have not very
•
verertity atrepted

" I am free to confess, notwithstanding the innate and it,_
behaviour, or
" vineible abhorrence with'
Which vice any arbitrary proteett•.
" ing in u Government towards its snWeets, that the appilo4.
hop in the
" tion of an educated, wealthy, and restless body .otpeople, tU
" the right Of discussing the Oondoet and tnetits of the Goien,
" rnent, ought to be reeetvidwith'deittion anti distrust, as then•
" is no knowing, when the. Spirit is OriCe awakened, where it
may. end ; and V roeruNt our
seuu of propriety feelings Of attachment or gratitude
" the heterogeneous mass' which cotnpases the population. cf
/mita, vre shall, when too late, find. ourselves most In' b'
" deceived."

This remark, with others, will be round at page
3g7 of my late volume.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your very obedient Servant,
JOHN B. SEF.LY:
Captain, Bombay Native intantrp
Wyke, Dorset, Aug. 25, 18`..N.

Friday, et twelve o'clock, James Wahl-ill was
executed at Lincoln, for the murder of Mr. Asir
RIDGE, at Brigg, tie wasted 'to thepleclf.° "'L-
ecution, where he did not, say any thing; " "e"
turned off, he struggled for a eeasklerabla length
of time.