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

MORNING SUN

THE RAJA OF SATTARA.

INDIA HOUSE.—FRIDAY.
The Adjourned Meeting of the Proprietors of East
India Stock again assembled yesterday, George Lyall,
Esq., M.P., Chairman. The debate was resumed by
' Mr. WARDEN, a Director, who said, that ever since
he had returned from India he had taken every opportu-
nity of making himself master of the proceedings relat-
ing to the Setters case, and he would proceed to state to
the Court the result of his labours, and the conclusion
to which his mind had come. During the debate of yes-
terday an Hon. Proprietor had expressed his conscien-
tious belief that the Raja was not guilty of the charges
alleged against him. Acting under the same solemn con-
viction; he (Mr. Warden) was obliged to say that the
Raja was guilty—(Hear, hear)—and that he had justly
incurred the penalty of forfeiture. The evidence was
before them all, and had already been frequently quoted
during that protracted debate ; he would not therefore
detain the Court by alluding to it further than to remind
them that the proceedings originated out of the reports
made by his Gallant Friend, General Lodwick, who was
the Resident in Sattara. Much had been said against
the conduct and proceedings of the Bombay Government.
It was stated that they. had urged on the inquiry,
and with a predetermination that he should be round
guilty. Now, how was that borne out ? Where,
in all the papers before them, did that appear ? The
whole of the proceedings originated out of the reports
and suggestions of the Resident
General LODWICK—I. beg to say that I merely sent
down the depositious ; I made no comment upon them
at all. Alla did was to ask instructions.—(Order.)
Mr. WARDEN had not said that the Gallant General
had commented upon the depositions. What he said was,
that it was upon the information communicated by him
that the Government of Bombay originated the whole of
the proceedings. After he sent down the depositions
spoken of, the Resident was engaged in obtaining infor-
mation from every quarter in which it was likely to
be got—
General LoDWICK—I was directed to observe the
most perfect secrecy.—(Loud cries of " Order, order.")
Mr. WARDEN—WeII, the Resident found it necessary
4.0 obtain further information ; and upon the receipt of
the information by the Bombay Government a Commis-
sion of Inquiry was appointed, which went into the in-
vestigation, and ultimately pronounced an opinion, not
precisely condemning the Raja, but finding that there
was a case of strong suspicion that the information ob-
tained by the Resident was correct ; but at the same
time recommended. the Raja to the most merciful con-
sideration of the Government.--(Hear, hear.) The
Bombay Government were also of opinion that the evi-
dence was not sufficient to condemn the Raja.—(Hear,
hear.) The Government of India, however, entertained
a. different opinion ; but Sir Robert Grant, with the in-
telligence and ability which always enabled him to take
a just view of things, on reviewing the proceedings
againgt the Raja, entered into those circumstances which
would most tend to alleviate the conduct of the Raja ;
and he 'stated as his opinion, that he would be suffi-
ciently punished by the transfer from his juris-
diction to that of the British, of the territory of Sattara.
—(Hear.) That was the mild punishment ' which
the 'Bombay .Government awarded to the treachery of
ehe ii4ja- Immediately, however, after the sentence was
pronounced, the Bombay Government received informa-
tion from the mother of the Dewan, which entirely al-
tered their views ; and he must observe that the Raja
had, . been much applauded for his conduct in
surrendering his accomplices. It had been fre-
quently stated that this conduct was a proof of his
innocence. Now, on the contrary, he (Mr. Warden)
thought that the abandonment of his accomplices—of
those who were carrying on the intrigues against the
'British Government under his auspices, and by his direc-
tions, was only a proof of his duplicity and cunning.—
(Ilear, hear.) The mother of the Dewan, seeing
that ;he Raja would not protect her son, and, in
the hopes of obtaining his release, gave informa-
tion to the British Government, and that information
led to an exposition of the whole conduct of the Raja
by means of that Commission. Now in his opinion the
Government greatly erred in appointing that Commission,
for
.by so doing they converted that which was a mere
political transaction into a grave judicial inquiry.—
(Hear, hear.) The case was a simple one, and.according
to the principles of international law no judicial inquiry
whatever was necessary. An Hon. Proprietor had yes-
terday
led them through all the forms and proceedings of
the Courts at the Old Bailey. Now he would ask,
would they have. the Raja tried by a petty jury,
by a grand jury, nay, he would ask, where were they to
find a jury by which to try him at all? Was it to be con-
Aituted of the petty Princes around ? Nay, it was ridi-
eulous to pursue the theme any. further, for it was mo-
rally impossible to carry on the inquiry in any other way '
lean by sending the charges to the Raja.—(Hear, hear.)
The Raja said he denied die whole of them, but he had
often done so before, and it was now perfectly well-known
untruly ; that being proved, we were now compelled to
take possession of his territories under the treaty. It
was a great national question, and having once inter-
ibred in it, it was quite impossible that it could have
been disposed of otherwise. It had been frequently ob-
,erved during the debate that no opportunity was
afforded for the cross-examination of the witnesses, and
he had heard it stated that his Gallant Friend General ,
Lodwick had said that he was prevented from cross-ex-
emining them. [To the General]—Do you admit that ?
General LODWlCK—Certainly. I stated it openly in
Court.—(Loud cries of " Order.")
Mr. WARDEN-Then all he could say was that his
Gallant Friend had allowed himself to be brow-beaten
by his colleagues. It undoubtedly was in his power to
put a stop to the proceedings at any moment when he
might think that they were carried on in 'any unfair
manner. He maintained that every member of the Com-
mission had the power to- cross-question every witness
that was brought before it.
General LODWICK was again on his legs, but was
interrupted by
Mr. MENzIES, who spoke to order, and said he must pro-
test against that system of carrying on the arguments in
that Court. It was wholly unprecedented. The Gallant
Officer ought to hear the arguments offered on either
side, and he would have an opportunity of explaining
• afterwards. ,
.
General LODWICK had only interrupted the Hon.
' Director because lie had not heard his observations.
Mr. Wiortam rose to order- Such interruptions were
very unseemly ; and he must also tell his Hon. Friend
that it was his duty to address the Chairman, and not
any individual member of the Court.
Mr. WARDEN had been saying that every, member
of that Commission . had a right to cross-examine all
witnesses brought before them. After the receipt of
the information from the mother of the Dewan a different
course of proceeding was adopted. Lieut-Colonel
()vans was employed to collect evidence. Sir Robert
Grant intended in the first instance that a statement
should he drawn out of the whole of the charges which
, had led to the investigation, and that it should
be forwarded to the Raja. The Governor-General
objected to the course, but after an explanation had
been received by him from Sir Robert Grant and Lieut.
_ Colonel Ovens, had stated that it was wholly unnecessary
' to prolong the investigation, for they would have pro-
duced evidence against the Raja which was so strong
that they must have proceeded at once to act upon it.
It was impossible to carry on the proceedings without at
once suspending the Raja, which, as Sir James Carlin
justly said, would wholly lose him the respect
of his subjects. Many Honourable Proprietors,
and amongst others Mr. Salomons, had taken up a most
erroneous view of the case. In his speech on Wednes-
day he said that the charges made against the Raja were
most indefinite, and he maintained that the treaty en-
tered into with him had first been broken by the Eng-
lish.—(Hear, hear.) Now how was it possible to meet
such a general charge ? He could only do it by giving
the charge a general denial, by generally denying that
the English had ever broken the treaty.—(Cries of "Oh.")
He said that British faith had been maintained inviolate
since the British flag was first unfurled in India.—(Cries
of " Oh, oh.") The Jagheerdars were placed under the
Sovereignty of the Raja ; but he was so bound down—
his hands were tied so strongly—that he could per-
form no one act of sovereignty over them, because
. they, having the option, chose to place themselves
under the protection of the British authorities ever
since the accession. of the Raja to the throne.
He had shown an ardent desire to degrade the Jagheer-
dars, he had throughout that time shown the most ava-
rreious disposition, and a great desire to obtain their
Possessions. Dnring the whole of the debate, the cha-
racter of the ex-Raja had been greatly applauded, but,
in his. opinion, most mistakenly so. His down-
fel . was closely interwoven with his conduct ever
" :since - his being placed upon the throne. Even in
. knee when he had been only two years possessed of
eiebeetsovereign authority, he commenced his intrigues
eith other Princes. He was informed by the Resident
upon several occasions of the danger he ran in holding
4 such communications with foreign Princes, but all to no
use, for he uniformly displayed great tact and cunning
w'firi any accusations were brought against him. In a
minute by Mr. Anderson it was stated that there was
nothing in the character of the Raja more remarkable
;hail that he should have for so long a period and so suc-
cessfully carried on the deception which he had practised
upon those officers, who were generally men of great abi-
lity, who had been accredited to his Court by the British
Government. It must have been the fault of the Residents,
for not one of them, from Captain Grant downwards,
but had warned him of his danger ; yet they took no
other steps to bring his conduct before the proper au-
thorities. Even Lieutenant-Colonel Ovens said that the
Baja was particularly friendly until he thought
the English had treated him badly in relation
to the Jagheerdars. But that question had
, Hot the slightest relation to these proceeding,
and if he had obtained for himself that influence which
as a Resident at the Court of a native Prince he ought
to have done, he would have restrained the Raja and
have averted his anger. The same Gallant Colonel men-
lions the names of two individuals who had obtained
great influence over the Raja, and he stated that it was
the common opinion in Sattara that they would be
the cause of his ruin. That opinion had been
realised. The Raja had been misled by them. He hid
received repeated warnings, but he had still gone on in a
course which was inconsistent with British safety. Had
ee reposed more confidence in the British Residents and
laced less in his favourites and some Brahmins, who
surrounded him, he might still have been safe,
but his ambition was to restore the Indian empire'
• 1w the expulsion of the British. Sir Robert Grant in
. this, as in every other instance, had shown the utmost
sagacity and foresight. He had predicted the line of
defence which would be taken up by those who espoused
the cause of the Raja. He said that the plans of the
Raja were sufficiently foolish and extravagant as
to make them _ more a matter for laughter
than
of I;e:tiie; that the Raja's best hope was,
: - that ..ez.ne° epos :nrottilisi e bmaenanide 7
_erxctr.rnia3l,dag.alnetnddeshiigsns.minNdowto,
chat was extred
argued bee e _ tie in which the case had been
P:"
i
vireo:Ito)" and several other Proprietors;
-.1 S