The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-27 00:00:00

East India Company, and during that period had main-
tained an unsullied reputation; and, although in conse-
quence of the opinion he had given, he received from the
Governor-General a qualified rebuke, yet he had not
been displaced, but allowed to continue at his post.
Major Carpenter was not only charged with the custody
of this deposed Prince, but also with the duty of in-
forming himself of every movement in which the Prince •
may be engaged, and every officer se situated was per
mitted by the employment of agents of a certain kind
to resort to unawares to inform himself of everything
said, dune, and written, by night, on the part of those
under his charge. When in IA4O the Raja arrived at.
Bemires, accompanied by a character for intrigue and,
disaffection, Major Carpenter nos, in consequence of that
character, led to regard him as the principal conspirator
in the Deccan, and exercised an extraordinary amount
of vigilance to prevent him from engaging in conspiracies
in that pert of India. On that account thelestimony of
Major Carpenter possessed now additional value. Major
Carpenter now stated that he never met with a man •so
transparent—so holiest, even to his own injury, as the
• Reja of Sattara. This testimony was the more important
as being benne to the Governor-General himself, for his
sole guidance, and with eio idea that it should afterwards
become matter for discussion in the British House
of Commons. The Governor-General, in his reply, did
not use one expression impugning Major Carpenter's
opinion, but said, " Whatever the real facts of the case
may be touching the guilt or innocence of the Raja.
and whatever your own private conviction may be, you
went heyoed your duty in giving your opinion." If
Major Carpenter did commit an error, it was one that
would be forgiven in that House—it was one that would
he forgiven throughout the world, and which would
plead for him when we all came to that common judg
went whe:e we would be tried, net by the rules that
governed the political system of India, but by the rules
of justice and humanity.—(Hear, hear.) He (Mr.
Thompson) should not trespass on the House by enter-
ing into any details on the merits of this case ; suffice it
to say, that he should deem it hie duty moat humbly to
render his best services to the Hon. Member far Mon- •
trose, who had already in that He use so ably, ener-
eetically, and perseveringly advocated this cause of the
Raja of Sattara. But while he (Mr. Thompson) did
so, it would not be in a spirit of faction- or from auy
desire to embarrass her Majesty's Government, (Tde
!nage their reputatiou, and, by so doing, their influ-
ence ; no, he had crossed the threshold of that House
free from such feelings and dispositions ; but he
must discharge a duty to his constituents, who felt
deeply in this case, and also a duty to the coun-
try at large, who were desirous of seeing justice
done to the Raja, and, above all, to the convictions of his
own mind, which had long been made up on this
subject. Whenever the House granted an inquiry on
this subject, he would demonstrate, by testimony that
all would admit that the Raja was an innocent man. He
was prepared to prove before a Committee of that House
that every document -produced to condemn the Raja was
a forgery and a fabrication—(hear, hear)—and that
every witness against him was a perjured man. He would
tell how much they got for what they said, by whom
they were hired, who instigated the hirers, and who put
the springs in motion; and he would also bring home to
every man, whether European or native, the conviction
that the proceedings in India against the Raja of Sat-
era was a conspiracy to depose him because °fa di,,spaa eh
that went out to India which favoured the claims of the
Raja to the sovereignty
_of a certain portion of that
country. In conatquerice.of that dispatch, the Raja of
Sattara addressed toe directors of the East .India Com-
pany on the subject, and a conspiracy was set on foot,
which ended in his dethronement. Having apologises
to the House for his trespassing so long on their at-
tension, Mr. Thompson concluded by hoping that the
House would speedily grant a Committee to inquire into
the whole affair.
Sir J. %V. HOGG would, in reply to the charges
brought forward by the lion. Member for the Tower
Hamlets, and which Implicated every authority in India,
beg of the, House to bear in mind that Sir R. Grant, who
was then eiovtaaicr of Bombay, and all the members of
his council unanimously awreed, and reluctantly came to
the conclusion, ihat the Raja was guilty. Two succes-
sive Governors of Bombay and their respective councils
confirmed that decision. Lord Auckland, as distin-
guished a man as ever ruled over India, painfully and
reluctantly came to the same conclusion. The Court of
Directors of the East India Company, and three succes-
sive Presidents of the Board, expressed their unanimous
conviction of the Raja's guilt. When the Directors of
she East India Company hoard that Major Carpenter
had so far exceeded Ida duty as to pronounce an opinion
on the Raja's conduct, they addressed the Governor of
Bombay on the subject. Whoa Major Carpenter was
called on to explain this circumstance, he pronounced
the greater part of the statement made by the Hon.
Member for the Tower Hamlets to ba purely imagery,.
and that the propositions detailed in the document
read by that Honourable Member were never made
by him (Major Carpenter) to the Baja 01 Sattara, upon
his (Major Carpenter's) own account, or on the part of
any one else. No disclaimer could be more direct and
satisfactory. And what said Lord Hardinge? He said
the Governor-General considered that it .was as unbe-
coming as it was uncalled for, on the part of Major Car-
penter, to give any opinion on the charges against, and
the previous conduct of, the Raja of Sattara.—(lronical
cheers from Mr. Hume.) The Hon. Member indulged
in derisiVe cheers because an officer placed in a most
confidential position violated his duty.—(Hear, hear.)
Would the House say that it was right for a person in
the confidential. situation of Major Carper:it, r to have
entered into communication with a person whom he
was sent to take charge of, when such communication
could b. shown to be unjust? However humane the
motives of Major Carpenter might have been, no one
could doubt, the unsoundness of his judgment. In
fact, when he :vas reprimanded by the East India
Board of Directors for the busy and modeling mariner
in which he had conducted himself, he wrote an
apology to them, and said that " under ordinary cir-
cumstances the officer in discharge of a dethroned
Prince should leave no concern in the charges which
might be brought against him, or with his. previous con
duct, but he (Major Carpenter) submitted, with all. de-
ference and respect, that the case of the ex-Raja was a
peculiar one—(Hear, hear)—lnd that he had not in
this instance exceeded his duty." So that Major Car-
penter broadly admitted that in ordinary cases the
course he had taken would have been- blameable.—
(Hear, hear.) But whet peculiarity was there in this
case ? Had any new fact come under the notice of Ma-
jor Carpcinter ? Had he discovered some new facts
which would have convinced the Court of Directors
that they had acted wrongly in condemning the Raja ?
If Major Carpenter lied been able to do so he (Sir J.
Hogg) would not have said a word against him. But
the truth was, Major Carpenter was not able to
produce any new, fact which could throw -upon the
case that extraordinary new light which the Hon.
Member for Montrose had talked of.—(Hear, hear.)
The importance of the case bad been greatly
exaggerated. The whole of the income of the territory
of Sattara was no more than 100,0001., out of which the
Indian Government gave the Raja 10,000/, out of cons-
passion.—(Mr. Hume, " Nay, nay.") Why, his grand-
father and father had been incarcerated in.a dungeon,
and the Raja himself had been released from captivity
by the Indian Government, previous to his being placed
on the throne of Sattara. In conclusion, he
thought the Hon. Member for Montrose, by his argu-
ments in support of the reotion had rather diminished
than added to the Weight of the ex Raja's
Mr. ANSTEY begged the House to consider whet
must l:e time conditions of the natives of India, wino are
governed by a company whose chairman did not hesitate,
on the floor of the House of Commons, to give utterance
to principles of morality of the most extraordinary cha-
racter.—(llear.) He (Mr. Anstey) rose on this occasion
for the purpose of doing some justice to that meritorious
officer whose name had been introduced in the course of
the dobats—Major Carpenter.—(Hear, hear.) The mo-
tives of that gentleman had not been fairly treated.
Major Carpenter had given an unequivocal and uncon-
ditional denial of the accuracy of the reported convene- •
lions which had taken place between him and the de- '
posed Baja of Sattara. Nothing could be more cautious
than the language which Major Carpenter had used in
his interviews with the Raja. The Court of Directors
could not show in what manner Major Carpenter had
exceeded his legitimate duties. He denied that that
gentleman had conducted himself in this affair
in any other than a firm' and fair manner.
He (Mr. Anstey) trusted that the Honourable Gen-
tleman who might follow him would do justice to
the case of the Raja, in which were involved the
character and justice of the entire British empire.
He trusted that those Hon. Gentleman who had taken
upon themselves the conduct of this question would en-
large their views, and that having satisfied themselves
of the innocence of the Raja, they would come to the
conclusion that those who had oppressed and persecuted
him deserved condemnation.—(Hear.)
Mr. WAKLEY—The Right Hon. Baronet opposite
(Sir J. Hogg) had spoken that night in a manner which
made him (Mr. Wakley) think that he was satisfied that
the Raja of Staters w..s an innocent man.—(lean)
He firmly believed that the Right Hon. Baronet could
not have put his hand upon his heart and say, upon his
honour, that he believed the Raja to be guilty. The
Right Hon. Baronet had referred to former governors
and chairmen of the East India Board who had stated it
to be their conviction that the Raja was guilty, and he
bad also spoken; If the Baja having a gaoler. Now, he
(Mr. Wakley) would ask the Right lion. Baronet whe-
ther the Raja had ever yet had a trial?—(Cheers.) He
had a gaoler, but had he ever had a jury?—(Hear.)
It was a well known fact—it was now notorious through-
out the whole of this country, as well as throughout all
India, that the Raja of Sattara had been treated as a
guilty man, and most grievously- punished, but that he
had never undergone the ordeal of a jury—that he had
never had that advantage which was afforded to every
man in this country, when charged with a criminal
offence. Ile had never yet been heard in his own defence.
—(Hear, hear.) He had not even seen the evidence
which was adduced against hits.---(Hear, hear.) Now
he (Mr. Wakley) could only say, that anything that
might be said upon the case that night, after the motion
had been acceded to by the Government, would be mere
loss loss of time. Within a very brief period a motioni,,u
another character must be submitted to the
111 e
(Hear, hear.) The justice of that House ev.aul
oad from
tested.—(Hear.) It otiki then be aiscfe,
t)' say that an
that Home whether they were prep
injured and persecuted man sho.ut4atifiert
_ho
'1 hel _;er it en.
Leard in
ti Baronet
his own delenee.—(Hear, hear.) .
of proper con-
had alluded to a violation of confidan,a; or a breaeli of
duty, or an overstepping of the boundary
duct on the part of Major Carpenter. hy, Major
Carpenter had violated no confidence.—(Hear, hear.)
lie had violated 'la duties, had in no respect broken
w i
he
any engagement that
was imposed upon him us a servant
of the East India Company.—(Hear, hear.) He was
asked b Government y the secret department of the to
He made his report acaord-
report upon certain things.
ingly in secret, which brought out n communication be-
tween him and the Govorament. • He was not the man