The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-20 00:00:00

and Mr. Willoughby, were present throughout this con-
ference.

" I commenced by informing the Raja that I had
anxiously and carefully considered the whole of the pro-
ceedings in his case, and had, in common with all other
authorities to whom they had been submitted, become
fully satisfied that, misled by evil counsellors mid los.v
and interested advisers, he had, on three occasions, ma -
nifested hostile intentions towards the British Govem-
ment. I reminded his Highness of the peculiar circuLl-
stances under which he was rescued from captivity, am I.
invested by the British Government with the sovereignty
over his present dominions : that this was a pure act
of generosity on the part of the English Girnment,
not founded in any right of possession, since; owing
to the unprovoked hostility of the Peishwa, the whole of
the Deccan had become ours by conquest, but simply
from a feeling of consideration and compassion to
himself and family, as the representatives of a fallen
but once powerful dynasty ; that his Highness must be
aware that, by the conduct he had pursued, he had for-
feited all the advantages which he had derived from the
treaty of 1819, and in virtue of which he became the
head of the Sattara State ; that, notwithstanding, the
British Government were willing, on certain conditions,
to bury the past in oblivion ; and that, at considerable
personal inconvenience, I had come in person to Sattara,
to endeavour to rescue himself and family from impend-
ing ruin. I informed the Baja that I was his sincere
friend, and anxiously desired to effect such an arrange-
ment as would restore friendly relations between the two
States. Finally, I recalled to his recollection the warn-
ing long ago given to him by his friend, Mr. Elphinstone,
against placing his trust and confidence in Vaheels and
low and intriguing agents, and earnestly urged him to
discard from his counsels the numerous agencies he had
established, and entreated him not to throw away this
the only opportunity which could be afforded to him, for
becoming reconciled to the British Government; for that,
he might rest assured, however much his agents might en-
deavour to persuade him to the contrary, that I had come
invested with full powers to decide finally on all pending
questions, and that the terms which I should offer to
him had already been submitted to, and approved of by,
the Governor-General of India, and that the home au-
thorities had placed the settlement of all these questions
in my hands, consequently he might fully depend upon
my having been vested with full powers.
" During this address, which I delivered firmly but
in conciliatory language, the Raja evinced a con-
siderable degree of impatience, and frequently inter-
rupted me by abrupt declarations that he had committed
no breach of alliance. When I had concluded, he stated
that he regarded me as his friend and well-wisher ; as-
serted that the accusations against him originated in the
intrigues of his enemies ; that as long as the British
Government entertained the idea that he had cherished
hostile designs he could agree to nothing, but this idea
being removed, he would agree to anything I proposed ;
that he would consent to anything, except to abandon
his religion or to acknowledge that he had been our
enemy ; that he would receive my conditions, reply to
them, and vindicate his conduct generally. Finally, he
observed that if I had not leisure to attend to him per-
sonally. he could communicate what he had to say through
the Resident.
"In reply to this, I repeated my former observations,
and said that I had come not to prolong, but to termi-
nate these discussions, which had now occupied a space
of three years, and which had ended in satisfying the
highest authorities, that his Highness had repeatedly
violated the terms of the the treaty he had entered into
with the British Government ; that, had I come to Sat-
tam to inflict the penalty incurred by these violations of
the Treaty of 1819, further inquiry might perhaps have
been considered expedient, but that as I had come to
overlook, and not to punish, this was quite unnecessary.
The case, moreover, against his Highness having been
established by a chain of evidence, both oral and docu-
mentary, which, from the manner and circumstances
under which it was obtained, could not, in my opinion,
by any possibility be materially shaken by any other
evidence, and all that I should require from his
Highness was, that henceforward he would act
strictly and in good faith according to treaty
with the British Government, and assent to two or
three other conditions rendered necessary by the
detection of his misconduct. These observations were
at intervals supported by Mr. Anderson, who informed
the Raja, that the evidence produced against him
was so strong and convincing, that the highest
authorities in India had, without exception, con-
curred in thinking that the penalty prescribed
in the fifth article of the treaty should be en-
forced against him, and that he strongly advised his
Highness to attend to the friendly suggestions of the
Governor, who had come to Sattara to give him a second
time the raj which he had justly forfeited.
" It was with deep mortification and regret that I re-
marked that these observations produced no effect what-
ever on his Highness. In order, therefore, that he
might at once become fully apprised of all the conditions
of the proposed amnesty, I deemed it advisable to put
into his hands a Mahratta memorandum, in which they
had been embodied. Having perused this, and apparently
with great earnestness, the Baja returned the memoran-
dum, and at once said he would not agree to my condi-
tions, asking me to mention what violations of the treaty
he had been guilty of. He was then informed, that
three important violations of the treaty had been proved
against him :

Ist. Of the fifth article, in having, during a series
of years, held improper communications with the Goa
authorities.
" 2d. Of the same article, in having held a clandes-
tine intercourse with Appa Sahib, the ex-Raja of Nag-
pore. _

" 3d. Of having tampered with the native officers of
the 23d Regiment of Native Infantry.
The only observation made by his Highness related
to the second of these charges, and was very remark-
able. My conviction being, that the Raja felt at the
moment conscious of his guilt, I had stated that some
of Appa Sahib's original letters had fallen into the
hands of the British Government, and inquired whether
he could deny the fact of those letters having been sent
to him. He did not deny, as would have been natural
on the supposition of innocence, but evaded a direct
answer by observing, that The circumstance of re-
ceiving letters did not constitute guilt on the part of
him who recived them. A. letter from a person does not
establish guilt against the party to whom it is addressed.
Where are my answers ? There is Mr. Anderson : lie
may receive a letter ; but this would be no proof that he
answered it, or that he committed any fault in receiv-
ing
it.'

I closed this conference by informing the Raja that
the Resident would wait on him the following day, with
a correct written statement of the conditions on which
friendly relations between the two states could alone be
restored, and that his Highness would he required to
sign these, as a supplement of the Treaty of 1819. The
Raja assented to receive the Resident ; and when he was
about to take leave I again earnestly exhorted him seri-
ously to reflect on the consequences of his rejecting the
very moderate terms offered for his acceptance, to discard
the crowd of interested agents now in his confidence, and
warned him that if he rejected my terms he could only
blame himself for whatever might be the result. On step-
ping into his carriage the Raja made a kind of apology
tier the discussion he hail occasioned ; but turning towards
the Resident, and looking at the paper of conditions
which he had returned to the Resident, he observed—
' Ye 4 Kaghuz °Tar toomho izar howengee e which was
interpreted to signify a threat, that he (the Resident)
would be injured on account.of that paper.
" A very considerable change occurred in the Raja's
manner and demeanour towards the end of this inter-
view. When we first met he was cheerful, and embraced
me and all the gentlemen present with apparent cordi-
ality. As the debate progressed, however, and more
particularly towards the close, he became sullen and
gloomy, and spoke but little, and it seemed that he had,
for the time, entirely lost command over his feelings.
From the result of this, my first interview, I almost
despaired of accomplishing the object of my visit to
Sattara."

There he asserted that the charges had been distinctly
proved. Let them turn to page 303, and they would
find the following:—
" The information required under the first head will
be best afforded by the following translation of the
Mahratta memorandum, which the Raja was required to
sign.
" ' Information having been received by the British
Government, that 3rour Highness, misled by evil advisers,
had, in breach of the treaty which placed you on the
throne, entered into communications hostile to the Bri-
tish Government, an inquiry into these accusations was
considered indispensable. This inquiry has satisfied the
British Go-
on. British Government that your Highness has expos
yourself to the sacrifice of its alliance and protection. Nevertheless, moved by considerations of clemency en'
wards your Highness and your family, the
vernment has resolved entirely to overlook what has past,
firsteohf
a conditionze oftrea
s.
the following conditions," &c.
That made it evident that the Raja was called
upon to sign a document, theehe
which was to plead guilty to
Yet they were told that the signing treason.
did not involve a confession a guilt. ___4 document
of the document was drawn up in a The preamble
well suited for a guilV man, but ill Tanner that was
suited for one know-
ing his innocence. 1 hat a situation
the Raja placed in by the conduct of the
Government,—
they were compelled to wish that he had- been a traitor,
for, in that case, he would still be Raja.—(Hear,
The proceedings of the Bombay Gov hear.)dis dis-
pleasing alike to Lord Auckl and andet
rhnemceonut r
twoefre
Direc-
tors, as was proved by the Minute of the Governor-
General :
" The grave inc •
onveniences of a course of anxious and
minute scrutiny into
the possible plots and intrigues of
the native states are indeed very obvious. The futility
of the schemes themselves, and the diversion of time and
attention, in the search after them, from the better ob-
jects of Government, are points that need not be insisted
on. Nor can it be necessary to dwell on the unworthy,
labour of following out the petty and intricate ramifica-
cations of such intrigues, or on the questionable expedi-
ents which must h employed, in the effort to expose the
true meaning and intention of proceedings covered with
mystery and obscurity. I would more strongly fix at-
tention on the effect which seems to be justly dreaded from
investigations of this kind, by the Honourable Court,
of injuring the character of our Government for
stance of the modera-
' modera-
tion, security, and rength. In this in
Sat-
tara investigations, as observed by me in a former Mi-
nute, ' in an affai,r of no real importance to our power,
the idea of mistrusVand insecurity, on the part of the Bri-
tish Government, may have been spread from Rajpootana
to Madras and Malabar.' And, after all these evils and
risks shall have been incurred. and the investigations are
is probed and at length brought to a close, when all
de-
tected, and laid bare, the serious. practical
difficulty re-
mains,which we must in this case, though perhaps,
by
circumstances, in a less degree than
from incidental . on
• be embarrassed. It being known that
other occasions,
the secret
has been discovered, it may be impolitic not
to take notice' of that, from which, had wo continued
in real or affected ignorance of it, we should have sus-
tained no harm: Yet, by what process, and with

EVENING-SUN,

-what impression upon the public mind, is ;the guilty state to be tried, condemned and punished ? When a
great Government, like that of the British in India, di-
rects its vengeance, however justly, against a. he2pless
dependent neighbour, and when it cannot avoid the ap-
pearanceb.wefacl:yrulsyi
misconstrued.
nitesrocrit be being prosecutor
surprised
i f i t andsmotivesjudgcinanitiisaetTone:Tree,
we
oendsitnruheicLs•ewnAnddemhoinwiecnsanifalesfutsitect,dpePrsistres-
Sion of sovereign power ? Yet, can he be 'biought to
trial, without at least the plausible imputation of preju-
dice and injustice, after the open ignominy of a deposi-
lion however avowedly provisional and temporary ?
They said the proceedings were a waste of the public?
; but they, wishing only to exculpate themselves,
vent on with the inquiries even against the orders of
t. ieir superiors. The whole conduct of the Raja showed
h, Is innocence. He was told what the penalty n;ottid be,
y( the merely said he was innocent, And thatoas they
ha d given the country, they might resume it ; all that he
wi. ;lied was the friendship of the English, awl that they
she luld convince themselves that he was worthy of their
con fidenee. Was that the language of a guilty: men ?
No 4,, as to the charaner of Appa Sahib, whom they
had placed on the throne, he had embodied his views in
the dissent he had put on the Minutes ; and he was
an xiotas to show that he had not come to his conclusions
up )n :light grounds. In page 233 they would find the
cha rrt cter of the present Raja drawn by Sir R. Grant,
and ;upon these passages he had founded his opinion of
Awn, Sahib.
A I ROPRIETOR—Read the 12th paragraph.
a to paper is vaguely written ; but it contains one
stater to ant, criminatory both of the alleged writer and
the R aia, which deserves attention. In reference to the
two .sp rents whom it is understood that the Raja
was al ic.ut to depute to England, the writer says;c-,-.' The
Raja I rave copies of the treaty and other papers to Syud
Meer and Ibrahim, and instructed them thus Repre-
sent first: to the Court of Directors in England. There,
should. :it not be effected according to our desires, repre-
sent to the King's durbar. There, if it should be de-
cided tlo at we have full powers in our own country, and
that th e Bombay Council should have no sovereignty
aver us, it is good ; if not, communicate with the Roos-
walla (.Russians) and adopt means for their army to come'
down ha v.' Having said so, and having prepaeed a foul
draft of a yad of stipulations to be passed to the Roos-
walla, n ty brother put his sign-manual on it, and made
me put n tine. Had I not put it, he would that moment
have tak en my life. Out of this fear I put it ; and I
became ft'lly persuaded that moment, that by such acts
the Raja would not continue.'
" In weighing the claims of this statement to our be
lief, it is impossible not to observe that there are two
circumstances which, taken by themselves, materially
detract .from its credit. First, the writer acknowledges
that emarity has long existed between himself and the
Raja. .1' Day by day,' he says, the enmity of my bro-
ther has been increasing, for he suspects me of being in
combination with the British Government.' Secondly,
he anticipates the possibility of the Raja's dethrone-
ment, and avowedly aims at succeeding him. •If my
brother, ale observes, has done anything wrong, that
it may be forgiven out of mercy, and that the raj be
continued fit. m, is my only wish. Perhaps, in order not
to continue mv brother on the raj, if an arrangement be
contemplated, .I am an heir, and I am not concerned in
any improper act.'s ; if my brother has done any, there-
fore, the British Government will place me.on the throne.
I have this confidence.'
" With such powerful inducements to lead him to the
crimination of the Raja, the statements of AppalSahib
(for I do not doubt that he is the author of the docu-
ment) must be received with considerable reserve. In
truth, among the numerous witnesses whose testimonies
stand recorded against the Raja, Appa Sahib is the only
one who speaks clearly on the side of his own interest.
In the case of the rest, if any has existed, the presump-
tion from their position and circumstances is, that it was
a bias in favour of his Highness. The brother,.actuated
by the double motive of ill usage to resent, and of a
throne to gain, cannot be considered an impartial witness."
Captain SHEPHERD then proceeded :
" Having stated fairly the considerations which thus
tend to discredit the statement of, the Prince, it is my
duty to point out, with equal candour, the circum-
stances that tell in its favour. Let it be observed, then,
that the Prince freely criminates himself as well as his
brother. True, he extenuates the act which he con-
fesses ; but he must have felt that his confession, even
thus quailfied, could not but place him in a situation of
very serious hazard. The presumption, therefore would
seem to be, that some letter of the sort described by
him was in existence when he wrote, and that it was out
of his own power ; and, if so, we can hardly suppose
that he would commit himself on a false allegation of
its having been signed by the Raja, which allegation the
production of the instrument would instantly confute."
Now he submitted that that did not make out much for
his friend's argument. It was said that Sir Robert
Grant was not the author of some of these statements,
but with that he had nothing to do. It was not his busi-
ness to make up these deficiencies. Again, in paragraph
13 he found these words :
" If, on the other hand, we suppose that the Raja is
here falsely accused, then we must hold, either that no
instrument of the sort existed, and that Appa Sahib's
statement is wholly false, or else that the instrument
existed, but, together, with the Raja's signature, had
been forged by the person who refers to it. But, on
either of these suppositions, why should Appa Sahib
accuse himself of treason, as well' as the Raja ?
If he forged the instrument and the Raja's sig-
nature to it, why should he gratuitously add
his own ? If there existed no such instrument, and
the whole story is a fiction, why should it be part of the
fiction, that he himself partook in the crime imputed ?
He would rather have pretending that the Raja had ear-
nestly solicited him to join in the treason, but he had
nobly resisted the solicitation."
He now came to the confication of the Raja's property.
He maintained that the cash, which amounted to six or
seven lacs of rupees, was distinctly private property,
and on no public grounds whatever should it have been
confiscated.—(Hear, hear.) He would say the same
with respect to the Raja's flocks and herds, end other
property :
" The Raja did submit peaceably ; and, confiding in
the assurances conveyed to him through the Resident, he
left in the Palace the whole of his treasure, and other
property, with the exception of the jewels belonging to
his two ranees, estimated at the value of two lacs, which
they were permitted to take with them, and which the
Court state that they were very properly allowed to
retain.
" The melancholy result of the Government's profes-
sions, and the Raja's confidence, has been the confis-
cation and transfer of the whole of his property to his
successor."
There was a direct pledge given that his property
should be respected, and he reeretted that Sir R. Grant
had not acted considerately, and in conformity with that
pledge, instead of making over all the property to his
successor. He did not think they could justify that
breach of a solemn engagement by any arguments what-
ever. He feared he had detained them too long. Ile
deeply deplored that the present discussion had taken
place, and that the Directors had taken so contrary a
N:ew of the question. It had always been the practice
of the Court to interfere on behalf of the natives of
India.—(Hear, hear.) He would stake his reputation
upon that fact. In his experience of their proceedings,
they had been anxious, on every occasion, to do justice
and maintain their authority in the most conciliatory
manner. He was sorry, in this particular case, that, for
the sake of maintaining the Governor's authority, they
should have allowed themselves to confirm the Gover-
nor's deposition of the Raja • although, up to the
eleventh hour, their opinions had been in his favour.—
(Cheers.) They had sent him a:present of a sword, and
had distinguished him above all the Princes of India.
The next point was the reflection that his Hon. Friend
opposite (Air. Warden), had cast upon his Hon. and
Gallant Friend General Lodwick.
General Lonwicx said the Chairman had kindly pro-
mised that he should have an opportunity of explaining
his conduct.—(Hear, hear.)
Captain SHEPHERD resumed. He admired the .niankf
integrity which his Hon. and Gallant Friend had dis-
played when he was convinced of his error, and found
that he had reason for changing his opinion. He
eer
trust-
ed the East India Company would always have
who would he ready to do justice,
to the
consistency.—(Much cheering.) regardWithhemliy his Hon.
motion that had been submitted to
t were totally and
Friend, he need not say that his
feelingsthregard to the entirely in unison with it ; but even at the sake° of
speci-
fic remedy that it proposed,
were embodied gave the
Parliament under which
.they varying
hew feared that the Act of
or i their decisions.
Court no power of altering
He would therefore suggest
a"
That tthelfesetsmoetfionthsehcossuleddt
and then to confine anmetensudffiede,ietnoti?
remedy.jeuesfftiefr-
It would not be becoming in
them-
selves to a general
ment of the law. In its p
tGeeednttlhee-
• but he should vote for a general
recomme.oda-
the motion,
him to support a mollNrvehsiecnhtms-houspide lhoeokcelinkledannetinvferveingfeer-
eaddmma misunderstood nlidoe nr
of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman on
Htheebehlaierxh•
threat,that but he believed their meaning was that when so
point. What they said. had been construed into a
statements
imonnetnhttsehelloajthae'srfsaivdoeuroi
illegal a motion was carried, it would arm the enemies
of the Company with a proposition for the curtailment of
the privileges of the Company, and he feared the mo-
ment that was done the power of that Company l‘ d
be speedily at an end.—(Hear, hear.)
A PROPRIETOR, whose name we were unable to learn,
said the question before the Court was, not whether the
Bombay Government had acted wisely, but whether
they had acted justly, and whether, under all the circum-
stances of the case, any injustice had been done the ex-
Bajte—(Hear, hear.) He confessed, that looking through
the whole of the papers and the evidence that had been
taken, he could not see that there had been any injustice
done him, for
_the evidence was strong and conclusive
against him.—(Hear, and No.) His traitorous inter.-
course with the Governor of Goa had been proved in
such a manner as to convince the most hardened unbe-
liever. The evidence had been read through by Sir R.
Grant, and his opinion on it was recorded. It WAS CO3ll-
- that the evidence was ex parte, but how could it
be otherwise.
" It appears from the Commission's proceedings, the
the evidence against the Raja was fully explained to his
Highness ; and it is quite clear that his Highness under-
stood the nature of the charges preferred against him, by
his endeavouring, however unsatisfactorily, to exonerate
himself from them. The Commission further offered to
confront the Raja with his accusers, but he declined."
He believed there was a deep anxiety on the part of
the British Government to screen the Raja from the con-
sequence
8, 9
of,
10, 11, and 12, page 0, would be his misdeeds. Any person who read
con-
vincedpara-
graphs,
of the truth of that statement.
" A regard to character, if not bur own feeling, pre-
scribes that legal right, shonttl. be
deration, anti- that mercy, :should -temper justice. .
far as appears; the crime of the Raja, though amount-
ing to trea:on, was in a practical sense inchoate ; justic ,