The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-21 00:00:00

M ORNIN G SUN.

rity of General Briggs, General Robertson, and of Ge-
he made distinct overtures to
while they were- Residents at the
nceor au
rl tLoo df ithecli , --nt;htiant:
them to supplant his brother.—(Bear, hear, hear.)
He could not agree in the latter part of the resolution
which was proposed, because the proceedings having re-
ceived the sanction of the Board of Directors and o the
Board of Control, even if carried, would be nugatory.
Neither could he agree to the amendment, because it
imported that all the proceedings were ended. By voting
for it, he would be placing the question in the tomb of
all the Capulets, which he was not at all disposed to do.
He was anxious that room should be left for, if not re-
storing, at all events ameliorating, the condition of the
Raja. He thought that the arguments advanced in fa-
vour of the Raja had been untouched. He lamented
what had occurred, but being called upon at that mo
ment to pronounce a verdict upon the conduct of the
Raja, he would say, "Not guilty, upon his honour."--.
(Cheers.)

Sir 12:CAMPBELL, from the declaration made by the
Gallant Colonel during his speech, that he would abstain
from theconsideration of the guilt or innocence of the Raja,
had not expected such a declaration as that with which
he finished. As to the fact of no criminatory documents
having been found after the Raja left his palace, it was to
be recollected that Sir James Carnac, had distinctly told
him what would be the consequences of his refusing to
sign the memorandum.. Knowing as he did what would
be those consequences, it was not likely that he would
leave behind any documents that would prove his guilt.
He wished, with all his heart and soul, that the question
had never been brought before them ; but it having come
under consideration they were bound to meet it fear-
lessly. If there was anything more than another that
he regretted it was the proposition made by his esteemed
friend Sir James Canute to leave the Raja upon the
throne, convinced, as he must have been, that he was
guilty ; but, of course, that arose froni the extreme kind-
ness of his heart, of which they were all aware. He
would now give them the opinion .of General Robertson
upon the probable guilt of the Raja.
" The record of transactions, and the correspondence
of the successive Residents, however, show that the Raja
never did, in fact, abandon the pretensions against which
so much pains were taken to guard. It was not very
long after taking the management of the country into his
own hands, that he exhibited by overt acts his assump-
tion of the character and functions of titular head of
the Mahrattas, and violated the restrictions expressly
framed to restrain such assumption. That the conduct
of the Raja, in these respects, was regarded by the suc-
cussive Residents as of a nature to lead to the loss of his
dominion, is shown by the warnings which each of them
had occasion to give him. Colonel Briggs, in making
known to Government certain reports 'he had received of
the Raja's secret communications with the Raja of Kola-
pore (at a time when the local Government was in a state
of collision with that chief), and of his encouraging
some of the Jagheerdars in their apparent disposition
to recognise his supremacy, writes prophetically of the
tendency of his proceedings to produce the calamity
which has actually fallen upon him ; for, after adverting
to the above-stated information, he adds—

" These reports are very likely to be true. They
need, however, create no suspicion in the mind of the
Government as to the fidelity and attachment of the
present Raja, who, I most sincerely believe, has too
much good sense ever to be engaged, directly or indi-
rectly, in a war with this Government. lie is, however,
extremely tenacious of his prerogative, and will every
day more and more resist our control. He has lately
been flattered by those around him with an erroneous
estimate of his own importance, and he has clearly
evinced strong inclinations to extend his connexions
beyond the limits prescribed by treaty. It will be for-
tunate, perhaps, for his Highness himself, if events
afford to the Bombay Government an early opportunity
to give him timely warning, or I should be very appre-
hensive that he may succeed in involving himself in
secret communications with those who may, at some
future period, provoke the resentment of Government,
when it is likely a development of a system of intrigue
with his Highness may take place, which will altogether
shake our confidence, and may tend to his ultimate
ruin."

And again in section 14 were these words :

" It appears from the correspondence, that when the
Goa intrigue was made known to the Resident, Colonel
(now Major-General) Robertson, that officer, although
he attached no importance to the intrigue itself (no
doubt from its manifest absurdity), and entertained no
suspicion of any hostile designs on the part of the Raja,
yet deemed it proper to represent its impropriety to the
Raja, with the warning, that the prosecution of it would
involve him in great difficulty, and be the ruin of the
Maharrij and the Raj : and a similar warning was subse-
quently conveyed to him by General Robertson's suc-
cessor, Colonel (now Major-General) Lodwick, who in-
timated to him that the fate of Bajee Row would be his
own."—(Hear, hear.)
Now it was clear that these gentle Men were convinced
of the guilt of the Raja, and he would ask lion. Gentle-
men whether any other inference could be drawn from
the extracts he had just read.— (Hear, hear, hear.)
And Mr. Grant Duff, who called himself the friend of
the Raja, stated in his despatch of the 21st March, 1819,
that he was even then an adept in intrigue. Such was
his character when even a very young man. It was
evident that the Raja was aiming at an extension of
dominion—that from the time he had been placed upon
the throne he had wielded his sovereighty to the best
purposes, he was willing to admit; but any persons who
carefully perused these documents must come to the
conclusion that he entertained designs inimical to the
British Government which had placed him on the throne.
These were his conscientious convittions. It was
alleged that the Raja had not •had- a fair trial, but
although he had not what might be called a judicial
trial, every opportunity had been afforded him of re-
butting the charges; and, looking at the high character of
the men composing the Council of Bombay, he could not
for a moment suppose that they would have acted or
decided without the fullest conviction of his innocence.—
(Hear, hear.) It must be assumed also that these e-en-
tlemen, being on the spot, had better means of judging
than themselves. He regretted that a man who seemed
so well disposed to promote the interests of his subjects
should have been led into these treasonable designs.
With reference to the Government of Goa, it was of
little importance that the force was contemptible—the
Raja had evidently become the tool of cunning and de-
signing intriguers who cared for nothing but their
own emoluments ; but it was clear that these men had in-
duced him to believe that he could effect great objects.
He held in his hand a letter from Dr. Wilson, a highly
respectable resident of Bombay, who was connected
with the Missionary Society, and that gentleman, who
was known to some of the Hon. Proprietors present,
writing to the Surveyor-General, said that when he was
in Goa in 1837 he had seen the GOvernor and his staff
riding on splendid horses sent him as a present by the
Raja of Sattara, with a message requesting his aid in
turning the English out of his territory. Now he be-
lieved that gentleman was incapable of stating anything
erroneous. But the simple question the Court had to
decide was, was the Raja guilty or not ?—(Hear, hear.)
He gave every Hon. Gentleman who had spoken credit
for his conscientious convictions, and he hoped he would
be allowed the same •, and when he saw such men as
' General Robertson, General Briggs, 'and General Lod-
wick, all concurring in opinion that the Raja had been
intriguing, and that it was necessary to remove him—
when he knew that the Raja had some reason to com-
plain of the conduct of the Bombay Government with
respect to the Jagheers, he could not doubt that such
was the case. It was unnecessary for him to occupy the
time of the Court by reading extracts to establish that
point. They would all, he was satisfied, bear testimony
to the calmness and deliberation with which Mr. Elphin-
stone had reviewed the whole question, and his conclu-
sion was that the Raja was guilty. Under these circum-
stances he should feel it his duty to vote for the amend-
ment. His Hon. Friend who had last spoken was neither
for the motion nor the amendment. He was neither one
thing nor the other; and although he did not like to make
use of such a comparison, it reminded him of the pre-
dicament of the animal between two bundles of hay.—
(Hear, hear.) He should conclude by expressing his
determination to vote for the amendment.
proceedings had extended, and whichwas unprecedented
renewal of the Charter, he
Mr. TWINING said, after the great length to which the
except on the question of the
his
bserrations into
was strongly induced to comprejtswas
hoverer,
as small a compass as possible.. It difficult,_
f gentlemen who
to abstain from quoting the p
were so well aepiainted
The question they
so closely investigated every point..
Jess than the deposition of a
with° thei subject, and who had
had to discuss was nothing
that there should have been any neces-
sitydeeply regretted
step. There had been a variety of argu-
for such
Prince who was believed to be inimical to them, and he
advanced to establish
in that Court to prove the innocence of the
deliberate opinions of men
more than had been
who had coolly
ments unisuedh
hs guilt. 1 e
calmly investigated the matter were recorded in these
and ts. and among them was the name of Mr. Tucker,
a. inert, ,
guilt. Such coming from
0f strength in himself., who
opinionsentertained strong
a tow• •
well make them doubt. He would,
refer them to Mr. Edmonstone 's evidence—a
hovve.ver, ref
man for whom the greateq, respect and veneration was
entertained by all parties. Edmonstone says—
,. That lie did assume such pretenkions has been con-
clusively. shown-by the record of events-And transactions;
such men
and that lie violated the letter of the resitietions of the
fifth article, declared to be fundamental, and to the
breach of which was annexed the forfeiture of his domi-
nion, is unquestionable, and indeed is not denied by him-
self : he only strives to vindicate it."
Now, however, lie regretted the necessity that existed
for the steps that had been taken, he did not think, under
all the circumstances they could have' acted otherwise.
If he had reason to think any hostility to the Raja ex-
isted in the mind of Sir James Carnae, he should have
regretted it ; but on the contrary, Sir James had taken
no steps but those of kindness and consideration for the
position in which the Raja had placed himself. After the
decisions that had been come to by the Government of
Bombay, and the Governor-General of India, upon the
question, it appeared to him that it would place them in a
very extraordinary and difficult poSition to come forward
now, and upset their proceedings. It
was right also they
should bear in mind the great responsibility that attached
They all knew the blame
to the Governor-General.
that would attach to him if he neglected availing him-
th e
him-
self of the information that was laid before him. Now
of
made bang of a
the charge and allegations that
politiril4
.2.ye_ir•neitaceri, Nod iu~olrin~ the
li
ex-
ercising, their, wag the
the grcate.t. caution.
.1
t itias 1
but he believed such
s"riitil art:
the°tt..:l7
nesses had not been cross-examinec ,
a step was not suitable to the char•ett o£ the
natives of
•of"No ' ) Ile hail no wish
India.—(Hear, and cries
to find the Baja guilty, but they were all entitled to pro-
-1
nounce an opinion as to the policy and justice of the
course that lied been pursued. It was a matter deeply
to be regretted that the question of the angheers had not
been taken up and probed to the bottom when discontent
was first evinced by the Raja. 'But as to treating
schemes and plots with indiffereire, because they