The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-17 00:00:00

THE RAJA OF SATTARA.

Mr. HUME then moved an address to her Majesty,
that she will be graciously pleased to direct that there
be laid before this House copies of the overtures made to
Purtaub Singh, twenty years Raja of Sattara, and now
an!exile at Benares, to the effect, that if he would renounce
his claim to the sovereignty of Sattara he should be
allowed to change his place of residence and enjoy
other advantages, in return for his compliance
with these degrading proposals ; also, copies of
the orders by which these overtures were made ;
also, copies of the answer of the ex-Raja to
these overtures; and also copies of the correspondence
between Major Carpenter, the officer in charge of the
ex-Raja at Benares, and the Governor-General, and the
Secret Committee of the Court of Directors in England
on the subject. That her Majesty would also be gra-
ciously pleased to comply with the petition of the ex-
Raja, presented to her Majesty in March, 1845, and
grant him such a trial as the poorest peasant in
her Majesty's dominions is by law entitled to claim.
The Hon. Member denied that the assertion of the
Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Board of Control,
that the late Raja had been taken from a prison by the
British Government, to be placed on the throne of Sat-
tara was true. The dignity belonged to him by right,
having been handed down from his ancestors. He
also denied the second and third assertions,
that the Prince had been found guilty of
treasonable practices continued from an early period,
and that Generals Briggs and Robertson were aware of
them. The Raja had been held up as model for the
princes of India ; and a sword had been sent to him, as
a mark of respect from the Eastandia Company. (The
Hon. Member read letters from Generals Briggs and Ro-
bertson, to
.disprove the latter assertion.) Having made
these explanations, which he was prepared to prove by
the evidence of all the papers, substantiated by the
parole evidence of Colonel Ovans, if the House would
compel his attendance, he would now proceed
to refer to other portions of this case which
had been adverted by the Right Honourable Baronet.
He had five witnesses at present in London, who were
well acquainted with the facts of the case, and who
were 'prepared to prove that the Raja was guiltless of
the charges made against him, and that all the allega-
tions were without foundation.—(Hear, bear.) All
that the Prince wanted was, that an investigation should
take place, and that he should have an opportunity
of fairly meeting the charges against him. He (Mr.
Hume) was prepared to prove his innocence, if he had
the opportunity, and he would not detain the House
any longer, as he thought he had stated sufficient
grounds why the inquiry should be instituted. All he
wanted was a trial in any way the Government might
think necessary, and he hoped the House would
pardon him for the time he had occupied in bringing
this matter before it.
Sir JOHN CAM HOBHOUSE said, that as he had
already occupied the attention of the House two hours
and ahalf on this subject, he did not think it necessary
to dwell upon it now. There was not a statement which
had been made by the Hon. Gentleman with reference to
some parts of the evidence but was wholly at variance
with truth. An assertion had been made by Mr. G.
Thompson, to the effect that the Raja of Sattara had
most indignantly refused the offer that had been made
to him by the Government, that he should resign his
claim to the kingdom of Sattara, on condition that he
should receive in exchange some benefits and advan-
tages which were then specified. Now, an inquiry had
been made into the truth of this " indignant refusal,"
and it was clearly ascertained that the whole proposi-
tions, and the conversations by which they were sup-
posed to be supported were perfectly imaginary.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL appeared at the bar of the
House, and stated, that the Lords required a confer-
ence with the House on the subject of bringing up Bills
from the Commons, and other matters connected with
the business of the House.
Lord J. Russell, Sir J. Graham, the Attorney-Ge-
neral, the Solicitor-General, and several other Hon.
Members were appointed to manage the conference.
The Members having returned, Lord J. Russell an-
nounced to the Nouse the result of the conference.
Sir J. HOBHOUSE resumed, by saying, that those
who had the management of affairs in India, that they
might have appropriated the whole of the country of the
Raja, and incorporated it with the great Indian empire ;
they had not done so, however, but had placed the bro-
ther of the Raja upon the throne.
PUNISHMENT OF VAGRANTS (IRELAND)
BILL.

A conference was appointed to confer with the Lords
on the subject of certain amendments introduced by the
Lords in this Bill.
The conference having been returned,
Sir G. GREY announced the result thereof to the
House.
General MORRISON made some remarks upon the
subject of the Raja of Sattara, which were perfectly in-
audible in the gallery. The Gallant Member was under-
stood to give it as his opinion that the Raja had been
justly deposed.
Mr. WAKLEY thought that the case ought not to be
allowed to rest as it now stood. The people of this
country would not tolerate it much longer. The present
rule of this country in India, was a moral miracle, and if
the House allowed the high character of that Government
to be tarnished, there would soon be an end to their ex-
tensive dominion in the East. What a position was it
for a man like the Hon. Member for Montrose, who, for
30 years had been the most indefatigable reformer in
this country, and who was mainly interested in obtaining
a reformed House of Commons, and placing the Noble
Lord at the head of the Government, to stand up in his
place, night after night, and beg of the Noble Lord,
whom he had placed in his situation, to grant a full and
fair inquiry into the subject. A statement had been made
by Captain Cogan to the effect that the President of the
Board of Control (Sir J. Hobhouse) had stated to him
that he would do all that lay in his power to support the
conduct of the Government in this determination, and
that he had written to the Governor-General of India,
giving his intentions to dismiss from office every indivi-
dual whe expressed an opinion unfavourable to the con-
duct pursued by the Government. It surely could not
be possible that a member of a Liberal Government
could act thus, but such was the effect of injustice on the
part of the Government.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said this case had been very
carefully considered by Sir Robert Grant, and after that
careful consideration, Sir Robert Grant was firmly con-
vinced of the guilt of the Raja. Now, Sir Robert Grant
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He was not disposed to enter
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charge made by Captain Cogan.
tho Mr. OSBORNE deprecated the course
Hon- Member for Finsbury, in making public
sub-
stance of a private conversation between Captain Cogan
talcen
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and the Right Hon. the President of the Board of Con-
trol. If such a course were to be generally adopted, an
end would soon be put to all public and private confi-
dence. He would have no objection to unite himself
with the Hon. Member for Finsbury, as one of the twelve
who would oppose voting
been done to the Raja.
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Mr. B. ESCOTT thought that the Raja had not yet
had a fair trial, and it was an act of monstrous injus-
tice on the part of the Government, to refuse to hm a
fair trial.
CONSOLIDATED FUND APPROPRIATION