The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-16 00:00:00

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t COlll rnis4p,;tarted up and said there should be .no.-ckoss-
I esatoination..., Another native .officer during his exami-.
nation sat inilds chair with all the appearance of a dead
man.s.sle.came out that he had kept a journal. This
journal he suggested should be seized, and it was so, and
brought . to, the Court, and the discrepancies ws re very
great between that journal and the evidence he had
given. The cross-examination of that witness also was
not allowed. He had taken his notes of the evidence, and
had expected that there would have been time to deliberate.
On coming into the Court, however, the next day, he
found the Report of the evidence ready prepared. He
thought that extraordinary, and on inquiring the reason,
the excuse given was that the Commissioners preparing
the Refart had been obliged to go to Bombay, and would
not have time to prepare it. He was astonished at this
irregularity; but was pressed to sign it. He agreed to
go over it, itiid objected to certain parts, and when he
signed it- he thought the examination would last some
time, and that he should be enabled to protest against it.
He did wrong in signing it without protesting at the
time—he acknowledged that he did wrong in signing it
without protesting—(Hear, hear)—but he saw that any
impediment he might offer would be useless,' and he had
signed it to prevent his own Government from being
turned into contempt in a native &Elio, where they had
no right to send a Commission.—(Hear. hear, hear.)
For nine months after the Commission had been signed he
had been left as Resident at Sattara, but he had received
no intimation whatever from the Bombay Government
during the whole of the time. He had been utterly left
to himself. He had frequently thought during that time
whether he should resign or not. He had determined
not to do so, and was glad that he had so determined, for
on mentioning the circumstance to Lord Clare, his
Lordship had said that if he (General Lordwick) had
resigned he would have ruined himself. He had re-
mained at Sattara, but his feelings had been deeply
wounded by the neglect with which he had been treated.
During that nine months he had thought that the Go-
vernment had become ashamed of their proceedings._ At
last a report came up that he was to be removed. He
was astonished at that report, and when lie came to in-
quire the cause of his removal, he found that it was on
account of his conduct on the Commission, because,he had
suggested that a vakeel or advocate should be admitted
for the accused. 'With regard to the ulterior proceed-
ings the Government had adopted no means of in-
dicating their intentions to him. During the time the
Commission was sitting, he had stated to those about him
his deSire of collecting informatior, if information could
be had. But no informers came forward ; and why ?
Clearly becauSe it was thought that justice, and justice;
only, was the object of the Government. When the
Raja had sent the present itwas by his (General Lod-
wick's) advice. If the Raja had neglected that advice it
would have been a breach of the treaty. When the
Resident was removed that was, positive proof of the
anintus of the Government against the Raja, because
everybody kne* that he was the friend flof the Raja.
Whatever he (Colonel Lodwick) had done had beenlay
the orders of the Bombay Government. The persons
who had been seized had been seized Under the direc-
tions of the GoVernment, and no person had been seized
without the directions of the Government. They all
had heard of the character of Ballajee Punt. Two days
after his removal had been notified to him a letter had
arrived from the Chief Secretary to the Governor of
Bombay, directed to Ballajee Punt, desiring him to go
and assist the new Resident. Now, let them see
the result of that. Every body knew the in-
timacy of Ballajee with the Raja's brother,
—in fact lie was now Prime Minister of Sattara, and
everybody knew that he was inimical to the Raja, and
every vakeel before he (General Lodwick) left, told
him that it was mentioned as a matter of course that the
Raja was to be deposed. The people of Sattara then
plainly perceived the animus by which the Bombay Go-
vernment was actuated, and that accounted for the
swarms of informers that then came forward. All who
remained faithful to the Raja became suspected. Infor-
mations were laid against his friends ; they were seized
and confined, and all who could be of any use to the
Raja were removed from him. It had been said that he
had been entering into treasonable correspondence,
with Meersag. Now if the Bombay Government had
any information that this treasonable correspondence had
been carrying on, why did they not seize the papers of
Meersag or tape his deposition ? That would have been
the natural course. He did not wish to give his opinion
on the subject. He did not believe that the charges
had been proved, Every one must admit that it was an
ex parte case, and that the Raja had never been heard.
. He would fain, if possible, draw a veil over the proceed-
ing, which he must designate as seething the kid in the
mother's milk. He alluded to the seizing and shutting
up of an unfortunate individual, and then taking his
evidence. He might have been told that his mother was
dying, and propositions might have been made to him,
that he did so and so he would be released. Such
things might be possible. With regard to the question
of the Jagheerdars, that was a difficult question, and Lord
Clare had been quoted, among others, as deciding
against the claims of the Raja. But what said the Raja
on that subject ? He said that if Mr. Elphinstone de-
cided he had no claim, he would persist in it thftt he
would abide by the opinion of Mr. Elphinstone' who must
know the nature of the treaty, because lie had made
it. Had they attempted to obtain the opinion of
Mr. Elphinstone ?—(Hear, hear.) With regard to
Lord Clare his Lordship had expressed himself subse-
quently, on regretting the decision to which he had
come. His Lordship had said to him (General Lod-
wick), " I was wrong, and the Raja was right—we
were all wrong, and, if necessary for the ends of jus-
tice, do not spare me." After that, he hoped they would
hear no more of the authority of Lord Clare being
quoted as against the claims of the Raja. They might
all be in error at times, but when they had been so it
was right to confess it.—(Hear, thews) The Deputy--
Chairman had thought proper to deprecate these discus-
sions, as tending to no good purpose.
Sir J. L. LUSHINGTON rose to explain. He had not
said anything that could be construed into a denial of
the competency of the Court to entertain those ques-
tions ; on the contrary, he expressly admitted it ; but he
had stated that they possessed no power to alter a reso-
lution of the Board of Directors after that resolution had
been confirmed by the Board of Control. He had stated
that he considered the power of the Court of Proprietors
to discuss those questions was most valuable ; and
that he could conceive a case in which the
Court of Directors might bring forward such subject
before a Court of Directors for discussion, but he ex-
pressed his fear that if the Court of Proprietors was made
an instrument for the useless agitation of such subjects,
they might, by some stringent enactment, be deprived of
this valuable privilege.
After a few words from Mr. LEWIS in explanation,
General LODWICS proceeded—This was a question
proper to be discussed in that Court. It was whether
the Court would sanction an injustice, and the privileges
of that Court could never be endangered by public dis-
cussion and an appeal to public opinion.(Hear, hear.)
With regard to the question of suttee, it was true that
the late Raja had not absolutely prohibited it, but he
was so far estranged from the Brahmins that he had;before
giving his consent to any suttee taking place, always
had the victims before him, and offered to settle a pen-
sion on them if they would not perform it. He (General
Lodwick) had not asked the Raja to prohibit suttees,
because he had no instructions from his Government to
do so, but he had no doubt that, if it had been wished,
the. Raja would have prohibited them.—(Hear.)
General BRIGGS said that he had been four years a
resident at the Court of Sattara, and during that tire,
having had opportunities of becoming acquainted with
the disposition of the Raja, be had thought it his
duty, before leaving Bombay, to put the Government
in possession, in the secret department, of his
opinion of his Highness the Raja of Sattara. It was
not for him to ask for the production of the whole of
that letter. It was communicated confidentially. He
had done his duty when he .had sent it to the Govern-
ment ; and he thought he had no business to refer to or
publish that _ letter.—(Hear, hear.) It had passed a
strong eulogium on the Government of the Raja, but it
also passed severe censure on several of his acts, and
severe censure on several of his propensities. Consider-
able misapprehension existed with regard to the position
of the Rata of Sattaras end 'particularly as to the origin
of his' Government. -- (Hear, hear, hear.) It was
true that the Government Of ' the Rajas of Sattara
had beech usurped by the-PeigliWa
,in the same way that
the Government of the Raja pt gYsore had been usurped
by the 7MohammedanDynasty.: On the destruction of
the Mohammedan dynasty in 1799, it had .been thoughtpolitically expedient to restore •to the Rajas the Govern-
ment Of Mysore. They had restored to thetivallitlie
country over which they had formerly ruled, .the 'wit-
querors reserving to themselves only those p!opr ' 4>f
territory which had been added-to theßsia;liolf ; ' e
during the usurpation of the Mohatinedaife"N w; it
was a remarkable circumstance in the "Ckpfl,the Rajts
of Sattara, that the Peishwas alWays
.freateiii tihein
with a deference and respect which would astonish
some of the members of the Court. A stun. of money
had been given on the occasion of the. marriage of the
daughter of the Raja of Sattara to celebrate the nup-
tials. That sum was limited to 50,000 rupees, or about
5,000/. sterling, and that was at the time the Raja was
imprisoned. Now 5,000/. seemed a large sum to expend
on the marriage of a state prisoner's daughter. Even in
the time of the late Peishwa, he used to apply to the
Raja to confirm his appointments, and even for permis-
sion to engage in war he always solicited the Raja of
Sattara. No honours were Conferred by the Peishwa,
but by the Raja of Sattara. Individuals were brought
to Sattara; a sort of mock ceremony was gone through;
the Raja was supplied with money necessary
rr for the pur-
pose, but all honours were confeed by the Raj a of Sattara.
It was a curious fact, that when the late Peishwa of
Agra catne to. .the determination of making war with
the British lie asked permission of the Raja of Sattara,
though this Prince was at the time his prisoner.—(Hear,
hear, hear.) He (General Briggs) heard this from the
Raja himself.—(Hear, hear.) And when he asked the
Raja what answer did he give, the Raja burst into
laughter; and 'exclaimed, " What could I do ?"—(Hear,
and a laugh.) The education of the ex-RIO was left
to the superintendence of his mother, a talented and am-
bitious woman, who carefully instilled into his mind the
same sentiments of family pride and ambition which his
father entertained. There was in that family an in-
tense hatred of the Brahmins, which descended from
father toson, and which, nat being mitigated by the in-
structiori of his. mother, exhibited itself in mutual ani-
mdsities between blur and the order wben he was re-
stored lat the British Power. He was, however, fond of
promoting learning, and when (as we understood the Gal-
lant General, who was ao imperfectly heard that he was
repeatedly requested 'by Proprietors to speak up)
he was unable to establish a college, on account of time
oppositicm of the Brahnains, he established schools at the
hoOse oftthe Resident, and took pleasure in superintend-
in, them.—(Hear, hear.) He could only add, that since
the Raja hvas released from the superintendence of Cap-
tain Graht, he had religiously observed the conditions of
the treaty, One of them was, that he should not inter-
fere with the religious feelings of the people. To this
he adhered so' 'scrupulously, that even when he was ap-
pointed by two contending parties, to decide between

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