The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-03 00:00:00

and four wounded, and he had only one aide•de-
camp left, a boy of sixteen, his own son, who
carried his orders front one part of the field to
another with the greatest courage and presence of mind.
He had with him another son, not in the military service,
who had been prevented from entering that service in conse-
quence of an accident which rendered amputation of the foot
necessary; that son stuck by him during the battle, and it
was only towards the conclusion that in consequence
of the commands of his father he left the field.
Our losses had been great, one of the most dis-
tinguished in that or any other army had fallen at
Moodkee, Sir R. SALE, whom all honoured, and to whom
all felt gratitude, and he was sure their Lordships would not
refuse, when they should be called upon to testify their admi-
ration -of the character of that Gallant Officer. There was
another most gallant officer whose loss we had to lament, Sir
J. M'CASKILL. It wa impossible to mention all worthy of
mention, but he could not avoid mentioning the name of
one whose loss was irreparable, Major BROADFOOT,
who had rendered immense services to his country, both in
his military and his diplomatic capacity. Then, as to results.
The object of the Seikhs was to inundate the whole country
from the Sutlej to the Jumna, and to take possession of
Delhi, and to drive us beyond the limits of our territory. All
those objects have failed. Our objects were to drive them
beyond the Sutlej, to save Ferozepore, to confirm those true
to us, and coerce those inimical to our rule. All their ob-
jects have:failed—all ours have succeeded by the exertions
by which those battles were attained, and which the Seikhs
would not readily forget. Those victories had secured that
important frontier for us. His personal knowledge of and
affection for the Governor-General might have led him to
speak much of his prowess, but he also felt bound to do the
utmost honour to the gallantry and skill of the Commander-
in. Chief, Sir hush GouGir, who was deserving of every
honour that could be conferred on him. Having been forced
into this war it was necessary to do everything to bring it
to a successful termination. The Governor of Bombay
had forwarded large forces to Kurrachee, there to
be under the command of one of the most gallant
men that ever wore a soldier's uniform, Sir Citant.F.sNartEn.
The Noble Earl concluded by formally moving the vote of
thanks.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE felt it most grateful to his
feelings to state that, after an attentive perusal of the docu-
ments laid on the table, he felt it consistent with his sincere
conviction to give to the proposed resolutions, not only his
acquie.-cence, but his most cordial support. This was an
action most glorious to the British army, and it was owing
to the zeal and devotion of that army that the natives of
Aida had been shown that the star of British glory shone
with increased splendour; and those dispatches showed that
the valour of the Sepoy troops had been displayed in
as glorious a manner as those of the British, and
he hoped they would' know that on this occasion
their claims to their Lordships' gratitude had net been for-
gotten. The Governor-General in his most peculiar position,
being both a civilian and a military man, had shown his
zeal and devotion to the service in the most remarkable
manner, by passing at once from his civil to his military
character, and drawing his sword, and giving an admirable
example to all. He would not follow his Noble Friend in
dilating upon the merit' of the Commander-in-Chief and his
officers, nor in offering an opinion on the political view of
the question. But when they did come to consider it, he
felt assured that their Lordships would feel convinced that
we had pursued a pacific and not an aggressive policy, and
that nothing but necessity had compelled us to draw the
sword.

The Duke of WELLINGTON could not hear a motion of this
description made without stating his unqualified approba-
tion of the conduct of the troops, and of that of the officers,
and particularly of that of his Gallant Friend the Governor-
' General, who, after having made all the arrangements ap-
pertaining to his duty asGovernor-General, for collecting all the
resources of the country for the contest impending, volunteered
his services and his rank in the army, in order to give his
assistance to the officer commanding in chief. in carrying on
his operations. In doing this, Sir H. HAzumsGE had set
an example which he hoped would always be followed. He
knew that the Seikh entrenchment was completely closed in,
and ought to have been called a fortress, instead of a forti-
fied position. He knew also that the troops had been for
four-and-twenty hours without water, and yet they perse-
vered and carried the position, not without great loss, yet not
without leaving them efficient if their services should be re-
quired. He had not heard of any action for a long time in
which so much bravery was displayed. There was but one
exception, and that was, that to one regiment the name of
panic was attached. Now, the regiment had lost one-third
of its oggers,, a large proportion of non-commissioned
officers, atiPi. two-thirds of the men. He would
not disput& what had been said of the officers,
who saw the Action, but he thought that he should have
stated the amount of loss in that report, and if he had in-
quired, he would have found that on their advance they
were absolutely mown down—that the regiment had been
abroad 30 years out of 40 that it had been raised— that it had
been in India 16 years, and had been recruited twice over—
and that of those in the regiment. three-fourths had not been
more that 7 years in the service. And in looking over the
reports, he found from the general officers several reports of
the praiseworthy conduct of the regiment, and he thought,
looking at the returns of killed and wounded, it was impos-
sible to apply that word to the conduct of this regiment.
He had also seen an unqualified approbation, written by this
general officer, of the conduct of this regiment only at Christ-
mas last, and at this battle they were mowed down by the
enemy's artillery.
The Marquis of LONDONDERHY passed a high eulogium on
Sir 11. HARDLNGE for the example he had set in going into
battle as second in command. With regard to the loss which
had taken place he would ask if, considering the immense
superiority of the enemies' force, they could have expected
any other. They could not have great victories without
great losses. Sir H. Gomm and Sir H. HAADLNGE had placed
themselves foremost in the post of danger, and in so doing
they had only followed the example of the Noble Duke under
whom they had served.
After speeches by the Duke of RICHMOND, the Earl of
ELLENBOROUGH, and the Earl of AUCKLAND, the motion
was carried nemine dissentiente.

The Bills on the table wcre then forwarded a stage, and
their Lordships adjourned.

The SPEAKER. took the Chair at Four o'clock.
Mr. HILDYARD took the oaths and his seat for South
Nottingham.
Several Railway Bills were read a second time and ordered
to be committed.
Dr. BOWEING presented a petition from the sisters of
Lieut. WYBERG who had been detained at Bokhara, and was
supposed to have been barbarously murdered there, praying
for an inquiry to be instituted as to his fate. The Hon.
Gentleman gave notice of his intention to-morrow to put a
question to the First Lord of the Treasury on the subject.
Petitions were presented for and against a repeal of the
corn-laws.
Petitions were also presented against the embodiment of
the militia.
Lord Joitx Russzt.t. presented a petition from the ship-
owners of London in favour of the Government measures
with respect to corn and timber.
Mr. COBDEN presented a petition from Goatacre, praying
for the total and immediate repeal of the corn-laws.
Mr. C. Bicegnixy called the attention of the House to a
petition that he had received, purporting to come from Chel-
tenham, though in fact it came from Manchester; and
moved that it be referred to a Select Committee, to inquire
into the manner in which the petition was got up and the
signatures attached to it.
The motion was agreed to after a short discussion, and the
Committee appointed.
Lord E. BRUCE presented a petition from Marlborough,
Bedwin, and Pewsey, in the eounty of Wilts, in favour of the
London, Newbury, and Bath Direct Railway.
Sir R. PEEL then rose, pursuant to notice, to
move a vote of thanks of the House of Commons
to the Governor-Geneial of India, to General Sir HUGH
GOUGH, to Major-General Sir HARRY SMITH, to Major-
General 'WALTER RALEtetit GILBERT, to Major-General Sir
Jonx LITTLER, and to the non-commissioned officers and
private soldiers, European and native, for the energy, ability,
firmness, gallantry, perseverance,fortitude, and daring valour
displayed by them at Moodkee, upon the left bank of the
Sutlej, on the 18t1,, 21st, and 22d of December last, when
they forced the enemy's entrenchments at Ferozeshah,
captured most of his guns, and finally compelled the
Seikh army, of greatly superior numbers, to retire within
their own frontier, The Right Hon. Baronet, in bringing
forward the motion, went at some length into our relations
with India, assured the House that the policy of the
Governor-General was not to extend the British Go-
vernment ill India, thinking its possessions in that part
of the world amply sufficient, but to preserve the native Seik's
Governments, as/ar as it could be done consistently with
the maintenance of the present possessions of England
in India. The attacks that had been made by the Seikh
army on the possessions of England on the left bank
of the Sutlej were totally uncalled for in consequence
of an act of the Governor-General of India, who had
always acted on the defensive, although every attempt
had been made to bribe his soldiers, especially the
native troops. Those attempts at bribery he (Sir R. PEEL)
was happy to say had been without any avail; the Sepoy
troops stood firm as they had always done to the interests of
England. Everything had been done that was considered
necessary by the first military men in the country, by the
Governor. General, in order to protect the British territory
on the left bank of the Sutlej ; and when it was supposed
that an attack would be made' by the Seikhs, the course
pursued by the Governor-General was in accordance with
the wish and desire of the British Consul in India, and he could
notbut think that the Governor- General and the Commander-
in-Chief, in the course they have adopted on that occasion,
had acted with prudence and discretion. The Right Hon.
Baronet then, at some length, proceeded to describe the ac-
tions that took place, actions which he believed, if it were
possible, added fresh glory to the British army. The Go-
vernor-General had placed himself in every danger, and even
placed his son in it, a boy only sixteen years of age, in
order to stimulate the troops to stronger exertion. They
had, he was sorry to say, to deplore the lon of Sir R. SALE,
Major BROADFOOT, and many other gallant officers and
men. He trusted that the House would give its willing and
unanimous thanks to every man, without distinction, who
acted on the day when so glorious a victory was obtained
by the British troops. It was his intention, at a future
day, to propose an address to the Crown to erect a monu-
ment to Sir R. SALE. •

-------
Lord JOHN RUSSELL seconded the motion. He believed
that the Governor-General, when he abandoned the
Councils of his Sovereign and his home, and went to India,
did so from the highest motives. 'He believed that the policy
of forbearance on the part of the Governor-General was the
best he could pursue ; but he was afraid that that policy had
caused a greater loss than would have otherwise been sustained
in the British army. He felt proud in seconding the vote of
thanks proposed by the Right Hon. Baronet.
Several lion. Members then addressed the House in sup-
port of the motion, which was carried neminc contradicente.
The House then went into Committee on the Customs and
Corn Importation resolutions.
Mr. VILLIERS moved the amendment of which he had
given notice—" That all duty on imported corn do now cease
and determine." After what had been said by the pro-
tectionists in that House, be did not see how they could object
to support his amendment. He thought it was well worthy
the consideration of the House whether they would not agree
to his amendment, and thereby put an end to the further
labours of the Corn-law League, the Members of which were
pledged and determined not to relax in their endeavours
until they had attained the object for which that League
had been brought into existence. He believed that that
body was richly entitled to the thanks of the country, but he
thought the sooner an end was put to its existence, by its
objects being carried into effect, the better.
Colonel SIBTHORP opposed the motion ; and the House
was addressed by Lord WORSLEY, Mr. M. GIBSON, Mr. 13.
Escorr, Mr. R. COLBORNE, Mr. GORING, and Mr. BRIGHT.
Sir R. PEEL said that there was much which he wished
to say in answer to some of the pi-aliments that had taken
place duri. g the late debate, but ho thought that would be
much better said on the second re‘ 4111 ; of the Bill ; in what
therefore, he should now say he shomd confine himself to the
question, whether the repeal should be immediate or not.
Looking at the question generally, the immediate repeal
might probably be thought the best course to adopt, but he con-
sidered the more politic and cautious course was then le pro-
posed by the Government. He had certainly undt toole that
the gentlemen on his side of the House preferred immediate
repeal, and i f they joined with the other side they would
carrylt and ho w 9411 then ive way, although he thought

the plan he had proposed was the best. As to the agitation
with which they had been threatened by the Hon. Member
for Durham, he doubted very much the policy or efficacy of it.
Mr. G. PALMER opposed the amendment.
Lord J. RUSSELL stated his intention of voting with the
Government upon every stage of the measure.
Sir W. JOLIFYE, Mr. HumE, and the Marquis of GRANBY
afterwards addressed the House.

Upon the motion of Mr. P. BORTIIWICK, that the Chair-
man should report progress, the Committee divided, and upon
that division there was a majority of 157 in favour of pro-
ceeding with the debate.
A desultory and rather personal discussion then took
place, which ended in the debate on Mr. VILLIERS amend-
ment being adjourned till to-morrow (this day).
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
House adjourned.

Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY should go over to the protec-
tionists. Their cheers seem to be his great ambition, and he
seems to have a great desire to fix discredit on the League.
After Mr. BRIGHT'S explanation of last night, we are in-
deed astonished that .a gentleman, professing to be a friend
of free trade, should have made the statement which Mr.
CRAVEN BERKELEY first made on the subject of the Chelten-
ham petition, or should have persisted, after the ex-
planation, in treating it as a grave case, de-
manding inquiry. From Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY'S
first statement, the only conclusion to be come to was, that
the petition purporting to come from Cheltenham was alto-
gether a fabrication. The connexion with the League we
did not see even at, first. It bore the post-mark of Man-
chester, said the Hon. Member ; but it might Co that, and
the League know nothing of it ; or it would probably have
been a fraud committed by an unworthy servant of that
meritorious and public-spirited body. Mr. CRAVEN
BERKELEY theatrically repudiated for himself the support
of free trade by fraudulent means. What right has he to
suppose that Mr. COBDEN and Mr. BRIGHT are not as
pure-minded as: himself ? To charge the League
as Mr. BERKELEY did, with the fraud, as be
chose to designate it—for after all it turns out that
there was no fraud—shows that the wish to discredit the
League must be very strong in the Hon. Member for Chel-
tenham. What have the League -done to incur the wrath
of this scion of the lofty house of BERKELEY? Is it Mr.
BRIGHT'S crusade against the game-laws, or the progress
they have made towards wresting the representat,on of
Gloucestershire from Mr. GRANTLEY BERKELEY, the game-
law champion ? Is it that the manufacturing origin of that
great combination is offensive to the pure aristocratic
blood which flows in the BERKELEY veins ? If so,
we cannot think that Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY
has much more reason to be pleased with his new friends,
Mr. FERRAND and Mr. PETER BORTHWICK, than with the
free-trade manufacturers. We were sorry to observe, when
Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY first brought forward this subject
on Friday last, that there was every sign of previous con-.
cert with the protectionists—that they loudly called for him
when he rose—loudly cheered him, as if prepared for all his
points, and that what came by surprise on the Members sit-
ting on the same side with Mr. BERKELEY, was no news to
the protectionists.

And now what does this great case of fraud come to ?
Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY wanted to make the House
believe that all the signatures were fabricated, and that the
petition was altogether a hoax. It turns out that the peti-
tion, having been signed at Cheltenham, was transmitted to
one of the agents of the League at Manchester, that he might
forward it to a Member for presentation, the inhabitants of
Cheltenham not caring particularly what Member presented
it—that is, having no particular wish that it should be pre-
sented by their own Member. This is probably the sore
point with Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY. The Honourable
Member says it is a very suspicious circumstance
that the Cheltenham petitioners did not send the
petition straight to him. Perhaps it is ; but what
we suspect in consequence is, that the Cheltenham peti-
tioners have no great liking for their Hon. 'Member. :And
his conduct in this business certainly justifies their misgiv-
ings of him.

But to proceed in exploring Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY'S
" mare's nest." The League agent at Manchester discovered
that the petition, as transmitted to him, had no signatures on
the first sheet, on the sheet on which the petition is itself
written. And this would have vitiated the petition, and pre-
vented its presentation to the House. The League
agent, therefore, instead of sending back the petition
to Cheltenham to have some signatures there affixed to the
first sheet (which we admit would have been the right
course), cut off five signatures from the end of the petition,
and pasted them on the first sheet. Now, here is the bead
and front of the League cffence. Why it would have been
no very serious offence if the League agent bad written two
or three signatures on the first sheet, in order to make the
petition presentable. What he did do, though not strictly
regular, shows bond fides.
We hope the free-trade electors at Cheltenham will mark
their representative's conduct on this occasion. They may find
many better representatives of free-trade principles, unless
the lustre of the house of BERKELEY dims their eves to
all other merits. But we believe that they know Mr. CRAVEN
BERKELEY, and have made up their minds what to do with
him.

The House of Commons have appointed a Committee to
inquire into the circumstances of this Cheltenham petition ;
and the following Members are to-night to be proposed by
Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY as members of the Committee :
Mr. Craven Berkeley, Mr. Bright, Mr. Newdegate, Mr.
Thomas Duncombe, Mr. Ferrand, Mr. Ridley Colborne, Sir
R. H. Inglis, Mr. Redhead Yorke, Mr. Repton, Mr. Milner
Gibson, Mr. Forbes Mackenzie, Mr. Charles Villiers, Major
Beresferd, Lord Worsley, Mr. Bankes.
We believe there is hardly anything more wanting reform
than the mode of appointing public Committees in the House
of Commons. We do not say that a worse Committee than
the above might not have been nominated; but we say it is
not a fair Committee, as between the League against which
a charge is made, and the protection party, into whose
hands Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY plays, to make it, and Mr.
BERKELEY is only consistent in trying to give an advan-
tage in the nomination of the Committee to the protec-
tionists. Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY names himself first
according to custom. We do not know whether custom will
be further followed by making Mr. C. BERKELEY chairman,
but a more unfit chairman we cannot conceive ; and as in
this case he has made the charge, he ought not to be chair-
man. The remaining fourteen Members are taken, seven
from the Ministerial and seven from the Opposition side.
This looks impartial, but let us go a little further. How are
they taken from each side? From the Ministerial side all
the seven were in the minority on Friday's division—that is,
all the seven are protectionists. On the Opposition
side, one of the seven is Lord WoasLEy, a protec-
tionist; and as Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY'S sympathies are
decidedly with the protection party, we may say that protec-
tion has nine Members on this Committee, and the League
only six. Immediately connected with the League, indeed,
are only three Members—Mr. BRIGHT, Mr. Gleson, and Mr.
VILLIERS. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE, Mr. COLBORNE, and Mr.
REDHEAD YORICE. will, we have no doubt, do their duty as
just and honourable men; but still they are not connected
with the League, as are the seven Conservative Members on
the Committee with the protection party. We go into these
particulars to show that if the Committee should
gratify Mr. BERKELEY'S inclination, and make a fuss
about this trumpery case, all that this Committee may say
must not be looked upon as gospel. The League probably
are so confident of their integrity that they are willing to
leave their case in the hands of a hostile Committee ; but
they have very unscrupulous foes to deal with. We must
not conclude our remarks, however, without saying that we
are sure Sir R. INGLIS, Mr. BANKES, and Lord WORSLEY,
will be parties to no unjust proceeding; and we understand
that Mr. RErron is a young Member of promise and of in-
dependence. As for the remaining Tory Members pro-
posed to be appointed, Mr. NEWDEGATE, Mr. FEKRAND,
Mr. FORBES MACKENZIE, and Major BERESFORD, we would
rather be excused for giving no opinion respecting their
political bias.

A vote of thanks to the Governor-General, the Comman-
der-in-Chief, and the officers and soldiers engaged in the
battles on the Sutlej, was unanimously passed last evening
by both Houses of Parliament. This was only what might
have been expected, as a reward, among others, to the
skilful generals and the brave troops who on that oc-
casion gained one of the most remarkable victories ever
achieved in India. All the speakers agree on this point, and
several of them paid Sir HENRY HARDINGE the highest
compliment for the arrangements he had made previous to
the battle, and for the promptitude displayed when the
most unprovoked and unexpected invasion was made by the
Seikh troops. Two Members of the Commons, connected
with India, bore ample testimony not only to the peaceable
disposition displayed by the Governor-General, but to the
consummate ability with which the affair from beginning to
end had been conducted. Mr. ITLYME, who knows the
country well, made these remarks :—" If Hon. Members took
the map of India and studied the locality in which the events
in question had occurred—if they made themselves familiar
with the situation, the novel situation, in which the English
commanders had been placed, they would see that it had
been a matter of utter impossibility, by any skill or any
manoeuvres, to concentrate the necessary forces in the posi-
tion in which, if concentrated, they could act with the
most effect. Looking to the fact that there were no fords
at Roopur to which the British had access, that there
was the chance of Loodianah being attacked and no stations
within the distance of seventy miles, he (Mr. HtnstE) did
not think it possible that there could hAve been a better po •
sition than that taken up at Urnballah." Mr. HouG's words
are equally favourable to the Governor-General, and opposed
to those who assert that he was taken by surprise. "None
doubted," said the Honourable Member, "that Sir HENRY
HAIWINGE'S wishes were for peace. Most truly and ho-
nourably had lie striven to maintain peace, and not less
honourably and nobly when he had found that it was, under
the circumstances, an impossibility. He (Mr. Hoco) be-
lieved that in a short time it would be acknowledged that
the military manoeuvring had been conducted with consum-
mate skill, and that every available advantage had been
seized, promptly and efficiently, by the British commanders."
In the House of Lords the same ealogiums were passed, and
the fullest justice done to, the Governor-General. The Duke
of WELLINGTON expressed his most unqualified approbation o
the conduct of the troops, and paid a high tribute to his old
companion in arms for his conduct on the occasion. " I
wish particularly" said the Duke, "to allude to the conduct
of my Gallant Friend the Governor-General, who after he
had made all the arrangements appertaining to his duty as
Governor-General, such as collecting all the resources of the
country for the great contest which. was impending, and