The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-06 00:00:00

X
1,•11.1110%.

came to ;hand they would be found to/acixiialwith
what he and others conceived to be at oruk th4rstice
and expediency of the case, and that there would be a's:::
no future necessity of taxing the patience and out- -,7e
raging the sensibilities of members of that Court.
He (Mr. Thompson) would think that he was doing
but sorry service to.the parties in India, in whose fate
he felt so lively an interest, if he provoked any hostile
feeling in the minds of any of the Hon. Directors,
and especially in the minds of those who "had it in
their power by the counsel they gave and by the opi-
nions they recorded to satisfy ss hat he (Mr. Thomp-
son) contended was a very reasonable wish on their
part. Before he sat down, he did hope that the Hon.
Deputy-Chairman would in some way or other qualify
the assertion he had made, that the mission of
Syed Meer to this country was a breach of treaty,
and a sufficient justification for the conduct which
was subsequently adopted towards the Raja. That
was the only charge which the gallant gentleman had
proved against the Raja, and he (Mr. Thompson)
should be sorry if it went forth to India and to the
world that princes and rulers of that country were
committing a high misdemeanour and breach of their
treaties with the British Government, if, under cir-
cumstances so peculiar as those under which Syed
Meer was appointed, they should take the step of
sending an agent to England for the purpose
of bringing their claims before the Court of that
Honourable Company. Let it be remembered that
the Raja had become within a very few days previous
to that occurrence cognizant of the fact that the
statements which he prepared twelve months before
had never reached this country, and were still at
Bombay ; that the provocation he received upon that
occasion was very strong, and that he told Colonel
Lodwick at the interview, when he was called to say
whether he had taken such a step or not frankly and
openly, that he had done so. That was in
the early part of the month of June, and he said
that he would not send home until after the feast of
the Dussera, which was some time afterwards. He
(Mr. Thompson) could assure the Hon. and Gallant
Deputy-Chairman that Sir Robert Grant distinctly
admitted that the Raja might be justified in sending
an agent to this country. When it was suggested
to the Governor, by a member of his Council
at Bombay, that Syed Meer should be de-
tained, and not permitted to come to this
country, Sir Robert Grant gave hi 3 opinion
that he did not think it was competent to him
as Governor of that Presidency to prevent the
Raja from sending out a mission to England, if he
thought proper to do so. Why, that was a charge
which had never before been put into the indict-
ment against the Raja ! The conduct of the Raja in
that respect showed, more than anything else, that he
never could have entered into any conspiracy against
the Government. The sole idea which had for years
absorbed his mind was the question of the
jagheers, and yet it was alleged at that
very time he was endeavouring to corrupt sepoys,
whereas, Colonel Lodwiek, himself, stated that
he was then absorbed in preparing for the mis-
sion of Syed Meer to this country. The Honour-
able and Gallant Deputy-Chairman, therefore, had
no right to impute the appointment of Syed Meer
as a crime upon the Raja, which should be
visited upon his heirs. He (Mr. Thompson) felt
too unwell to go further into the discussion of the
various matters connected with the question, but,
without presuming to dictate, he hoped that
it might appear, when they heard from his
Lordship the Governor-General, and found that he
had taken this question into his consideration—
that it would appear by their subsequent course that
the Directors were not indisposed, whatever might be
their opinion of the guilt or innocence of the Raja,
to adopt such a final settlement of the ques-
tion as that which was placed before them.
It was only those who were cognizant, as he (Mr.
Thompson) had been, of the amount of suffering
which the act of Sir James Carnac inflicted, who
could fully enter into the motives and feelings which
animated those honourable gentlemen who took up
the question in that Court. Sad havoc had been made
of the interests, and even of the lives, of some of the
best people with whom the British Government had
ever become acquainted in India. They might bring
a long list of deceased persons, holding high appoint..
ments, some of whom were friends of Hon. I'flembers
of that Court, who had perished from 1834 to the
present time. It was their own opinion that the
Raja of Sattara's days had been shortened by his re-
sidence at Benares, however much the British Go-
vernment may have been disposed, as was alleged, to
consult his feelings and constitution. It was their
opinion that his widow died in consequence of her
exile to that place. Information had been received
from Benares that divisions and dissensions were
springing up amongst those whom the Raja had left
behind, and that his nearest relations were falling
out amongst themselves, in consequence of the pre-
sent unhappy state of things, and the vile machina-
tions of evil advisers who were seeking their own
ends. The friends of the Raja's family were desirous
that that unfortunate state of things should be reme-
died by the restoration of the territory to the Raja's
heir, and the allowing his family to return to their
native state and city. He (Mr. Thompson) did not
see how there could be any final settleinent of the
question, or any amicable adjustment of existing dif-
ferences, unless the boy Shahoo were placed upon the
gadee. All political and moral considerations
pointed to that course. If they set aside the nomi-
nation of his father, the Maharaja Sahoo would still
be Raja of Sattara in the estimation of the
Mahrattas. and the British Government would
have two Richards in the field instead of only one ;
whereas such was the feeling at Sattara that, without
giving offence to any individual, :the Government
might readily set aside the adoption which it had
never recognized of Balla Sahib, and secure the gra-
titude and liberality in a second degree of all parties
in that state, by recognizing the adoption of the son
of Pertaub Sheen. He (Mr. Thompson) trusted
there would be no indisposition on the part
of the Court arising out of any past proceed-
ings, or that any such consideration would
be permitted to sway them in their decision. For
himself and every gentleman about him he would
say they sought no triumph in the case ; they came
to the Court desirous of avoiding whatever might
provoke controversy, or drag them back into past
debates ; but they came before the Court as honest
individuals, who, whatever might have been their
errors in times past in the way of temper, had been
pursuing what they considered a just and upright
object in regard to his late Highness the Raja of
Sattara.--(The Hon. Gentleman concluded an able
speech amid great applause.)
Major OLIPIIANT thought the answer given on the
last occasion was perfectly fair, and that it was under-
stood that nothing was to be done in the matter until
advices had been received from India. For himself
he could not vote on the present occasion for Mr.
Sullivan's motion, much as he considered the Raja
bad been injured, and desirous as he was of setting
the question at rest for ever. All throughout his
speech Mr. Sullivan had refrained from saying thatd
the adoption of the boy Shahoo was a perfectly goo
adoption; on the contrary he had appealed entirely to
the feelings of the Court.
Mr. SULLITAN, in the course of a long and able
thatreply,
subject, b
tu
ot
then
following effect upon the 10th -
hoeb s
Governor-Generale rv e d that information
had
d formally ad ee.nr e
fr_ue
sceei
dv. etdo
froerchoigantiioane
htande andeoeiplterdecseoivnedofupthoen laic Rajaarch:
.Aolf,
Gregor said to the
" The agent here, Major
commanded by his
LMoirndisstheirp ilibeshjowuvnetrnoßreG:" I
eneraalmto state things to the
whole of the attendants, servants,rpe andlied pethopeleprotfnyciopuarl
establishment. The minister
attendants are present, the inferior persons are not
present, but
Then not any
I have no
objection to 3 o
uwrilslp ceaakuisne
gthetom
thtoemc.omTe.
persons now ar ;
you the Engh agent, and
speakhQ e toare remain withlis her Highness
fair to face ; now all is lost
therefore the people have become
the Queen
is act is the pleasure of the English Go-
,ha,eneracinritnlde eesnssts7t3h.ed' After this, the Minister assembled the
whole of the persons of the establishment ; her High-
ness the Queen sat behind the curtain of her apart-
ment, and outside thereof were Shahoo Maharaj, the
Minister, the English agent, Major M'Gregor, and
the persons of the establishment.
"Major M'Gregor then said to all—' Orders have
come from the Governor-General that you must be
discharged, as his Highness the Raja is now
no more ; after this you will not receive any allow-
ance. You will receive money for the expense
of the journey on your going to your respective
homes, as you are from another country; this is his.
Lordship's wish. My Government does not acknow-
ledge or recognise the adopted son which the Raja
took. In this manner the agent said this three times
over for all to understand this fully, adding, do you
reflect hereon and give me an explicit answer. All
remained silent, when the Minister replied, before his
Highness the Raja departed this life he made Shahou
Matiaraj, arid her Highness the Queen, heir and
regent to his state and sovereignty, and then de-
parted this life—therefore we have a sovereign and
ruler who is seated before you—then how can we be
discharged ? We know not any one besides our
sovereign and ruler, we do not make any request to
you, the agent, for any such arrangement which you
propose. What favour the Governor-General may
be pleased to show, it will be to our sovereign and
ruler, and our sovereign will regard and protect us.
"The Major thus; said to the Minister—l perfectly
understand what you have said, I will now say to
the whole of you, My G-overnmeut does not ac-
knowledge or recognise the child as the adopted son.'
"The Minister replied—' Your Government may
not acknowledge, but our State and Government ac-
knowledges him as sovereign and ruler, whom the late

Raja had so made, constituted, and appointed.
" Puttrajey Row Sawunt and Khimda Row,
Dufterdar (the chief accountant or cluolooDor) said