The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-14 00:00:00

IMPERIA

lAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY).
The LORD CHANCELLOR took hie seat on the woo]
sack at five o'clock.

TORTURE IN INDIA..

- The Earl of ALBEMARLE stave notice that on
Monday, the 14th April, he should present a petition
from certain inhabitants of Madras, complaining of the
infliction of torture by the officers of the Government,
attributing the practice to the weight of the assessment
`required for the Government revenue, and praying for
protection. The noble lord said it was afterward his
intention to resolve, " That, by the report laid on the
table of the house, it is proved to our conviction that
torture, or the infliction of pain by way of punishment,
or to induce confession, or for the purposes of extortion,
has been practised and continees to be practised by native
officers for the realisation of the public revenues, or in
the administration of the criminal law, to a greater or
less extent throughout the presidency of Madras. That
the aforesaid torture, although clandestinely practised,
has been known to the constituted authorities in India,
as shown by public documents. That this house
views the practice of torture, extending over many
millions of her Majesty's Government, whether as an
instrument for the realisation of the public revenue, or
in the administration of the criminal law, as repugnant
to the principles of national justice, abhorrent to
humanity, and highly disgraceful to the character of
the nation. That this house pledges itself to
_ _

adopt the most speedy and effectual means in its power
for the utter annihilation of the odious and barbarous
practice of torture within the above-mentioned
Government and Presidency of Madras." The
noble lord gave notice that it was his intAn-
tion, immediately after the Raster recess, to inquiro
of her Majesty's Ministers whether they had received
any account from the Government of Madras respecting
14 cases of torture within the presidency in a particular
district, inflicted at as recent a date as July, 1855, by a
Government collector, in order to realise some Govern-
ment dues, and in relation to a certain tax. The noble
lord then gave notice of his intention to move for a
series of other papers, relating to the practice of tor-
ture in Madras.

THE FALL OF KARS,
The Earl.. of ELLENBO ROUGH, pursuant to notice,
asked the noble lord the Under-Secretary for Foreign
Affairs whether the omissions in the rapers produced
upon the subject of the capitulation of Kars, to which he
bad called attention on a previous evening, would be
supplied ?

Lord WODEHOUSE was understood to say it was
unusual for the Government to comply with such a
reqnest.
The Earl of ELLENBOROTJGFI expressed his sm.-
prise that the Secretary for War had not given the ex-
planation on this subject. It was perfectly well
known that before the investment of Kars
nothing whatever was done by the allies for the
defence of the place, and now he wished to know what
had been done by them after the fortress had been in-
vested. During the last war the Government never
made the slightest objection to lay the amplest informa-
tion with respect to military affairs before Parliament.
In reply to the Earl of INIALUESBURY,
Lord WODEHOIJSE stated that a correspondence
had taken place between hell'lVlajasty's Government and
the Turkish Government with respect to General Wil-
-1 iams.