The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-21 00:00:00

ADDRESS TO LORD ELLENBO.ROUGH.

The following address to the Earl of Ellen-
borough lies for signature at the office of the Indian
Reform League

" TO THE RIGHT HON. EDWARD EARL OF ELLEN

BOROUGH, G.C.8., &C.

" We, the undersigned bankers, merchants
traders, and other European inhabitants of Cal-
cutta, interested in the good government of British
India, desire to offer to your lordship the expres-
sion of our respect for your exalted character, and
of our high appreciation of the principles enun-
ciated in your lordship's despatch of the 19th of
April, 1858, condemning the proclamation of the
Governor-General of India, whereby almost the
whole landed property of the lately acquired king-
dom of Oude was declared to be confiscated.

" Although so far removed from Great Britain,
we participate with the great body of our country-
men in the desire for good government throughout
all the possessions of the British Crown. And we
have, from our position here, a special interest in
desiring that the government of this country shall
be conducted on principles of justice and sound
policy.

14 lc
Tally of us are engaged in commerce, and many
whose pursuits are not strictly commercial have
invested capital in undertakings having for their
object the development of the mineral and agricul-
tural wealth of India. All of us feel how essential
it is for the welfare of ourselves and of the natives
of this country that the government of India should
be conducted on such principles as shall, in their
result, diffuse content amongst its people and con-
fidence in the good faith of their rulers.
" It has been imputed to us that we are actuated
by a feeling of indiscriminate revenge, which would
confound the innocent with the guilty.' We un-
hesitatingly deny this aspersion, which has no foun-
dation on anything that we have ever said or done.
We desire to see the punishment that the law
awards visited on those who have blackened even
the crimes of mutiny and murder by atrocities too
hideous for contemplation, and we disapprove, and
have never hesitated to express our disapproval, of
the proclamation, by which the Governor-General
lowered the dignity and honour of England in
vain attempts to conciliate the men who were
using against the Government, of which he is
the head, the arms placed in their hands for its
protection ; but it was never our wish that one in-
nocent native of India should suffer for the crimes,
however atrocious, of his countrymen. Therefore
it was that we condemned from the first the Oude
proclamation—a proclamation, we venture to say,
unparalleled among civilised nations in modern
times in the wide scope of its indiscriminate seve-
rity, and which was addressed to a people, who
alone of all who have been in arms against us, had
some kind of justification for their resistance to a
newly-imposed authority.
" We contemplated with feelings of alarm the
probable consequences of that proclamation, which
did, indeed, confound the innocent with the guilty,'
and we hailed with feelings of gratification and
pride the admirable despatch by which your lord-
ship with a vigorous hand arrested the threatened
evil in the bud. We rejoice to think that while
such statesmen as your lordship remain to direct
in the Cabinet, or assist the Government by their
counsel in the senate, no great public wrong can be
of long continuance.
" We beg to assure your lordship that we shall
ever regard with feelings of respect and admiration
your lordship's conduct in the instance above re-
ferred to, and trusting that you may be long spared,
under Providence, to assist by your maturedjudg-
ment and sound wisdom in the councils of the
nation.
"We have the honour to subscribe ourselves,
your lordship's most obedient and humble servants."