The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-12 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PAR LIAMENT,

I could have wished. I received a letter,—l don't now
remember its date, but about the time Mr. V. Smith
HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YESTERDAY.) are—
received his letter. (Lord Ellenborough.—" After th
ROYAL COMMISSION. despatch had gone out.") That letter was cf a private
The Royal assent was given by commission to the
nature, but it referred to three or four aj, ets of pub-
foi owing bills, viz.:—Exchequer Bills (20,911,500 O), lie interest which I wished to communicate to the noble
E xchequerl Bonds (2,000,000/.), Customs' Duties (No. earl by reading it to him in the lobby. I am bound to
2), Excise Duties,
.General . Board of Health, confess that I did not rend all that I meant to have done,
aSkipton, &c.), Cambridge University Matriculation
ands Degrees, Birmingham and Staffordshire Gas, Cbel-
because after having read the first portion of the letter,
t
enham Water, Whitehaven Harbour, Edinburgh Life and before I had finished what I intended to read to
Assurance Company, Chester Gas, Nottingham him, the noble earl gave me so interesting, but at the
Gas, Madras Irrigation •and Canal, Ha,lieg•
den and Rawtenstall Water, Co-port Water, Felke- of,
afterhis views
having o
made the
onea 'cr: r
stone Water, Liekeard and Leoe Union Canal Companym tesafwo rnlnedtiiamaet.stohlantniog amn eanete,ontlinatto,
Railway, and Acton's Naturalisation Act Aendment, ineffectual
ter.) I may
attempts to get a hearing,
au I put the
The Royal Cemnai-sioners were the Lord Chancellor letter in my pocket in despair. (Lgh
,
the Marquis of Salisbury, and the Earl of Hardvvicke. state with regard to the letter addressed to Mr. V.
Their lordships adjourned during pleasure. Smith, that it arrived while he was engaged in Ireland
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his scat on the woolsack on a subject which interested both himself and the Lord-
at five o'clock.
Lieutenant. On returning to London he found a pri-
Lord SHAFTESBURY laid on the table the terms of THE VOTE OF CENSURE. vale letter from Lord Canning, which had been delayed,
waiting for him. That letter was private, but it con-
" motion of which he had given notice yesterday :
to this effect—l don't profess to give
"1. That it appears fro papers laid upon the table twined a paragraphre
of We house that a despatch has been addressed by the the word" I have sent hoe a proclarnatiore—not
Secret Committee of the Court of Directors to the Go• one that I have issued, but waich I mean to issue. I
vernor-General of India, disapproving a proclamation should have liked to send along with it an explanatory
which the Governer-General had informed the Court he
intended to issue after the fall of Lucknow,
despatch by this mail, but every hour of this day is occu-
"2. That it is known only from intelligence that bate pied and I cannot do so." Now, could Mr. V. Smith
reached this country by correspondence published in imagine that upon this intended proclamation—within an
newspapers that the intended proclamation has been hour of its reception by her Majesty's Government—there
issued, and with an important modification, no official
would be written one of the strongest censures ever Rent
account of this proceeding having yet been received ;
that this house is therefore still without full information out ? (Cheers.) I admit it would have been better if Mr.
as to the grounds upon which Lord Canning has acted, V. Smith had given even that meagre information to the
and his answer to the objections made to his intended Government, but he could merely have told them, "I
understand you have received from the Governor-Gene-
proclamation in the despatch of the Secret Committee
rat a p. rocla.matio.n which is. to. be. issued, and I have re-
cannot be received for several weeks.
"3. That under these circumstances this house is
ceived a private letter which intimates that probably an
!roarodlectaennfeirnmg,a judgment on the proclamation issued by
but thinks it right to express its disap- explanatory despatch will be sent by the next mail."
probation of the premature publication by her Majesty's What has happened is that Lord Canning, not having
Ministers of the despatch addressed to the Governor- had time to send an explanatory despatch with the pro-
General, since this public condemnation of his conduct 1 • . intended • . •
c arnation which he to issue, has deferred doing
is calculated to weaken the authority of the Governer-
General in India, and to encourage those now in arms eo until he sent borne the modified proclamation which
against this country." has been issued, and I have no doubt the noble earl will
LORD CANNING AND THE GOVERNMENT. see that explanatory despatch in the course of time.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE (who was most in- The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH—The latter to
distinctly heard) was understood to claim their lordships' which the noble earl has alluded, enclosing the procho
indulgence for a few minutes while be endeavoured to mation, was received on the 12th April. The answer ev: s
correct an error, whether material or immaterial, into not written till the 13th April. It was dated April 19 ;
which circumstances very easily explained might Jae:- and it was not sent off until April 26. There was, there-
evening have led him. When he came down to the house fore, ample time for considering what the letter reflect-
yet terday he was not at all aware that there was likely ing upon the proclamation should contain, and also for
to be any conversation on the subject which was then further consideration after it was written, as has been
alluded to. In the course of the discussion which then shown by my noble friend near me. Reflection only more
arose, however, he had been induced to communicate strongly induced me to think that it was absolutely us-
to his noble friend (Earl Granville) that which, sub. cessary to send the letter as it was originally written.
Wbat I am accused of is not the writing cf that letter.
stantially, was perfectly correct, respecting a corm-
I have heard no one yet find fault with the letter,
munication received by Mr. Vernon Smith from
Lord Canning. From a conversation which he happened neither have I yet heard any one defend the confiscation
of the proprietary rights of the landholders of Oude. The to hold in the morning with that ' ight hon. gentleman,
he understood that a letter had reached him in which only qeeetion is—was it or was it not right to publish
Lord Canning expressed great anxiety to furnish an ex- the letter which was written ? As I understand the re-
planation of the grounds upon which the proclamation, solution which was to be moved on Friday it relates to
lately the subject of so much public attention, had been that question only. Now, my lords, the publication of
issued. He certainly was under the impression, in the that letter was an act as wholly mine as the
course of the casual conversation which took place, that writing of the letter. I take upon myself the whole ta -
that letter had only been received at the time when the sponsibility, and I will tell your lordships how it hap-
communication of the proclamation and of the censure pined that that publication; took place. Some that)
sent out respecting it had been made to both Houses of before I had written a letter in contemplation of
Parliament simultaneously. He found that, however, to the capture of Lucknow, which was subsequently laid
be inaccurate, but was led naturally into the error, be-
upon the table, and which was published as soon
cause he had understood his right hon. friend to inform as we knew we were in possession of Luck vow,
him that it was of no use after that announcement had in which I directed the Government of India.,
been made to communicate the note. But what he found having exhibited their strength, to temper justice
was said by his right hon. friend was, that it was of no with generosity, to proclaim an amnesty, to disarm
use to produce that note after the censure of the Go. the people, and wherever the amnesty was proclaimed to
vernment had been sent out. He (the Marquis of Lens- establish the ordinary administration of the law. I ap-
downe) did not see any material difference between the Prebended obstruction to the Government in the execs-
statements ; but he had been led to make this one in- tien of these orders from subordinate officers, maddened
stead of the other from the manner in which it had been as I expressed it, by the scenes they hail witnessed. I
made to him. In anticipation of any question which desired the Government to persevere in doing what they
might naturally be asked on the subject, he wished to thought right, and I told them that in acting in that
add that no private communication whatever on public spirit they would have the unqualified support of tho
question had been received from Lord Canning by Mr. Government. (Cheers.) Soon afterwards I received this
V. Smith since the period when he left office—nothing proclamation, of which the only very important point
but a single sentence, embodied in some references to was that inflicting confiscation. [Lord Granville here
private subjects, which could hardly be called a letter, made an observation across the table, which was inau-
but in which Lord Canning expressed his regret that the Bible in the gallery.] How was it possible (Lord Ellen-
extreme pressure of business bad prevented him from borough continued) to communicate by electric tele-
giving what he should have been desirous of giv- , graph ? I said that soon after the letter to which I have
ing—namely, a full, clear, and ample explanation of the referred was published here I received this proclamation
grounds upon which the proclamation was issued. Mr. which is a direct contradiction to the principles laid down
V. Smith, owing to the change of Government which in the letter of which the noble earl opposite approved.
had taken place, received that note without the procla- The principle of confiscation of the whole proprietary
'nation. rights of the landowners of Oude was not clemency ; it
The Earl of DERBY—Nobody in this house or else- was inconsistent with amnesty ; it was persecution after
where would suspect the noble marquis of making a state- defeat ; it was contrary to the principles laid down in
ment which he did not believe to be entirely correct, and the first letter, to the feelings of the Government, and to
be has now cleared up the a mount of inaccuracy into the principles upon which they bad determined to act.
which he fell last night. Iroust take the liberty of remark- When I read that proclamation I felt it my duty at once
ing, however, that the difference between the two to express my own sentiments on the subject, which
statesmen is a considerable one ; because, according to were adopted by my noble friends. I should have been
his statement last night, the private note promising unworthy of a seat in this house if I had acted otherwise;
future explanations on the part of Lord Canning was but I felt at the same time that if that proclamation
not received until after the communication to Parlia- were really published as it stood before me, it was quite
ment of the disapproval of the proclamation. The noble impossible that my letter with respect to it should be
marquis now admits he was in error on the point, but he withheld from the public. I knew that the moment the
has stopped short in his revelations, for he has not told proclamation was published in this country questions
us what was the precise date at which that private note would be asked in Parliament, and that neither in this
was received by Mr. V. Smith. house nor the other house could the answers be satiefac-
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE—I stated that it had tory without the publication of this letter, which we
not been received until after the censure was sent out, could not resist. My lords, I did desire its publication
on April 19, when consequently it could have had no —(cheers)---and I will tell you upon what grounds.
effect on the sending out of that censure. Having informed the Government of India that I
The Earl of DERBY—I am very glad the noble mar- would remove all obstructions raised against thorn by
quis has given us the precise date, because if on April subordinate officers, and that I was determined they
19 the note had been communicated to my noble friend should be assisted and supported in doing what they
(Lord Ellenborongh), it was in ample time to have pro- thought right in the prosecution of principles of cle-
duced in his mind all the effect which might result from mency, I was determined they should know—the gover-
a knowledge that such a letter was in existence, for this nors as well as the governed—that the Cabinet were
reason,—because, ',although the censure, as the noble resolved to enforce that system of clemency be the person
marquis has called it, and it certainly was, of the teneur who he might who acted in opposition to the principles
of the proclamation dated April 19, it was not sent thus laid down. I felt and still feel that letter is a mes-
oat until the mail of April 2d, and consequently, if Mr. sage of peace to the people of India • I hold that it lays
V. Smith, at the time he received that private note, had down principles which, if not so laid'elo mn, never would
given my noble friend the President of the Board of Con- Gave been genercally adopted throughout that country
trot an intimation that the Governor-General intende l I know that it will offerconciliation to those who dread
to forward an explanation of the proclamation—(cheers) I retribution—that it will compel all in office to act in the
—Lord Canning having written that private note to Mr. spirit of the Government by which that letter was sent
V. Smith under the impression that be was the person out, and, therefore, for the public peace I desired that
wbo would receive it at the sane time with the procia- that 1 tter should go forth. But I take to myself the
mation,—the object contemplated by Lord Canning whole responsibility of having given publicity to the
would have been achieved, and my noble friend (Lord . letter. I knew it was right to do so, and I did it at once.
Eilenborougb) would not have been led to pronounce a I might very properly, no doubt, have taken the letter
premature condemnation of a proclamation which the to the Cabinet, and in the Cabinet have naked the opi
Governor-General, in a private letter, aeked time to nions of my colleagues before deciding to make it public
explain. (Some ones of "No, no.") As I under- Teat might have be in the right course—(hear)—but
steed, certainly, Lord Canning stated in that note that course I did not adopt; and, therefore, to accuse
that be would take an opportunity of forwarding my colleagues of any misconduct with respect to the
an explanation by the next mail. (No ! and hear, publication of that letter, is to raise a constitutional fic-
hear.) My noble friend near me (Lord Malmo tion. lam retpongible, and let ma alone bear whatever
bury) remarked last night, with great truth, that censure may be attributed to the act of publication. I
the conduct of the late Secretary fir Foreign Affairs af• thought this explanation to be due to my noble col-
forded a very marked contrast to the course pursued by leagues in this house, and to my right hon. friends in the
the late President of the Board of Control. My noble other House of Parliament ; but now I have to consider,
friend the late Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Lord Cie.- under these circumstances, what is my duty not only to
rondoo) knows well that persons in the confidence of the my colleagues, but to the people of India. I have served
Government employed abroad frequently send over pri- the people of India as much out of office as in office for
Tate letters, accompanying public despatches, which re- nearly thirty years. The most earnest endeavours of my
ate to matters of great importance, and that those let. •public life have been used with a view to their benefit,
tern are most valuables explaining the real meaning and and I will not do any act towards the close of that
intent of the despatches. My noble friend opposite re- i public life which by any possibility might injure their in-
ceived many such letters, and I venture to say that there terest. This question will be differently construed in
was not one connected with public business which he did this country and in India. Here it is ion be
not in the frankest and fairest manner communicate to tween one party and another. aes
(Cheers) quiTetx:e itis-
my noble friend (Lord Malmesbury) who succeeded him. fl more a question whether my noble friend near me
lam unwilling to impute to Mr. V. Smith any other I should remain in office, or whether we should sub•
reason for hie conduct than that he was not aware of the mit to that to which we have an intuitive dislike —the
qe
ordinary course of proceeding ; but I may be permitted restoration. (Hear, hear.) This is the real practical —u
-
to say that such a departure from the usual course is tion to be brought under the consideration of this
and thee
neither fair to the Government at home nor to those who I other house of Parliament. (Cheers.) The uestion ir
are employed in the service of her Majesty's Govern- 1 India is a very different question. The question there'
ment abroad. (Hear.) I say that it was the bounden duty I will be understood to be the conflicting prinscleitprisa
lHeseod he oufstcoaonti-
(hear)—and
aannedl the I fee
other
ia
of Mr. V. Smith, if he received a private letter addressed fiscationaansdthcleemdeecnicsyio_n
h ofea
to him on the supposition that he still held the office of
President of the Beard of Control, and such private let- ' according
Parliament may appear to incline to one or the other of
ter contained a statement on the part of the Governor- these principles, there will be broadcast throughout India
General of his regret that he was unable by that mail to the seeds of perpetual war, or hopes will be
given to the
send an explanation of his proclamation, not to have per- people of India and of England—the hopes of permanent
witted his successor, the President of the Board of Con- i reconciliation and peace. (Hear, hear.) I know well that,
trot, to remain in ignorance of that letter. I say, also, be the public importance of a question what it may, and
upon the statement of the noble marquis himself, that if j no matter how great may be the interests involved in it,
that letter had been communicated one week would have 1 personal considerations but too much sway the decisions
been afforded her Majesty's Government for considering of both Houses of Parliament. I have determined, there-
the reply which was sent out to the Governor-General- ' fore, to remove those personal considerations. lam re-
Earl GRA.NVILLE—I am not going to argue in the solved that this question shall be considered on its merits;
istlig,htest degree against the principle laid down that and, determining to do everything I can to the last mc-
la most important—especially when changes of ment of my life for the benefit and peace of India, I have
government take pt
1
merly the case—tha any
ace more rapidly than was fort tendered to her Majesty my resignation, and it has been
one who has quitted office accepted.
should communicate to
his
h
mation he can afford affectingl successorth all the infor- Earl GREY said,—The question whether it was pro-
am aware that my noblefriendetrliaublie interests. I per or not to publish the despatch which the noble earl
for Foreign Affairs (Lord Clarendon
nl)athe Secretary sent out to India will come regularly before the house on
may appeal to my that course ; and I think I pursued a subsequent day, and it would be inconvenient for me
friend opposite whether such information as I emouyldneb' noble
' now to anticipate the discussion which will then arise ;
on much less important subjects has not been affordedgve but I must protest against the fairness of discussing at j
as was in my power. lam bound to say, al,e, this moment the question whether the proclamation of as fully
that no one acted more fairly in this respect than the '`'rd Canning Canning was right or wrong, and I protest against
corazgatriut to the country that it is a question between
ae accurate andion
v
Goble earl the President of the Board of Control (Lord
clemency. (Cheers.) I deny that that is
Ellenborough), who afforded the late Government valu-
able information upon matters of groat public imp ,f-t- (hear,
11,,,,)_1,,it
In of
will Lord Canning's proclamation—
ananc.t he Ore.ge,,ed into a course so
as on which he issued the procla "
ance. I was quite prepared to follow that couree. in unfair towards Lord gas to discuss the grounds
his instance, although I did not do so as completely.
na aeeon, and the policy an I