The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-08 00:00:00

LORD CANNING'S OUDE PROCLAMATION.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said, he bad last
night promised the noble earl opposite to lay upon the
table certain papers connected with recent proceedings
in Oude, and he proposed to place before their-lordships
the proclamation itself as transmitted to this country and
alss a letter from the Secretary to the Government of
India to the Chief Commissioner of Gude, by which that

proclamation was accompanied. On looking through that
letter very carefully, however, he found there were two
paragraphs containing reasoning upon the subject, the
publication of which might not be expedient. The publi-
cation of these paragraphs would, he believed, be at-
tended with inconvenienceto the public service, but with
that exception the document would be laid before their
lo dehips in xtenso. The noble earl concluded by mov-
ing for a copy of the letter from the Secretary to the Go•
vernment of India to the Chief Commit•sioner of Oude ; a
copy of the proclamation ; and extract; of a letter from
the Secret Committee of the East India Company to the
Governor-General in Council.

Earl GRANVILLE, who was very imperfectly heard,
regretted that the noble earl did not think it consonant
with bit duty to lay these papers upon the table of the

. . . . .
house yesterday lest be might be deemed guilty of some
want of courtesy to the Directors of the East India Com-

pang. He (Earl Granville) regretted this circumstance,
because he thought it of the utmost importance that the

Government should take an early opportunity of afford

ing exp'anations on the subject. He hopedthat ber Ma-
jzsty's Government would give such explanations to•
night, as the Indian mail would be despatched on Mon-
day. He could not understand how it could have entered
into the head of any man to refuse to lay t,efore Parlia •
ment a copy of the despatch, but as the noble earl bad
stated that it was hid intention to produce only extracts
and not the despatch ittef, he must say that that des-

patch had been.in the hands of independent members,
and of members of the Reform Club and of the other

Hou-e of Pailiament—(cheers)7for some time.

regard to the proclamation itself, he in common with their
lordships, had no knowledge of it beyond what he de-
rived from the newspaper correspoudenco yes'erday.
Looking at that proclamation, he certainly thought it
was a measure of great importance. It apps aced to him

consonant with those principles which Lund Canning
was bound to respect, because they had been approved

by the Court of Directors and the Home Goveinmant,
for it seemed to be a strong weapon placed in the hands

. _
of negotiators at a most critical moment in order that it
might be u•ed for the purp ,se of treating with those
powerful landholders who, the directors held, bad no
legal right to their es a:es, and who had been the op-
pressors of the people. He wished, however, to avoid

committing himself in the blightest degree, either to the
approval or disapproval of a proclama ion is.ucd under
such circumhtatmes, as he was totally unacquainted with

all the circumstances of the case. -He saw from the

newspaper correspondence that it was perfectly well un-

derstOoa by the landowners of °ado what the intention
f this proclamation was, and bow it was to be acted

won. He might, perhaps, be blamed by the noble lords
opposite for dealing with newspaper documents in
speaking upon a grave subj ct like this ; but when the
Government were not able to lay on the table of the
house the 1 r )clatnation, with that most important altera-
tion, showing more clearly, as he underst,rotl it, the
opening offered to the landowners—(Here the Earl of
Ellenbirough made some observa•ion.) He did not
wish to misrepresent the noble earl ; but he understood
that the answer given in the House of Commons by the
Secretary to the Board of C ,ntrol to a question a•ked
on the subject was, that tie Government had received a
proclamation which Lord Canning intended should be
published when Luckuow was taken, and that he (the
Secretary to the Board of Control) believed it to be
identical with the copy in the newspapers, with some
alteration. If he were mistaken he would withdraw his

observation on this point.
The Earl cf ELLENBOROUGH raid, that the
papers ho had jcat moved f.,r would show the proclaims-

tion which the Governor-General directed should be
published ; but though the Government knew that it had
been published they had no official informatio❑ of the

publication. In the proclamation as given in the
public prints there was inserted a paragraph to whic'a be
did not attach a'l the importance which the noble tad
seemed to attribute to it, but which was not in the pro

c'arnation as transmitted to the Government.
Earl GIUNVILLE said he ncderetood that it vrai
emphatically declared in another l lace that the secret
despatch conveyed to the Governor-G nerd the Govern-
ment's disapproval t f his proclamation "in every sense,"
and he did think that such a declarition was, under the
circurnstanc.:s, an unheard-of event. (Cheers). Was the
noble earl aware of any precedent of a secret despatch
seat out from this country having ever been accompanied
by such a comment I (dear.) The other day he ventured
to ask whether the noble earl was within the bounds of
legality when he issue 3 a despatch on a somewhat suni•
lar subject through the secret committee ; and the noble
earl replie3 that the course was perfectly legal, and he
founded his justification on the secreiy of the despatch.
• "• '

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH—I said it retorted
to an event which had not happened, and possibly might
not happen.

Earl GRAN VILLE said that according to his recollec-
tion the reason assigned was that it was a case of urgent
secrecy. How, ver, it the present despatch was secret,
and sent tnrough the secret committee (and he under-
wood that copies had been withheld from the Court of
Directors until that morning), what bad occurred to
change the neces-ity for that hems.) 1 (Hear.) He very
much feared the effect that the despatch would have on
the Governor-General and the people of India. He be-
lieved that it would be admitted by all persons, notwith-
standing the previous attacks which had been made on
Lord Canning, thet the present Governor-General of In-
dia bad established among the natives of that country a
character fee firmness and judgment; and he believed
the poses sion of these qualities leas important fer all
rulers, but especially for the rulers of Oriental nations.
He was not going to paint Lord Canning's character ;
but he would refer to two instances in which his firm-
ness was remarkably exhibited. There was another pro-
clamation, nicknamed the Clemency Proclamation. Those
who knew the feelings of human nature would admit that
that eroc'amation vary naturally excited. the resentment
of the Europeans in India ; and that feeling was taken
tip in tbis part of the world ; but neither the clamour
raised here or in India induced L ,rd Canning to swerve
to the right or to the left, but he maintained the even
tenour of his way, tempering justice with mercy. (Hear,
hear.) He did not believe that any man entitled to be
heard with respect would now rise and disapprove the
principles embodied in that proclamation. Another in-
stance of the firmness f his character was exhibited
while the siege of Delhi was being prosecuted with great
difficulty. (Here a noble peer observed—" This is an
eul gy.") Well, he thought he had a right to say some-
Hog in Lord Canning's bebalf—(:sheers)—when that
noble lord, though not attacked, was placed in an indi-
rect way, either intentionally or unintentionally, in a
position which made it difficult for him to act, whether
according as tee public advantage or his feelings of pri-
vete honour might require. He thought that underthese
circumstances he had a right to make this eulogy, and
he should not be deterre f from doing so by the remark
which had just been made. (Cheers.) He was referring,
wben interrupted, to the siege of Delhi, and observing
that that siege was prosecuted with some difficulty, Pro-
positions to negotiate with the insurgents were made,
and these propositions came from Sir J. Lawrence, a
most experienced man, and were approved by the general
who condec,ed the siege to a successful issue. It was,
then, an act of great moral courage for a civilian like
Lord Canning, who had not long arrived in the country,
to take on himself the great responsibility of absolutely
refusing to entertain those propositions, and of insisting
that the siege should be proceeded with. (Us ar, hear )
When a change took place in the Government it was cer-
tainly competent for the noble earl opposite to com-
municate with Lord Canning, and inform him that the
Government did not think him the best person for the
post he occupied in India, and that they deemed it their
public duty to require him to retire. That course it was
open for the Government to take, but a course which was
not open for them to pursue was to continue Lord Can-
ning in his post and then to give publicity to that cons•
plete censure which they had passed on him. (Cheers.)
He begged not to be misunderstood, and for the sake of
argument ho would assume that the proclamation in
question was entirely wrong; but while the Government
maintained Lord Canning in the post of Governor-Gene-
ral it was not f e. them to publish an attack on him, and
to communicate through Parliament to the people of
India that they had absolutely no confidence in the man
who in this great emergency had to deal with the people
of India. (Cheers.) That was placing Lord Canning in
the difficult position of having to decide whethtr, not-
withstanding this public affront, he would act according
to his private feelings of honour, or as he might think
essential for the public good. When the noble earl the
Presid•-nt of the Board of C introl sent out the despatch
which had been described in the other house—and the
accuracy of that description had not yet been questioned
be the noble earl—he c uld not have reflected upon the
effect which it would produce in India. Conceive what
would be the thought of the people of India when they
were told that the Government in Calcutta was) not to
be supported by the Government at home in measures of
vigour. (Hear, hear.) He hoped the noble earl at the
head of the Government would explain to the h use his
views upon this great question. Was it his intention
that Lord Canning should come home at once ? Had be
made any provi-den for rep'acing him I When the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer so wantonly disclosed the sub-
stance of a secret despa• eh, bad be considered the pro-
bable effects both on the Governor-General and on the
interests of our Indian empire? There was another
question which ought to be aasw.r.d—eana
whether
there was in. existence ai.y public correspondence
nested with the same uhjeot, and, if so, whether the
heec oner-
Government you'd have any objection to produce it
As the GLifir./1123201t bad not hesitated to publish