The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-18 00:00:00

THE DERBY DAY.

Capt. VIVIAN gave notice that he should to-morrow
move the adjournment of the house at its rising till
Thursday, (Cheers.)
THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA.

In answer to a question from Mr. LYGON,
Mr. H. BAILLIE said that the first private letters
received by the present Government from India arrived
by the mail on Saturday. Oa that day three private
letters from Lord Canning reached Lord Ellenborough,
in which he stated he had received information that Lord
Ellenborough had accepted office. He (Mr. Baillie)
thought that Lord Canning's sending three private letters
by one mail was a sufficient procsf that the noble lord
was in the habit of corresponding by private letters with
the late President of the Board of Control. (Cheers.)
CONSOLIDATED FUND (11,000,0001) BILL.
This bill was read a third time and payed.
STAMP DUTY ON PASSPORTS BILL.

This bill, as arn ;tided, was considered.
THE VOTE OF CENSURE ON THE GOVERN-
mENr —ADJOURNED DE 13 A.TE•
On the order being read for the reiumptioa of the
adjourned debate on the motion of Mr. CAMDWELL,
Mr. ROEBUCK said—Sir, a question of more im-
portance was, perhaps, never submitted for discussion in
ny legislative assembly than that which now occupies
the attention of this house. If we think of the number
of persons likely to be affected by it, and of the time at
which the proposition is brought forward, all these con-
siderations indicate the importance of the subject now
under discussion. Sir, Gibbon, in his History of the
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," enters into a
discussion on the probable capacity of that empire, and
in that magnificent resum4 which he gives of the power
and importance of the empire of Rome he says that the

Italians and provinCials together amounted in round
numbers to about 120,000,000, and he adds that that
was the largest community of men ever subject to any
system of domination. But, sir, our Indian empire
leaves this far behind. There are not only 120,000,000,
but I think the persons who are influenced by our domi-
nion in India amount to nearly 200,000,000, and there
is now submitted to our consideration a question in-
volving the happiness of this large section of the human
race ; for we have now to determine whether this domi-
nion is to be guided by the great principles of honesty
and virtue—(cheers)--or whether the power which we
exercise is to be the only guide of our conduct, and that
the object which we have in view is the sole aggrandhiesle-
fmeeelnintgof s t
rEngland.ongly
power of my country ; still, there are things which
an
e
om
and ono of these is that mankind should learn to my mind are even for
gt Ahr
sa
dt
itEnh inaognn Englandsthhme ahna:lsi n cannotiems s;oarnt importance,
the
power
re-
cognise and practise the great principles of honour and
virtue. At the present moment there is involved in our
discussion this important question—shall we, in the
furtherance of our dominion, for objects purely selfish,
forgot the great principles of virtue and justice.
Shall we, in order to establish oar dominion over what I
may call the defenceless people of India, utterly re-
gardless of that which civilisation ought to teach us
to regard—shall we, I say, pursue our own objects
without any consideration of the principles which ought
to govern us as a people ? The motion made by the right
hon. gentleman the other night is, I think, one of the
most transparent of party manoeuvres I have ever seen
—(loud cheers)—and I have seen many transactions of
that sort. At this very moment we, the House of Com-
mons, are vindicating to ourselves the government of
India—for it is idle to talk of the Crown. The Crown
means the House of Commons. (A laugh.) That ap-
pears to excite in the minds of some a feeling something
like surprise ; but I would ask any man who under-
stands the practical working of our system of govern-
ment to answer me this question—is not all the power
said to be centred in the Crown really exercised by this
house ? Shall we say, when we transfer the government
of India from the East India Company to the Crown,
that we do not give it to the Ministers of the Crown who
act under the control of this house I Therefore I say
that when we talk about transferring the government of
India from the East India Company to the Crown, we
really declare that the House of Commons is to govern
India. And at the very time when we are so discussing
this matter of the government of India there comes
before us a mere matter of party politics. (Cheers.) We
forget the happiness of 200,000,000 of men, and we re-
duce the question to the consideration of this bench and
that. (Renewed cheers, and No, no.) No, no ! is there
any man so utterly void of consideration of what is going
on around him and of what is being enacted before his
rgt
sheeyes—isiatnssotchtnoeto thereushtene ttpor
hyaperceive
tepy:
Ccanypehni
politics—let
(Cheers.)
rat
istac.hon)s so
whatne
utdi like
we
blind puppy— (a laugh)
ieu •
lett •
we
art
ueh
can,
fighting
ftgovernmentlwn eg cf nrf of
Thehqtchuua rermesdeatr
Cardwell)
npoge
onhlbil
hon,
propoundsaffectingogfns
0..f0r
gentlemaneNw r otrto the
consideration.att, the happiness of 200 , consider() O, 0 0 this
f
ehrweetsphho proclamation
otuhewitel siaromomtrnhneai
wrong despatch
botdhq,
neei urchsoehpefs
foratiirsitaeocoayonhri
sdlx:bftceohafiraneondudrvile:oiirls,unhevigseserins?..
dent of the Board of Control was wrong in writing any
wrongin the publication of that despatch.
ht then e despatchsnayl
se h saysnwasan hs we
Now, lam prepared to meet him on all these points. I
say, first, he was bound to write that despatch ; I say,
secondly, he wrote the right answer to that despatch :
and, thirdly, I say he was not answerable for the pro-
duction of that despatch. (Cheers.) I have no doubt that
may astonish some gentlemen in this house, but before I
have done I hope I shall be able to satisfy them of its
justice. Was he or was he not bound to write an answer
to that proclamation ? I will not now enter into any dis•
cuesion of the manner in which we have acquired do-
minion in India ; I will only say this—that having en-
tered it as a body of mere merchants we in course of time
acquired the dominion of that vast country, but that we
did not do so without sacrificing on almost every occa-
sion every principle which ought to guide the justice of
a nation—(cheers)—that we have been rapacious, that
we have been cruel, that we have been unjust, but that
we have acquired dominion. (Cheers.) We have done it
by the great power and capacity of the men we have sent
there—by the wonderful valour of our troops, than
which nothing can be more wonderful, but notwithstand-
ing, we have sacrificed truth, honour, and justice. (Hear,
hear.) I know these are to many gentlemen unpalatable
truths, but they are truths nevertheless. (Hear.) There
is only one justification of dominion, and that is, that i.
is such as to promote the happiness of the people over
wham it is exercised, but in order to produce that hap-