The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-21 00:00:00

expenditure to an extent of which bon. members had very

little idea. (Hear.) The present Government came in I
not on their own motion, but in consequence of the want
of attachment of the Liberal members to their own
leader. (Hear.) They came into a legacy of difficulties.
(Hear) They had arranged the diplomatic difficulty
maintaining the alliance, which was firmer than ever ;
they had settled the Cagliari question favourably ; they
had got over the financial difficulty in a budget—which
had given the greatest amount of satisfaction, and they
had pledged themselves to an India Bill which he
thought injudicious, for he did not think any Govern-
ment would carry an India Bill this session. (Hear.)
He did not think the Conservative party were blind to
the signs of the times, or deaf to the voice of public opi-
nion—(bear, bear)—and he believed they were prepared
io go steadily forward in a course of political and social
reform. (Hear, hear.) He asked them, not for the sake
of Government, but for their own characters as indepen-
dent members, to give them the opportunity.
Sir A. ELTON said the despatch was bad in temper
and in tone, and in many respects indiscreet, but if the
general effect was just, it would be monstrous to throw
the country into confusion because it was not polite.
Honourable. members talked of confiscation as if it was
some pleasant process, like shampooing or some other
Eastern luxury, but they would regard it very differently
if their own lands were so taken from them. Legal gen-
tlemen often took great liberties with each other, and in
this debate one had attributed dishonesty- to another.
He supposed lawyers were used to it. In reference to
the mercy of Lord Canning, all the proclamation pro-
mimed to those who submitted was "life and honour,"
and for the rest they were to thro w themselves on the
clemency of the Government. That was not very en-
couraging. As for politeness and courtesy, if a robber
held a pistol to his head, he would knock his arm aside,
perhaps with some violence. Would the right hon.
member prosecute him for assaulting the robber ? If he
dragged a drowning man from the water somewhat
roughly, would he have an action against him for tear-
ing his coat ? (Hear.) It was said that Lord Canning's
feelings ought to be considered ; but they would be suffi
ciently so by the amendment. Lord Ellenborough was
humbled at the feet of Lord Canning, and politically
ruined. Lord Canning and his friends, real or political,
ought to be satisfied with that, and not to pursue the
Government with a vindictiveness to which party ought
to be a stranger. It was said the despatch would weaken
the hands of Lord Canning, but these miserable parry
squabbles would weaken the character of this house and
drag its honour and dignity in the dust. (Hear.) Go-
vernment had endeavoured to do what was right and

just in a manner which was open to censure, but as the
thing itself was right, he should support them. He then
quoted an article from the Friend of India to the effect
that the proclamation would hold us up to the ridicule
of the natives as weak and rapacious ; for we gave the
lives we had no power to take, and took the lands they
could no longer defend. (Hear, hear.) The retainers,
he contended, would go with the chiefs and would not
lay down their arms, so that the confiscation would in-
clude all the population. The vote of this house, if
adverse to the Government, would create a panic
amongst those who were ready to submit, and wool
not drive them to take up arms again. He could
not understand how the despatch could- encourage
the rebels. opened to doors of mercy. But to tell
them that if they submitted they .should retain their
rights would not encourage them to hold out. He be-
lieved that hon. gentlemen on the Opposition benches
did not think that they were going to stay there so long,
and now showed an indecent haste to recross the house.
Lord BURY said the hon. member fir Dorset bad
asked what they hoped to gain by the motion. He could
answer the question very distinctly. They hoped to turn
hon. gentlemen opposite out of office. (Cheers and
laughter.) In his opinion the despatch would paralyse
the hands of the Governor-General. It was ungenerous
to censure the conduct of the Governor-General bebre
they had received his explanations. Very likely the mail
now due would bring a statement of the remont that in-
duced the Governor-General to issue that proclamation.
He thought that some of those who had spoken on the
other side had tried to lead them astray on this ques-
tion. Lord Canning had nothing to do with the annexa-
tion of Oude. He found it a part of British India, and
his duty was to maintain it as such. There was a great
difference between the censure passed on Lord Auckland
fur his treaty with Oude and that contained in the ds-
spatch in question. In his opinion the proclamation would
do less harm in India than the despatch. In that de-
spatch Lord Canning had been addressed as if he w, re
a fool. (Hear.) Serving his country as he had done,
Lord Canning had every right to expect that he would
be addressed in different terms. Ho.i. members opposite

were going to support the amendment of the lion: Croon
her for Swansea, which recognised Lord Canning's ser-
vices, although they bad objected to including Lord
Canning's name in the vote of thanks lately given by
Parliament. The noble lord the memberfor King's Lynn
bad said that this was a question cf right against wrung.
The noble lord did not draw his conclusion, bet the noble
lord the member for the West Riding had very naturally
asked if it was intended to give back Oude to its native
King. The hon. baronet the member for Tawworth had
talked of a dissolution in case of a defeat of the govern-
ment, and coupling that with the statement of the noble
lord the member for King's Lynn, be had no doubt the
cry of the government would be right against wrong.
But if that was meant for anything more than clap-trap,
they ought to give back Oude to the natives. (Hear.)
Mr. GILPIN said he believed the noble lord the mem-
ber for Norwich (Lord Bury) had never
.spoken trusr
words than when be told them that what he and his
friends wanted in bringing forward this motion was to
turn out her Majesty's ministers. (Hear, hear.) But
paving to a subject of a less personal character he should
observe that he could not adopt the view taken of the
question tbeo before the house by the supporters of the
motion, when they contended that hon. members ought
carefn ly to abstain from pronouncing any judgment on
that proclamation, while they were to express a decided
opinion with respect to the d spatcle to which the pro-
clamation had given rise. Tney were told that they
could not understand what was meant by the proclarne-
tion. Bat the document appeared to be well understood
in India ; and as far as he could judge it had been gene-
rally condemned by the press of that country. The
Hurkaru stated that " the wisdom of the measure had
been questioned on the ground of its sweeping severity."
According to the Calcutta Plvenix, " the temper of the
people of India had never been so excited against any,
former rulers as it was at present against the British ;'
and the Friend of India contained the following pas-
sage :—" That unhappy document makes every man in
India our declared enemy. The British government will
be held up as weak and rapacious—weak in offering to
save lives which they could not take, and rapacious in
seizing estates to which they had no right." He (Mr.
Gilpin) had hitherto been an admirer of the just and
temperate policy pursued by Lord Canning in LAM, and
he could only suppose that the noble lord had been in-
duced to adopt that measure of confiscation under a pres-
sure put upon him by the English party in that country,
which had before raised a howl of indignation against
his display of wisdom and moderation. He (Mr. Gilpin)
believed that the present despatoh would be calculated
to strengthen his hands, and to enable him to return to
the course originally dictated by hie own better judg•
ment. If an announcement of confiscation really mean
what it professed to mean, he (Mr. Gilpin) eould not help
regarding the proclamation as one of the most immoral
public documents that had ever been written. But one
of the arguments employed by the noble lord the mem-
ber for London in support of the motion, went very
nearly to this—that we never could consider any of our
public servants to have been in the wrong. (Hear.)
Now, for his part, he should say that he believed that
was a most dangerous doctrine. The hon. and learned
gentleman for Plymouth (Mr. Collier) had stated that
evening that on every question of fereign policy the hon.
gentleman the member for Birmingham (Mr. Bright)
was always to he seen ranged on the side of the enemies
of England. But the hon. and learned gentleman might
well congratulate himself if he should find at the close of
his career that he had done fur his country a tittle of the
good which had leen done by the hon member (or Bir-
mingham. He felt persuaded that in voting against the
motion he should be voting in favour of the principles of
justice and of humanity. He had heard a good deal
sail in the course of the discussion with regard to the
fact that the contents of a certain letter from Lord Ca-
ning had not been communicated by the right hon. gen-
tleman the member for Northampton to the noble earl
who had succeeded him in the office of the President of
the Board of Control. It certainly seemed to him that
too much had been made of that c rcum-tance. He be-
lieved that hon. gentlemen opposite had truth and jus-
tice on their side upon thatoccasion, and, in his opinion
they would do well to take their stand on these prin-
ciples, and to abstain from dwelling on mere personal
considerations. He was led to think that that was an
-attempt to raise the somewhat questionable banner of
the noble lord the member for Tiverton. (Rear.) He
understood that the arms of Bedford e ere to be quart ered
on that banner— (hear)—and independent members were
called upon to rally round it. (Hear.) But he said that
if the independent members deserved that title, the
charmer would charm in vain, unless they saw more of
benefit than he could see to the liberal cause from the
contemplated change of ministry. A short time ago
there bad been held a large meeting of " independent
ibat
members," and he had then supposed, in his simplicity,
they
thew eldesteregoi living politicians, going
gto havelit
caina d
independwithent
tpeparty.r
But one of
discrimination, said to him in reference to that
expectation, "You do not know the party as well as I
do. They will fall into the very first trap laid for them
by the late occupants of the Treasury bench." (Hear.)
The fact was that the trap was scarcely laid, the
P itfell
was not covered over to the eyes of most people, when
one part of the Liberal party had followed into it the
new opposition whipper-in. (Hear, and laughter.) He
should vote against that motion on its intrinsic merits ,
and he should vote against still more heartily on
accnurit of what he believed to be its real and not its
declared spirt--the removal of the ministry, and the
transference to their }laces of a number of gentlemen
who wore at present in opposition. lie was convinced
that such a ohs, ge would not promote the interests of
the groat Liberal party throughout the country, and he
should therefore offer an uncompromising resistanc-, to
a motion which was calculated as he believed, to lead to

that resul.. (R AO
Mr. LABOUCHERE said he should be prepared to
rest his vote en the able and comprobensive speech which
had been delivered that evening by the roble lord the
member for the West Riding (Lord Goderich) ; but he
did not wish to give a silent vote on that extremely im-
portant question. Hon. gentlemen had entered in the
course of that discussion into mere party allusions; but
he should have thought party considerations must sink
into utter insignificance in presence of the great interests
to which their attention was then directed. He had
always been a party man, and he did not pret,.nd to
deny that he bad party predilecti ms which might,
without his knowledge, influence his judgment. But if
he knew anything of hie own feelings, hi would give in

support of that motion as conscientious a vote as he had
ever given in his life. (Hear.) He did not believe that
frequent changes of ministry were of advantage to this
country ; he was of an entirely different opinion ; and
he honestly declared that he should have heartily re-
joiced if the conduct of hon. gentlemen opposite had
been so prudent as to have enabled the house to continue
them for a considerable period their present tenure of
office. (Hear, and a cry of oh.) But he would leave
those personal considerations, and be would pass to an
inquiry into the general merits of that question. He
believed that her Majesty's Government were deeply
censurable for the present state of Indian affairs. They
had exhibited to the world Vie rnfortunate spectacle tf
Indian Government at borne differing in opinion upon a
most important point of policy from the local govern-
ment in India. Had any one, he would ask, ever before
seen members of an administration coming dowel to the
house and reading extracts from new-papers, or detail-
ing scraps of conversation held with persons who had
latly returned from India, for the purpose of casting
discredit on the decision at which the Governor-General
had arrived ? (Hear, hear) He did not deny the right
of the Government to express their condemnation of any
act of Lord Canning of which they might have disap-
proved ; but he said that they ought not to have die-
d' irged that daty in a tone needlessly bitter and offen-
sive. He had not heard any one attempt to justify the
terms employed is the despatch towards Lord Canning,
and he could not believe that that portion of the docu-
ment had been read to the Cabinet before it had been
sit out t• India. He said that was the first great error
committed by her Majesty's Government. But the
course they had pursued had, further,, led to the un-
happy result of destroying the harmony of opinion and
unity of action which it was so desirable should prevail
between them and the Court of Directors. The very day
after the publication of the despatch the directors had
met, and had determined, to their own infinite honour,
that the mail which took out that document should also
take out the expression of their approval of Lord Can-
ning's policy. Since the last occasion upon which they
had met they had heard with surprise that her Majesty's
Government had stated their intention to support the
Proposition of the hon. member for Swansea. He (Mr.
L.) was utterly at a loss to reconcile that determination
upon any.principle of consistency. He -would not then
enter into the question as to whether Lord Canning's
proclamation was, in its terms, politic or impolitic. He,
however, thought that the intention of the noble lord no
member in that house could for a moment doubt. It
was a policy of clemency rather than one of harshness
and cruelty, as some honourable members had the hardi-
hood to attribute to him. The very circumstance of Lord
Canning having no party-connection with the present
government ought, in his mind, to have made them
much more delicate in doing anything that could in the
least degree disparage his authority as Governer-Ge-
nerad. He (Mr. L.) could not acquit the government of
having committed some grave errors in those most im-
',portant and delicate transactions ; and, that being the
case, he would certainly support the motion of his right
hon. friend the member for the city of Oxford.
Sir J. GRAHAM.—Sir, for some time past I have
abstained from trespassing on your indulgence, for my
shattered nerves and drooping spirits dissuaded me from
taking part in angry contention, and I would gladly
avoid expressing my opinion on this occasion if my sense
of public duty had not persuaded me that I cannot
avoid explaining, as far as I am able, the reasons which
lead rue to the conclusion at which I have arrived. If I
may be permitted to refer for one moment to a subject
so insignificant as myself, I wish to state that it is by
the courtesy of hon. gentlemen that I occupy a seat on
this (the Ministerial) side of the house, although I am
no adherent of her Majesty's Government. By no en-
gagement, express or implied, am I their supporter. On
the contrary, my sympathies and opinions are with the
' Liberal party sitting on the opposite side of the house
(hear, hear), and from a recent kind communication I
have resumed those habits of friendly intercourse and
confidential communication with my noble friend the
member for the city of London which formerly existed
between us. (" Speak up.") It is with pain, therefore
that on the present occasion, after much deliberation, I
have arrived at the conclusion that it is not possible fur
me to give my support to the 'motion of my riehb hon,
friend the member for Oxford. (Loud cheers.) It has
not been my good fortune to be in office contempora-
neously with Lord Canning. Ido not know him as in-
timately as many of those with whom I have long acted,
but I am bound to say that, considering the circum-
stances of extraordinary difficulty in which he has
been placed since his appointment to the Governor-Ge-
neralship of India, I have, up to the present time, re-
garded his conduct with unfeigned admiration. I
think, as was well said by noble friend the member for
the city of London, that while others trembled, his
firmness remained unshaken ; while the passions of
almost all those around him were greatly excited, his
calmness remained undisturbed, and he refused to shed
innocent blood. (Hear, hear.) I think, therefore, the
greatest praise is due to Lord Canning for his conduct
up to the present moment. This motion is said to be
actively promoted by most intimate fiends of Lord Can.
aing. Lord Canning was introduced into public life by
my noble friend Lord Aberdeen. Lord Aberdeen is no
fArwea her or lukewarm friend. (Cheers.) He regards
Lord Canning with parental affe_tion ; and while he
-ught that, with reference to the present state of this
transaction anything was due to toe honour of Lord
Canning or to his administration cf Indian affair', he
was quite willing to concur in a vote censuring the
conduct of the Executive Government. But from the
time that Lord Ellenborough withdrew from the Admi-
nistration, declaring himself the author, as might well
be presumed, of the despatch censuring the proclama-
tion, I am authorised to state, on the part of my noble
friend, that he felt that all that was due to the honour
of Lord Canning had been achieved—(cheer,)—all that
he thought nece,sary for the vindication of Lord Can-
ning's administration of affairs had been accomplished
—(renewed cheers)—and when pressed by a friend of
Lord Canning—an old colleague and intimate friend of
his own—to concur in the vote of censure in the other
house, my noble friend Lerd Aberde3n positively refused,
and, to use his plait and emphatic language, he declared
that he was not prepared to take part in a faction fight
(Cheers again renewed.) I wish, with permission,
frankly. to state that my first and strong impression on
reading the proclamation was, that it was an impolitic
one. (Hear, hear.) lam also bound to state that the
publication of the despatch censuring that proclamation
in the terms which were implied did appear to me a
harsh and u justifiable proceediog. (Hear, hear,) It
does so happen that whoa it was announced that
the despatch commenting on the proclamation
would be laid before the . house, and when it was
also announced that that despatch censured the policy
indicated in that proclamation in every respect, I sail to
my right hon. friend the member for the University of
Oxford, who was sitting near nee, I fear that that des-
patch, so reprehending the proclamation, will cootaireea
censure upon the annexation of Oude ;" and I added,
"if so, I think it would be most impolitic and inex-
pedient." (Cheers.) That paragraph which comments
on the annexation is even less prudent than I had
anticipated. I must say with great regret that it is the
paragraphs relating to that subject that I ant most dis-
posed to reprehend. Let me recall the recollection of
the House to the circumstances that attended the publi-
cation of the despatch. I believe implici,ly the state-
ment made in this House by my hon. friend the Secre-
tory of the Board a Control. Tnat statement wag, that
on the morning of the day on which the hon. member
for Birmingham asked in his place a qua Evion with re-
spect to the proclamation he himself had a confidential
communication with Lord Elenborough. The hon.
Secretary to the Board of Control said to Lord Ellen•
borough, "If I am asked a question with regard to the
proclamation which has appeared in the newspapers
what am Ito say r Lord Ellenborou;l3, without con-
sulting any of his colleagues, at once and on the spot
told the Secretary to the Board of Control to promise
that a copy of the despatch commenting upon it shoold
be laid before the House. When that promise was made
it was clear that the publication would take place the
following morning. Tee hon. member for Birmingham
pressed for further information. Ile asked at nee what
was the effect of the d cepatcb, and the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, rising instantly and without preine litation
to answer that question, said that: the deep itch dis•
approved the policy indicated in the proclamati n ire
every sense. The right hon. gentleman the Chanceil it
of the Exchequer will excuse me for saying that
I think that answer so hastily and uepremeditet,dly
given was an indiscretion—(hear, heal) —but at;
the close of a very hang public a,.d official
life I cannot forget that I have committed many
indiscretions myself—tlaught-r)—and I am not prepared
to visit wi•h severe censure what I cannot believe, and
do not believe, was anything more than an indiscretion.
(Cheers.) The right ho,n, gentleman knew that on the
following morning this despatch would be published,
and, anxious at once to sa.isfy the house as to the c in-
tents of that despatch, he anticipated the reading of it
by every member of the house in the course of a fee
hours by stating what was its nature. Tha', as it ap-
pears to me, is the front of the offending of any other '
member of the Administration, excepting Lord Else-
borough himself. Well, what took place in consequence
of this ? Within three days of this publication, for
which Lord Elienloorough was atone respousible—eo
other member of the Cabinet having consented when he
gave the order to the Secretary of the Board of Control
to publish tee despatch—yietling to the force of public
opinion in the two Houses of Parliament, which was
very uneq iiyocally expressed, the n ;ble lord, !Jot
ashamed of what he bad done, th.nking,on the e ,ntrare,
that ho hal honourably fultiled what his sense of
public duty prescribed, but a. xieus to relieve his c 1-
leagues from all emberraeeeient, and willing to take
upon hituse f the whole responibility which really a'-
tach,d to him ou account of an ea: performed with ut
their concurrence, .withdrew from the s.ervica
:04hafulDeit:fLy:ii,i(::iet,agdeti
Mai.`AV. These, then, are the facts of the ca e. Toe
tprivaoi
ety_nosbfiao
tc4th.obhybllet
htlahtti mostonrnk:rsd74)
aref )
r,
hbieoyr,,nn,
,ito—heueo:lornipomsi
tf dhoi
nei
ed
otecii,i)iriB to w
tirm-alliei n
confidence
rightenceo the
hehepna. hier,d ;hasrtoftheC()ur t f
just
dressed ue has; referred. And as relates to theADalii:
r,
ministration, I believe it would he pushing the
doctrine of conjoint rAponsiblity of the Ca-
binet to an extreme bordering open the ridiculous to
ineagn pq4totne,d
shortly office.
ex-
tend it to their ex rtion from power f ir an act done by a
colleague without teeir cegnizince or ceilsent,
accountand
s!b.
)ionflftitoh which: co
actae ir,
) substance) at, e
w ath your
the
proclamation. And
-go has
er m
tt(hoCehecaxsaam; infest and most dispassionate consideration I bake
been able to give this matter has led me to the conclusion