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

THE DIVORCE ACT.

Lord CRANWORTH brought in a bill to amend the
act passed last session with respect to the mode of pro-
ceeding in the Probate Court.
The bill was read a first time.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

Oa the motion of Lord REDEiDALE, the Folke.
stone Water, Liskeard and Loo Canal, and the Moir.
dare Water bills were read a third time and passed.
CAWNPORE.

Lord SHAFTESBURY gave notice that, on this day
week, he should move for certain papers connected with
proceedings that had taken place at Cawnpore.
LORD CANNING'S OUDE PROCLAMATION.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said, he had 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
alga a letter from the Secretary to the Government of
India to the Chief Commissioner of Oude, 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 inconvenience to the public service, but with
that exception the document would be laid before their
10, dships in extenso. The noble earl concluded by mov-
ing for a copy of the letter from the Secretary to the Go-
♦ernment of India to the Chief Commissioner of Oude ; a
copy of the proclamation ; and extracts 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 his duty to lay these papers upon the table of the
house yesterday lest he might be deemed guilty of some
want of courtesy to the Directors of the East India Com-
pany. 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 explanations on the subject. He hoped that her Ma-
jesty's Governmeut 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 before Parlia •
ment a copy of the despatch, but as the noble earl had
stated that it was his intention to produce only extracts
and not the despatch itself, 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
House of Parliament—(cheers)—for some time. With
regard to the proclamation itself, he in common with their
lordships, had no knowledge of it beyond what he de-
rived from the newspaper correspondence yesterday.
Looking at that proclamation, ire certainly thought it
was a measure of great importance. It appeared to him
consonant with those principles which Lord Canning
was bound to respect, because they bad been approved
by the Court of Directors and the Home Government,
for it seemed to be a strong weapon placed iu the bands
of negotiators at a most critical moment in order that it
might be need for the purpose of treating with those
powerful landholders who, the directors held, had no
legal right to their estates, and who had been the op-
pressors of the people. He wished, however, to avoid
committing himself in the slightest degree, either to the
approval or disapproval of a proclamation issued under
such circumstances, as he was totally unacquainted with
all the circumstances of the case. He saw from the
newspaper correspondence that it was perfectly well un-
derstood by the landowners of Oude what the intention
of this proclamation was, and how it was to be acted
upon. He might, perhaps, be blared by the noble lords
opposite for dealing with newspaper documents in
speaking upon a grave subject like this ; but when the
Government were not able to lay on the table of the
house the uraclamation, with that most important altera-
tion, showing more clearly, as he understood it, the
opening offered to the landowners—(Here the Earl of
Ellenborough made some observation.) 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 Control to a question asked
on the subject was, that the Government had received a
proclamation which Lord Canning intended should be
published when Luoknow 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 of ELLENBOROUGH raid, that the
papers he had jest moved for would show the proclama-
tion which the Governor-General directed should be
published ; but though tie Government knew that it had
been published they had no official information of the
actual publication. In the proclamation as given in the
public prints there was inserted a paragraph to which he
did not attach all the importance which the noble earl
seemed to attribute to it, but which was not in the pro.
clatuation as transmitted to the Government.
Earl GRA.NVILLE said he understood that it was
emphatically declared in another place that the secret
despatch conveyed to the Governor-General the Govern-
ment's disapproval of his proclamation "in every sense,"
and he did think that such a declaration was, under the
circumstances, an unheard-of event. (Cheers). Was the
noble earl aware of any precedent of a secret despatch
sent out from this country having ever been accompanied
by such a comment ? (H ear.) The other day be ventured
to ask whether the noble earl was within the bounds of
legality when he issued. a despatch on a somewhat simi-
lar subject through the secret committee ; and the noble
earl replied that the course was perfectly legal, and he
founded his justification on the secresy of the despatch.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH—I said it referred
to an event which had not happened, and possibly might
not happen.

Earl GRANVILLE said that according to his recollec-
tion the reason assigned was that it was a case of urgent
secresy. However, if the present despatch was secret,
and sent through the secret committee (and he under-
stood that copies had been withheld from the Court of
Directors until that morning), what bad occurred to
change the necessity for that secrecy 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 bad been made on
Lord Canning, that the present Governor-General of In-
dia had established among the natives of that country a
character for firmness and judgment ; and he believed
the possession of these qualities sac important for all
rulers, but especially for the rulers of Oriental nations.
He was not going to paint Lord Canning's character ;
but he would :efer 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 adwit that
that r roclarnation very naturally excited the resentment
of the Europeans in India; and that feeling was taken
up in this part of the world ; but neither the clamour
raised here or in India induced L -trd 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 'aspect 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 bad a right to say some-
thing in Lord Canning's behalf—(cheers)—when that
noble lord, though not attacked, was placed in an indi-
rect way, either intentionally or unintentionally, iu
position which made it difficult for him to act, whether
according as tee publa advantage or his feelings of pri-
vate honour might require. He thought that under these
circumstances he had a right to make this eulogy, and
he should not be deterre I from doing so by the remark
which had just been made. (Cheers.) He was referring,
when interrupted, to the siege of Delhi, and observing
tbatthat siege was prosecuted with some difficulty. Pro-
positions to negotiate with the inurgents were made,
and these propositions came from Sir J. Llwrenc,.,
most experienced man, and were approved by the general
who conducted 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 c.nintry,
to take on himself the great responsibility of absolutely
refusing to entertain those propositions, and of insisting
that the siege should be proceeded with. (H. 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 com-
plete censure which they had passed on him. (Cheers.)
tie begged not to be misunderstood, and for the sake of
argument he 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 )r 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 whether, 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
President of the Board of Control sent out the despatch
which had been described in the other house—and the
accuracy of that deecriptien had not yet been questioned
Iby 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
he 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 In use his
views upon this great question. Was it his intention
that Lord Canning should come home at once ? Had he
made any provision for rep'acing him ? When the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer so wantonly disclosed the eub-
stance of a secret despatch, had he 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 answer ad—namely,
whether
there was in existence any public correspondence con-
nectede with the same subject, and, if so, whether th
Government would have any objection to produce it ?
As the Government had not hesitated to publish