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

murder of Europeans should be enlisted on our
side by the restoration of their ancient possessions,
subject to such restrictions as will protect their de-
pendents from oppression, is in the opinion of the
Governor-General inadmissible.

3. The Governor General entirely agrees with
you in viewing the talookdars and landholders of
Oude in a very different light from that in which
rebels in our old provinces are to be regarded. The
people of Oude had been subjects of the British
Government for little more than one year when
the mutinies broke out ; they had become so by no
act of their own. By the introduction of our rule
many of the chiefs had suffered a loss of property,
and all had experienced a diminution of the import-
ance and arbitrary power which they had hitherto
enjoyed ; and it is no marvel that those amongst
them who had thus been losers should, when they
saw our authority dissolved, have hastened to shake
off their new allegiance.
4. The Governor-General views these circum-
stances as a palliation of acts of rebellion, even
where hostility has been most active and syste-
matic. Accordingly, punishment by death or
imprisonment is at once put aside by the
Proclamation in the case of all who shall
submit themselves to the Government, and
who are not murderers ; and whilst confiscation
of proprietary rights in the land is declared to be
the general penalty, the means of obtaining more or
less of exemption from it, and of establishing a
claim to restitution of rights have been pointed out
and are within the reach of all without injury to
their honour. Nothing more is required for this
than that they should promptly tender their adhe-
sion, and help to maintain peace and order.

5. The Governor-General considers that the
course thus taken is one consistent with the dig-
nity of the Government, and abundantly lenient.
To have followed that which is suggested in your
secretary's letter would, in his Lordship's opinion,
have been to treat the rebels not only as honour-
able enemies, but as enemies who had won the day.
In the course of the rebellion, most of the leaders
in it, probably all, have retaken to themselves the
lands and villages of which they were deprived, by
the summary settlement which followed the estab-
lishment of our Government in Oude. If upon the
capture of Lucknox by the Commander-in-Chief,
before our strength had been seen or felt in the
distant districts, and before any submission
had been received or invited from them,
the rights of the rebel chiefs to all
their ancient possessions had been recognised
by the Government, it is not possible that the act
would not have been viewed as dictated by fear
or weakness. It would have led the people of
Oude, and all who are watching the course of
events in that province, to the conclusion that
rebellion against the British Government cannot
be a losing game, and although it might have
purchased an immediate return to order, it would
not assuredly have placed the future peace of the
province upon a secure foundation.
6. You observe, indeed, that the landholders
were most unjustly treated under our settlement.
The Governor-General desires ma to observe that
if this were unreservedly the case, or if the pro-
ceedings of the Commissioners by which many of
the taloekdars were deprived of portions of their
possessions had been generally unjust, he would
gladly have concurred in your recommendation,
and would have been ready, at the risk of any
misinterpretation of the motives of the Govern-
ment, to reinstate tho talookdars at once in their
old possessions. But it is not so. As a question
of policy, indeed, the Governor-General considers

that it may well be doubted whether the attempt to
introduce into Oude a systt m of village settlement
in place of the of I settlement under talookdars was

a wise one ; but this is a point which need not be
discussed here. As a question of justice, it is cer-
tain that the lands and villages taken from the
talookdars had, for the most part, been usurped
by them through fraud or violence.
7. That unjust decisions were come to by some of
our local officers in investigating and judging the
titles of the landholders is, the Governor-General
fears, Vic. true ; but the proper way of rectifying
such injustice is by a rehearing where complaint is
made. -Thi9, you are ewers, is the eours4oalich
the Governor-GeniTal is prepared to adopt, and to
carry out in a liberal and conciliatory spirit. It is
a very differeat one from proclaiming that indis-
criminate restitution of all their ancient possessions
is at once to be yielded to the landholders.
8. That the hostility of the talookdars of Oude
who have been most active against the British Go-
vernment has been provoked, or is excused, by the
injustice with which they have been treated, would
seem to be your opinion.
But I am to observe, that there are some facts
which deserve to be weighed before pronouncing
that this is the c,s.
9. No chiefs have been more open in their re-
bellion than the Rajahs of Churda, Bhinga, and
Gond3. The Governor-General believes that the
first of these did not lose a single village by the
summary setllement, and certainly his assessment
was materially reduced. The second was dealt with
in a like literal manner. The Rajah of Gonda
lost about 3e villages out of 400 ; but Ms assesa-
meat was lowered by some 10,000 rupees.
10. No oie was more benefited by the change of
government than the young Rajah of Naupara.
His eatateshad boon the object of a civil war with
a rival clainant for three years, and of these he
was at °net recognised as sole proprietor by the
British Government, losing only six villages out of
more than a thousand. His mother was appointed
guardian ; but her troops have been fighting
against usat Lucknow from the beginning.
11. Ths Rajah of Dhowrera, also a minor, was
treated wall equal liberality. Every village was
settled wth his family ; yet these people turned
upon Cartain Hearsey and his party, refused them
shelter, ?ursued them, captured the ladies, and
sent then into Lucknow.
12. Ushruf Bug Khan, a large talockdar in
Gonda, vho had long been an object of persecution
by the lite Government, was established in the
possession of all his property by us, yet he has been
strongly hostile.
13. It is clear that injustice at the hands of the
British 3overnment has not been the cause of the
hostility which in these instances, at least, has been
displayed towards our rule.
14. The moving spirit of these men and of others
amongst the chiefs of Oude must be looked for
elsewhere ; and in the opinion of the Governor-
General it is-to be fotred mainlyin the repugnance
which they feel to suffer any restraint of their
hitherto arbitrary powers over those about them,
toa diminution of their importance by being brought
under equal laws, and to the obligation of disband-
ing their atom, d followers, and of living a peaceful
and orderly life.
15. The penalty of confiscation of property is no
more than a just one in such cases as have been
above recited ; and although considerations of policy
and m3rcy and the newness of our rule prescribe a
relaxation of the sentence more or less large:accord-
i.:;g to the features of each case, this relaxation must
be preced edby submission, and the Governo- General
cannot consent to offer all, without distinction, an
entire cxernption from penalty, and the restoration
of am
not
have
beener possessions,gtiiguilty
o e
f these•
utrhdoeurgohf theyEu brospeoail 1
Europeans.
—I have, &0.,
(Signed) G. F. EDMONSTONE,
Secretary to the Government of India with the
Governor-General.
Allahabad, 31st March, 1858.