The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-17 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY i 7, Ida

The Government of India Bill has made con
siderable progress in the house of lords, 33
clauses having already been disposed of, and it may

reasonably be anticipated that it will pass through
Committee on Monday without any important
change or modification. it could not, of course,
bo supposed that such a measure could be sanc-
tioned without a proper amount of discussion, nor
wotild—it be desirable that such should be the
case.. Truth is invariably promoted by the most
stringent investigation—the closest cluvassing of
every detail. Nor would it be quite consistent
with the dignity of the hereditary branch of
the Legislature to allow a matter of such
vast importance, in which the interests
of 150,000,000 of British subjects are
so greatly concerned, to be passed sub silentia.

It, however, exhibits the real value of the bill
in the strongest point of view, to show that so
little could be fairly alleged against its penny or
justice.

It was indeed too closely worked in the House
of Commons to permit of much novelty being
introduced even by such praotised orators and
skilful statesmen as many of their Lordships.
That Lord ELLENBOROUGU should be a leere dis-
satisfied might have been anticipated. Ha had
framed an admirable bill, which was most un-
fairly and unjustly assailed. He was victimised
for the course which was subsequently more
than justified. The Ministry were attacked in
his person, and with chivalrous generosity he
sacrificed himself. But ktill he must have felt
a cedilla amount of natural annoyance, and
would dearly desire to vindicate the propriety of
his own production.

The Palmerstonians, too, would seek to follow contradistingurshed from an official commUnica-
in the footsteps of their leader, and to raise, even tion, are caustic and capital Besides which, it
if they could not sustain, the objections which he is certainly difficult to suppress a smile on glancing
put forward. Bat there was no enthusiasm or ex- over his sententious record that we learned clarity,
ci tement. There was no real contest. It was univer- that same notable discussion the extraordinary
f
sally acknowledged that the measure was a gcod fact that confiscation does not really and truly
mean confiscation, but merely—wholesale annexe-
one, the best that could behoped for during the pre-,
tion Quoth Mr. LENDRICR. drily—" A member
sent session, and none would undertake the
serious responsibility of arresting the course of of the late Goveinment further informed us that
legislation, under exibting siscaras,;•ances,
for so far from being a measure of severity, confisca-
tion in reality is one of kindness and conciliation
another year. It was a regular walk dyer for
Lord DERBY, or, at all events, he won in a
corn- towards those upon whom it is exercised"--a
men canter every disputed point. Indeed, the sentiment which the Right Hon. Gentleman seems
only real struggle was on the question wheth'er to have derived from Mrs. MALAPROP, who con-
thesidered "nothing so conciliatory as severity !"
Members of Council should be prohibited. froi:u
carrying on any profession, trade, or occupation. It is with the same serio-comic whimsicality that
he refers immediately afterwards to `°the sudden This so-called amendment was negatived by a
majority of 15. But it was evident that if
any reconciliation which the apparent prospect of
doubt had been entertained as to the result, that power produced in two Noble Lords," hitherto

majority could easily have been quadrupled.

re-