The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-09 00:00:00

SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE.

Mr. W. EWART moved that on every Tuesday and
Thursday (beingnights on which Government business does
not take precedence) the house do not sit later than 12 o'clock
at night. He said that the motion which he had the
honour to introduce had the candid approval of the late.
Speaker, who was then one of the most experienced
members of the house. 'He (the late Speaker) con-
sidered that the debate which took place on Wednesdays
which were not to exceed a certain hour were generally the
best, and his (Mr. Ewart's) object was to carry out that
principle as far as he could. He believed if the motion
was agreed to it would not interfere with the full freedom
of debate, but that it would have the benefit of
curtailing the speeches of hon. members. He denied that
private members would be placed in a worse position than
they were at present by the adoption of the proposition, for
they all knew that independent members had little
chance of proceeding with their bills after midnight.
He felt satisfied that diurnal instead of nocturnal legisla-
tion would be of advantage to the public, and would afford
relief to the Government, the officers of the house, and to
the Speaker.
Mr. LAURIE seconded the motion, and considered that
it was preposterous, even in cases of Government measures,
for the house to sit after 12 o'clock.

Mr. LOCKE KING was opposed to the motion.
Mr. WALPOLE considered that however desirable it
would be to terminate their proceedings at 12 o'clock, still
he could not consent to an hour being fixed to adjourn the
house at a fixed hour, because it would be unfair to private
members who had only two days for their motions.

Mr. W. WILLIASIS suppOrted the motion.
Lord PALMERSTON did not consider that the motion
could be carried out with benefit to the public
service. It would be very desirable if hon. members could
contract their speeches, but measures of the greatest im-
portance might be before the house which it would be in-
convenient to postpone at a fixed hour.
Mr. EWART replied, and the house divided. The num-
bers were—
For the motion ..
Against it
Majority 209
THE MUTINIES AT MEERUT AND UMBALLA.

Colonel SYKES rose to move for an address for copies of
all correspondence between the Commander-in-Chief s and
fudge-Advocate-General's Departments and the military
authorities at Meerut, whether divisional, brigade, or regi-
mental, respecting the court-martial at Meerut in April,
1857, upon the 85 troopers of the 3d Light Cavalry ;
together with copy, in extenso, of the proceedings of the
court-martial and correspondence consequent thereon; and
of all correspondence, reports, or proceedfngs relating to the
36th Regiment Bengal Native Infantry having, at Umballa,
in March or April, 1857, expelled from their caste (excom-
municated) those of their comrades, constituting a detach-
ment of the 36th Regiment, engaged in learning the Enfield
rifle practice at the depot of instruction at Umballa. He
said that he held in his hand a paper which had been laid
on the table of the House of Commons during the recess,
which was designated " Further Papers, 8 A, insurrection,
East Indies." This indicated that it was a duplicate of the
original number 8. That paper he saw in manuscript at
the India House in the spring of last year, it having been
intimated to him that it would be laid on the table of the
house. lie replied that if that was done he should be con-
strained to move for certain papers and documents which
contained information which had lien left out of thatpaper.
On this it was withdrawn, and the matter passed by.
Nevertheless in the recess the paper appeared, and it com-
prised a selection of the correspondence relating to the pro-
ceedings of a court-martial at Meerut on 85 troopers of the
3d Light Cavalry, and of the proceedings relating to the
36th Regiment Bengal Native Infantry at Umballa, who
were excommunicated by their comrades as having lost
caste by using the Enfield rifles. He would read a pas-
sage from a letter of the Judge-Advocate-General of the
Army, signed " H. Young, Lieut.-C01.," to the Chief Com-
inissioLlr of the Punjaub, which was to the effect " that
the Chief Commissioner must have observed in the public
journals an erroneous account of the mutiny in Meerut,
which Colonel Sykes had given in his speech in a debate
in the previous August. This account coming from such
high authority, would be received as the correct ver-
sion of what had occurred at Meerut, and as it would be
some time before Colonel Sykes received an account of the
true state of the case, it was necessary to explain that he
had been led into error by some ignorant and designing in-
dividual, the effect of which would be most injurious, for
that it appeared as if an officer of the cavalry had endea-
voured to force the greased cartridges on the men, and that
the commanding officer had prevented it." He (Colonel
Sykes) was not bound to answer such an accusation, but
when the terms ignorant and designing were applied to his
informant—a person of character and honour, and an eye-
witness to what occurred—he was bound to defend him.
The papers before the house contained, among other docu-
ments, a letter written by an officer of a troop of the 3rd
Cavalry the night before the mutiny to the commanding
officer, explaining the circumstances in which the men
were placed, and urging him not to force them to obey the
order. It was the universal practice that all proceedings of
court-martials in extens• should be sent to the India House,
but it was not done in this case, and in selected statements
great injustice had been done. He would read a memoran-
dum of what occurred at the neighbouring station at Um-
belle, near Meerut, and which was a station for the practice
of the Enfield rifle, and where, consequently, the greased
cartridges were used. The memorandum stated that each
regiment of native infantry had instructions to detach an
officer and a certain number of sepoys for rifle practice at
Umballa. The 36th Regiment at that time composed part
of the escort of the Commander-in-Chief—General Anson.
A detachment of this regiment left far Umballa. The
Commander-in-Chief continued his tour of inspection, and
arrived at Umballa in March or April, 1857. The detach-
ment of the 36th Regiment there, as was usual, cause out
to meet their comrades, but those who had been practising
with the Enfield rifle were repulsed by their comrades,
and declared to be excommunicated, as having lost caste
by the use of polluted cartridges. The men in question ex-
plained to the others of the regiment that there was nothing
polluting in the cartridges ; but they were deaf to the expla-
nation, and treated the men as outcasts. They informed
their fficers of the fact, and wringing their hands, and with
tears in their, eyes, described the miserable state in which
they were placed, that is, neither mothers, fathers, brothers,
nor sisters, could touch or come near them, and they were
severed for ever. The circumstances were made known to
the officer commanding the depot, who censured the native
officers of the 36th Regiment for allowing such treatment
of the men. The native officers, taking alarm, said that
there was no substance in their complaint, and that the re-
proaches of their associates were only a jest. The facts
were known at the neighbouring station of Meerut, and the
men of the 3d Cavalry, when they were asked to adopt the
new method of using cartridges, distrusted it, and corn-
biningthe circumstance with what had taken place at Umballa
they told their officers the night before the parade at which
they were to use the cartridges that they would not obey
the order to do so. This became known to the authorities,
and a letter was written by the Adjutant-General to the
secretary to the Governor-General, to the effect that "at
all the depots for rifle practice the men had used the new
cartridges, and precautions had been taken to prevent the
men from the depots on rejoining their corps from being
taunted with having used the Enfield rifle." He (Colonel
Sykes) had carefully read his speech of August 11, 1857,
and he had not a word to alter or unsay in it, and the
documents he asked for would testify to its accuracy- If
the documents he now moved for appeared to gainsay any-
thing ho had said, he would acknowledge his error, but
till they did so, he would repeat his opinion that nothing
but the most lamentable ignorance of native feelings and
prejudices, and want of tact, had caused the outbreak at
Meerut ; but it having broken out, nothing but the most
fatuous inaction, when two European regiments were in
the garrison, prevented its being crushed ; and if that had
been done the men would have been prevented getting, to
Delhi, and we should have been spared thousands of lives
and millions of money.
Lord STANLEY said it was quite natural the hon. and
gallant gentleman, whose statement had been contradicted,
should be desirous to vindicate his assertion. He (Lord
§taAley) had made iwittiries about On papers referred to,