The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-08 00:00:00

' Control ; they had first heard from the Court of Direc-
tors on the 7th Sept., and answered on the 19th Sept.
A. gentleman in the office of the Board of Control had
written to ask if he could be borne out in the statement
that there had been no correspondence between their
office and the company, and that the first communica-
tion was in Sept. from the East India Company. The
answer was that the company had received no direct
correspondence from the Board of Control, and that the
first communication as to the conveyance of troops over-
land was on the 9th Sept., and was from the East India
C ,mpany. Ile thought that every caution ought to be
exercised where public men were attacked in this way.
The noble lord woul I not deny that there was great
similarity between the topics set up by the noble earl
in this house and those set np by another gentleman re-
presenting the noble earl in the other house. He con-
sidered that in these attacks on the President of the
Beard of Control in '.ne house, and on the President of
the Board of Trade in the other house, it would have
been better that the noble earl should have made the
attack on the President of the Board of Trade in this
house, and that the attack on Mr. V. Smith should
have been made by the representative of the noble earl
in the other house, where he could have defended him
self.

The Earl of DERBY agreed with the noble earl as to
the great caution which should be exercised, when
charges were brought forward against public men ; but
he thought that he could not have better authority than
that which he had stated to the noble earl. With regard
to the iaailarity of argument which it was said exited
between him a-..d his right lion, friend in the other house,
there was nothirg extraordinary in that, for it had gene-
rally been his practice to communicate with his colleagues
in the other house. He did not know why the noble earl
complained of it. He had not made any attack on the
noble lord the President of the Board of Trade when be
alluded to India, and he was really not aware why be
should, but if it was wished he should make an attack
on him. (Laughter.)
Earl GRANVILLE—His right bon. friends bad not
been attacked to their faces, and he did not like that
they should be attacked behind their backs.
The Earl of HARD WICKE said that a gentleman
had related to him the anecdote as to Mr, V. Smith.
He afterwards visited the Earl of Ellenborough, who
said, "It can't be true." I don't believe it," though it
bad been stated upon authority which he (Earl of Hard-
wicks) could not for a moment doubt.
The Earl of ELLEN BOROUGH explained that the
Board of Control would correspond only with the Board
of Directors, and not direct with the Peninsular and
Oriental Company. Any letter sent to the company
would be a private letter.
The Duke of ARGYLL—The statement of the noble
eat 1 (Earl of Derby) was that it was a letter from Mr.
V. Smith; but, however, the contradiction referred to
all letters, public and private. He would read a letter
which had been put into his hands, from (as was under.
stood), Mr. Willcox, who was, or had been, a direct r of
the Peninsular and Oriental Company, and who would
he sure to know if anything of the kind had taken place.
He said he had read the report of the speech of the Earl
of Derby with great surprise, and after going into the
matter in detail, further said that the statement was
utterly incorrect, and that nothing whatever hail occur.
red in connection with the Peninsular and Oriental
Company which could possibly give rise to such a mis.
conception on the subject. The fact was, that no offer
for the conveyance of troops, via Egypt, had been made
to them, as stated, and it would have been absurd to
attempt so to convey troops during the monsoon months
especially as they must have been conveyed as deck pas-
sengers. It was not until Sept. that, in consequence of
a verbal communication, a detachment of 22() or 240 men
had been sent across the isthmus. If ithad been proposed
to convey troops by that route in August, the Govern-
ment would have been perfectly justified in refusing to
assent to such a proposition. That statement he thought
was as perfect as it could be made.
The Earl of DERBY—That statement was in direct
contradiction to the published report of the Peninsular
aind Oriental Company, which had been printed a few
days ago, and which he bad in his hands now.
The Duke of ARGYLL—In the City:article of the
Times of this morning there was a statement as to the
conveyance of troops by the Peninsular and Oriental
Co , but that statement referred to a later date, about
Nov. 20, be thought.
The Earl of MALMESBURY--It was stated in the
printed report that on Oct. 1 the first batch had sailed,
the number being 200 men.
The Earl of DERBY—And that the offer to convey
troops would have been accepted by the East India
Company, but it was refused by the Government.
The matter then dropped.