The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-30 00:00:00

THE MUTINY IN INDIA.

Earl of-AreBEMARLE gave notice that in con-
seqnence of.the rows from India lie should postpone the
presentation of the petition from the King and Royal I
Family of Oude, which he had intended to present on
Friday riFx!;.
• The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH—My lords, the
disastrous news which has just been received fr;mlndia,
and which far surpasses my forebodings, serious as these
foreboding; were, induces me to put another question to
the noble earl with respect to the measures which the
Government may intend to take for the purpose of
averting the great calamity which threatens us in India.
It is now 20 days since I put to the noble earl this ques-
tion—whether iestruetions bad been- sent, or would
forthwith be seat to India, directing the Government of
India to make known at every ttatien 'of the army in
that country that the Government would for the future,
as in the past, protect all its subjects ,in the undis-
turbed exercise of their religion. In reply to
that question the nate earl intimated an
opinion that the Government of India had acted judi-
ciously it issuing no proclamation of that character.
Now I find by the news received this morning that not
only the Lieutenant Governer of Agra but the Governor
in Council of India issueda'proclarnation in the strongest
terms of the tenour I have described. But, my lords,
upon what day was that proclamation issued? On the
16th cf May, when the mutiny at Meerut was known,
when the occurrences and mutiny at Delhi were known,
and when the proclamation of the King of Delhi was
known. Now the issuing of that proclamation at that
moment might possibly tend to prevent the spread of'
the mutiny, but it could have no possible effect in pre-
venting the outbreak. My lords, the Government had
ample notice in India of the danger that was impending.
As 1 sng ago as 'the; 22d of January en incendiary fire
broke out in cantonments at a abort distance from Cal-
cutta—a thing almost entirely unknown and unheard
of. Froin that period, for more than three menthe,
these indications of the dissatisfaction of the troops
continued to appear at all' the principal stations of
the army. The cense was perfectly well known, and
arose from an apprehension on the part of the troops that
their religion was be interfered with. On the 25th of
February the lath Regiment mutinied. It was not till
the 31st of March that this regiment was disbanded. On
the 6th of March the GOvernment sent to Rangoon, for
the 84th. Regiment, and so deluded was it as to the ex-
tent of the ill feeling and the mutinous disposition of the
native army, and the effect of the disbandment of the
19th Regiment, that in a few days after that disband-
meet Awes considered advisable and was actually under
discussion whether that regiment should not be sent
back to Rangoon. They have now sent for three
Queen's regiments to protect the capital of the country.
Tees° indications of a had spirit among the troops
occurred at Allahabad, Agra, *it:leant, Uraballab, and
all the great station's. No one can doubt that there
was combination and that one general feeling ani-
mated the, whole. Now, it
.is a matter deeply to
be regretted that events, especially in India, should so
greatly depend upon the personal character of the indi-
vidual. Oa the 31, of May Sir H. Lawrence, a,distin-
guished and decided officer, having reason to expect that
there would be an outbreak on the part of the 7th Native
Oude Infantry, moved at the fall of night two native
regiments, her Majesty's 32d Regiment, and a battery
of artillery upon them. He came upon them unawares..
disarmed the regiment, and made theta prisoners. Sir
Id. Lawrence took the initiative. But what was the
case at Meerut ? At Meerut the mnt:neers took the
initiative. They rose at 6 p.m., and, according to the
accounts we have received, it was not until nightfall that
her Majesty's Carabineers were able to move. If Gee.
Gi-lespie at Arcot had not moved his tragoona to :Yel-
lers with more promptitude the mutiny at Vellore might
have spread through the whole of the Madras territory,
and produced effects as dangerous as those which have
now occurred. And who was the officer in command in
Meerut 1 How did it happen that with a Queen's regi-
ment of infantry. another of cavalry, and au overwhelm-
ing force of Horse and -Foot Artillery. the Mutineers
yet escaped via flout is jury to Delhi, and made a
march of 30 or 40 miles ? His name, it is said, is Hewitt.
I de not find that he has at any tirse served with troops
at all. He is an unknown man. There may be difficul-
ties, and there no doulot are, in making proper appoint-
ments in the army in consequence of the system of se-
niority which prevails. . But that system Las teen of
late overruled, and the G.,,yerntneat have now autho-
rity to appoint the men whom they think most fitted
for a particular post. They emelt, I contend, to have
acted upon ti at authority. No Government is ja,tifled
in [lacing in a mest important coma-And a man of
whore the troops know nothing, and with whose quali-
fications they themselves are unacquainted. We see
what has been the coneecpienee of taking a contrary
°souse. Give rue now leave to ask where was the Com-
maisder-ir-Coief upon this oscaeion ? Why wail not he
in the midst of his troops? Ho meet have beedawato
of all the diffisultice which wera growing up. He
rnuet bass known the dangers by which ho was
reset. He did know that those daogera existed,
fa upon the 9.. a cf April he assen,bled 'he troops at
Vinballab, and addressed them in the most sensible temp;
endeavouring to undeceive them and to bring about
among them a right feeling. He, however, went to the
Mills, leaving the dangers to waietdl refer behind hint let
the plain. Such is not the conduct which a man ocau..
pyieg the position of Commander-ire Chief ought to lave
pursued. Let us ler a moment look to the position in
which he pow stands. From el I have learnt I believe
the measures which have beau taken tar the Government
of India from the moment they hoard of the occupation
cf Delhi have been prompt and jadicieue. I have no fault
to find with their conduct since that period, but I do find
fatal with them fer having been blind to that which ought
to have been obvious to all, and for having taken no pre-
- cautions before this dreadful-calamity took place. Well,
want is the position of General Anson ? He bad with
hies two European regiments of cavalry, two European
- regiments of infantry, an ample supply of artillery, two
regiments of Gleetwreas ; but I am aftaid ho cannot
abedately • rely upon any of the other native
troops' by whom he was accompaided. If, with. that -
force, however, iedeeendent of the three other native
corps„ General Anton Wert to meet tae mutineers in the
field, be may heat them, though they Eheuld he of double
• his numbers, without much difficulty. But there are
two eneenten besidee the mutineers wit's whom he will
have to contend, of whom the people e l this country
In ate no ea:eon:la but vshieh are foes infinitely mere
ilaageroua-- than the mutincera—l allude to the climate
of India -at the season nt which these occurrerceer. tgek
place, and to the WM want cf carriage. -When-the !
• regiments go into.the cantonments the carriages are di
-
missed, and it waeldaherefare be almost impossible foe
• Gan.eral Aesop to inoye the Eurepeaa troops: The only
reaprce open to in-ctinsists in impreeaieg the men in
the bills. He may by that tneansbring down 3,000 ,or
4,000 persons to carry burdens,-but to obtale the means
cf cencdayande Tor :the trines fora distance of SO or 100'
, miles I- believe he
.would find to be• imposeibie, Just
consider" for a moment what is the rature of-the season.
It is the most severe of -the whole year. It is just tile
concluding taried of the hot weather, during which hot
winds prevail. It is a time at which no European wauld•
venture into the sum And when no cffieer would think
of forcing a • soldier to go into the open air if he could
poseibla avoid The
.late Sir C. Napier .was
compelled by oircutustauces to go into the field at a sea-
son such as that I hare deecrihed. The,consequence
vase that 45 Europeans were struck down by the heat,
StrC,.'Nitear being the only one of them who survived.
Such is tbedargerwith which we have to contend. But
will assume that General Anson has been enabled to
bring his troops up to Delhi. If he has done that, he..
ought I thiek- by tide- time to be in •poseeredou of it,
not owingao any vigorous attack artillery,-but by the
most simple of all meows—namely, taking possession of
--the canal -by which Delhi is supplied with water, and
• wetting offahe water so as to deprive the i- habitants of
•alle reapply, Towards the conclusion of the dry season
there is but a very sins 1 quantity of water inthat Carnal,
.nd the people of D, lhi, amounting to the number -of
60t00 ea 70,000, are, as a consequence, invariably re;
laced to avast difficulties, and are compelled to re-
kart: to the J'lmeea to procure the Water which they re-
quire.
.To obviate that ioconvenience I established a
large tank' fra't of the
Palace of Delhi, containing a
safficient quantity.et water to suaplv the inhabitants of.
the town for a peri three weeks. I regret however,
ta be obliged to Fay that, tae Government in India, ac-'
teated by that spirit wheal has characterised them since
ef lett it—a,sairiti which, heeled them: te'desire to obli-
terate ad trace of my having ever seated in that corn-
.try-have allowed the tank to al,ieh I allude to go to
ruin, and I believe that fortunately- at this moment it
astilanotfuritirli the ralabilaata with a supply
seater- altogether. of water
for any time, so that if the canal were cut off as have
suggested, -and their access to the Jeanne prevented, they
would be precluded from obtaining
That is my only hope in the present emergency. Observe
what will happen. I left police battalions in
They were formed for the. parreofia3 of enabling the
Go-
%Tenement, in case of necessity, to move all the troops
hotel any particular spot. Lord- Eardinge was, °Wing
-to - the establiihnient of those police, enabled 'to
move three battalions of .infantry during the war in for
Pauje,b, a step which, • under other circumotanCes, he
would not have been in a position to take. Now,
General Ansina has no such police battalions at his dis-
posal. They- have, I ucderstand, been abolished, aid
lie must leave a sufficient-force at the different canton-
ments at Meerut and Umballab, or they will be besot
down behind hint. It is easy matter to protect a line
of cannacients exteodiag over seven miles, but if that
is not dine the consequence, as I belie sail will be that
those places will be burnt down and the Europeans will
have no place to afford them shelter. That is what I
apprehend, -and there can be medoubt.that General An-
son positron we nid then bep one of the most serious
chigacter; But it is-trot only in Meerut and Delhi, bat in