The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-23 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 23, 1857.

SIR E. L. BULTTER LYTTON ON THE
MILITIA AND INI►IAN AFFAIRS.

On Wednesday S.r E. L. Bulwer Lytton
was present at the meeting of the Tring Agri-
cultural- Association, where there was a large
muster of the gentry and farmers of the
district to meet their representative ; F. J. Moore,
Esq., occupied the chair.
In responding to the toast of "The County
Members," the hon. baronet said—" Gentlemen,
recollecting the toast which was drunk at an earlier
part of the evening, and considering whose guest I
was last night—l mean my friend Col. Smith Dor-
rien, who responded in a way that showed his
manly spirit and his vivid recollection of the
'deeds of his youth—l am proud to think
that Hertfordshire has contributed so many of
those men to the service of our country. (Cheers.)
Out of that noble body of militia which this county
produced, and which received, as it de'erved, the
highest enconiums from the highest military autho-
rities—out of that body of 77.0 men, under the ad-
mirable training of the gentleman who sits on my
right hand (a Hods man), no less than 600 men
were contributed to the line. We may well be
proud of Hertfordshire, and especially at this mo--
ment. Ah, who is there who is not thinking of
India ? Has there been a single assembly of this
kind—even where the strictest rules prohibit our
touching on anything not immediaely bearing on
the subject before us—has there been a single
agricultural meeting, where a member of parlia-
ment has addressed bis constituents, when
he has not been impelled by the feeling of the
meeting to say something on the condition of
India ? We all feel confident that no such man
would debase such a subject to a party question.
(Cheers.) No man, whatever he may think, what-
ever may be his opinion as to the faults or merits
of particular parties—no man, I say, in this society,
and I hope no man in England, would be base
enough to make a party ques ion of the British
empire. (Cheers.) In this convivial meeting, we
cannot recall—it would cause too deep a pang—all
that has taken place in India. Of all that has
been said on the t,ubjeot lately, nothing, to my
mind, has been better or more to the purpose than
a letter of Lord Ellenborough. There is no party,
spirit there ; there is a reservation, so far, for con-
sideration hereafter, as to what may be our civil or
our political duties, but there is the appeal of an
old Englishman to English courage, English energy,
English determination. And it is perfectly true.
It might be quite possible for us to lose India, as if
India were swept into the wean, and still to remain
a great and magnificent people. But it is itn-
possible for us to remain a great people—l will say
it is impossible for us to remain a safe people—if
we were to lose India in the way we are now
threatened. It is impossible for us to be safe
against Europe, it is impossible for us to be safe
against any of the despots of the midi, if it could
be said, "England, in the plenitude of her
strength—England, with her countless army—
England, with all her pride, could allow, not only
her soldiers, not only the flower of her army, but
her women and infants to be massacred, and ceased
from the contest before she had achieved a trium-
phant, an effectual, a permanent victory." (Cheers.)
It we could endure that, I believe the ocean. would
flow around us in vain. I believe the ocean would
soon be passed ; that as England has -before now
been invaded, as the sea had been crossed when
England had not men, as she has now, to defend
her, so, though similar atrocities could not take
place in tnis country, the time might coma when
England would have to submit to a foreign
depotism. if England loses her reputation, she
loses that which di,tinguishes her from the rest of
Europe. No doubt there is a good deal which
we must calmly consider, which it would not
become me now to enter on. At present, our duty
is not that of calm reflection—our duty is to put
down the revolt, and to rally with all our strength
around the executive government, no matter in
whose hands that government is placed—(cheers)—
the executive government which represents the
majesty of the Crown, whose bounden duty it is
to ,pfeEerve the lives of our endangered country-
men. So long as the danger lasts our tongues are
in some degree fettered. While they are putting
down the rebellion, we must be careful not to
utter a single word to weaken their authority.
If at this moment a mad hull were let loose among
lig, I don't think the best grazier in Yorkshire
would induce us to listen to a lecture on the ma-
nagement of horned cattle in general—(laughter.)
I think the wisest man would be, not be who could
instruct you iu the best method of dealing with
dangerous cattle generally, but the man who made
the shortest work of the bull. Gentlemen, that
is now our object—we must make short work of
the bull. (Cheers.) After that we shall have to
consider the wisesP, or, what is the same thing,
the justest and mildest manner, consistent with
our empire, a managing the wild cattle we shalt
have to subdue and tam-. (Cheers.) Christianity
imposes on us great obligations. The whole ques-
tion 'connected with India is so difficult that we
ought to have the greatest indulgence for the errors
of any government that may have preceded us, and
to consider carefully, wisely, and without any
spirit of party, how we may best do our duty to
God and to that vast population committed to our
sceptre. (Cheers.)

THE DUKE OF RUTLAND ON TBE
INDIAN MUTINIES.

LEICESTER, THURSDAY.
A meeting of the county of Leicester, con-
vened by the High Sheriff, in aid of the fund for
the relief of the sufferers from the Indian mutinies,
was held in the Nisi Prins Court of Leicester Castle
this afternoon. The attendance, though not very
numerous, comprised the leading noblemen and
gentlemen of the-county and a ci.nsiderable number
of the clergy. The High Sheriff (Mr. E. C. Middy -
ton) presided ;,and there were also present—his
Grace the Duke of Rutland, Earl Howe. Lord Bar-
riers, Viscount Curzon, M.P., Mr. C. W. Packe,
M.P., Sir H. Raiford (late M.P. for South Leices-
tershire), Mr. E. B. Farnham, M.P., Col. King,
Sir A. Ha.zelrigg, Major Powys, Sir J. Fowke, Sir
F. Palmer, Capt. Knight, &c.
The khan SHERIFF, in opening the proceedings,
said, he bad convened the meeting in pursuance of
a requisition which he had received from a nume-
rous body of the principal residents of the county.
The object of the meeting was to sympathise with
the sufferers from the recent Indian revolt, and to
enable the people of Leicestershire to express their
abhorrence of the cruelties which had been prac-
tised. He felt persuaded that the county would
not permit such atrocities to pas by with-
out publicly declaring the feeling with
which they regarded them and their warm
sympathy with the unfortunate sufferers. (Hear.)
He begged to call upon his Grace the Duke of Rut-
land to propose the first resolution.
The Duke of RUTLAND said—Mr. High Sheriff
and gentlemen, as you have done me the honour of
asking me to move the first resolution on this occa-
sion, it gives me the greatestgratification to respond
to the call. I am quite sure that it will not be ne-
cessary for me to trouble the meeting with any
lengthened remarks to induce you cordially to pass
this resolution. The resolution itself has a double
object. In the first place it calla upon us to ex-
press our warm sympathy with our fellow brethren
who have suffered in the Rust from mutineers who
have basely murdered women and children ; and,
in the second place, it calls upon us to add our
subscriptions to those of the people of the borough
of Leicester, in the hope that by the relief
which we thus afford we may in some measure
mitigate the bodily sufferings of our country-
men, though unfortunately, it will be impossible
for us to alleviate their mental sufferings. (Hear,
hear.) Horrors equal to those which have
been enacted in India no age of the world has, I
believe ever witnessed. (Hear, hear.) This is not
the time to consider what provocation the muti-
neers may have received, nor is it the time to con-
sider whether the East India Directors have done
their duty, or whether the Government at home
have done theirs, as our object now is merely to
express our sympathy with the sufferers in the
East. But one thing is certain and is agreed upon
by almost every man and woman in England—
' namely, that henceforward we must declare in a
more open manner and in the face of day our
Christianity. (Cheers.) Unfortunately in India
we have gone to the other extreme, and we have
endeavouredio conciliate men who have not had
the feelings of men, and who have returned our
kindness and our attempts to conciliate them by
acts of treachery and murder. (Rear, hear.) Gen-
tlemen, this mutiny must be putdown. I hope that
it may be done very shortly, but whether it is
crushed iu a month, or in a year, or in 10 years this
country must reassert her dominion. It is not only
necessary for our own dignity, but it is a great moral
duty, a right that we must perform, and I am
quite certain that every Englishman will do his
utmost to effect this great nationalobject. (Cheers.)
I
amsure that every man now present will do all
411 his power to furnish recruits both for the militia
• and for the regular array,
and i am happy to say

that the militia of this county, under my excellent
friend near me (Col. King) bas nearly received its
full complement of men. (Cheers.) His Royal
Highness the Commander-in-Chief stated yesterday
at Sheffield that already he considered the turning
point in the mutiny to have been gained, and I trust
that 14 the next mail we shall bear that the revolt
is entirely crushed. That victory will ba ours those
who have ssen the gallantry of the small handful of
troops we have had in India up to this time cannot,
I think, far a moment doubt, but when victory is
achieved let me express a hope that we, shall not
in the flush of victory allow our passions to
carry us away
and to seek for
vengeance, even
' upon Indian Sepoys. (Hear, hear.) Justice,
and severe justice must be done ; but let us dis-
criminate between the guilty and the innocent.
Let not the page of history that shall record the
heroism of our countrymen an i women in the
East—that shall record the gallantry of a Havelock
and of a Nicholson against innumerable hosts, have
also to aid that, when victory was ours, we con-
descended to use the weapons that bad teen
wielded by such dastardly hiands. (Loud cheers.)
Again I say let justice be done, but let it be dis-
criminating Justice. Let au example be made of
the murderers to show them, and to show the
world, that England's laws aro not to be violated
with impunity, but that death—and an ignominous
death—is reserved for those who. show that they
have no principles of humanity and no feelings
either of common kindness or of Christianity.
(Cheers.) In conclusion I beg to move the
follow-
ing re olution. -

"That this meeting views with the greatest abhor-
rence the barbarous and inhuman cruelty inflicted on
their fellow countrymen, on women and on children, by
the mutineers in India, and desires t give expression to
the warm sympathy.which it frets for those who have
undergone such brutal and unparallel.-ni sufferings,"
Earl HowE seconded the resolution.
The resolution was then put by the High Sheriff,
and unanimously sgreed to.

Lord BERNER then moved the following resolu-
tion :

"That, with a view to the alleviation of the misery
and destitution in which so many of our fellow-subjeot.,
in India have been involved, a subscription should be
invited throughout the country."

Mr. PACKE, M.P., moved the next resolution,
which was unanimously agreed to :
" Thkt the several banks in Leicester and the different
market towns of the county be requested to receive sub-
scriptions in aid of the above object, to be forwarded, in
addition to those already collected in the town, to the
central committee in London."

The Duke of RUTLAND then moved a vote of
thanks to the High Sheriff for his kindness in hav-
ing convened the meeting, and for having presided
over it.

Eiti HOWE seconded the resolution, which was
carried by acclimation, and the High Sheriff hav-
ing kriefly responded, the proceedings terminated.

ALLEGED " REVELATIONS" -OIP

Le Nord has commenced the publication of a
series of papers, signed " Verax, and professing
to be written by " un ancien fonctiounaire de la
Cortpagnie des Indes, hornme eclaire et consoien-
cieux,' to expose .Lie misgovernment of wnich
the English have bean guilty in India. Le
Ncrd frankly acknowledges that "the Angle-
Sawn race is the best qualified to discharge the
ci•ilising mission of raising the Asiatic nations
frsm their moral and political degradation ; " and
itexpresses a sincere desire for the succeess of the
British arms and the re-establishment of regular
authority in India ; but, believing it to be
oily too true that our Indian government, " care-
irg for nothing but its own selfish interests, has
been led into every excess of cupidity and corrup-
tion, and that is the sole cause of the present
revolt." Le Nord promises to asset us in bringing
to light the abuses of the system. With this view
the "Revelations of India," contributed, as our
contemporary a,sertP, by a person who has occu-
pied au important station in that Country, are now
commenced. Tie first article certainly does not
contain anything worth quoting, not a sinJe scrap
of information upon mat era of fact, or oven an
original remark. Some general observations upon
government, cited from Lord Bacon, the historian
Clarendon, Montesquieu, and Dr. Johnson, serve
to connect together the sentences of sweeping con-
demnation which the writer passes on our govern-
ment. One of his remarxs, however, deserves at-
tention : "To suppose "says he, "that England in
consequence of this will ever lose India would be
an idea not less fo ;lish than hasty; but it is
indeed true that England, because she has alienated
from herself the minds of the liidian people,• will
be compelled to resort to physical force for the
re-establishment of her authority, when moral
force ought to have sufficed for that purpose ; and
this necessity will cost her such sacrifices of men
and money as she has never had to make before."
In justification of this last prediction the writer
states that Great Britain has already sent out to
India a greater number of English troops than she
pons- ssed on the field of Waterloo, and he is told
that the East India Company has already borrowed
of the government the amount of eight millions
sterling. Our readers do not require to be told
how to estimate the accuracy of his information.

passengers' on board the Ripon were .Mrs. Brooks
and a Mies Cloete, who escaped from M.tow. They
were obliged to ride hundreds of miles through the
country unassisted. They had to feed and groom
the horses which had saved their lives. They were
shut up in a fort for a long time. There were also
two widow ladies on board the Ripon who have lost
their husbands, in India. One of then, Mra.
Graham, escaped from Sealcote. Her husband was
shot by her side, in a couve3ance in which they
were both escaping, and she drove on afterwards,
and saved her own life. Mrs. Woolcomhe al,o had
a narrow escape when her husband was killed.
There were four orphan children anv)ngst the pas-
sengers who have lost their parents in India. The
children were attended by native servants on board
the Ripon. Very distressing scenes occurred lie-
tween the passengers and their friends who came to
meet them-on their arrival, a crowd of whom filled
one saloon. '

NAVAL AND_MILtTARY INTELLIGENCE,

In a letter from a Malta correspondent which we
published yesterday, there was a statement to the
effect that up' to the 12th inst. the Emen had not
arrived at Suez with the homeward Australian
We are informed that the Emelt was not expected

to leave Melbourne on her return till the 13th o

September, or to reach Suez before to day or to
morrow. The Australian mail is due in London
about the 4th or sth Nov.

The Prince Albert steam transport, with Royal
Artillery and a portion of the 72d Highlanders on
board for India, which ought to have left Spithead
on Monday night or Tuesday morning, did not
Leave until half-past 4 yesterday afternoon, owing
to a change which it was f,:und necessary to make
in Ihe command of the ship.

A large quantity of stores of every de7cription
has been despatched from the headquarters of tee
Royal Engineers, at Chatham, for the use of the
Sappers add Miners ordered to India. Amoug the
stores are 5,00) of the new kind of gahion invented
by Sergeant Major J. Jones. The iron bands
these gabions are adapted fur the censtructien of
temporary suspension-Midges over the rivers of
India for the passage of artillery and infantry in
any nurnhers.
Yesterday the general court-martial veltiet has
been sitting at Chatham for the list three days
again assembled at that garrison, under the presi-
dency of Col. C. Elmhirsr, for the purpose of pro-
ceeding with the trial of Lieut. George Win. Van-
sittart Yule. CoL H. San.lham stated that in an
interview which he had with the prisoner on the
6:h Sept. the latter informed him that he was out
all day, and therefore could not answer Major Nu-
gent's letter. Nothing was said by the prisoner
as to his being absent on surveying duty. The
reason witness put prisoner on early parade was to
insure his being present at study, as he was gene-
rally absent from parade and also from study. The
order was not given to the prisoner as a punish-
ment. Unfavourable reports were made of the pri-
sonerin the monthly reports for March, April, May,
and June, and on tha 27th of July he was repri-
mandedby order of General Sir John Burgoyne,
Ifispector-Ganeral of Fortifications. The prisoner
was frequently in bed absent from duty in the middle
of the day. Colonel Sandham also stated that the
prisoner had been admonished by himself for his
absence from the regimental court-martial, of which
he was a member. The Court afterwards proceeded
with the examination of Lieut. Montague L smiler t,
Royal Engineers, in support of the charg-s against
the prisoner. This witness stated that the prisoner
was ordered to attend a regimental court-martial
at Brompton Barracks, which order he filed t
obey, and witness was accordingly sworn a mistele,r
of the court in his absence. The Court adjourned
at four o'clock until this morning.
Major Pipon's company of Royal Artillery left
Woolwich yesterday for Shoehurynegs, to relieve
Lieut.-Colonel Hamley'e company on duty there.
Yesterday morning orders wets, received at
Chatham garrison from the War-office, directing
Captain C. C. Abbott, late of the 75th Regimens,
and now in command of the Falkland Islands corps,
to prepare for immediate embarkation. Assirant-
Staff Surgeon Alexander is to proceed to the Falk-
land Islands in medical charge of the troops.
Capt. Erasmus Ommaney was yesterday ap-
pointed to the Brunswick, 80, screw, on ihe North
American and West India station, in the room of
Capt. Broadhead.
In consequence of a report brought last week by
a Spanish brig that there was a dismasted British
ship of war with troops on board in tic 13 ty of Bis-
cay, Port-Admiral Sir Barrington Reynolds des-
patched from Plymouth on S sturday evening her
Majesty's paddlewheel steam frigate Valorous, 16, ,
Cept. Buckle, to render assistance. Mr T. W.
Fox, jun., Ottoman Consul at Plymouth, surmising
that the disabled ship was not British, but a Tur-
kish tine-of battle ship, for some time expected
in England to receive machinery and a screw, tele-
graphed to the Turkish Ambassador in London,
who made application to the Adinitalty, whin
their Lordships sent orders immediately to
Plymouth, in consequence of which Sir B. Rey-
nolds despatched the paddlewheel steamsloop Styx,
6, on Monday night, to assist the Valerwits
The judiciousness of these measures, was proved by
intelligence received on Wednesday at P ymoui h,
through Ospt. Machun, of the schooner Sir Thomas
Mansell, which left Coruuna on the 15•11 inst., on
which day lett,rs had been received from Ferrol,
stating that a Turkish ship of war was off the coast
in distress, having lust her rudder in the recent
gale. The same letter contained an account of the
wreck of a Dutch merchant ship, and the loss of till
the crew but two. The Turkish line of-battle ship
expected at Plymouth is the Fethia (Victory), 90 ;
she left Malta for England some time since. A por-
tion of her crew wear a military costume, which
may have led the Spanish captain to report them
as troops.

The Avon, 3, paddle tender, Palmer, second
master commanding, sailed from Devou port on
Wednesday, with the furniture of Rear-Admiral
Win. J. Hope Johnstone, for Portsmouth.
The Brilliant, 20, CaptAiu F. A. Punter, left
Granada for Nova Scotia on the 13th ult., after an
interchange of complimentary letters between the
gallant officer commanding her and his excellency
the lieutenant governor of the colony. Two of the
eight of her crew landed at Grenada in a dying state
a f atnight previously had recovered, and were
doing well.

Ttie Cat adoc, 2, paddle, Lieutenant Commander
Henry A. Clavering, with the Siam prince, has not
yet reached Spithead ; but a sharp look-out is kept
by the guard-ship (pro tent.) Blenheim, arid the
Fora Queen, tender, Master Commander 11. W.
Paul, is kept ready to proceed to Spithead on her
arrival.

The Diadem, 32, screw, Captain Moorpom,
hauled over to the Malabar coal depot at Portb-
mouth yesterday, to take in fuel for her Channel
cruise.

The Lucifer, 2, paddle, Master Commander
Allen, called at Torquay on Wednesday morning,
in search of the cockyard lighter, which was pickedb
up and brought in there by the Babbicombe coast-
guard. She returned to •Devonphrt on Wednesday
evening, bringing her safely there.
The Persian, 12, sloop, was commissioned at
Sheerness on the 20th inst. by Lieut. A. A. Smith
for Commander J. H. Chads. Mr. C. G. Johnston,
master, and Mr. William Shoit, clerk, also took up
their commission and appointment to her the same
day and joined.
The Renown, 91, screw, got up steam at Sheer-
ness on Wednesday, for the purpo,e of proceeding
on her final trial of speed ; but in consequence of
a heavy fog prevailing during the day she did not
go out.
The Rhadamanthus, 4, paddle store ship, arrived
at Portsmouth yesterday, from Plymouth.
The Tartar, 20, screw, Caotain Hugh Dunlop,
was at Greytown, September '2O.