The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-09 00:00:00

signal for the British troops taking possession of Shikar-
poor---(Hear, hear)—and as much of the country as
might be necessary for carrying on military operations.
There was a threat held out by Lord Auckland to take
Possession of the Ameers. He would follow those nego-
tiations step by step. He would now read to the Howe
a letter from Sir Henry Pottinger to the Governor-Ge-
neral, in which that " old friend" of the Ameers, as he
Called himself; recommended the Governor-General to
take forcible possession of the territory of the Ameers.
The lion. and Learned Gentleman then proceeded to
read this letter, which advised the Indian Government to
place a large body of troops in Sinde, for the purpose of
creating a " novel effect."—(Laughter.) That phrase
was a specimen of that " rhetoric called rigmarole." It
was the physical effect that was signified. And the
letter went on to say, that if the Ameers should seem
backward the, military preparations would probably in-
fluence them. Sir Henry Pottinger charged the
Ameers of Sinde with wrifing to Shah Soo-
jah, although at the time they wrote they
they were an independent power, and had a right to
communicate with any foreign potentate. But yet the
fact of this communication with the Shah of Persia was
Made a pretext for usurpation and for tyranny. The I
bil-on. and Learned Member then referred to the Blue
aeziok, page ea --,
a letter of Sir 'Henry Pottinger's, who
there expressed his opinion that the British Govern.
ment should demand from the Ameers a cession of all
that territory lying on the right bank of the Indus, by
an imaginr line drawn to the Beloocistn territor.
Ile furthera recommended that a large quahntitay of Native
and British troops should be placed at Latta, thus
speaking of the Sinde as if (said theand Learned
Gentleraan) it had been already is
Yet this
was the Sir Henry Pottinger who called the Ameers his
"old friends," and on whose communications the Noble
Lord had placed so much reliance, and by which he had
been so much imposed upon.
Lord ASHLEY—I believe they are correct.
Mr. ROEBUCK—I have no doubt whatever that the
Noble Lord believes them, nor have I any doubt that he
has been imposed upon.—(A laugh.) A great deal had
been said about the communication of the Ameers with
fistthreShah of Persia. That crime had been punished,
by making them pay a large sum of money, and
secondly by occupying their country with troops. But
Was this act—was all their talked of deceit, trea-
chery, and misdeeds at all comparable to the
British going up the Indus with an armed
force, and.tellirt' es them that if they did not give up cer-
tain portions of their territory, they would annihilate
lnem?—(Hear.) Why it would be comparing a =Ac-
hill to Mount Ossa. Under the pretence of carrying on
negotiations with this defenceless people, the Indian Go-
vernment was, like one of the huge snakes of their own
country, folding its mighty coils round its victim. The
conduct of the Indian Government was most disgraceful,
and imprinted an everlasting stain upon this country.
oPPressing a poor helpless, abandoned, people,Lord Auck•
committed injustice—blunderieg injustice. Shah
2oejah e as made the puppet, and the Ameers the victims.
In the year 1841, we were at peace with Affghanistan,
but the tribute became due, and a mortality oc-
curred in our army, of which the Affghans took advan-
tage; They rose and destroyed the miserable remnant
of the army, and the example which was given was
en`lgerly regarded by others of our Indian tributaries.
he Ameers of Sinde said the Feringhecs were thrust
out of Affghanistan, and why should they not be thrust
cut. of Sinde ? (The Hon. and Learned Member
then read an. extract from the Report, chiefly
consisting of a communication from Colonel Arthur; but,
from the extraordinarily low tone and indistinct manner
of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, it was utterly im-
possible to gue4s at the purport of the extract, or even
the persons who were mentioned in it. His running
.?°o3Mentaries as he proceeded, were, if possible more
Mdi..„stinct and less intelligible, than the reading of the
document itself.) He proceeded to contend that, in
r,,,,,,nee of the position in which Lord Auckland had
e„
;it his successor, it was impossible for Lord Ellen-
°rough to adopt any other course than that complained
of by- the Noble Lord who brought forward the
14.3ti°n• The Hon. and Learned Member then
proceeded to read with the same rapidity and in-
distinctness a very long extract from the corres-
Dondence, interspersed with remarks which were
elnally unintelligible in the gallery.) With the excep-
tioo.,„, of one cession by Lord Ellenborough nothing more
,"as proposed to he granted to the Ameers. Major Out-
a'Pl proposed that Bukkur and the town and harbour
of Rurachee should be ceded to the British Govern-
:et:it. Much had been said about the Ameers having
,?ell deprived of their hunting grounds. There was a
distinct proposition made by Major Outram, that the
lo
SPttICO within 100 cubits of the river bank should be al-
gid for that purpose, and that beyond that limit the
,Ameers should not trespass. Those propositions of Ma-
-Rr Outram were in effect adopted by the Governor-
tLeneral, and carried out by Major Outram himself. He
Cam'. Roebuck) was not talking of the Ameers or their
anjustiee. He did not mean to say that they had not
perfect right to drive us out of Sinde. His only
question was, inasmuch as they were in that position,
What was the proper conduct to be pursued by the com-
lug Governor, at the time he found himself surrounded by
those enemies. He would now briefly give them the
history of those transactions which the Noble Lord had
not given. Roostum Khan, a Prince of eighty-five years
age, now under the control of a Minister.—
'Re Hon. and Learned Gentleman here detailed the
Vircumstances connected with the treaty which Major
utram proposed, in case of his driving out Roostum's
favourite Minister, to conclude with Roostum Khan,
4nd then proceeded to say that he could point out 20
IPassages in the correspondence of Lord Ellenborough, in
Which his Lordship said he did not think that the treaty
QOUld possibly be carried out, and he (Mr. R.), novv
asked the House, giving every consideration to the mis-
i
,ertunes of those Princes, to look at- the matter with
Lcalainess, and tell him whether the consummation that
"ad happened was not the inevitable fate of Sinde as a
protected State ? Was it not the inevitable destiny of
Sinde, such as Lord Auckland had made it, to be ab-
sorbed in'the Anglo-Indian empire ? And was it then
not better that it should be done at once ? If it had not
been done at once, long agony, constant disputes, riot
;and confusion, - all
would be the consequence, and the end of
Would be
as it was at present, namely, Sinde would
become what she now was, part and parcel of tho
created in India. Why at the present moment did they
_ °t
,see that another portion of territory would ac-
Wny, in spite of us, become ours ? He knew it
;fey =not
said to be unjust.--(Hear.) Why did
not then get out of India?—(Cries of " Oh, oh,"
Zras both sides of the House.) Our possession of it
one great injustice from beginning to end. He
oldthe be a prophet.—(Laughter.) They would possess
Punjaub before two years would elapse, in spite of
.!,rtetelves. Hon. Gentlemen might laugh ; but he re-
;sins bered that two years ago he had said they would
344 ,ss Shale, and Sinde they now had; and let them
ra his words, before two years should have passed the
",nttjaub they would possess. He had no more doubt of
t_baet than he had of our whole Indian policy being a
a
injustice, as well as an unwise one. The Hon.
will Learned Gentlemen then detailed the circumstances
a
,slch led to Sir C. Napier's advance upon Hyderabad,
d
it_ commended that gallant officer's wisdom in not
,vceeding to Hyderabad without his army, as he had
.1._,0n advised to do by Major Outram, who was led to
7_seve that at the time the Ameers had 20,000 men
rt4tica- their command they had not one soldier under
_Pad Sir Charles Napier (he said) followed
di„ advice of Major Outram, a scene of the greatest
r.,°_,ster would have ensued, and terror and alarm from
ZelPe Comerin to the Himalaya would have been the
si.octsary consequence. He (Mr. Roebuck) gave the
,titotne Lord every credit for his humane feelings towards
•v'e unhappy Princes, but he asked his countrymen to
• gte a that great meed of praise to Sir C. Napier which
'es justly deserved; and that not scrupulously,but with
tgen..trous feeling for the heavy responsibility which he
ad ist-
v-urred. Major Outram thought that his personal
Na-
Pier, Would stop the 20,000 men ; but Sir C. Na-
wyr) a wiser soldier and politician said, No ; arm your-
tre. es and be aware, because you have to deal with
Ocherous foes. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman
iZred turned rouod for a paper on the seat behind, and
'whit thlg so made some observations as to something
he alleged had fallen from Lord Ashley, which
could not catch.
that the
rd ASHLEY begged to say, that what he had stated
url, ht
2 production of those foot-notes was unjust,
they hael been submitted to Major Outram.
I\aela—Vl3EßLlClf proceeded, and read a lengthy letter
Pliaa,.'f4' C. Napier to Major Outran], giving an ex-
staiLea"oll of all the circaldences and motives that influ-
takie„ his. (Sir C. Napier's) conduct in the course he had
de,...,.with respect to the march tr/ Hiderab!id, and also
leirng the nature of his correspon once with Lord El-
tee,„cir,°ugh on the subject, and pointing Dui why it was
ss not remain silent while the newspapers were filled
'alaraitous reports relative tohis conduct in the mat-
-o.ll,44:_ision had been made to the negotiations with Shen)
tnd• tt- At the moment those negotiations were
ing the
s Ameers weregathering that army which
he -a 'd Sir Charles Napiergto fight
.the battle.--(Hear,
$'1";) The- lieble Lord had complained of Sir Charles
bler's Conductera. to the Ameers after the conquest of
that Sir Charles Napier during the
interfered
saf Ameers more than was necessary to insure them
of thestody, from the moment of their capture until that
he r
Parture for Bombay. That was only what
u 'mould ha,
e knew ve expected from the character of the man.
most v„, ha well, and he knew that as he was one of the
of us so was he one of the most kind-hearted
nesa *--(cheera,-)
Cif
and. 4
claThl Nothing could exceed his fearless-
courage, but then he had a heart like that
,Plaiaedl",:"(Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord had cora-
, VerieneeP the treatment which the Ameers had ex-
conhl e_"c being deprived of their women. Nothing
practised eted the horrible cruelty which the Ameers had
pfrarents
aufirdowards the women. They were luxurious,
their rucl- Many of these women had been torn
been taken
and I and subjected to the most horrible
.Possessin General Napier had at -this moment in
a crud instrument of torture which had
:11Qe bra°lll the zenana of the Ameers, which was
os?Ecen• It was wire, and which was used to beat the
most horrible s
had ever been inflicted Sind, haessatisfactory to know that our conquest
deliveredee that country from one of the
systems of tyrannical government which
ries. of don a people. There were three
t smtii PeoPle inhabiting Sinde—first, there were
heain•es:eirle°thwe
were recent converts to Mahomme-
't
seenndlY, there were the Hindoos ; and,
Zbeovernors Beloochees. The Beloochees were
of the country. The Beloochees were
ttl the slaves
never worked—they kept slaves, and they
ayes to work
u nailed as for them. Our conquest had
on. sad ~. a blessing by the inhabitants. (The
froittLearn,ed Gentleman here read several
extracts from
4is
e' acts
_rains
whicii,7, etter, in which it was stated that
nil(Plest were
roof that Proviernsci
had fallen shortly after the English
by the inhabitants as
edearppedroved of our proceedings, for
:ler the Ameer
mem the s had murdered the Colves, It was thus
Pluthans designated the conquest of the country