The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-10 00:00:00

generous motive, and both were worthy of his cha-
racter ; but to say this is not to say that the
motion ought to have been agreed to. In the
unhappily mixed condition of human affairs, though
the highest degree of virtue ought always to
be the ultimate object of our pursuit, and though we
are bound 'to venerate those who inculcate it by
their doctrine, and illustrate it by their example, the
advance cannot always be made rapidly and with-
out interruption. It is, undoubtedly, our duty to
make all men happy; but whether we pursue this
object upon a small or a great scale, if we pur-
sue it irrespectively of circumstances, we run a very
great risk of ending by making many miserable.
In the matter before us, it is impossible to
doubt that the liberation of the deposed and
imprisoned Ameers of Sinde—the purpose of Lord
Ashley's motion—whatever the justice and humanity
of the motive for the act, would result in years of
war and desolation, and rivers of blood. The ques-
tion is not whether these princes have been justly
dethroned and imprisoned—a matter to be other-
wise decided—but a matter in which we do not
disgUise an opinion, that no more than justice has
been done—but whether they are to be let loose to
kindle a new war, for the affliction of mankind.
We rarely venture to differ from Lord Ashley, but
on this point we cannot agree with him, probably
because we cannot reach his elevation of sentiment.
Mr. Roebuck's speech is as characteristic of the
speaker as Lord Ashley's ; this is saying enough of
it. The Member for Bath abundantly villified all of
whom he spoke, reserving as usual his most bitter
reproaches for the people of England. We know not
to what country or race Mr. Roebuck belongs,
hut we suppose that he is not an Englishman.
The speech of the Premier, however, disposed
of the whole question, by showing the impossibility
that the Parliament could, without risking the most
t:ital consequences, undertake to. prescribe the details
of a government administered at a distance of five or
six thousand miles—or adopting the Dutch mode
of measuring &stance, by time—at a distance of three
or four months. There is one passage of the Right
Hon. Baronet's speech which ought to be care-
fully remembered as often as our Indian policy comes
under consideration—it explains a principle winch
some of our readers may remember to have been
more than once advanced in the Standard :
" Sir, it is very difficult to act upon abstract
principles, which are applicable to civilised States,
when we have to deal with barbarous States.
In such circumstances abstract principles cannot
be enforced. I think it would not be pos-
sible for us to rigidly adopt such principles with respect
to the States in India as we should be governed by
were we dealing with the States of Europe. Take
the case of Affghanistan for instance, assuming
that it was believed that some unfavourable design
were entertained against our Indian possessions by
Persia or Russia, and that Sinde was to become a party
in that design. Would it be possible for the Go•
vernor-General of India to do his duty to his country
if he did not take such steps as were in his
power to thwart such a 'proceeding, when, by taking
possession of Sinde, or subsidising the troops of that
country, or the taking of such steps as should prevent
the carrying into effect a scheme like that to which I
have alluded ? If we look at civilised nations when
they come into contact with barbarous ones, we find it
impossible, from some cause or other, inherent to bar-
barous States, to carry out thoseprinciples which govern
civilised nations."
The reason of the difference is obvious—law, like
like language, to be understood and observed, must be
ex institute, and it would be as absurd to attempt
dealing with men according to laws of which they
know nothing, as to attempt communicating with
them in -a language that they never heard before.
There is, indeed, the moral law, which is common
to our unsophisticated nature ; but if human nature is
unsophisticated anywhere, which we doubt, it certainly
is not so among the princes of India, with whom
cruelty and injustice are in daily practice, successful
falsehood and treachery occasions of pride.
" A stirring life they lead, who have such neighbours near."
In dealing with them, treachery may not be retaliated
for treachery ; but all those rights which are allowed
among civilised nations, as resting upon the hypo-
thesis that they will not be perfidiously abused, may be
lawfully withheld from those who will, we know, abuse
them to our injury upon the first convenient opportunity.
According to the proverb, " cords must bind those
whom honour cannot." Hence it happens that a
moral and civilised nation, placed upon the confines
of immoral and uncivilised nations, must, in its
own defence, subdue its neighbours if they do not
enlighten and ,reform themselves by its example.
Hence it is that Butler, in a passage referred to last
night by Lord Ashley, includes lawful conquest
among the means by which a purely Christian Go-
vernment could ensure universal dominion. The
wise and pious writer saw that in the perverse
nature of man were the seeds of occasion
when conquest might be lawful. Such oc-
casion surely arises when a nation is thrown,
by any cause, into contact with another
which owns no law, and has no respect for truth
pr justice. It may be well for the rigid
moralist in politics to avoid the difficulty of
such proximity to evil ; but we doubt whether the
enlightenment and civilisation of the world would
gain by such prudent reserve, and it is certain that we
can neither withdraw from India, nor maintain our
position there, by a strict observance of the code of pub-
lic law recognised in Europe. Such a strict observance,
indeed, would compel us to a more frequent, and a more
fierce, course of aggression than any British Governor
has ever pursued in the East, and so little would the
native princes gain by it that they would soon have
reason to say—surnmuin jus summa injuria. The
truth is, that in Indian government, and in
u
all distant governments, where the neigh-
bouring States are uncivilised, the Governor
m
ownempt discretion, according,
any
ording,
to circumstances, with little regard to any
fixed t rules,act
and
cannot be otherwise than mischievous. The House
of Commons last night wasof that • •
opinion, for it re-
jected the motion for the liberation of the Ameers by
a majority of 202 to 63.

FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAZETTE.
DOWNING-STREET, FEB. 9, 1844.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint J. F. Davis, Es,
to be Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the
colony of Hong-Kong.
The Queen has also been pleased to appoint John Walter
Hulme, Esq., to be Chief-Justice of Hong-Kong.
The Queen has also been pleased to appoint the Hon. Fre.
derick Wm. Adolphus Bruce to be Secretary to the Govern-
ment of Hong-Kong.
The Queen has also been pleased to appoint Brevet Major
Wm. Cain to be Police Magistrate, Sheriff, and Provost Mar-
shal for Hong-Kong.
The Queen has also been pleased to appoint Robert Dundas
Cay, Esq., Writer to the Signet, to be Registrar of the Su-
eme Court of Hong Kong.
The Queen has also been leased to appoint Alexander Gor-
don, Esq., to be Surveyor-6eneral of Hong Kong,
The Queen has further been pleased to appoint William
Pedder, Esq., Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, to be Harbour-
Master of Hong-Kong.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER, FIB. 7.
The Queen has been this day pleased to appoint John Tow-
den Hindle, of Wootifold-park, Esq., to be Sheriff of the county
palatine of Lancaster for the year ensuing.
Commissions by the Lord Lieutenant of Somersetahire.
North Somerset Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry.—Cornet
H. St. J. Manle to be Lieutenant, vice Bruce, resigned ;
W. 11. M. Colston, Gent., to be Cornet, vice Miles, promoted ;
J. E. Cells, Gent., to be Cornet, vice Ness, resigned, Feb. 3.
Commission by the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire.
Newark Troop of Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Cavalry.—
J. H. M. Sutton, Esq., to be Captain, vice T. S. Godfrey, re-
signed, Feb. 3.

WHITEHALL, JAN. 20.
The Lord Chancellor has appointed James Clifford Newbold,
of Maslock, in the county of Derby, Gent., to be a Master
Extraordir:ary in the High Court of Chancery.

WHITEHALL, FEB. 5.
The Lord Chancellor has appointed Andrew Meggy, of
Chelmsford, in the county of Essex, Gent., to be a Master
Extraordinary in the High Court of Chancery.