The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-08-13

that the latter sometimes spoke OF the Seoys AZ he
niggers. After reviewing other portions OF
Mr. Disraeis speech, Mr. Smith proceeded 10 consider
the remedies he had proposed The sending royal COM
mission would In the first place. supcrsede the governor
general which would be- he thought OF the most
fatal that could be committed Then Mr. Disraeii
would the of the Queen with the whole adj
minstraton but the present machinery OF the Indian
government had been deliberately approved by the egs
lature He thought however that might be advisable
with the sanction and authority Of the goyernor-genenl
of India, TO send out commission not TO supersede
him. but inquire into various matters, and among
Others the reorganization Of the native army certain
points with which Mr. Smith indicated worthy
OF consideration.
Mr. Campbell and Mr. whteside then addressed the
House.
Lord John Russell said one of those who had no
wish that the House should enter into discussion upon
the present OCCASION and must say that in the presence
of that which the honorable and learned gentleman who
has just sat down has called-I believe most truly
awful calamity cannot conceive anything less tending
to the advantage either of England OF India than such
debate the in which engaged, if twere
TO end the right honorable gentleman the member for
Bucknghamshre and the honorable and learned member
for Enniskillen would to desire Hear hear Is
TO be- the honorable and learned member for Ennis
ken seemed TO indicate vote of censure upon the
for the they had pursued Or the right
honorable gentleman suggested, some strong measure
declaring that the government of India has hitherto been
tyranny and an oppression that her Majesty Is about
put everything to rights and that bsnceorth India shall
be Immediately connected with the crown Hear, hear
Neither of these things is proposed indeed, but
the production of two papers, Of which does not
list and the other of which is immateral for the pur
pose for which it is asked Hear, hear If this be, in
truth, an awful caamityY The state Of boda IS enough 70
affect He heart Of eray IN England scih dn1ioy and
apprehension is sufficient that he House Of Commons should
hare debate tadng result Are to be satisfied
with blaming the East India Company, blaming
the government, now blaming Lord Dalhousie for a pol
icy which has been during the last ten years. with
out any declaration to what is to be done at the pres
ent time Hear Such it appears to me, is not
the which the House ought to adopt should be
sorry, this debate has been brought on If to
separate without declaration upon the important
subject before Hear, hear The right honorable
gentleman, the member for Bucknghamshire, in very
able and eloquent speech, went many of the Incl
dents which he thought showed the misgovenment Of
India. He pointed the injustice done to the native
princes the disturbance of the landowners in their titles
the dsquetude of the soldiers with respect the posses
sion and occupation of their land but in dealing with
these TOPICS upon which he dwelt with great knowledge
and facility the right honorable gentleman ventured
to that the great of the people of India suffer
ing under oppression [Hear.l Let see what the
general merits Of the which the right honorable gem
eman has put before In speaking of its general
do not that in several of the instances quo
ted by the right honorable gentleman, well in some
of those cited by the honorable and learned member for
EnnsSllen, the governor general the government OF
India may not have been in the wrong. ] am not pre-
pared at the present moment do not think the House
preparedto to definite judgment upon many of
these points One thing has often struck in considering
the proceedings of Lord Wellesley in India and his dealings
with native princes many of whom he disabled and that
is that of those whom he left carried eastern
potentes apt to do their tyranny to extreme and
would long ago. by series of violent revolutions, have
been hurled from their thrones if they had not been living
under the protection of the British government The
observations which have already made equally APP
pcabe to the annexation of Dude 1t is impossible for
at the present moment that any wrong has been
done to the people of that territory by the net of Lord
Dahousie the contrary not that they have
not greatly benefited by the change which has taken
place Hear hear. j think that the subject of the
treatment Of the soldiers requires good deal Of invest
CATION There doubt great difficulties attending
it, but do not think that either past governments the
present government can be said TO have adopted every
in their power to preserve discipline Hear hear
believe that is true that not only Sir Charles Napier
but the Duke of Wellington and Lord William BentnclS,
have given opinions uniavorablc to the discipline of that
part of the Indian army which has just mutined but
my right honorable friend the president of the board of
control says very Justly that il would I've impossible to
hold India and conquests there with respect to the
propey and justice of which there has been question
tonight, by European troops alone. The Bengal army
therefore created. That army is found much less
efficient and much costly than it ought TO be.
Attempts were, from time to time made to place more
European officers in the regiments. Two things have
counteracted these attempts In one, think Lord FL
lenborough, and, rather believe Sir Charles Napier
much in fault Of fault there were) any person
namely in taking away the best the most competent the
most udicious OF these officers the best acquainted
with the natives from their regiments and putting them
in civil and political situations Hear hear There
were persons (and Lord Peterborough was one who /
think most unusy, decrcd the civil servants of India
than whom, believe, there eminent in
political and civil stations certain set of persons
always crying out Why don you employ the military
Well if that adopted the natural consequence
must be that you weaken the discipline you weaken The
moral force of the European part of the Indian regiments
Hear. There is another thing to which my right honor
able friend has audednamely, changein the customs
and manners and change also partly owing to the
pldity of communication, to which government
apply adequate remedy. When men went out in
the days of Warren Hastings even in the time of
Lord Wellesley, and adopted the Indian service their
profession they became completely Indian In their feel
ngs and habits they passed the best part of their lives
in India; they cared nothing about the politics and the
events which taking place in England they were
entirely absorbed in Indian affairs in the revolutions and
of that empire and their habits were those of the
country. Well these likely, at all events, to
know the character of the Indian soldiers They were like
y to enter into their feelings and from the superiority of
European civilization to have considerable influence
their minds. Now, however, things changed Young
go to India they hope before long that they shall
get back to their native country they receive the English
newspapers constantly and get letters from home twice
month their feelings and habits remain English and
that being the case they cannot condesccnd to enter into
the feelings of the natives and to show that sympathy
which existed between the two in former times.
Hear, hear This, of course is not the fault either of
tho East India Company of her Maestys government
1t is of the changes which have taken place in the
natural and uncomfortable Of events Hear But
it appears to that we have trusted rather too
much to Indian troops and Indian troops of one par
tcuar kindand have had too large army altogether
Hear, hear. My right honorable friend think spoke
of 300 m u oftep had and he