The Sun. — 1858-02-06 (London, England)

XVII. of 1857, by which cognizance was the fir,it time given to them of offences of a purely military character. " First, in regard to men belonging to regiments which have not mutinied, the civil authorities were directed to punish as deserters those only who were found with arms in their hands.>lf guilty of rebellion they could be punished as rebels apart from their military character ; but if charged with or suspected of desert'on alone, and not found with arms in their possession, they were to be cent back to their regiments, or detained in prison pending the orders of the Government. If sent basic to their regiments they would of course be dealt with by the military authorities according to their guilt or innocence.  " Second, in regard to men belonging to regi • monts winch have mutinied but which have not killed their officers or committed any other sanguinary crime, or whose regiments cannot be ascertained, the civil officers were directed to punish as mutineers only those who were found with arms in their possession, or who were charged with a specific act of rebellion, or whom for special reasons it might be necessary to punish forthwith. All others were to be sent to Allahabad, or to such  Other place as the Government might order, to 13.3 dealt with by the military authorities. " Third, in regard to men Monging to regiurnts which have mutinied and killed any European, or committed any other sanguinary outrage, the civil authorities were directed to try and smtence as Mutineers all such persons, and to punish forthwith all who could not show either that they were not present at the murder or other outrage, ox that if pr€sent they did their utmost to prevent it. Th se exceptional cases were to be reported to the Go vernment. "29. It has not been found that these orders are difficult of execution, or that they have tended in the least degree to weaken the bands of the civil power in dealing with those who have been really guilty of mutiny or desertion, to say nothing of graver crimes. If they have saved innocent men from unjust punishment their object has been so far attained. Upon the action of courts-martial, or upon the proceedings of any military authority whatsoever, they neither were intended to have, nor have they had, any restrictive effect. Their tendency, on the contrary, so far as military tribunals are concerned, is to extend the jurisdiction of those tribunals and to transfer to them cases which in ordinary course would have been dealt with by civil officers. They impose no labour upon the European troops, the transport of the arrested men to Allahabad or other military stations being assigned to the police or local guards. "30. In regard to the treatment of rebels not being mutineers, we warned the civil authorities to whom the power of life and death had been intrusted, that though it is unquestionably necessary in the first attempt to restore order in a district in which the civil authority had been entirely overthrown to administer the law with such to prompfaemaronl titude and severity as will strike the people, into thy abstain will deathand minds he evmi - dhiys p otsheed from plunder, to restore stolen o ,property, and to return to peaceful occupations object wets great s once in a 'the punishment of climes degree attained, that with discriminationand should be regulated after pointing out the di ilia the 10th paragraph, b be caused by the culties that would administrationproof the law in its extreme severity after the requ'site impre3sion had been made i orderly, and after orde ir had beenrebellious partially restore', store ~ wo desired the civil authorities to encourage an persons to return to their occupations, postponing all minute inquiry into past political offences, 1 u punishing the principal offenders, and making examples of those who after thepartial restoration of order might be guilty of serious outrages, or o' promotin the designs of the rebels. "31. We cannot bel'eve that these instructions need defence. They are addressed only to civil authorities ; to men who, scattered far And Rid,/