The Press. — 1854-07-29 (London, England)

CHARLES NAPIER. It would not be more absurd to allow at the present time the Duke de BORDEAUX to live in France, or the Conde de MONTEMOLIN in Spain, than it is to allow the ex-Ameers to live in Scinde. The question in these cases is, not whether the several claimants to the throne have or have not been deprived of their lights unjustly, but whether it consists with human nature that dethroned Sovereigns in any country will desist from intriguing for the restoration of their power if they can only find facilities for doing so ; and whether it accords with common sense to afford them such facilities by allowing them to return and take up their abodes in the countries which they conceive they are lawfully entitled to rule. In the concluding portion of the news thus given us there is, however, matter of deeper import than even these intrigues. That the people of Scinde, who were formerly so contented under our rule, should now be conspiring solved to wage war to the knife with us is a strong proof of the gross misgovernment to which they must have been of late subjected ; and in point of fact we have long been familiar with complaints of great mismanagement there. A revenue fallen to two thirds of its former amount, a commission established for the resumption of the estates of the Belooch nobility, the 'and tax levied in a new and arbitrary manner, the removal from office of all the higher native public functionaries of the province, and, finally, the lax discipline maintained among the local regiments, whose disorders are thus rather encouraged than re pressed,—these are all circumstances calculated to goad any people into disaffection ; and we need not be surprised, therefore, that they should have had such an effect in Scinde. What steps' it may please the President of the India Board to take with a view of remedying these evils, and preventing this threatened outbreak, we cannot guess ; but that something should be done, and that quickly, must lie plain to all. The blunders of the Ministry have already brought work enough upon our hands without adding to the complication by a murderous outbreak in Scinde, an event which, in the present state of the public mind in India, would be infinitely more disastrous to us than even the outbreak at Cabool, for the flame would certainly spread to the Punjaub, which at present appears to be not over well affected to our rule. The Nizam's country would be up, and it is probable that the Burmese and Affghans would seize so favourable an oppor tunity of renewing hostilities. Under any other Administration we should be inclined to attach less weight to the danger; but, seeing what our Ministers have managed to effect in Europe during the last year and a half, there is nothing improbable in the supposition that they may as a climax be outwitted by the plausible but treacherous ex-Ameers of Scinde. It is for this reason that we call attention to the ominous hints supplied by the Indian journals, and state plainly the reasons which induce us to think that they are well founded. Should the threatened outbreak occur, it will take no one acquainted with the facts by surprise, except, perhaps, her Majesty's Ministers,  SATURDAY,  and that one of them in particular to whose vigilant sagacity is confided the care of our Indian empire.