The Sun. — 1858-04-27 (London, England)

JOHN RUSSELL. —The hon. gentleman who moved the amendment proposes that there should be no legislation during the present year with regard to India. If an hon. member of this house is ready to take upon himself the responsibility of rejecting what this house by a large majority has resolved upon, he ought to have taken on himself the additional responsibility of g, ving notice to the house of the amendment he intended to move—(hear, hear)- -in order that hie proposition might be discussed in in a full house, In any early period of the session, and in au unusually full house, after full deliberation and much argument, the house came, by a majority of 141, to a resolution to allow the head of the Government to introduce a bill, the purport of which was to transfer the administration of the government of India to the Crown. Now, if we are to depart from that resolution we ought to do so only after full deliberation and due notice. (Hear, hear.) I own that with regard to the question itself I should be sorry to see the house reverse its decision. I think the present Gevermuent were perfectly justified in saying that • although we have thought the time inopportune —although we thought the introduction of the measure premature, yet we see the evils that must ensue, if, after the resolution of a full house, the government of India is condemned, no resolution is taken to found any other au. hority instead." I think that the government wore justified under those circumstances in putting in abeyance their previous opinions, and in endeavouring to legislate fur India. lily hon. friend who has spoken says it is late in the session, but in 1813, 1333, and 1853, bills were proceeded with in this house up to a much later period in the session (Hear, hear.) And what is the obstacle to prevent us from considering this greet subject ? Subjects of equal if not greater imp,,rtanee are entertained every year at later periods, and, therefore, there does not seem to me to be any mason why this subject should not be proceeded with. I know tiler, is a disadvantage in considering a question of this kind when our Indian establishments are surrounded with dasgere, but the resolution of the house had been come to when we were in the hands of our enemy, and without those advantages which victories since achieved aff)rd us. Although it may be some impeachment Of the wisdom of Parliament, yet it has generally happened that no eery great attention is paid to any subject until circumstances of a very serious nature demand it. My opinion is, that in 1833, had the Earl of Aberdeen proposed a cbs.ngeof this kind, the majority of the house would have refused to adopt it, on the ground that India was in a quiet awl undisturbed state. But now our a'teution is tivottect to the subject, there is hardly an hon. gentl !roan who hie not since April last year phi groat attention to the snijeci. Wolf, suppose that the mutiny was sopprasseti, and that n 'thing occurred beyond little skirmishes with small Indies of mutineers, do you think the public interest on the subject would continue ? I think it would vet y much abate, and that other subjects would orbs to occupy stir attention. I doulit, very much whether its the b,ginitin; of 1859 there would be so much knowlell,so and elolib.ration given to the subject as can be given to it at the present time. Ido not, therefore, see why we shNeltl not now, in tide the very beginning of our deliberations, proceed :,o consider the resolutions of the Government. No question has been raised to-night as to whether we should proceed by resolution or by bill. The proposition of this right hon. gentleman (Mr. Disraeli) was that. we should go :nto committee to consider resolutions. Most unfortunately, I think, ho gave us a long defence of his own bill which he has already murdered with his own hands. Of that bill we will now say nothing— De mortuis sail nisi bonum.  - —(Laughter)—but 1 think we shall ba, after some days' conii.teration a'A to come to some conclusion on the subject.  Look at the great subject of slayer- - posed to be considered i,- of which mow.' - many "