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    Jto, 38£, ATOxxisT 1, 1857.] TH1 LEADER,...

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    """" Imperial Parliament. —?— ¦ Monday, ...

    East Indian < jtovernment receritiy wanted money , and at Sbat * toe then * appeared , a most important state ^ papet fcsr India , in the ahape of a Minute of Oouncil , laying down the principle that the future policy of Engtand annBt l » e * o increase its revenues by enlarging its temtoxies A prince , the head of the Mahratta family , died ¦ without natural heirs : his kingdom was not very extensive , nor his treasure considerable ; still , it was not despicable . Now , the law of adoption prevails in . India ; it is the corner-stone of Hindoo society ; and the man without natural heirs adopts a son as a matter of course . The Kajah of Sattara -had selected the heir of lus adoption , according to the solemn eeremonies of his country arad his faith ? but the Governor-General act the adoption aside , and the suzerainty was absorbed into oiir Indian empire . The same course took place in several similar instances ; and native confidence was shaken in our wisdom and our justice . With regard to the second cause of disaffection , the disturbing of the settlement of landed property , it should be recollected that landed proprietors hold their land either as freehold or . in fee . Adoption had been set aside here also ; and the estates of persons dying without natural heirs had een seized . Besides this , inquisitions into the title of all lands were instituted ; and the result was , a revenue in the Presidency of Bengal alone of 5 © 0 , 000 £ a year , and in that of Bombay of 370 , 000 / . . Now , the question of adoption applies only to the Mahometans , but the investigation into titles to Hindoos also . Another source of wealth had been recently taken advantage of . Our Government , in seizing the properties , allowed pensions to the beira and the families . The Nabob of Arcot , on the cession « f the Carnatic , was awarded a pension for

    four generations ; but the nerw system declared that all pensions were simple annuities .. This was confiscation on a new and startling principle . The third point was the tampering with the religion of the people . A great prejudice fead been Taised against missionary enterprise in India ; but he could not help remembering that that enterprise in India was older than our empire , and he believed the result had been satisfactory . The Hindoos themselves are not averse to missionary enterprise . They are addicted to theological inquiry ; in fact , there are no persons so fond of theological discussion as tire Hindoos . What the Hindoos dread is the union of missionary interests with , the power of the Government . ( Hear , hear . ") They associate the idea of that power with violence ; the } ' remember the Mahometans with the Koran in one hand and the scimitar in the other ; and the moment they suspected the missionary was sanctioned by the Government , they were outraged in their inmost feelings . Did the Government of India lend a sanction to the suspicion of the Hindoo on _ £ his subject , which induced him to believe that his conversion was aimed at ? It appeared to him ( Mr . Disraeli ) that the Legislative Council of India had been constantly nibbling at the Hindoo religion . ( Hear , Jiear . ) He would not say that in the establishment of a national sj-stem of education for the Hindoo they had gone ostentatiously with the Bible into the schools- ; but he was misinformed if the Bible had not been introduced into them . Amongst other disturbing ^ forces , the act which declared that a ' man should not lose his property by a change of religion had created groat alarm in India ; but there was another ] law which had still more alarmed the Hindoo , namely , 1 the law which allowed the Hindoo widow to marry ' again . That law was not called for by the people . Again , the Governor-General had lately forbidden tfio celebration of an ancient religious cercrnonj '; and he ' CMr . Disraeli ) did not think that that was a wise step . i The kingdom of Qudo had been seized without sufficient ] cause . The monarch of that country had been not only ' a faithful , but an affectionate ally . Ho had denuded ] Tris state of soldiers to help to fight our battles . A great ' portion of the Bengal army were subjects of the King of ' Oudo ; and our conduct towards that sovereign had tex- ' cited widely-spread distrust of our designs . For soino time past , there had been symptoms of smouldering dia- *

    content—such , for instance , as the sending of the pan-• cake round from village to Tillage ; but the Government liad not taken proper precautions , and ho did not think that the measures now instituted were sufficient for tho crisis . Still , wo ought not to act simply as avengers , but aho « ld temper justice with mercy . We should at © nee toach the mutineers that therolations betwoon thorn and their lawful sovereign , Queen Victoria , should be drawn nearer . ( CAcera . ) A Koyal Commission ought to be sent out toy tho Queen to inquire into tho condition of" the various classes in India , and a Royal proclamation should be issued , declaring that tho < jjutocn will not sanction tho violation of treaties , awl that sho is a 'fiOVGrAifTm TtrllA r / tonn < vft ] tiirkliit Inura tTirfiv ** r . m * iy 4-j * . -mn ' «« A — — MV t 141 E ? \ j IIO

    * — " —¦• J ^ - * " * V 0 £ / UVU » VUU « JT } lAAUfch faUlllO * IUJUI * above all , their religion . ( Ctoera . ) If that step were taken simultaneously with the arrival of tlioir forces , they might bo assured that tiheir military advances would be facilitated , and thoir ultimate success ensurod . He concluded by moving for the production of tho following papers ;— •? 1 st . Copy of any minutes or despatch addresBed to tho Governor-General of India by hie Excellency tho Commandor-in-Chief , tho Into Major' Genera *! tho Hon . G . Anaorij datocl lu or about March , I 860 , relative to tho state of tho Bengal army . —2 nd . Copy of n report on tho organisation of tho Bengal ¦ jrmy , drawn up by tho late Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Napior , and transmitted to Uia Grace tho Dnko of Wellington , K , G . "

    ; Mr . Vebmon Sboxh Baid that Mar . Disraeli had repre-! sen ted the mutiny as a national revolt , but -had addocec ¦¦ no evidence in support of that assertion . There was ; no proof whatever of any of the native princes having been concerned in € he disturbances . "With regard to tht papers moved for , the first could not be found , and probably had no existence ; the second , as far as it refer * to the defence of our Frontier , ought not to be unadvisedly produced . That part relating to the state of the troops did not bear out Mr . Disraeli's supposition . It had been transmitted to the Duke of Wellington , who never took any notice of it , nor had any of the successive Governments . The system pursued by Lord Dalhousie with regard to adoption might or might not have been advisable ; but that system had nothing to do with the present disturbances . The question of property , which Mr . Disraeli had alluded to as one of the causes of the revolt , was being investigated by a commission ; and he ( Mr . Vemon Smith ) would therefore not enter any further into it , beyond saying that the fact of tlie commission inquiring into the tenure of certain lands acquired by fraud and corruption may have created a great deal of discontent among particular classes . As regards religion , be would at once admit that it would be the best policy to interfere and prevent the exercise of missionary zeal by our civil and military servants . The natives do not object to the preaching of private missionaries , and always treat them with respect ; but , when they see military officers , such as Colonel Wheeler , preaching in the bazaars , and distributing tracts to the sepoys , they conceive that the Government has some design of coercing them into a change of their religion . He ( Mt . Smith ) was anxious to put an end to this discontent ; iitiu in

    \ UUb lie icil sure lliul , . no [ siujjuocu i * u acuu . uuu — sfcractions to all military and civil servants to forbear exercising their religious zeal , on pain of being sent , home , he should have been met with shouts of discontent from both sides of the House . With respect to annexation , he was as much an enemy to it as Mr . Disraeli could be ; but the seizure of Oude was necessitated by the course of events , and was requisite to prevent anarchy , though h « would not then enter into a justification of the manner in which the annexation was accomplished . The attempt to connect that act with the mutiny had entirely failed : there was not the least proof of the assumption . The Government had received no warning waatever * of the approach of the mutiny . Lord Dalhousie and Sir William Gomm had borne testimony , down to a late period , of the loyal spirit of the native troops ; and he did not believe that Sir ¦ Charles Napier had made any representations to the Indian Government founded on the criticisms he had left behind . Those criticisms exist only in his Memoirs ; and it should be recollected that Sir Charles , though a man 'whose opinions carried weight , was inconsistent and eccentric . It was premature to say what was the real cause of th-e mutiny ; but he thought there must have been some mismanagement at Meerut . Of late years , moreover , there had been a severance between the officers and men of the native regiments , and fee was sorry to hear that the latter had sometimes been called * niggers . ' It was surely , also , an injudicious etep , to manacle the mutineers sentenced to imprisonment , m ifoe presence of their exasperated comrades . As to the detaching of ' officers on civil service , it had its advantages . Ho did aot believe that there was a feeling jn India that we were trying to Christianize the natives , so much as that we had endeavoured to denationnlize them . But a main zause of disaffection he believed to be the facility of furlough . Men formerly went out to India as a home : now all look forward to a return . Measures had also boon introduced into the Legislative Chamber tending ratiher to promote English objects than Indian . Another natter had caused a sensation in the Indian mind ; and ; hat was that girls , who at the ago of puberty wero to •> e shut out from the ga » e of men , should , for the first ame , be educated by male teachers . As to tho remedy , n the present crisis , tho number of men to be sent out ' eumoienr to scriKo

    was zu , vuu ; a uurnoer , no tnougnc , awe into the minds of the mutineers . He ¦ objected to sending out a Koyal Commission , because it would supersede Lord Canning , who had shown a vigour nnd judgment deserving high pTaise . Kemoving such a man would bo like condemning his policy . The present Government of India by tho East India Company , under the sanction of tl * e Legislative Council « nd tho homo authorities , was , after much , deliberation , agreed to by tho Houso . Ho tliamght , however , it might bo desfrrfblo to send out a oommission , with tho antflbtority and sanction of tho Governor-General , mot to supersede him , but to inquire into various matters—among others , tlio re-, onrjmisdbion of tho xintivn armtr . 1 « tWt * irinnmeliiTo- 1 m

    hoped tho House would not seek to -weaken n Government wanting every aid under circurnetancoH of . gioat dilitiouHy . Sir IS ^ isKiwrn Pmrry approved of iba conrso taken bj-Mr . Dieraoli , and went over , in a irimtlTod spirit , much o'f tho ground traversed by him .- —Mr . Oastpbiolx . tjotidoinnecl Mr . Diarnoli ' e speech as tmpatriotio arrd mjadi-¦ clous , —Mr . Whitbsidiq detailed at eomo length , iha opinions of Sb ? Charles Nai > i « r , ivlio , ¦\ rlnen comman : lin £ tho army in India , communicated to tho Indian Government his opinion of tho Bengal troops , and distinctly stated that Delhi ought to bo defended by 12 , 000 picked men .- —Lord Jonn Kussisi ^ thought tho diaousulpn tended to groat dleftdvantago under tho circumstances .

    - Censures had been ottesed , bat no practical Mrit * nt * I proposed . He thought we had trusted rather too masii 3 to Indiaa troops , and had had too large an army ; Ant ; the first cousideration for tin House of eommsas ^ BBfiJMto 5 support the Government . It would be derogatory to the dignity of the House to separate without expressing i Jtn opinion to that « ffect ; and he therefore atoved hy ¦ vay of amendment en address to her Majesty to asi sure her that they will support her < € overament in ¦ any efforts necessary to suppress the disturbances in India and in any measures required for the establishment of tranquillity . —Mr . Boss Majstgl . es affirmed that a large part of the Indian population is in our favour , and denied that the Indian Government bad been waorned of the state of the Bengal array . Even Sir Chaste * Napier bad eulogized the native troops . . Mr . LiEDEtL . observed that the amendment was no > - congraous with the motion , and inquired of die Choir whether it wa 3 not competent to the House , without aegativing the amendment , to agree to the original motion calling for information . —No repjy was given by -the Sfeakek , and Mr . Alston moved that the debate be adjourned ; but this motion was . negatived , upon a divi * - sion , by 2 03 to 79 . —The debate was then ; resumed , and Mr . Ha » fdei . d expressed his opinion that ire shall never prosper in India by force of arms , but most seek the happiness of the people of that eouotry . Mr . Disraeli then replied in a very brilliant and sarcastic speech . After repelling some personal charges with respect to Tiis general conduct in connexion with Indian questions , he proceeded : — "I now come to fhe answer of the right hon . gentleman the President of the Board of Control" ( Mr . Vernon Smith ) , " which amounts # -4-L ^ n . 1 ^ £ 7 ^» . » -. nnw rrr ^ x V **» TT ^» 1 in < 1 TIT a ^ niTl fTrO CfY if 4 l ^ CT + < 1 f f ^ F h %

    *^ ** tU LUIS 1 UU OCttJ Y > Ss XJ ( VV \/ XAC « tA II IM-HAUgO W « . 9 * 1 M \* » JU «* r V ^ J . the native army . ' I therefore expected fliat ihe right hon . gentleman would have adverted to those features of . Indian society , history , and life which I placed before the House , and . the importance of winch I endeavoured to trace . B « t the right hon . gentleman almost passed these circumstances without notice . He treated them as old -stories . But it is because they have been heard before—because they are old stories—because they are permanent and enduring cases of misrule— = that I brought them before the House . ( Hear , hear . ' ) If they had been the accidents of yesterday , they would not have produced the events that lave startled the most powerful country of the world . But the great defence of the rigiit hon . gentleman to the comprehensive view I erwteavoured to take was a technical , redtape , Treasury , Tram-out , and old-used argument . ( . A laugh . ' ) The right hon . gentleman says : * I will prove that we had no warnings . I will prove tfaat we , the Government of Great Britain , fihat L . tl * e Minister of India , was more completely ignorant of the state of India then you imagine . ' The right hon . gentleman spoke with all the simplicity that Mr . Hastings said was peculiar to Indiaa potentates . I thought it quite possible that the right hon . gentleman had no information on the subject , but with good-natured irony I gave him credit for some . { A . laugh . ) At one time , iadeed , I thought it possible that , with this treble Government—with this Cerberus to watch over the affairs of India—« wifch the Government at Calcutta , the Government at Leadenball-street , tfoe Government in Cannon-row , and all the -complicated contrivances of * his vast machine— -I thought it possible that the right hon . gentleman might succeed in obtaining a glimpse of light and some Blight fragment of information . But I did not think it right to assume that , in these events which have alarmed a country and endangered an empire , there had been in official quarters the crass ignorance which appears to have prevailed . ( C / teers . ) Tue right hon . gentleman denies that he know anything , and pro-tests his ignorance with a plaintiveness that is irresistible , dwl a pathos that I yield to without further struggle and argument with a Minister who , so far as India is concerned , would lead as to believe that his Government is the most purely ignorant Government , and also tho most incapable ( because there who uui

    aro some oeueve max cupuuiiiiy uous uepeau upon knowledge)—tho most uninformed and most ignorant Government that over presumed to influence tho destinies of that country . " Ho denied that the debate had led to no Tcsult , becauso the Government had admitted the propriety of Bonding out a Royal Commission ; and asserted , on tho authority of persons competent to speak on the subject , that tho document by the lato General Anson , tho existence of which Mr . Vornon Smith had denied or doubted , did really exist . "I think it , therefore , " ho continued , " pf tho utmost importanco that that document should bo laid before us ; but , instead of it , and as a substitute for tho report of General Alisonwinch if nroduced would civo us sonxo

    , trasiness-liloo information , wo aro , it seems , to have ono of those dry constitutional platitudes which , in a moment of clififlkJuTty , tho noble Lord tUo member for tho City of London mechanically pulls out of tho duaty pigcon- 'holcB of Ms mind ( laughter ) , and shakos in tho perplexed face of a baffled Houso of Commons . ( Hanawed laughter . ) Tho noblo Lord ' s is ono of those amendments which nobody can support and nobody can oppose . ( Hear , hear . ) What Idea , I would aak , can a commonplace bo vapid give to this country , to Europe , or to Aeia , of tho feelings , tho thoughts , and tho opinions of tho House of Commons at this moment ? It Is , hi »» ort , one of thaao constitutional platitudes which 1 G 88 would be ashamed of . " Ho concluded by Baying that ho should rost afttis-

    Jto, 38£, Atoxxist 1, 1857.] Th1 Leader,...

    Jto , 38 £ , ATOxxisT 1 , 1857 . ] TH 1 LEADER , 333

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 1, 1857, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_01081857/page/3/