Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 15th May 1858, Edition 2 of 2, Page 6, MR. COMMISSIONER YK1I. A*r interesting p...

Page 6
Page 6
6 of 24

On this page

  • Text (3)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Theindian Revolt. The Intelligence From ...

      bellion , and that the people of Oude should rather be regai-ded with indulgent consideration than made the objects of a penalty exceeding ia extent and . in severity almost any .-which has been recorded in history as inflicted upon . a subdued nation . Other conquerors , when they have succeeded in overcoming resistance , have excepted a few persons as still deserving of punishment , but have , with , a generous policy , extended their clemency to the great body of the people . You have acted upon a different principle : you have reserved a few as deserving of special favour , and you have struck , with what they will feel as the severest of punishment , the mas 3 of the inhabitants of the country . We cannot but

      think . that the precedents from -which you have departed will appear to have been conceived in a spirit of wisdom superior to ; that which . appeals in the precedent you have made . We desire that you will mitigate in practice the stringent severity of the decree of confiscation you have issued against the landholders of Oude . We desire , to see British authority in India xest upon the willing obedience of a contented people . There cannot be .-contentment where there is general confiscation . Government cannot long be maintained by any force in a . country where the . whole people is rendered hostile by a een 6 e of wrong , and , if it were possible so to maintain it , it would not be a consummation to be desired . "

      Lord Canning's Proclamation was accompanied by a letter irom - ' the Governor-General to the Cliief Commissioner of Oude , dated March 3 rd , and explaining the manner in which the directions are to be carried into effect . The Proclamation is here described as having reference to the chiefs and inhabitants of Oude only , and not to the Sepoys . The document proceeds : — "/ The ¦ Governor-General has not considered it desirable that this proclamation should . appear until the

      capitalis either actually in our hands , ox lying at our mercy . ¦ ' He-believes that any proclamation put forth in Oude in . a . liberal and forgiving spirit would be open to UMSconstEUction and capable of perversion , if not preceded by = a manifestation of our power ; and that-this -would he > es $ » ecially the case at Luduiow , which , although it has recently been : the scene of ^ unparalleled heroism and daring , and one of the most brilliant and successful feats of arms which British India has ever-witnessed , is still sedulously represented by the rebels as being beyond , our power to take or to hold . ....

      "It-will be for the Chief Commissioner , in commnnication -with his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief , to determine the moment at which the proclamation shall be-published , and the manner of disseminating it through the province ; as also the mode in which those who may surrender themselves under it shall be immediately and for the present dealt-with . .... It is clear that the same treatment-will not be applicable to all who may present themselves . Among these there may be some ¦ who . have been continuously in arms against the Governmentiand have shown inveterate opposition to the last , "but who are free from the suspicion of having put to

      death or injured Europeans who fell in their way . To these men their lives are guaranteed , and their honour ; that is , in native acceptation , they will neither be transported across the sea nor placed , in prison . Probably , the most easy ami effectual way of disposing of theno , in-the first instance , will be to require that they shall reside in Lucknow under surveillance , and in charge of an officer'appointed for that purpose . Their ultimate condition'and place of residence may Temain tO'be determined hereafter , when the Chief Commissioner shall be able to report fully to the Governor-General upon the individual characteriand past conduct of each .

      " There will be others , who , although they have taken up arms against the Government , have done so less heartily , and upon whom , for other causes , the Chief Commissioner may not see reason to put restraint . These , after surrendering their arms , might be allowed to . go to their homes , -with such security for their peaceable conduct as the Chief Commissioner « nay think proper to . require . One obvioua . security will be that of making it clearly understood by bfaem , that the amount of favour ¦ which they shall hereafter receive , and the condition in ¦ which they ' shall be re-cstablishou , -will be in part dependent upon their conduct after dismissal . . . l

      < There-twill probably be a third class , less compromised by acts of past hostility to the Government , in wham the Chief Commissioner may « eo reason to repose enough of . confidence , to justify their services being at onoo enlisted on tho aide of order , towards the maintenance of -which in their respective districts thoy might be called upon to organize a temporary police . " tt'ho foregoing : remarks apply to the talookdars and chiefs of tlio province . iAs 'regards their followers who may make submission with them , those , from their numbers , most of . necessity bo dismissed to their Jiomoa . But , before tliis is done , their names and plnces of residence should bo registered , and they should recoivo a warningithat any disturbance of tho poaco or resistance of autbOTiity-which may occur in their . neighbourhood will be < visitcd , not upon the individual © nonders alono , but by : heavy fhiea itrpcii tlie-villages .

      "I am to observe thut tho Governor-General wishes tlio Chief Commissioner to . consider whnt has been above ¦ written as . suggestions xathor than instructione . " The Governor-G * nen * l . dooa not intend that any

      overture shall at present be viiade to the mutineers . But , as the voluntary surrender of sojuo of these rs contemplated , certain directions are given as to the mode of dealing with such cases . — " The sole promise which can be ' . given , to any mutineer is that his life shall be spared ; and this promise must not be made if the man belongs to a regiment which lias murdered its officers , or if there be other m'imd facie reason to suppose that he had been

      implicated in any specialty atrocious crime . Beyond the guarantee of life to those who , not coming within the above-stated exception , shall surrender themselves , the Governor-General cannot sanction the giving of any specific pledge . Voluntary submission will be counted in mitigation , of punishment ; but nothing must be said to those who so submit themselves , . Trhiclv shall bar the Government from awarding to each such measure of secondary punishment as in its justice it may deem fitting . "

      A Court of Directors of the East India Company was held ( according to the Globe , for the meeting was not public ) on " -Monday ,- when a vote strongly expressing the confidence of the Court in Lord Canning was passed—it is said , unanimously .

      ARRIVAL OF JPASSESftERS FROM INDIA . The Peninsular and Oriental Company ' s steamship Colombo , Captain J . S . ' Field ,, arrived at Southampton on . Monday morning , with the Calcutta and China mails . " We read in the daily papers : — " On the arrival of the Colombo in dock ,. the Mayor ( Mr . Alderman John " White ) , and other members of the Local Relief Committee , went on board as usual , and ten several cases of persons requiring , relief were presented to . their notice . A committee of passengers had been

      formed on board during the voyage , which had inquired into each case , and a . statement of the respective circumstances of the persons in question ' -was drawn up and handed to the local-. authorities , signed by ' Captain Field , in the name of the Colombo Committee . One case was that of a lady vho had been a schoolmistress in Lucknow for twenty-five years , and another was a maj or who had lost . 75 , 000 rupees by the mutiny . The local committee awarded to each of the ten persons 10 i ., and will forward the particulars of their eases to the Metropolitan Committee for the dispensation of the Indian Mutiny Eund . "

      462 _ _____^ He _ Leader. [No. Jt25, Jvi...

      462 _ _____^ HE _ LEADER . [ No . jt 25 , jVIay 15 , 1885 .

      Mr. Lay Am) On India. The Promised Lectu...

      MR . LAY AM ) ON INDIA . The promised lecture by Mr . Layard on ( he sulvject of his Indian experiences was delivered on Tuesday evening at St . James ' s Hall , Piccadilly . The hull was crowded ; many members of Parliament were present , and Lord Bury occupied the chair . Mr . Layard commenced by expressing his belief that the people of England did . not know the truth with respect to the Indian revolt ; that , in fact , the truth had been studiously concealed from them . When persons , at the commencement of the rebellion , asked what had caused it , they were told that the Indians had risen against us simply because we had treated them with too much kindness . However , he had never heard of nations

      rising for such a reason , and ho looked upon calamities of this nature as great retributions of Providence , lie had been to India , and lad judged for himself ; but he did not wish to cast any blame on the gentlemen of the civil service in our Eastern empire . He believed a more noble race of men did not exist ; but lie blamed -a- system . While the fight for the government of India is going on at home , we are running tho risk of having nothing at rill to govern . lie had ' spoken with many natives in India on the subject of the origia of the mutiny , and they said that God haJ deserted us because we had become unjust , oppressive-, and immoral . From the north of India to the south , tho revolt extended ; everywhere the natives are opposed to our rule . Ilolkar and ' Scimliw .

      had , it was true , been faithful to us ; but their subjects had risen against us . The soldiery of India come from the people , ami are not divided from them . The rebellion , therefore , was the act of tbo people . Mr . Layard believed that tho question of tlie greased cartridges had been the pretoxt for tho revolt ; the Persian war the opportunity ; annexation tho chief cause . When ho was at Benares , he saw a number of essays written by pupils at school , tlio subject bang tho origin of tho mutiny , and it was singular that every one of them assigned , as among the principal causes , tho annexation policy of England , and tho treatment of tho natives . Tho annexation of Oudo was in direct violation of a treaty . As in tho case of Russia , with regard to Poland , Oudo would

      , hang lileo a millstone about tlio neck ol knglund . We had also behaved ^ vith great injustice in tho ocdod districts" of the Deccain , Nngpore , & c It ¦ was said that tho -natives preferred our rule to that of their own princes ; but had the-people of a single independent state risen against their ruler ? W « had gone on annexing till wo had a territory bo largo that wo could-not govern it . ' Wo had confiscated tho estates ol landowners and of 'tho native religious bodies ; ami our police and judicial systems had'been marked by turriblo abuses . Mr . Layard said he hud perused documents ol undoubted authority , in which tho use of torture , oppression , and bribery was described as rifo among tho native population . Having road various papers sotting forth

      these facts , he observed that nearl y every one of tli statements had been corroborated by Mr . Halliday $ ? Deputy-Governor of Bengal , almost the highest authority there , in a minute ho prepared some year and a half a « o Mr .. Layard- continued : — " He had received , within tUe last few hours , a letter from an English gentleman , who was examined before the committee of the House of Commons appointed to inquire into tlie system of torture in the Madras Presidency , and he would trouble them only with a short extract . ' You ask rae , ' said the writer , ' whether' anything has "been done to put au end . to this horrible torture . I am sorry to

      say nothing whatever has tieen done in the matter . " Organized bands of bludgeon-men are kept for the affrays which constantly occur ; and these men prevent the proper administration of justice . Perjury is constantly committed in the law courts , and it is difficult to obtain redress for the natives . Indeed , perjury has become the rule instead of the exception ; and justice is generally defeated . This state of things had been greatly aggravated within the last twenty yc .-irs in fact , since the reckless policy of annexation " had begun . Bribery is constantly resorted to in the law courts , and the excessive pressure of taxation has destroyed the

      gentry , so that " only two things at present exist —• Government and poverty . " Mr . Layard denied that the people of India are ungrateful . During the mutiny , natives had often imperilled themselves to-save Europeans who had behaved kindly to them . " Neither was it true , as had been stated , that tho more the natives mix in . English society , the more ferocious they become . It had been said that N " ana Sahib—that unparalleled villain—understands the English language well , and'has mixed in the best English society . That is not true . Naha Sahib is a low vulgar 'Brahmin , cannot speak a single word of English , and never mixes with , our people . " The system of teaching in India has not been such as to suit , the character of the race . Another

      cause of the rebellion was our interference with the religion and customs of the natives , and the abolition of the law of adoption . Mr . Layard did not believe that missionary exertions had done the least injury . / On the contrary , he had always found the missionaries respected by the natives ; and a Scotch minister had told him that they would go on well enough if the Government would leave them alone . One of tlie subjects of complaint on the part of the natives was Lord Dnlhpusie ' s breach of faith with regard to the Jive per cent . loan . Even Nana Sahib had offered to save all who fell into his power except those -who had been connected with Lord Dalliousie . Reverting to tho alleged atrocities , Mr . ' Layard said he ° hmi

      been unable to authenticate a single case , and that 3 Ir . Russell , of th & Times , had added his testimony to the same effect . That gentleman had also said it was certain that the five hundred Christians in Lucknow had not been molested . On the other hand , however , our soldiers ( as he knew from personal experience ) had , on several occasions , acted with the utmost savagoness to the natives ; and he appealed to his gallant countrvmen in India , to the men of England , to his countrvwoinei ) , and to the Members of Parliament he saw around him , to oppose this spirit of revenge . " If the people of England were ruled as the people of India had been ruled , government would be impossible . It had been stated

      that nothing less than forty thousand victims would satisfy England . Surely , that -was not the sentiment of a Christian people . " The King of Delhi had been subject to the grossest indignities ; and Jhe children of his women had been killed or separated from their mothers . "He would not touch on the subjects of tho day which had been made tho mere questions of party . Tlie treatment the Indian question is receiving in the llmiso of Commons is unworthy the British Legislature . For God ' s sake , let us forget party , when the welfare of millions is at stake . No doubt we should reconquer India . It was impossible for the native soldiers to hold out ngainst the skill of our Generals and the bravery of

      our-troops . But in conquering tliem we must ilo them justice . And , if ever we lost India , it would be no disgrace to us to leave it prosperous and happy , and ( if wo could effect it by our oxumple ) he would add , Christian . " Mr . Lny / ird sat down amidst much applause , <> ni 1 loud cries were raided for Mr . Bright ( who \ v : \ n present ); but Mr . Milnor Gibson informed the meeting that the member for Birmingham had been intenlii-iwl , by h « medical ad-visors , from suldressing popular ntirfuinbues for tho present . A vote of thanks was then moved by Lord Klmry to Mr . Lnynrd , seconded by Mr . Milnur Uibsoii , and carried unanimously ; and , nfter tho iissual vote to thu chairman , tho meeting separated .

      Mr. Commissioner Yk1i. A*R Interesting P...

      MR . COMMISSIONER YK 1 I . A * r interesting portrait of tlio late Commissioner at Cimton is given by Jlie Chinese correspondent of tho Tbncn . We subjoin one or two passages ol' his e ^ a " bornte letter , whioli is dated from Calcutta river , whither be had followed I ' eh . Ilo writod :- — " I havo been shut up for many days with f / m great Chinaman of th « present day . Yeh must 1 m « hereafter ono of tho men of 'Chinese history . Ilo is tho aecoiid

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), May 15, 1858, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_15051858/page/6/