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    ! Ea 8 tiB ^ an "Cto ^ rnment recently money , and ai * faat time tliew appeared a inotf important state ^ paper ^ India , in the ^ ape of a Minute of Council , laying down tbe minciple that the fixture policy of Engtend jnoBtDe *© increase its revenues by enlarging its territories A prince , the head of the Mahratta family , died ¦ without natural heirs : his kingdom was not very extensive , nor iris treasure considerable ; still , » t was . not despicable . Now , the law of adoption prevails to Jodia ; it fa the corner-stone of Hindoo society ; and the man without natural heirs adopts a son as a matter of course . The Kaiah of Sattara Jiad selected the heir of lus adoption ; according to the solemn eeremoniesof Jus country * nd his faith : ; but the Governor-G ^ eral set the adoption aside , and the suzerainty was absorbed

    into oiir Indian empire . The same course took plaee in several similar instances ; and native confidence was shaken in our wisdom and our justice . With Tegard 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 twin 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 500 ,-OOOi a year , « nd in that of Bombay of 370 , 000 / . JSTow , 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 heirs and the families . The Nabob of Arcot , on the cession of the Carnatic , was awarded a pension for four generations ; bat tbe new 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 bad been Taised against missionary enterprise in India ; bat he could not help remembering that that enterprise in India was older than our empire , and he believed the result bad 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 the 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 ; they 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 , hear . ' ) He would not say that in the establishment of a national system 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 , the law which allowed the Hindoo widow to marrjagain . That law was not called for by the people . Again , the Governor-General had lately forbidden the

    celebration oF an ancient religious ceroniocry ; and he ( Mr . Disraeli ) did not think that that was a wise step . The kingdom of Oudo had been seized without sufficient cause . The monarch of that country had been not only a faithful , but an affectionate ally . He had denuded Tiis state of soldiers to help to fight our battles . A great portion of tbe Bengal army were subjects of the King of Oudo ; and our conduct towards that sovereign had ( excited widely-spread distrust of our designs . For soino time past , there had been symptoms of smouldering discontent—such , for instance , as the sending of the pan"calre 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 aa avengers , but should temper justice with mercy . Wo should at once toaoh the mutineers that therclations betwoon them and their lawful sovereign , Queen Victoria , should be drawn nearer . ( Cheers . ) A Koyal Commission ought to be sent out toy the Queen to inquire into tho condition of the various classes in India , and a Royal proclamation should be issued , declaring that tho < iutocn will not sanction tho violation of treaties , awl tlvnt sho is a ¦ sovereign who respects their laws , their customs , ' and , above all , their religion . ( Cfoera . ) 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 pap ore . ;— ' ? 1 st . Copy of any minutes or despatch addressed to tho Governor-General of India by hie Excellency tho Commandor-in-Chief , tho Into Mnjor-Genena tho Hon . G . Anaonij datod lu or about March , I 860 , relative to tho state of tho Bengal nrmy . —2 nd . Copy of a report on tho organisation of tho Bengal Jinny , drawn up by tho late Lieutenant- General Sir Charles Napier , and transmitted to hie Grace tho Dnko of Wellington , K , G . "

    Mr . Vermon Smeeh Baid that Mar . Dwaai had represented the mutiny as a national revolt , but had adduced 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 the papers moved for , the first could not be found , and probaWy had no existence ; the second , as far as it refers 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 anv further into it , beyond saying that the fact of the 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 ; but he felt sure that , had he proposed to send out instructions 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 he 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 whatever * 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 tbe 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 tlie

    mutiny ; but he thought there must have been some inismanagement 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 , i * n the presence of their exasperated comrades . As to the detaching of officers on civil service , it had its advantages . Ho did not believe that there was a feeling in India that we were trying to Christianize the natives , so much as that we had endeavoured to denationalize them . But a main cause of disaffection ho 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 been introduced into the Legislative Chamber tending rather to promote English objects than Indian . Another matter had caused a sensation In the Indian mind ; and that was that girls , who at the ago of puberty woro to be abut out from the ga » e of mop , should , for the first time , be educated by male teacfiera . As to tho remedy in the present crisis , tho number of men to be sent out was 20 , 000 ; a number sufficient , ho thought , to strike awe into the minds of the mutineers . He objected to sending out a Koyal Commission , because it would supersede Lord Canning , who had shown n vigour wnd

    judgment deserving high pTaise . He-moving such a man would bo like condemning his policy . The present Government of India by tho East India Company , under tho sanction of the Legislative Council « nd the homo authorities , was , after much deliberation , agreed to by tho Houso . Ho thought , however , it might bo desrrablo to send out a ooinmission , with tho antflbtority and sanction of tho Governor-General , mot to supersede him , but to inquire into various matters—among others , the reorganisation , of tho native army . In thre mennwlrilo , lie hoped tho House would not sook to -weaken n Government wanting every aid under circumstances of . giant difticulty .

    Sir ISttSKiwrn Phrry approved of tho course taken t » y Mr . Disraeli , and went over , in a Irimlrod spirit , much of tho ground traversed by him . —Mt . OAWnuci . TL . tjohdoomed Mr . Disraeli's speech as rmpatriotio and injudicious , — -Mr . Whitbsidiq detailed at some length iha opinions of Sir diaries Napier , who , vrlien commanding tho army in India , communicated to tho Indian Government his opinion of tho Bengal troops , and distinctly stated that Delhi ought to bo dofondod by 12 , 000 pioltod men . —Lord John Russism .. thought tho discussion tended to- groat disadvantage under tho circumstances .

    Censures had been ottered , but no practical urit « ntft proposed . He thought we had trusted rather too muab . to Indiaa troops , and had had too large an onagr ; . but the first consideration for tbe House of Oommsas ^ wasJto support the Government . It would be derogatory * o the dignity of the House to separate without expionriag jtn opinion to that « ffect ; and he therefore atoved hy way of-amendment an address to her Majesty to assure her that they will support her 43 overament in any efforts necessary to suppress the disturbances in India and in any measures required for the establishment of tranquillity . —Mr . Ross Majstcu . es affirmed that a large part of the Indian population is in our favour , and denied that the Indian Government had been warned of the state of the Bengal array . Even Sir dtatiefr Napier bad eulogized the native troops . .

    Mr . Liedeul . observed that the amendment was na > - congrttous with the motion , and inquired of ( the . Chiaar whether it was not competent to the House , without -negativing the amendment , to agree to the original motion calling for information . —ifo reply was given by * fae Speaker , and Mr . Alston moved that the debate be adjourned ; but this motion was . negatived , upon a division , by 203 to 79 . —The debate was then ^ resumed , and Mr . HjUHFdei . d expressed his opinion that ire shall never prosper in India by force of arms , but must seek the happiness of the people of that eountty .

    Mr . Diskaeli 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 fbe answer of the right hon . gentleman the President of the Board of Control" ( Mr . Vernon Smith ) , " which amounts to this : ' You say we have had warnings of Hie state of the native army . ' I therefore expected that 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 wliichl 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 right hon . gentleman to the comprehensive view I endeavoured to take was a technical , redtape , Treasury , Tvorn-out , and old-used argument . ( A laugh . ' ) The right hon . gentleman says : * I will prove that we had no warnings . I will prove < &at we , the Government of Great Britain , ifcat L , the Minister of India , was more completely ignorant of the state of India then yon imagine . ' The right hon . genttenMm 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 , indeed , I thought it possible that , with this treble Government—with this Cerberus to watch Over the affairs of India—< w » t *» the Government at Calcutta , tbe Government at Leadenball-street , the < 3 overnment in Cannon-xow , 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 on empire , there had been in official quarters tho crass ignorance which appears to have prevailed . ( C / teere . ) Tne right hon . genttenwm denies th « t ha knew anything , and pro-teats his ignorance with a plaintiveness that is irresistible , « nd a pathos that I yield to without further struggle « nd Argument with a Minister who , &o far as India is concerned , would lead as to believe that his Government is tl * e most purely ignorant Government , and also tho most incapable ( because there aro 8 omo who believe that capability does not depend upon knowledge)—tho most uainformed and most ignorant Government that over presumed to influence the destinies of that country . " Ho denied that the debate had led to no tcsult , because tho Government had

    admitted the propriety of sending out a Royal Commission ; ana asserted , on tho authority of persons competent to speak on tho subject , that tho document by the lato General Anson , tho existence of which Mr . Vornon Smith had denied or doubted , did really exist . U I think it , therefore , " ho continued , " of tho utmost importanco that that document should bo laid before us ; but , instead of it , and as a substitute for tho report of General Anson , wlrich if produced would give us somo ¦ bnsinesa-lileo information , wo aro , it seems , to have ono of those dry constitutional platitudes which , in a

    moment of difficulty , tho noble Lord tho member for tho City of London mechanically pulls out of tlio duaty pigcon- 'holcB of Jris mind ( laughter " ) , and shakos In tho porploxod face of a baffled Houso of Commons . ( Itenewed laug ' htcr . ) Tho noblo Lord ' s is ono of thoso amendments which nobody can support and nobody can oppose . QHcar , hear . ) What Idea , I would a » k , can ft commonplace so vapid give to this country , to Europe , or to Aeia , of tho feelings , tho thoughts , and tho opinions of tho House ot Commons at this moment ? It Is , in short , oao of thaso constitutional platitudes which 1088 would bo ashamed of . " Ho concludod by Baying that ho should rest flaws-

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    Was * . AXmm 1 . 1857 . 1 THE I . EAPEB . 323

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 1, 1857, page 723, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2203/page/3/