Extracts.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 698, 16 July 1859, Page 3

Extracts.

THANKS TO THE GOVERNMENT* AND ARMY IN" INDIA. The following speech, of Lord Stanley's in proposingthe vote of thanks to. the Government and Army in India was greatly admired, by. all sides in .the house. The; subject is one of universal interest within the British dominions :— Lord .Stanley then rose to move the thanks of the House to the Government and army in India. He said, —I believe that, according^to the practice , of, the house, resolutions like those which I. am. about to. submit to the house take precedence of Qther business. There are some occasions when even those who merely on personal grounds are least anxious to find or make opportunities for oratovial display must deeply lament tlie deficiency in themselves of those qualities which are necessary to bring property before this house a subject such as that winch it is now my duty to lay before it. It is a subject not of argument, not of reasoning, not of dry logic; it is a subject which appeals to the deepest Jtnd warmest feelings of all I address, to the patriotism and to the public spirit of every member of this, house. (Cheers.) Therefore, if, on the one hand, I never rose to address the house under a more painful and discouraging sense of personal deficiency; so, on the other, I never rose to address the house with a firmer and more unhesitating conviction than that which I now entertain, that whatever may be wanting in the statement I shall lay before you, however feebly and inefficiently may be put before you the case I have to submit to the house, these deficiencies will, nevertheless, be amply supplied, by the Sympathy, the cordiality, and by the unanimous feeling which a motion of this nature never fails to bring forth. (Hear, hear.) I believe I may congratulate this house—l believe I may congratulate the country, after two years of public peril and national* alarm, on the complete restoration of our military ascendancy in India, and on the return of peace to that unhappily distracted country. There may still be local disturbances, still unsettled -districts; the waves may still continue to be ruffled, though the storm that raised them may have subsided; but every mail and telegram brin<* us news of the submission of some insurgent chief under the terms of her Majesty's proclamation, of the dispersion of some body of rebels lately in arms, and of the restoration of order in some district where anarchy lately prevailed. (Hear.) Though the struggle through which we have passed has cost us many thousands of brave English lives, though it has inflicted incalculable sufferings on the people of the country in which it took place, though it has heavily augmented the debt and burdened lhe',resources of India, —though it has done worse than this, and has fo: a lime exasperated and embittered that rivalry of races which must to some extent exist iv a conquered community, yet, for these evils, grave and serious as they are, we have some compensating advantages. We have gone through the struggle with our military reputation enhanced in the eyes of foreign nations and our own, —a reputation enhanced not only by success achieved under extraordinary difficulties, but by individual heroism displayed even where public success was hopeless. (Cheers.) _ Never, I believe, at any former period of our history,—cot when the news of Plassey spread through India,-not when the power "and life of Tippoq Sahib fell together at the storming of Seringapatam, riot when the Mahratta and Pindaree power was destroyed, not when the Sikhs were struck- down, not when the.rlosa ?of-15,CCD men in Afghanistan was retrieved, ancj1 the English standard was a^aih■plirited<kt.Gkbul,---never at any former period of our history was so strongly impressed on the Asiatic mind the conviction of the inevitable permanence of the British rule, and the unconquerable energy and perseverance of the British arms. (Cheers.) In the existence of that feeling we rejoice—not selfishly, not in mere vain glory, not with reference simply to the interests of the country, but.for the sake of India herself. We rejoice in it, because the existence of that convic- , tion furnishes the best guarantee for the continuance of peace in India, and enables us to indulge a hope that in the long calm which will follow upon_ such a storm, India may repair her-losses, recruit her energies, re-adjust herjinances, improve her administration, and develop.— as they have never been developed before—those almost incalculable material resources, which we all know her to possess. If, sir, lam right in the judgment I have formed-—if lam right in believing that the military difficulty is at an end, and that nothing now remains to deal with except difficulties of administration and finance—then T I am 'sure this house will feel that it is,not premature on ou.t part to offer our thanks to those, whether in civil or in military employ, under whose direction, or by whose skill and courage, this state of things has been brought about. (Cheers.) .• Sir, Lord Canning lias been Governor-General of India from the beginning, and even before the/beginning of the recent insurrection. There has,devplved upon him an amount : of labour, of anxiety, and responsibility such as has rarely fallen to the lot of any British statesman (loud cheers,) and, no one, I believe, either in India or in England, has denied, that under the circumstances in which he has been placed, he has displayed both the courage and the humanity which belong to! the character of an English gentleman. (Cheers.) There may have been—as there always will te in such cases—diversities of opinion as to isolated acts of the Go-vernor-General, and to these differences of opinion I would now refer, because I, think they render it doubly imperative—as to me it is doubly gratifying —that we should pay him the mark: of honour and respect to which I now ask the assent of this house. (Cheers.) But whatever differences of opinion may exist as to isolated acts of his policy, that policy, taken-as a whole, has been .temperate, prudent, arid wise. (Hear, hear.) He has resisted a vindictive cry for blood, at a time when that cry met with too much sympathy, even in this oountry. He has acted throughout in. harmony with' the military authorities; he has remained at his post in a season of the utmost difficulty; .in the darkest hour of national calamity he has not despaired: of success? (Hear, hear.) Sir, I think this house will.feel that both officially, on account of the post which he fills; and personally, on account of the' labour and responsibility which have devolved upon' him, Lord Canning is entitled to the thanks of this house (Loud cheers.) Upon Lord Elphinstone, as Governor of Bombay, there has devolved a responsibility more limited indeed, in its scope, but still most serious and important. To be satisfied j of that fact you have only to look to the position of the Presidency of Bombay. Whether we look to the external position of that presidency, with Scinde—a province of comparatively recent acquirement—on one extremity,surrounded on two—we may almost say on three—sides by native States, with the wild Belooche tribes beyond, and having to the eastward a vast aggregate of independent States, presided over by princes, mainly of the Rajpoot race, proud, warlike, free, and likely to sympathize with the cause of those who have, risen against our rule,—or whether we,look within the .Presidency itself to the vast variety of raoes and < the large presence of the.'Mahometan element,—it will'be seen that the. duty of protecting it alike against aggression from without and revolt from within was one of no ordinary, difficulty.' In the discharge of that duty Lord Elphinstone has been vigilant, sagacious, indefatigable. ! (Cheers.) He has af-, forded to those engaged in the suppression of the rebellion all the assistance in his power. He has

not hesitated, even at a time of the utmost emer geney, almost to denude Bombay itself of European troops in order to send them to those districts where their services were greatly needed; and I belioyo I am only expressing what is -the universal opinion both in India and in England when I say that no governor of a presidency has over returned to this country with a reputu'ion more enhanced by his conduct than will the noble lord.- (Cheers.) In* the. list.of names which I have submitted to the house, that of Lord Harris does not appear, and I must explain the reason of the' omission, lest it should seem to convey a slight upon that distinguished person. Lord Harris, until his failing , health compelled him to retire from the Presidency of Madras, performed his duty as an administrator , sedulously and well, but the vote of thanks we now propose is not for services rendered in the way of i ordinary administration, but in the suppression of disturbances in India. (Hear, hear.) Now, during i the last year, 1858, not only has there been no serious disturbance, but I think I may venture to say there has. been no serious alarm or apprehension i of disturbance throughout the Presidency of Madras and Southern India. Lord Harris, therefore, has not enjoyed.the same opportunities which have been possessed by Lord Canning and Lord Elphinstone, and that is the reason—and I need hardly say the only reason—why his name does not appear in the present motion. There are still some other names of civilians to whom, I believe, this house will willingly record its feeling of gratitude. 1858 has not been.like 1857, and the great name and reputation of Sir John Lawrence will gain no accession of honour by the events of the last 14 months. But Sir J. Lawrence, notwithstanding failing health and medical warnings, with a constitution broken by 30 years of Indian toil, but an energy and devotion which nothing could shake, has remained at his post organizing an army of new levies, pouring them down upon the plain, watching at once the turbulent population which lies beyond the Affghan frontiers, and from first to last, throughout these transactions,' has rendered that province— which was regarded as the greatest danger of India —a source of security and strength to the British empire. Sir J. Lawrence refused to quit his government until he was assured by the state of affairs that his services were no longer required. He has %vithin the last day or two arrived in this country to take a part in the joint administration of India—to adorn that administration by his presence, and to' instruct it by his counsels. I believe and hope that the reception which will be given him by the people of this country will be such as is due to his splendid services; and I can conceive nothing more fitting or appropriate than thatthe first n^ws which greets him on his return to his native land should be the news that now, for the second time, Parliament—speaking, as it always ought to speak, the sense of the Commons of England—has recognized by an unanimous vote the value of his services. (Cheers.) Sir Robert Hamilton has by his diplomatic exertions, by the happy union of firmness and conciliation, established and maintained English influence among the powerful and independent native States of Central India. No man, I will venture to say, throughout these transactions, has had at his command better sources of local information, or has communicated more useful information to the generals in the field. I need not point out to the house how seriously the difficulties of the last year must have been increased if the vast population of Central India under native rule, encouraged and aided by their Governments, had taken part again us ; but with hardly an exception, the chiefs of that district have remained: loyal and faithful to British authority. I ;have no desire to deprive them of the credit which is; their due, but it seems to .'methat some portion of that credit justly reflects upon the able men to whom the conduct of diplomatic affairs in that part of India was intrusted-—Sir Robert Hamiltqri: (Hear.)' While I am on the subject of services rendered in that capacity Tthink it only a debt'of gratitude to advert to another eminent ! civil servant, whose name has not been included in the vote—Colonel Davidson, the resident at Hyderabad. We all know how steadily and faithfully—notwithstanding the presence of many elements which might have been elements of hostility—the Government of the Nizam has adhered to British authority, and I think we are bound to mark bur respect for the officer who has done so much to maintain British influence at that Court. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Frere, whose name stands no; t in the vote, is one of two men. by whom the outlying arid comparatively recently acquired province of Scinde has been governed with a very small display of physical force, arid a comparatively limited amount of European aid. He was indefatigable at a time of the greatest difficulty in forwarding supplies of all kinds to those parts of the country in which operations were in progress. He has ruled that province of Scinde with justice, with wisdom, and with vigour, neither on the one hand unduly deferring to native prejudices, nor on the other harshly arid .inconsiderately disregarding native ideas and feelings; and the province has throughput been tranquil arid loyal. I said that Mr. Frere was one of two men by whom that province had been kept in order. The other, unhappily, is not to he reached by the thanks 6f this house, or by any expression of national gratitude. But it is'not right that the name and memory of General Jacob (cheers) should pass away without receiving some passing recognition of a genius so rare and a character so exalted. (Cheers.) General Jacob was in aliriost every respect the pattern of what an officer commanding native troops ought to be. His nien would have gone anywhere and have done anything, (Hear.) With such an officer, no difficulty as to caste could arise with his men,'because he trusted them arid they trusted him; and they well knew that he never spared himself; that if he gave an order disagreeable, to their feelings it was not done wantonly or in ignorance, but because it was requisite for the good of the service. (Hear, hear.) General Jacob kept peace on the wildest frontiers of India, and but of a comparative desert created a flourishing settlement. (Hear, hear.) Upon this settlement, I believe I am right in saying, ke: kid out such private means as he had acquired, arid he has difd at thY asje of 45, \yorn out with exhaustion, .from excessive labour, having given all he had, even his life, to the service of the State. (Cheers.) Mr. Montgomery, during a great part of the last year, having the advantage of a long previous training in the Punjab Government, administered the civil affairs of Oude. • He was left, and wisely left, with large powers of independent .action, and with a discretion comparatively unfettered; and I am only stating that which I have heard, from 'every,quarter} and which I 'believe' to be -strictly true, when I say it is to his tact, to' his temper, to liis skill and good management, to his indefatigable perssnal exertions,' that we owe, in a great degree, that so in any of the landowners of Oude—those, I mean, who had become compromised in the rebellion—rhavebepri induced; to make terms with the British:Governtiierit. (Hear.) Considering the importance of the operations in Oude, and hovy much the. success of the military movements there have been influenced by the conduct of the civil administration, I think the house will not be inclined to refuse an acknowledgment of theservices of Mr. Montgomery.. (Cheers.) I come now to the strictly military operations which have been carried on during the last 12 months, and I wish to say that, in mentioning the services of officers who have been engaged in these operations' I shall riot attempt to give anything like a detailed! or connected narrative of the., military transactions; in India. Ido not pretend to the requisite famil-; iarity with military subjects, and I apprehend that

j jven, tothose who do-possess the requisite familiar* ity, so many and- so Various have beeir the operations carried-on—biking;place as they have done simultaneously in dilfererit parts of India—that ife would be hardly possible within any reasonable compass toi bring the whole.■of" them before the eye in a single connected view. It seems to me. that the operations o£ this war mainly divide themselvesinto four principal epochs. The campaign which, ended in the seige and capture of Delhi first broka: I the insurgent power in^ the North-West. Nexfa • followed that series of operations^ beginning withy i the first and then the final relief of Lucknow.,and> ending: in the siege and capture of-that .placed rinrdly, you have to take into account that entirely; ; separate and distinct series of operations carried on by bir Hugh Rose in Central India, which ended* m the complete subjection and tranquilization.off ; that part of our empire. And lastly, we have beI fore us- that comparatively bloodless,—but bloodless only because planned with consummate skill and judgment—campaignvin Oude, which has ended in the entire re-establishment of peace in-that country. With this brief sketch I shall proceed to mention the names of those officers in the military servico who are named in the vote, and who have taken a principal part in the operations. The name of Lord Clyde is one which; half a century, of military service has rendered familiar alike to Asia and to Europe. (Hear, hear.) Whether we look to the remota period of the Peninsular campaign, or to earlier? service in India itself, or to the operations in China of 20 years ago, or to that great Crimean contest in which on the; English side no braver or bettec officer appeared ; or. whether we look to the transactions of the last 18 months, we find everywhere the same personal daring, the same cool and cautious policy, the same energy, the same promptitude and the same decision in the public service.. (Cheers.) Lord Clyde, as we know,: left England literally at '.a; day's notice to take, part in this. Indian war, and the rapidity and decision .'which he the^i evinced were only an earnest of the qudlities w^ich. he displayed in every, subsequent traisaction. (Cheers.) No soldier of that army can complain oJE: his share of fatigue or exposure when he sees the> Coinmander-iiv-Chief of India, nearly 70 years of age, sharing that fatigue, more than sharing that exposure, beaving in addition the heavy responsibility of that immense cpmrnan.4> and, as, happenecl only a few weeksago, when struck down by an accident which would have disabled a younger man, refusing to lay u,p, refusing to allow himself tho necessary time for rest and recovery, but still continuing : to follow the march of his troops and to act as their chief. . (Cheers.) Everything I heay, everything Tread of the peysonal, bearing of Lord Clyde identifies him in my mind with that young Lieutenant. Canipbell who 40 years a*o led tna storming party in the desperate and unsuccessful assault '; upon, St. Sebastian. (Cheers.) : How cautious has been lvis military: policy, how economical of his soldiers' lives have beenhis campaigns the military; history of this, country will' prove. (Heaj.) I ..cannot > but be struck with this factr?* in all the: criticisms! which are necessarily passed upon imlitary affairs, I have never heard « siijgle, mistake or a single error in judgment attributed to Lord Clyd.e. Ijear.) The only comment which ; I have heard upon his military ppljcy has beeu the complaint of some that he had a. tendency towards excessive caution, and that ha preferred,to employ a large force where a small fprce would probably have sufficed. Sir, that is a tendency which may be justified, not only on tha score of humanity, as anticipating resistance and preventing loss of life by an. over whelming display of force, hut in India especially it maybe justified on the score of policy also. (Hear, hear.) In a country of that Mndi where so much of your power depends, and necessarily depends, upon the opinion, entertained of your power, the moral effect of even a single reverse can hardly be calculated ; arid certainly is not to be measured by the mere material damage which it may occasion. (Hear* hear.) lam only .expressing the universal opinion when I say that the appointment.of Lord Clyde to the com inarid in India is an honour to the Minister who selected him. (Hear.) And here, perhaps, I may be. permitted to refer to the career of that distinguished:officer,/in order to point out that whatever may be the defects inherent in our civil, and military administration, thosu defects do not; prevent in en ,of humble social position, but of energy arid talents, from rising without interest or influence tpr the highest and most important post* in the empire. '(Hear.) Sir, the name which stands next on my list, arid whiph, if such distinctions are not invidious, yields in renown only to> that of Lord Clyde, is the name of Sir Hugh EoseSir Hugh Rose" commanded the force engaged in the campaign of Central liidia, and the services of the troops whom he led have been so clearly and distinctly described by himself that I think I canriot do better than describe his own words. "His force," he says, " marched 1,084- miles, took 150 pieces of cannon, took one entrenched cam'pj one fortified city, one'partly entrenched town, fought 16 successful actions, captured 20 forts, and never received a cheek." (Cheers.) Sir; I think that plain and unadorned, and most matter-of-fact description of results achieved, shows an eloquence which Englishmen know how to appreciate—tha eloquence of simplicity arid of truth. (Cheers.) English troops caii dp such things as are here described, but even English troops can only do these things if-they have confidence in the general under whom they serve-r-if they know that their.courage and discipline will not be wasted, and their lives thrown away by an error, in judgment, by professional ignorance, or by any rash and hasty impulse of undisciplined conrage. (Cheers.) The campaign of Central Asia is in many respects one of the niost memorable of late years. It was a campaign waged, as indeed almost all those waged in India have been, against great numerical odds. It was a campaign carried on during and through the hottest and worst season of the year, at a time when European troops are rarely called upon to act in the field. It was a campaign which involved a perpetual arid unremitting series of marches,_ sieges, and battles, none of them .perhaps operations in themselves of fivstrrate military importance, but collectively, as I. imagine, constituting a far severer trial of the courage, discipline and endurance of the troops engaged than could have been afforded by any single siege.' The quality of personal courage is' happily one for tha exhibition of which no one chinks, of praising an English officer or an English general; endurance is a quality which among Englishmen is almost as prevalent: but f nevertheless think it is .ilmost iinjiassible for any one to follow the incidents of the late campaign in- Inclia without being' filled with admiration for the cdnduo't for Sir H- Jiose, strnggliug as/he did agidiist the severity of' a terrible : climate again and again-, disabled but never giving up^. encountering fatigue and -suffering, and always showing himself leaiiy to'place hifnself at- the head of his troops, thus conque;ing physical- weaknesswith-thatpower which belongs only to a'determined will.. (Hear, hear.) The services of Sir-J. Qutovin require, I imagine, no mention from me in order to become known to this house. (Cheers.) We are all well ' aware how, in conjunction with/ Sir 11. Havelock, he penetrated into Lncknow-with reinforcements in the moritJvqt'.Seijteiivbe.i1, 1847; how he toojc command of the garrisonl arat: r^ixiained there .until lie-was relieve bvt3iOi^|Cnj^-»j: in the juorith of November; howrh'e;l^d^yh,ei|isbl»ted' and exposed posjt of the Aluriibagife m#l >March,- in ■ the- face of vast bbdies of rebels-•whom 3 he kept in check; and "how lie aided' in- th>.final capture of Lncknow. (Hear, hear.)' Tvimaintiiiriingthe occupation of the Alumbiigh Sir .1. Oa' a%n rr.ndered a- service of m-t

••only great military, but of great .political importance, because he thus proved to. all India that the ■withdrawal of our troops from lucknow was a withdrawal dictated mevely by strategical .reasons, and did not assume aspect of an abandonment -of that city. (Hear, -hear.) »I shall simply add that {Lord -Glytle, in mentioning^the name ot Sir-J. Outram.Bpeaks of •*' the brilliant and thoroughly complete-manner in^vhioh die executed the-duties intrusted tolhim." '-(Hear.iieaiv) The nextaiame on my list is that of Major-General Roberts, who commanded the Rajpootnna field force, and *who, on the 30th of .March, made a successful assault on Kotah, itakinsr &6 pieces of artillery. ;He also defeated a -forceof the Gwalior rebels on August 14th, with a loss of \I,OOO men, and subsequently defeated another body of -them at Sanganeer. He, hi short,- rendered most valuable service throughout the operations in India, and afforded the utmost assistance to Sir H. Rose. (Hear, hear."* I come now to the name of Major-General Whitlock, wlo, on the 10th of April, 1858,-gained a victory over the rebels at Jughaiyand on the 19fch of the same month-defeated the Nawab of Banda, on which occasion he took his palace, a fort, and 13 guns. (Hear, hear.) He also co-operated with Sir H. Rose throughout the recent operations in India. (Hear, hear!) There is another name which has been rendered familiar to the people of thiscountry in connexion with the operations which took place at the seige of Delhi—l allude to that of Sir Archdale Wilson. (Cheers.) I do not now, however, propose to advert to those operations at greater length. Sir A. Wilson was again employed in March; 1858, -when he commanded the artillery at Lncknow, on which occasion, according to the testimony of Lord Clyde, "he bore a conspicuous part in its reduction." Lord Clyde goes on to add— . ■..-... ,

"The merits of Sir A. Wilson are. too widely known to gain anything from encomium by me, but I may be permitted to express my satisfaction at "having* been able to avail myself of the services of of this distinguished officer. The effective fire of .the artillery during the long operationsithat depended so much on the management of that arm elicited general admiration."

Sir Hope Grant, whose name I shall now mention, has perhaps been more constantly and actively engaged than almost any other officer who has taken ■a part in the suppression of the recent outbreak in "India. (Hear, hear.) He has also, I believe, been -mentioned more frequently than any other officer in despaicb.es; ever in the front of the fight, a ■complete narrative of the engagements in which he has taken part would in itself furnish a history -not very incomplete of the whole of the operations during the mutiny. (Cheers.) Sir H. Grant comananded a cavalry brigade at the siege of Delhi; led a column sent in pursuit of the enemy from that fortress in October, 1857 j commanded a division at the relief of Lucknow in November, and at Cawnpore in the month of December of the same year. He also commanded a division at •Lucknow in March, where, Lord Clyde said, he fully justified the expectations which he had formed of his high military qualities. He was again sent in pursuit of the rebels after the capture of Luelcnowj and at Nawabgunj defeated a force of 16,000 of theenemy with a vastly inferior number; took nine guns, crossed the Goomtee, fought a battle on theGogra, and on that occasion was complimented; by Lord Clyde, who said that "he had given effect to his instructions in his usual brilliant manner." (Hear, hear.) -In his despatch, dated the 7th of January, of this year, Lord Clyde adds:-— '.

"" Sir Hope Grant's despatches during the last six "months have told the story of the admirable part taken'by him in this war. I cannot say too much ■in his praise. He has: the rare merit of uniting the greatest boldness in action to a firm and correct .'judgment and the most scrupulous regard for his . orders and instructions."

(Cheers.) When an officer is thus mentioned in a -despatch of his Coramander-in-Chief, I think I -am justified in including his name in the vote to which I am now asking the House of Commons to rassent. ; (Renewed cheers.) Next in order comes Sir W. Mansfield, who has filled an office which is comparatively new, I believe, in the military system of this country—that of Chief of the Staff. -In-that capacity he was—if I may Joe allowed "to • use the phrase—the right hand of rthe Commander-in-Chiefj and the relations which subsisted between these two distinguished men, furnish, I am glad to say, an instance, happily not rare in the army, of professional co-operation, combined with personal friendship. (Hear, hear.) Lord Clyde, in his des- . patch of the 16fch of January last, adverting to -the relief of Lucknow, writes as follows :—

" I cannot convey to your lordship in adequate terms my deep sense of the obligations I am under to Major-General Mansfield for the very able and cordial assistance he has afforded me and the service during these operations, and how admirably the Terj many important duties belonging to his situa-tion-have been performed."

, (Hear, heai\) In December, 1857, Sir W. "Mansfield commanded the division at Cawnpore,. on which occasion his conduct also was highly praised; and in May, 1858, referring to the capture of Xucknow, Lord Clyde writes :—

"I have now the pleasingtask of communicating to your lordship the name of an officer to whom, not only I, as commanding general, but the service at large is under great obligations, Major-General Mansfield, Chief of the Staff, whose labours have been unceasing, whose abilities are of the highest .order, and have been of the greatest use to me during this campaign. It is impossible for me to praise this officer too highly, or to recommend him sufficiently to the protection of your lordship and the Government. 1*

-(Cheers.) Since that despatch was written, Sir W. - Mansfield had served through the last campaign in Oude, and I shall add to the testimony of Lord Clyde, in reference to his services, the simple expression of my belief that anybody who has the good fortune of knowing him, in however slight a degree, will concur in the justice of that estimate of his abilities to which his Commander-in-Chief has given so graceful an expression, and of which, in my opinion, he has formed no exaggerated estimate. (Cheers;) I may now advert to-the name -of Sir T. Pranks, who.crossed the Gogra in com.jnand of a division to be present during the operations at the siege of Lucknow. Of that gallant officer Lord Clyde writes that his division was on the occasion in question " admirably commanded.". (Hear, hear.) His chief exploit was, how&veiythe •rapid and skilful manoeuvre which ended in the -defeat of a separate body of insurgents in three different battles at Chanda, Ameerapora, and Sultanpore, within four days,? taking several pieces of . artillery. (Hear:) Sir "E. Lugard also commanded a division atrthe capture of Luelmow, and received the high praise of tlie{26raman3ei--m-Chief. In vthe following April and May he commanded at .Azimghur a field force, by means of which a large tract of country, was recovered which had up-to /that time remained in the hands of the insurgents. Lord Clyde speaks of ":the Skill he had.displayed," -and expresses admiration of the 'manner in which ;(he troops under his charge had borne exposure and fatigue. (Hear, hear;) Sir J. Michel commanded the Mhow afield force, and defeated Tantia Topee at Beowra, with a loss of 3S guns, in addition to hie camp andsbaggage. .'Since that time he; .has been employed—and I venture to say he has been most assiduous in the discharge of -that very necessary and important duty—-in hunting down 'the detached and broken.forces -of the insurgents. (Hear, hear.) I now .come to Brigadier Walpole, ■who received -the praise of the Commander-in-•Chief for his oonduct at Cawnpore. He coma division at Lucknow, which Lord Clyde as having been ".admirably managed."

■'(Hear, hear.) Since that time he has been in.comimand of a, field force in Rohilcund and Kumaon, which has been frequently engaged with the enemy, ;and I think those whom" I have the honour to ad•dress will feel that in the case of aiiiofficer who has rendered such good, service -to the country, and who has so long stood faithful to the discharge .of i 1 his duties, a single reverse—such as may happen to any general, no matter how able he may be, and which such -a man would not be ashamed to acknowledge—affords no ; good reason why Brigadier Walpole should not rsceive the thanks of the House of Commons. (Cheers.) I ihav-e now to mention, with rather more particularity, the great and effective services of Sir It. Napier. He marched with Havelock and Outram to Lucknow upon the occasion of the first relief. He remained and de- ; fended the residency until the dale of the final relief in November. The Commander-in-.Chief writes :— . . : ■■ ; ■

, " The success of the troops has been in no small degree promoted by the incessant and self-denying devotion of Colonel "Napier, who has never been absent many hours, by day or night, from any one of the points of operation; whose advice has ever been readily tendered and gratefully accepted by the executive officers, whose earnestness and kind cordiality have stimulated and encouraged all ranks and grades amidst their -har-. rassing difficulties and dangerous labours." And again, upon a late occasion, referring to the part which Sir R. Napier took in the capture of Lucknow,, Lord Clyde says, " it is difficultto give an adequate idea of the zeal and activity he has displayed." Since then Sir R. Napier has been in the command of the Gwalior division, and among other services lie performed the singularly-brilliant and successful act of defeating with an inferior force of cavalry a large body ■of the enemy, capturing Gwalior and 24 pieces of artillery. I believe I have now gone through the list of .officers, whose names are included in the vote which I have to propose,'and if I have dwelt at some length upon what may be regarded as dry enumeration of gallant actions, I hope the house will believe that I have done so in the performance of-a duty to-those officers whose names I have mentioned. (Hear, hear.) lam anxious, before I sit: down to explain the principle upon-which this vote has been framed. Happily, instances of gallantry and devotion have not been rare, but it would be impossible to recognize all those instances, even taking only officers holding comparatively high and responsible positions. In drawing the line as to what names should, be included in the vote, it was felt that the least invidious mode, and the course sanctioned by precedent, would be to consider the military standing of the individuals.and the operations in which they had been engaged. We have included all those who have commanded independent divtsions and have been actively engaged in the field. There is another rule which has been laid down in preparing this vote, to which I wish to advert, because it may explain the omission of names which some hon. members-might think ought to have been included. It has been thought right not to go back to the operations of 1857, that is to say, to those operations which were within the knowledge of the Government of the day when the last vote of thanks was proposed, because nothing could be more improper or unseemly than that one Government should in. a, ; , matter of this kind to attempt to revise the decision that its predecessors had come to. I mention this because there are one or two names which, but for the necessity of some limitation such as that I have referred to, I would gladly have included in the vote. I think -the services which Sir Patrick Grant rendered in 1857 were deserving of national acknowledgement. Sir Patrick Grant for a time held the chief command in India previous to the arrival of Sir C. Campbell, but he has not been actively engaged in the field during any portion of the last year, and therefore, acting upon the rule we have laid down, it was not possible to include his name. There is also Sir J. Jones, who commanded a division which entered Rohilcund, whose name is omitted from a similar cause. Brigadier Chamberlain, too, is not mentioned; but I am assured that no man did more to organize the Punjab force. We are not unmindful r either of >the name.of Sir C. Cotton, who, though not engaged -in any regular operations upon a large scale, yet Tendered most valuable and.effective service in keeping peace upon the wild frontiers of Eusofyze. And, now, Sir, -having paid the tribute that is due to those who live, it is not fitting that, we should pass away entirely from the subject without recognizing the services of the dead. (Hear, hear.) Operations like these which have been carried on for the last eighteen months could not be conducted without a great and lamentable loss of life, and their loss to the public service is not one that can be measured by any numerical test, because it is always the best and bravest officers who rush to the front, —who volunteer for every service of danger or difficulty, who expose themselves to every risk, and among whom, therefore, there is necessarily the greatest loss of life. There are two names which are especially distinguished. The first is that of Major Hodson, one of the Guides (hear, hear), who, in his short but brilliant military career displayed every quality which an officer should possess. (Hear.) Nothing is more remarkable in glancing over the biography of Major Hodson that has just appeared than the variety of services in which he was engaged. At one time he displayed his great personal skill and courage as a swordsman in conflict with the Sikh fanatics ; was then transferred to the civil service, in which he performed his duties as though he had passed his whole life at the desk, afterwards recruiting and commanding the corps of Guides, and, lastly, taking part in. the operations before Delhi, volunteering for every enterprise in which life could be hazarded or glory .could be won. He crowded into the brief space of eleven eventful years the services and adventures of a long life. He died when his reward was assured, obtaining only that reward which he most coveted—the consciousness of duty done, and the. assurance of enduring military renown. The other name to which I shall refer is a name which will always be received with feelings of special and individual interest by this house. No words of mine can add to the glory attaching to the. short but noble career of Sir W. Peel. (Cheers.) He bore a name which is inseparably connected with the parliamentary history of this country, and .it was .with feelings of almost personal pride and of personal grief that a great number of the members of this house received the accounts of his glorious achievements and of his'untimely end. (Hear, hear.) For his own reputation he had lived long enough,; no future acts could have enhanced his fame. It is.England, it is his countiy that deplores his loss. (Hear, hear.) The last resolution which I propose, is one which I am sure needs no words of mine to recommend it—l mean the resolution acknowledging the devotion and bravery of the non-commissioned officers and privates of the army. (Hear, hear.) Never wasßritishcouragemore nobly displayed. Never was it move needed. In order to .prevent misapprehension I propose to add words to the resolution which will include the petty officers, seamen, and marines serving in India. (Hear, hear.) I believe, sir, if the people of this country pay, as they do, one and all, rjch and poor, respect to the courage and endurance of 'our'troops1 in India, it is not .merely, in consideration of the results which that courage, and endurance have produced. It is not merely because we rivye to them the restoration of our power in India, the enhancement of our military reputation, but it is from other and different reasons. It is because we feel that the qualities of courage and endurance which have been so singularly displayed in this war are qualities which lie at the very root of our

national character, and that if those qualities should cease to form a part of our national character, not only our military power, not only oar possessions abroad would be endangered, but the honour, the independence, the safety, nay, the very existence of this great and world-wide empire coulu not be maintained for a day longer. (Cheers.) Without further comment, sir, I beg to move the,resolutions which 1 have placed in your hand. (Cheers.) ; The resolutions moved by the noble lord ran as follows:— ■■'."■'

"1. That thethanksof this House be g\ yen to the Eight Hon. Charles John Viscount Canning, G.C.8., Her Majesty's Viceroy and Governor-Gen-eral of India ; the Bight Hon. John Lord Elphinstone, G.C.8., Governor of the Presidency of Bombay; Sir John Laird Mair Lawrence, Baronet, G.C.8., late Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab ; Sir Robert North Collie Hamilton, Baronet, Agent to the Governor-General in Central India ; Henry Cartle Edward Frere, Esq., Commissioner in Scinde; Robert Montgomery, Esq., late Chief Commissioner in Oude,for the ability with which they have severall3 r employed the resources at their disposal for the re-establishment of peace in Her Majesty's Indian dominions. "2. That the thanks of this House be given to General the Right Hon. Lord Clyde, /G.G.B. Com-mander-in-Chief in India ; Lieutenant-General Sir James Outram, Baronet, G.C.8.; Major-General Sir Hugh Henry Rose, • G.C.B. ; Major-General Henry Gee Roberts, Major-General George -Cornish Whitlock, Major-General Sir Archdale Wilson, Baronet, X.C.8..; Major-General Sir James Hope Grant, K.C.B.^j Major-General Sir William Rose Mansfield, 1C.C.8. ; Major-General Sir Thomas Harte Franks, K.C.B. ; Major-General Sir Edward Lugard, X.C.8.; Major-General Sir John Michel, K.C.B. ; Brigadier-General Robert Wai pole, C.8.; Brigadier-General Sir Robert Napier, ■<X.C,8., for the eminent skill, courage, and perseverance .displayed by them during the military operations by which the late insurrection in India has been effectually suppressed. . ■■'.-...

"3. That the thanks of this House be given to the other gallant'officers of Her Majesty's army and navy, and also of Her Majesty's Indian forces, for the intrepidity, zeal, and endurance evinced by them in the arduous operations of the late Indian cam paign. , • . "4. That this House doth highly approve and acknowledge the valour, self-devotion and brilliant services of the-non-commissioned officers and private soldiers, both European-and Native, who have taken part in the suppression of the recent disturbances in India ; and that the same be signified to them by the commanders of their several corps, who are desired to thank them for their gallant behaviour."