THE THANKS OF PARLIAMENT TO THE ARMY IN INDIA.

Colonist, Issue 63, 28 May 1858, Page 3

THE THANKS OF PARLIAMENT TO THE ARMY IN INDIA.

SPEECH OF LORD PALMERSTON.

In proposing'the thanks of the House of Comm >ns to the Indiati Army, Lord Palmerston

said:—

I rise, Sir, to perform a duty at once painful and gratifying to the person who has to perform it—one which I am sure will excite in the minds of exery member of this House those two ! opposite feelings. The occasion upon which we are assembled is of no ordinary character, j The House should bear in mind those great, events which in the last year have hap.pened in India, and which have called forth from the British residents in every part of that country j all those high and distinguished qualities which characterise our race, and which never in the .history of the world have been more eminently displayed. That great mutiny, which has extended to almost the whole of our Bengal army, and to some small portion of the armies in the, other presidencies, was an event unexpected by anybody. It was foreseen by nobody before it happened, although there have been many proplsets after the fact. There were those to whom it was known that as to particular matters of local concern certain regiments of sepoys manifested, a discontented aud mutinous feeling; but those who best knew the sepoys, and who hud'had'the longest experience of them, reposed the most perfect confidence in their general loyalty and:fidelity. Sir Charles Napier, who had, as he said himself, for sis years the, command of the Bengal force, in a paper which I laid upon the table last session, dated 1849, described the native troops as proverbial for their fidelity. It is true that in that very paper he mentions that Lord Hardinge—who had not hid so much experience of the character of the Indian soldiers, but who, judging, probably, more correctly as it ha 3 turned out, by the general principles of human nature, thought that it would not be expedient to collect a large body of the native troops together for the purpose of military exercise, lest they might revolt. But Sir Charles Napier, alluding to that opinion, distinctly said that he entertained no such apprehension, and that he should confidently rely upon the fidelity of any number of native troops that might be collected in large masses for the purpose of instruction. This great mutiny, which began by small degrees, but gradually extended itself over a vast extent of the country, and withdrew: an immense amount of the military force of India, took the Europeans in that country almost entirely by surprise. Those officers who wore, best acquainted with the character of their troops had so much confidence in their fidelity that they could not be persuaded, even at the last moment, to believe in the danger that had arisen^ and some of these gallaut men unfortunately fell victims to the over-confidence which they reposed in their troops This great evil coming unexpectedly, and taking the civil and military servants of the Company and of the Crown in India by surprise, greater opportunities have been afforded than if warning had been given for the display of that energy, that resource, that self-reliance, that courage and perseverance, which they have shewn upon so many and such great occasions. Though we rejoice at the triumphs which have been obtained, and. are proud of the successes which our troops have gained over superior numbers, yet it would be unworthy of this House, and not in consonance with the feelings' of the people of this country, if we were not to m .urn over the many grout and brave men who have fullen in this great revolt. Ido not allude to.those private afflictions which have been the consequence of acts of bai'barity committed upon the civilians. That is an affair which, however painful it must be to the feelings of-every man who has heard of those barbarities, is yet one with which it -is not the duty of Parliament to concern themselves in their

colled ive capacity. We look to what concerns the pubic service of the ountry. In passing a vote of thanks to the living. it would be unworthy of us not to pay a passing, but well deserved tributp, to those whom this, country has lost. We have lost m;>ny men, some of whom gave promise of future distinction, and some of whom by their active careers had entitled themselves to the gratitude of the country. The first, man whom I should mention, because he was the first to perish, is General Anson, who was Commander-in-Chief when the mutiny first broke out. General Anson, though in a state of health which hardly permitted him to undertake any active operation at the moment, immediately assumed the command of such troops as he could collect, and pressed forward with them to Delhi. General Anson was reproached by certain persons in this country who were unacquainted with the facts with, having unnecessarily delayed the investment of Delhi, and with having waited for a siege train which was not required. Now, Sir, so little informed were the people of this country with regard to the state of things in India that many persons imagined that Delhi was an opon town, which could be at once walked into by any force that might be brought against it, and few were aware that it was surrounded by forts and batteries. General Anson unfortunately fell an early victim to his zeal for the public service, and was succeeded by General Barnard, who marched to Delhi, and who, during the short time that he was spared, displayed the finest qualities of generalship. General Barnard, on arriving be-' fore Delhi, gained a considerable advantage over a body of sepoys who were outside the town. Some officers might have paused after an engagement sin- which, although success had been achieved, it 'had been achieved with great exertion, and after a long and harassing' inarch, but General Barnard saw that if the sepoys were allowed to remain outside the town they would strengthen their position, and he accordingly routed them and drove them within the town, thus gaining a great advantage for the besiegers. Well, Sir, General Barnard also fell a, victim to his zeal, and vyas succeeded by General Wilson, who happily is still spared to us. The list of those, indeed, who have perished, either by disease or by the sword, in this unhappy struggle would be too long for me to recapitulate ; but I may, perhaps, be allowed to mention the names of some who have performed actions which have been most prominent in the public view, and in doing so I must not be supposed to imply that there are not ; others whose names I do not mention who are equally worthy of public esteem. Sir H. Lawrence was a man with whose services we^are. ail acquainted. He was a, man who had for years held most distinguished positions, both military and civil, and every man who is acquainted with, India knows how admirably he discharged the duties which fell to his lot. Then there were General Nicholson and Sir H. Wheeler, who fell at Cawnpore, both officers of surpassing merit. It is sufficient merely to mention the name of General Havelock, for all must feel, the loss which the country has sustained in his death, and we all know how deep was the lamentation- and re-

gret of the. country at' his death. Then there was General Neill, an officer of great merit, and whose death was a great loss to -the country. Lieutenant Willougbby- distinguished himself by one of the most daring attempts ever made, and,, although when he blew up the magazine at Delhi he at the time escaped, he fell a victim afterwards, either to dise.ise.or to the assault or ambuscades of the enemy. Then there ..was Salkeld, whose name, with that of Lieutenant Home, will go down to posterity as;those of men who in the performance of a desperate duty, blowing in the gate of Delhi, displayed a cool judgment and an indifference to danger which has never been surpassed. Well, Sir, there have been many others whose bames I forbear from enumerating, but whose services we ought not upon the present occasion to forget. There is ona consolation in. this matter, and that is, that the display which we have seen of those great1 and mauly qualities which adorn the people of %bis country, has been so general that it is impossible not to bjlieve that ] many persons who have had no opportunity of I distinguishing themselves would have shewn qualities equal to those which have earned for their more fortunate brethren the grateful -recollection of their country. I then come to those whose good services have happily been spared to us, and I will state to the House the resolutions which I propose-to move. I propose, in the first instance—and it is the ,usual practice upon such occasions—-not only to thank the military and naval' officers and men for the services -which they have rendered, but also to.; thank those persons at the head of the civil government whoj by the arrangement which they made, and by the means which they have placed at the disposal of the military officers, have essentially contributed to the success which has happily attended our efforts.. I propose not only to thank the officers and men of the sister services, but to add a resolution of which I have not given notice; but lam sure that, although it is a departure from the strict practice of the House, it will not be objected to upon any point of order. I think that this House, in recognising the services of the naval and military officers and men in India, will at the same time be mosi willing to acknowledge the services of a great number of persons who, nut belonging to the military profession, have in different parts of India defended their posts when attacked, and have ably co-operated with the military. Some objection may be taken to the first resolution, which relates to the services of Viscount Canning, Governor-General of the British Possessions in the East Indies; Lord Harris, Governor of the Presidency of Madras; Lord Elphinsiooe, Governor of the Presidency of Bombay ; S r John Laird Mair Lawrence, G.C.8., Chief Commissioner of the Punjab; and Heflry Battle Frere, General Commander of Scinde. Now, Sir, if those different officers had not perf< rmed the services which they have performed —-if they had not evinced the utmost diligence aud-care, by which alone they were enabled to place at the disposal of the military commanders a considerable force even before the arrival of a single man from England, the successes which we have obtained might probably not have befallen us; Delhi and Cawnpore might not have fallen, nor might Lucknow have been relieved. When first the mutiny assumed a shape which displayed its formidable extent and magnitude, Lord Canning, knowing "that a considerable period must elapse befure large reinforcements could arrive from England, began to consider whence he could obtain troops, and he wrote fc),Lord Elgin, strongly urging him to permit the force which was under directions for China to be diverted from its destination, and to proceed to the assistance of the army iti India. Well, Sir, Lord Elgin, with prompt and ready zeal, immediately acquiesced, and consented to denude himself of that force on which he depended for the success of the mission upon which he had been sent—feeling the vast importance of suppressing the mutiny in India, Lord Elgin immediately consented to part with his force, and for the time abandon the negociation with which; he had been entrusted. ' Lord Canning sent also to the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope for assistance, and Sir George Grey, although there were certain symptoms with regard to the Caffres calculated to excite some uneasiness, seeing the importance of the emergency, sent him men, horses, artillery, and money—in short, everything which could assist Lord Canning upon the occasion. Sir H. Ward, also, in Ceylon, and the Governor of the Mauritius, stripped their respective colonies to an extent which perhaps nothing but a great emergency could have justified, and took upon themselves a responsibility which did great honor to their public spirit. Lord Canning took steps also to procure from Persia, from the Mauritius, and from Australia, horses to mount the cavalry and artillery which he expected to arrive, or which he had already at his disposal. Being aware, also, that when troops did arrive there might be some difficulty in sanding them up the country from Calcutta, and knowing from former experience the impolicy of the system of conscription' Lord Canning determined to pay the peasantry for their services ; and so successful was that step that, instead of there being any want of the means for conveying 20,000 troops up the country, it had been necessary to send away several hundred bullockcarts. Isay, then, that Lord Canning is justly entitled to the acknowledgments of this House for the energy he shewed on that occasion. Sir, Lord Canning has been the object of much attack:; and I will give the House a specimen of the justice and truth of those attacks. A statement, I am told on authority which I can trust, although I did not see it myself, appeared in a Calcutta newspaper, published at the time when Lord Canning appointed the Staff-officersforthe expedition to Persia, in which it was said, in regard to one of those appointments, that Lord Canning had now crowned all his former follies by. confiding to a worn-out Red-tapist, and a man totally unfitted for such a post, an important military command. .In short, the officer so selected was held up by this newspaper to ridicule and contempt, as a man fit for nothing else but to sit at table with a dinner before him. And who was the officer thus assailed? Why, the distinguished General Havelock. I hope, then; the House will not allow themselves to be led away by the vituperation cast upon Lord Canning by the Calcutta press or by the reports sent home in private letters from that capital. I J entreat them to look at the public serviceswhich Lord Canning has performed in providing bur officers with the means requisite to enable tKera to accomplish their military operations with success, and I think that no, man of generous tnihd will be disposed to refuse to the Governor-General the meed of acknowledgment so justly due to him. I may say the same in a lesser degree of Lord Elphinstone and Lord Harris, who did the utmost in their power to strengthen our forces at the immediate scene of action, by stripping their respective Presidencies of- troops ■which/ even under ordinary circusn-

stances, might have been thought-necessary..--for. their tranquility, aud which, if there;-were to be a mutiny in their arniie.3, would have been doubly essential in those -Presidencies.' The services of Sir John Lawrence were really beyond all praise. Sir. J. Lawrence by his ability andjudgment not only kept the Punjab tranquil, but organised a.large force .of Sikhs—the very men who were before regarded as the most dangerous to our rule —threw himself upon them for support, and then sent almost every European soldier within his' reach to Delhi, by which means General. Wilson was enabled to effect the capture of that great stronghold. I trust, therefore, that this House, ever generous in its appreciation of distinguished public services, will concur in the first resolution which it is my duty to.propose. I must not, however, omit to. mention the name of Mr. Erere, the General Commander of Scinde, who is also included in this vote —a man whose services are so well known that it is superfluous f)r me to allude, to them now at greater length. The second resolution which I have to submit is:-—; • r ;; : ■:•'•.: - "' , ; ;.'.>." ;

" That the thanks of this House be given to His Excellency G-eneral Sir Colin Campbell, G.C.8., Coru-mander-in-Chief of India; Major-General Sir Archdale Wilson, Bart., X.C.8.: and Major-Geneml John Eardley. Wilmot Inglis, E.C.8., for the eminent slu'l, courage-and perseverance displayed by them in the achievmeut ,of so many and, such important triumphs over numerous bodies of the mutineers."

No, warmth of approbation which this House can express can be greater than the services of Sir Colin Campbell deserve. Sir Colin: ■ .Camp-: bell Has displaj ed the highest qualitiesVbioh: can distinguish a General in the field., Z;The alacrity with which he left England to take" the chief command was characteristic of his Highland extraction and of his military genius. When requested to proceed to India he replied that, he would be proud to have the trust com-' mitted to him ; and on being' asked when he would start, he answered, " To-morrow even- | ing." He wanted no time far preparation, ,no delay for arranging his military . equipments. He could get everything he required, he said, at Calcutta, and he would n-<i lose an. hour in leaving England by the first steamer then under orders to sail. He arrived at Calcutta, and. presented himself at the residence of the-Go-vernor-General ; and, whatever may have been reported from India to the contrary, the most perfect confidence, the most perfect harmony, the most perfect reciprocal esteem aud good-will prevailed between him and the Governor-Gene-ral from, the moment that he reached that country down to the latest hour to which our intelligence extends. I know that Sir Colin Campbell has written to the Governor-General, expressing his lively sense of the public services, performed by Lord. Canning- in the course of this war. Sir C. Campbell has the rare merit of uniting to the greatest intrepidity and the most daring courage, thit caution, that combination, that adaptation of means to the end, which is best calculated to accomplish the object in view with the least-possible sacrifice of life to his troops. This most admirable quality is one which perhaps few of the great leaders whose deeds ace recorded on the page of history cari be praised for displaying; but it is nevertheless a quality which his illustrious - predecessor, the Duke of Wellington, eminently possessed, and which is always sure, not onlyto command tin? confidence of .the army, but to render its services doubly effectual when the day of battle arrives. In his splendid advance upon Lucknow, in the manner in which he extricated that large train of women and'children and of sick and wounded from the,beleaguered Residency,; Sir C. Campbell has shewn a military skill and ability that were never surpassed. And when he returned to Cawnpore, and had to attack the Gwalior Contingent,, instead of rushing to the encounter without preparation, he paused to mature his plans and complete his arrangements, and then, inflicted upon. the; enemy a discomfiture all the more signal and ■ decisive fur his previous de'ay. It is a great consolation for the country to know that it possesses so great a commander as Sir C. Campbell has proved himself 'to be; and it is equally satisfactory to feel that we have men who, the moment they are placed in situations of great responsibility, shew themselves fully equal to the occasion, and entitle themselves to the applause and gratitude of their country. Then, Sir, there is General Wilson, who came accidentally to the command of the force before Delhi by the death of his two predecessors. General Wilson has shown, that the officers of the. scientific branches of the service are not less capable than their comrades of the other branches to command armies and achieve | great and glorious results. The skill he exhibited in the various engagements which took place before the great rebel stronghold, the talent he has evinced in conducting the siege, and his judgment in not attempting.the assault until he had a sufficient force under him to insure successY entitle b'ni to the high approbation, and thanks of this House. General Outram, too, after performing with great ability the service upon which he was sent to Persia, returned to India, and was appointed to a command which eutitled him to supersede General Havelock, who had been earning by-repeated successes those laurels which now, alas! can only crown his monument. Yet Sir J. Outram, with a spirit of chivalry equal to his gallantly and skill -with that generosity which is often the accompaniment of true courage, declined to take from General Havelock the command of that, .force with which he had acquired such brilliant distinction, telling him thit;'•/•Jjriti| you have succeeded in relieving Lucknow, the object of your successive efforts, I ~ will serve under you as a volunteer, and will not step in to deprive you df that glory which you so justly deserve." It is gratifying, then, to see that those who distinguish themselves in arms also shew themselves to be endowed with-the magnanimity so nobly displayed in this instance by General Outram. The r exertions of General Cotton and Colonel Edwards were also of important service, in conjunction with Sir J. Lawrence, at Peshawuf; while by General Hope Grant, an officer of great distinction and great promise, very brilliant achievements have been performed, which lead us to hope that, from his time of life; he may yet long continue to be an honor to his profession, and a glory to liis country. Therrthere is General Chainberlain, who greatly distinguished himself at Delhi, and also General Greathed, whose gallant feats have won him so much fame. I mention these names because, although some of them cannot be formally mentioned in the resolution, it. would yet be a suppression of the feelings of this House were they .not inscribed in the records of our discussion. „ Still I cannot name them all, even orally, but must content myself with only pointing out those who happen to have had the greatest opportunity of making themselves prominent. There is Colonel Jones, of the 31st Foot, who raade himself conspicuous at Delhi; Colonel Campbell, of the 32nd, and Colonel Jones/of the 60th ? ; who also cUstinguished them-

selves on the occasion. (Colonel BairdSmkßJ of the engineers,.- had the merit of coadiictirig;,. under General Wilson^ all the siege operations of Delhi with-the greatest ability, and succeeded in placing a battery within 50 yards of the wall to be breached,-^, feat worthy the highest ad* miration; Lieutenant Kayner and Lieutenant Forrest to-operated with. Lieutenant Willoughby in that gallant exploit"of blowiug up the maga« zinc at Delhi. General Wo'odburn, of the Bombay army, and Brigadier-General Steuart have als<v rendered tessential service; \vhiie'..General Van Cortiandt has acquired great reputation, hy his achievements in the Punjab. There was Brigadier-General ' Burnes; Colonel Vincent Eyre, who performed most gallant and mostini-. portanfc services; ; Colonel Inglis, a name never to be forgotteu and made illustrious by that gallant defence of Lucknow, which he conducted through three months of uuexampled suffering and difficulty. Tlieo, Sir, there was another man, not indeed belonging to .the army, but who was always to be found where fighting was going on—Captain Peel, who has distinguished himself equally at sea, and on land,-and who, was always foremost in battle. I shall also move, —■• \-.i.---,;'■■■'. '.■• . ■■':■.•_■: ." "That" the thanks of this House be given to-the other gallant officers of Her Majesty's army, navy, and marines; and also of the Hon. East India Company's service,_for the_ intrepidity, the patient endurance, and other high military qualities which have marked.their discharge of those arduous duties which they 'have so successfully performed. That this House doth; highly approve and acknowledge the high courage; the devoted' loyalty, and the brilliant services, of'the noucom missioned ;Offic«jrs and meriof her^Xaj'etet^'s military and naval forces, of the Euro^eantrbopsiiii. the service of the Hon. East. India Company;. arid! of the great body, of.those native corps throughout India who have remained faithful- to their standards; and that the same be signified to them by the commandersfof the' saveral corps, who are desired to thank theni for their gallant behaviour." ,>•:.• ' : . • , i.. '. I am happy to say that even in the Bengal army some corps have remained faithful to their allegiance. ;'. that in the-Very. towji of Lucknow there were Bengal'troops who" not only bravely and gallantly -co-operated with the European garrison in defending the place, but, being within talking distance of, the mutineers, aud being repeatedly and constantly solicited; to be faithless "Vto : their oaths* r and ■t> join their rebellious countrymen, steadily lesisted all the allurements .which were held out to them, and resolved to shed the last drop of their blood in 'conjunction with their European allies. That honorable fact oiighfcto be remembered, in justice, to a portion, at leasts of the.: Bengal sepoys.. 4 In the Madras army there was hardly any, and in the Bombay f army- only slight disaffection, and it.is,.l tlnnlc^ due ta those troops—a large, portion ; of our native army—who have remaiiied faithful-^to their standards that their fidelity should be recorded^ and acknowlj d^ed. In addition to these resolutions, Sir, I would move one of which I have not given .notice,, but which I trust the House will nevertheless.accept, viz.-:— , ■ ,;.;.., :■*;,■

" That this House do highly appreciate and cordially approve the courage, self devotion, and exemplary conduct of the persona who, though not holding military rank, have neverthe'ess performed valuable military service in defence of the various posts through-^ out the disturbed districts in India at which they were resident; and that the Governor-General be requested to> thank these persons for their spirited and patriotic exertions." " •• . ■ :

We should not be (Ling justice to these persons if we did not include them in our thanks. To name them would be impossible, because the reports which we have received would not enable us to do so. There are many of them who have performed heroic actions—there are many who have shewn the greatest military, capacity; who have resisted[superior numbers not only with courage and perseverance, But also with the greatest possible skill; and, taking a large view of these transactions/we should not do justice to ourowu feelings if we did not include them in our resolutions. With these" observations I beg leave to propose the votes of which I have given notice. It must be satis? factory to the people of this country,to see that our coun!rymei?, whether they have; been brought up to the military or naval profession, or whether their habits have been those of civil life,, are always found equal to any circumstances ia which.they may be placed—to any difficulties by which they may be surrounded, and-that, their couduct in all emergencies does honor to themselves and to the country which has given them birth. "

The Eabl of . Suffolk's Pictures.—At the .Westminster Police-court, John Darbom, ai. middle aged man . of respectable appearance, holding the appointment of messenger at the War-office, was placed at the bar before '■plr'.\ Arnold, charged with having 'burglariously'/ broken and entered the mansion of the Earl of1 Suffolk, at Charlton-park, Wilts, and stolen, therefrom1-pointings, value^ .£IO,OOO. The. burglary took place so 'long ago as October^ 1856 ; but the attempts of the police to obtain a clue to the perpetrators having proved fruitless the affair was alowedio slumber until a few, days,ago. The family haying returned to town, it was determined to advertise the stolen paintings, offering, at the same time, a large rewardfor their recovery, or any information upon the subject. The result was that Mr. Luff, of Pimlico, promptly .communicated that he hadthe painting by Leouardo da Vinci, of " The Virgin and Child," stoleu from his lordship, and. stated to be worth £4000; and a "valuable landscape. He also stated that he had'purchased them of the prisoner. This led immadiately to the discovery of thje, whole of the stolen property. The prisoner/i it ,«eems, -was': formerly valet to- the Earl 6fSuffjlk, hut left the service 10 years ago. He was ordered to ; be conveyed to Wiltshire, where the offence had been committed.— Home News, Feb. 16.;

A bill to punish professional gamblers by whipping has passed the South Carolina- Legislature. It provides that; in addition to the' punishment already provided by law,*the guilty party shall receive not to exceed 39 lashes. The papers do not state whether stock gamblers are included in the beneficent provisions of this bill.

A slaver laden with 800 negroes, has been captured on the coast of Afiica, by H.M.S.. Sappho. The slavers flung the unfortunate' blacks overboard, and about half of them were drowned; the rest succeeded in swimming to the

shore.

The Chinaman's Chow-chow. —Some idea, of the demand for rice and of the increase of those who eat it may be formed form the fact, 'that during the lost month, one establishment alone in Bathurst (Mr. Webb's) has disposed of the immense quantity of twenty tons, for the supply of the neighboring diggings; and here their "necessities appear tj terminate.-.Singular as it may appear, they scarcely use tea or sugar and very little of any duty-paying article-—Bq-thurst Free Press.

It is stated that as the decree which exiled several French generals has not been repealed^ it is not at present General Clmngariiier's inteutio'c to return to France,'