POSTSCRIPT.
BSTITEDIY.
The discussion in the House of Commons last night on the Indian re-. solutions turned entirely on the question whether the present is the time for legislation. Beyond that it did not go. The House again decided that it was time.
There were two separate discussions of the question. The first took place when Mr. DISRAELI moved that the House should go into Com- mittee; Lord HARRY VANE moved his amendment, declaring it inexpe- dient to proceed further with legislation on the subject. There is such a medley of opinion with regard to the future government of India, that no dozen men entertain precisely the same views, and there is no pretext for proceeding to legislate blindly and precipitately in the matter. Mr. GREGORY seconded this amendment, basing his support on the change in the circumstances since, under what appeared a strong Government, they had agreed to the introduction of Lord Palmerston's bill. There- upon Mr. ARTHUR Mmts rose, and, in a short speech, declared that delay would imperil our Indian empire. If they now stopped short the people of this country would say that it was not because there is some mutiny nnquelled in India, but because there is some mutiny unquelled in the House of Commons. It was not for him to say what is at the bottom of it or who is to quell it ; but in the interest of the Parliament and the people it is of paramount importance that the House should not now stop short in the course of legislation. Sir Frasteis &slims, remarking that he was afraid he was one of those characterized as "mutineers," entered upon an elaborate argument for delay, drawn from our unlucky legislation in colonial matters, and the fact that Ministers who themselves had voted for delay are not in a position to advise Parliament with weight. If Ministers had had a majority they would have acted differently. A great deal was said about the wisdom of Parliament, but what is in everybody's mouth out of doors is—" What a precious mess the House of Commons has got itself into." On the Assassination Bill, defeated by the "author of all mischief," that House had buried the bill with their" dignity." He con- tended that the change proposed, instead of pacifying India, would make confusion worse confounded. The soldiers, for instance, have contracted to serve the Company not the Crown : can they carry on the oath by act of Parliament ? Mr. AfILNER Ginsox was proud of being called the "author of all mischief." He insisted that there were four months be- fore them for legislation. Sir Francis Baring had used the argument for delay, but he had also used what Jeremy Bentham called the hobgoblin argument." He hoped the House would not be frightened, but go to busi- ness. Lord PALMERSTON saw no change in circumstances that should stay them from legislation. He answered Sir Francis Baring, and said he was ready to go into Committee. Lord STANLEY held that delay would in- crease the magnitude of the danger, that further inquiry is not necessary, that a Government not commanding a large majority on English questions are competent to deal with India. Had the Government desired to relieve themselves of responsibility, they might have accepted the resolutions of the noble lord, but it was not their right nor in their power to relieve themselves, and they would go on and perform their duty to the best of their ability.
The amendment was negatived by 447 to 57—a disproportion that caused much laughter.
[Mr. Divett did not move his amendment.] The House went into Comraittee,—Mr. Fitzroy in the chair,—and Mr. DisEssas moved the first resolution, declaring that it is expedient to transfer the government of India to the Crown. He made no speech.
Then began the second debate upon the question whether legislation should proceed. Mr. MANGLES led the way by speaking at great length in vindication of the Company's rule. Sir Beewano COLEBROOKE was anxious to move the postponemenff of the first three resolutions, because he thought that the House should first determine what the Council should be. But he was told his motion would not be in order. Sir GEORGE CORNEWALL LEWIS answered Mr. Mangles, and said he hopes the House had come to the conclusion that " the time has arrived when the superannuated structure" of the double government should be put an end to. Mr. HOE:DIAN put in a strong appeal for delay. The coun- try. -is called en to accept dangerous 'obligations in utter ignorance. He had no sympathy with the East India Company ; the rising had destroyed it ; but he thought it unwise to associate the rebel- lion with success, and ungenerous to associate the Directors 'with disaster. They were wrong in not changing the Government in 1853, and wrong in attempting to change in 1858 when we are at war. Nis Horsman raised the important question whether in transferring the government to she Crown we ta.lre upon ourselves the financial obliga- tions and liabilities. If the revenues of India do not suffice will Eng- land become liable for the deficiency ? He objected to this resolution because, by transferring the government of India to the Crown, it would impose upon the people of England liabilities which had not been duly considered. Honourable gentlemen were contenting themselves with a mere shuffle of offices in London, and leaving the future of India to chance. They were legislating precipitately, and therefore exposing our Indian empire to greater peril than could accrue from
delay. -
Cries for a division now grew loud as Mr. BOWYER spoke for and C0101101 SYEES against, the resolution. MY. GLADSTONE rose and the tumult was stilled. One of his objects was to criticize the terms of the resolution' showing that the word government" should be " adminis- tration," because the Crown already possesses the government, the "Company the administration." Next he objected to the phrase "in order that the direct superintendence of the whole empire may be placed under one executive authority," because it does not apply, for instance, to Canada. His main object, however, was to show that the transfer would effect a change of the person who is the borrower of the 50,000,0007. of Indian debt, and that the security of the Consolidated Fund would not be given for the debt, and to ask whether it was intended to offer the Indian creditor the option of being paid off? Mr. Manus,' replied, first that the terms of the resolution objected to were those of the act of 1853 and of Mr. Pitt ; next he answered that the public cre- ditor in India will have exactly the same security he has now—the Indian revenue and territory. Before, it was the trustee who was responsible to him ; now, those for whom that trustee was employed will be directly liable. The first resolution was agreed to. When the second was moved, Mr. ROEBUCK suggested the expediency of postponing further discussion; and Mr. DISB eis concurring, the Chairman reported progress, and the House resumed.
Almost immediately afterwards the SPEAKER reported that the Oaths Bill had come down from the House of Lords—with amendments. (Ironical cheers.) On the motion of Lord Joule RUSSELL, it was ordered that those amendments should be taken into consideration on Friday next.
Earlier in the evening Mr. WARD Hume drew Mr. Walpole's at- tention to a meeting in St. Martin's Hall where Mr. Slack delivered a lecture on tyrannicide at which Dr. Bernard and Mr. Edwin James ap- peared, first as casual visitors, and then as speakers called to the platform. At this meeting Mr. Edwin James was reported to have said that he had declined to hold a brief from the Crown in Bernard's case, "because he believed that an obsolete act was to be put in force to please a foreign despot." Mr. Hunt wanted to know if a Queen's counsel is not bound to hold a brief for the Crown ? Mr. WeLroLE, hoping that Mr. James had been inaccurately reported, read passages of a correspondence in which the Attorney-General released Mr. James, because he thought the loss of his aid might be a disadvantage to the prisoner for whom Mr. James had already been retained; while Mr. James returned thanks for the " compli- ment' paid to him by the Attorney-General in terms of courtesy and cor- diality little harmonizing with the platform strain ascribed to him. "I hope this plain statement," said Mr. Walpole, "will now go forth to the public as showing that in no case does the Crown in this country de- Five prisoners of any legal assistance which they may desire to have." (Cheers.) Lord Derby held a meeting of his friends at his official residence in Downing Street yesterday; but as it was strictly private, the "gentle. men connected with the press" are rather at fault; and gossip is almost as trustworthy and rather better informed. The published reports vary exactly in accordance with the political colour of the journal : according to the Post "not one fourth" of the Premier's ordinary supporters at- tended ; according to the Globe not a hundred; according to the Herald exactly "189." The proceedings are as variously stated. We gather enough, however, to form a tolerably safe estimate of the whole proceeding. The object for summoning the meeting was to consult upon the course to be taken in the critical stage of Indian affairs last night—or rather, to give the noble head of the party the opportunity of pressing on its mem- bers the necessity of following the Leader in the Commons with strict discipline. The attendance, however, was not full; the word was not entirely left with the commander-in-chief; and questions were raised, on the subject of the Oaths Bill, Church-rates, the Cagliari, and Reform, which Lord Derby could not answer unhesitatingly or explicitly.. .A. dis- solution was talked of; but the only satisfaction left to the inquirerS was the announcement that other meetings would be called pro re natd.
Further official telegraphic despatches from India have been published. They contain a few additional facts. Thus Sir Hugh Rose, after his victory over the rebels near Jhansi, took eighteen guns, several elephants) and all the camp equipage of the rebels. In storming Jhansi "our loss was severe." The rebels were commanded by a relative of Nana Sahib. Calpee was filled with rebels and fugitives. In the attack on Kotah in Rajpootana the Rajah was on our side, and held his palace against the rebels. General 1.1oberts defeated and pursued them for sixty miles. There have been some disturbances in Goojerat. Intelligence from Melbourne states that Mr. Hainea's Ministry resigned on the 224 February. "On the 24 of March Mr. Chapman was sent for. The new lirmistry consists of O'Shanassey, Chief Secretary ; Chapman, Attorney-General ; Arker, Treasurer; Miller, Trade; Duffy, Land and Works ; Irland, Solicitor- Geneial ; Twans, Postmaster-GeneraL The construction of the MinistrY gives satisfaetion."
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