§ Mr. Cochranebegged to ask the right hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government whether any official account had been received of the barbarous murder of Colonel Stoddart and Captain Conolly? With the latter of these gentlemen he had had the happiness to be acquainted, and knew him to be a man of most estimable character. He was sure the House would sympathize with him on the occasion, and he begged to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, in case the report on this subject was confirmed, he had any hope of obtaining redress against the Ameer of Bokhara, who had been guilty of the crime?
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, he was not surprised that the hon. Gentleman should entertain the feelings he had manifested at so barbarous an act as the murder of two British subjects by the Ameer of Bokhara, and independent of the influence of personal feelings arising from private friendship, he was sure every subject of her Majesty must feel the deepest indignation at such at such an outrage upon humanity. The Government had not received any direct official account, confirming the report of the murder of Colonel Stoddart and Captain Conolly, they had received no direct positive assurance amounting to complete proof of the fact, but as the hon. Gentleman had intimated to him his intention to ask this question, he had gone through the whole of the papers, and he confessed the evidence contained in them was so strong that he feared there could not be a question that on the 17th of June, 1842, the two officers in question were murdered in a barbarous manner by the orders of the Ameer of Bokhara. Colonel Shiel, in despatch of the 12th of Novem- 1011 ber 1842, sent an account, given by a Persian of good character, of the name of Saaleh Mahomed, who was at Bokhara, giving a circumstantial narrative of the murder of Colonel Stoddart and Captain Conolly. The writer was present in the town, and the account which he gave carried with it certainly internal evidence of truth. Subsequently, reports were circulated at Teheran that the account was not true, and it was stated that a letter had been received from Bokhara declaring that the murder of Colonel Stoddart and Captain Conolly had not taken place—that a Greek and a slave had been murdered and their bodies exhibited to the people, and a report spread by authority of the Government that these were the bodies of two British subjects, but that the two British subjects were still alive. That report received from India, created a belief that the original account of the murder was incorrect; but upon referring to the report of Mahomed Saalah, he found it stated that the murder of the Greek and the slave took place on the 10th of June, and the Persian distinctly stated that Colonel Stoddart and Captain Conolly were put to death on the 17th of June, consequently he was afraid the countenance given to the contradiction of the report was without foundation. A letter from St. Petersburg, of the 1st of July, stated that inquiries bad been made of the Envoy from Khiva, and the Envoy informed Count Nesselrode in a report, that accounts had reached Khiva from Bokhara, and he entered into details which left no doubt as to the truth of the story. That letter was received on the 10th of July, and therefore it confirmed the original statement. He had a letter from Colonel Shiel, written at Teheran, in which he transmitted a letter from the chief authority at Bokhara, a Persian, in which no express reference was made to the murder. Colonel Shed said, that this Persian officer demanded a sum of 3,500 tomans as due to him by Colonel Stoddart, who had lodged with him, and made no reference to the murder, but that this circumstance seemed confirmatory of the report of the death, as the omission of a direct reference to death was only in conformity with Persian manners. These accounts, therefore, from Teheran and Petersburg appeared to confirm the original report. He was sure the hon. Gentleman would not press him as to the adoption of the measures which this country had a 1012 right to press with a view to obtain redress. He believed all the civilised world to whom the matter had been communicated participated in our feelings on the occasion. The Emperor of Russia had behaved in a manner worthy of a Sovereign allied to this country. He had refused to entertain any communication with the Khan of Bokhara, and when an envoy was sent by the Khan to the Russian Government the Emperor refused to hold any communication with him. The Sultan had acted in the same manner; and therefore, without reference to the measures that might be taken in consequence of this barbarous murder of British subjects, he could only state that he felt the utmost indignation at so atrocious a crime and he did not despair that in some way or other punishment would reach the Government which had caused it.
§ Mr. Cochranewished to ask whether Captain Conolly, when he went abroad the last time, was employed upon the public service.
§ Sir R. Peelbelieved not.
§ Subject at an end.