VISCOUNT MELVILLEsaid, there was a point which had not been sufficiently alluded to, on which it was desirable they should have some information. It was extraordinary that the local Government should have had no information of an organized mutiny such as that which had broken out in India. He believed it was perfectly well known that the revolt was to commence all over the country on a certain day; but owing to some misunderstanding it broke out a day or two too early at Meerut, otherwise the disasters we had now to deplore would have been far greater. He was told that information of the intended mutiny had been communicated to the Indian Government by indigo merchants, and even by officers of the army; but it seemed that the letters containing this information were totally disregarded, and not even answered by the Government. The signal for the outbreak went through the land like the fiery cross of old without the local Government taking the slightest notice of it, or making any preparations for putting down the movement, and, as soon as it began, they seemed to be taken entirely by surprise. He hoped Her Majesty's Government would give some explanation to the House on this important subject. The local Government ought to tell them what information they had received, and whether, on receiving it, they made immediate preparations for strengthening their means of defence.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, he admitted the necessity of a full inquiry; but at this moment it was premature to urge such an investigation.
LORD MELVILLEexplained, that he did not blame Her Majesty's Government for anything which had occurred, because he believed they acted as promptly 450 as they could do after receiving intelligence of the revolt, but he found fault with the local Government for not attaching due weight to the information which was communicated to them.
§ EARL GRANVILLEwas understood to say, that Her Majesty's Government were not aware of the exact nature of the information which the local Government of India had received, and that he was, therefore, unable to give a definite answer to the question of the noble Lord.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYsaid, this was a subject which could not be dealt with lightly; but at the present moment, when we were engaged in repressing and putting down the mutiny, it would be premature, and perhaps injurious, to inquire what information had been received by the Government as to the causes of the mutiny. When, however, the revolt had been put down, it would be the bounden duty of Parliament to inquire into its causes; and, moreover, to satisfy themselves and the country whether the Government had, in point of fact, received any information which would have enabled them to make more complete preparations than they had done, and what use was really made of such information.