THE DUKE OF ARGYLLMy Lords, I wish to ask the indulgence of the House for a few moments, in order that I may give to your Lordships an explanation of a matter personal to myself. Some of your Lordships may be aware that, at a meeting held a few weeks ago in Midlothian, the noble Lord who a short time ago held the office of Under Secretary of State for India (Lord George Hamilton) stated that, during the period that I occupied the position of Secretary of State for India, I addressed a telegram to the Indian Government, which was to be communicated to the late Ameer of Afghanistan, Shere Ali, and in which I styled Her Majesty the Queen "Empress of India." Now, my Lords, I cannot say that I have that supreme contempt which the noble Earl at the head of the Government seems to entertain for what are called "extra-Parliamentary utterances;" and least of all could I have it for the words of one who 255 always speaks with great spirit, and who, I hope, has a distinguished future before him. It so happened, my Lords, that I did not see the speech of the noble Lord; and I did not even know that he had made the statement to which I refer until the day before the meeting of Parliament, when I arrived in town. When I did hear of it I at once wrote to the noble Viscount the Secretary of State for India (Viscount Cranbrook) asking him to be good enough to allow me to see the telegram, and the noble Viscount was so kind as to say that the document would be open for my inspection whenever I called at the India Office. That was on Friday evening. In the Parliamentary Intelligence ofThe TimesI found on Saturday morning this passage—
THE DUKE OF ARGYLL: 'THE EMPRESS OFINDIA.
Sir H. DRUMMOND WOLFF asked the Under Secretary of State for India whether there exists in the archives of the India Office a telegraphic despatch transmitted to India in 1869, on the responsibility of the Secretary of State, the Duke of Argyll, for communication to the Ameer of Cahul, in which, among other titles, Her Majesty the Queen is designated as Empress of India; and if so, whether the Government are prepared to lay a copy of such despatch upon the table.Mr. E. STANHOPE.—The circumstances in which this telegram was sent wore these: After the conclusion of the conference with Lord Mayo in 1869, it was decided to send a friendly message to the Ameer Shere AH in the name of her Majesty. A telegram was accordingly prepared by the political department at the India Office, and submitted to the Secretary of State for India. The telegram was headed 'From the Queen of England,' which the Duke of Argyll altered—apparently in his own handwriting—to 'the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India' (loud and continued cheering from the Ministerial benches), and in that form it was sent (renewed cheering). There can be no objection to producing the telegram, if it is thought worth while to do so. (Cheers).Sir H. DRUMMOND WOLFF expressed a wish that the telegram should be presented to the House infac simile.(Laughter.)Whether the hon. Gentleman proposes that the cost of producing thefac simileshould be borne by the Revenues of India or not, I cannot say. I went to the India Office this morning, when the noble Viscount showed me the telegram. Beyond doubt or question the telegram was drawn up by my late distinguished friend Sir John Kaye; but the title of Her Majesty was partly altered, and in my own handwriting the words "Em- 256 press of India" were inserted. Therefore, Lord George Hamilton was perfectly justified in the statement which he made. At the same time, I have not the slightest recollection of the circumstance. It has entirely passed from my memory. Well, my Lords, shortly after my leaving the India Office I met a Conservative friend, who approached me with a cheerful, if not triumphant, countenance. I do not know whether he had joined in the vociferous cheering with which the statement in the House of Commons had been received. He said to me—"Is this story true about the telegram? Is it really true, after all the violent opposition which you brought to bear on us for bringing in the Bill as to conferring the title of 'Empress of India?'—is it true that before this you had yourself addressed a telegram to the Ameer Shere Ali, in which you styled the Queen 'Empress of India'?" Well, my hon. Friend was in such very high spirits that I was very unwilling to interfere with his pleasure. He added—"What explanation have you to give?" I said—"It is an awkward circumstance; but I shall wait till Monday and give my explanation in the House of Lords. But are you quite sure that I made any violent attack on the Government in respect of the Bill conferring that title?" He said—"Yes." I said—"Who told you so?" He replied—"Oh, everybody told me so, that you blamed, the Government very much for doing what you did yourself. One hears it in all the Clubs and everywhere." "You had better go toHansardand read what I did say," observed I to my friend; and I am afraid that my hon. Friend went away "a sadder if not a wiser man." Now, my Lords, the fact is, I took no part in the discussion on the Bill for conferring upon Her Majesty the title of Empress of India. I did not say one word in that discussion against giving Her Majesty that title. I came down to the House to hear the debate, and I thought there was some exaggerated feeling on both sides of the House. I thought, on the one hand, it was not very wise to raise the question, and, on the other hand, I could not attach to it that importance which my noble Friends behind me did. I walked out of the House, and did not vote; and I never have said, in public or in private, one single word against 257 the Bill. There is an extraordinary misunderstanding flying about in reference to that telegram, and also in connection with another document, a letter. The noble Duke who brought in the Bill (the Duke of Richmond and Gordon) quoted a letter from the late Viceroy (the Earl of Northbrook), and that statement was to the effect that a letter was written by him to Atalik Ghazee, Yarkand, in which the Queen was called "Empress of Hindostan." In both these cases the object was to give an English word that could be translated into Persian as showing the supreme governor, and it had nothing to do with giving any increased title; the object was, as I said, to get an English word that in Persian would convey the impression of one of the supreme Sovereigns of the world. The phrase which my noble Friend (the Earl of North-brook) employed for this purpose was "Empress of Hindostan." Well, the Government brought in a Bill to confer the title; and in the course of the discussion, it was said that it had been the custom, more or less, to call the Queen "Empress of Hindostan," and no doubt it was more or less, though I doubted whether it was wise to give a new title, and, in lieu of that which previously constituted mere description, to confer a formal English title. There is a great difference between the two things. I do not know whether your Lordships have remarked in the Papers what was the reception Shere Ali gave to the Act conferring the title. Writing to the Viceroy on the 22nd of May, 1876, he says—Kind Friend, by hearing the good news of the Shahinshahi (office of Shahinshah) of Her Majesty the Great Queen, in view of the friendship and union of the two Exalted Governments, much joy and pleasure and happiness were produced in the penetrating heart. Consequently the firm hope is this, that from the most excellent title of Shahinshah of Her Majesty the Great Queen repose and security in all that he-longs to the affairs of the servants of God … more than in former times, will be experienced in reality."—[Afghanistan,No. 1, 1878, p. 175.]I am bound to say that if this is the foundation of the new Imperial policy in India I rather owe an apology to my noble Friends behind me for not having read the proposition contained in the Bill by the light of subsequent events; and if I have any expression of repentance to make it is not that I refrained 258 from voting on the measure, but that I did not join them in opposing it. In conclusion, I wish to give Notice that the Motion that I propose to move on the 20th instant will be for an Address for Copy of any Correspondence found at Cabul between the late Ameer Shere Ali Khan and the Russian Authorities in Turkestan or St. Petersburg; and, if Her Majesty's Government should say, as was said in "another place," in spite of the information which had reached the public through the Press in regard to the nature of this Correspondence, that they cannot, in the interest of the Public Service, produce it, I shall be obliged to state why I think that it is in the interest of the public they should know what was the nature of those Papers.