WAR IN THE PUNJAUB. (Hansard, 27 February 1849)

§ MR. G. THOMPSON
said, he had no desire to press his Motion, but a great want of information existed in the country, and in this House even, with regard to the causes of the war going on in the Punjaub. He had no desire to make out a case against the Government of India in the absence of the official papers; but as the events connected with the war had been reported in the ordinary vehicles, the information now before the world showed no sufficient cause for the operations now going on in that country. He, however, had no desire to press his Motion for these papers against the wish of the right hon. President of the Board of Control and that of the Government; but he trusted the right hon. Baronet would see the desirability of giving an assurance to the public that, as soon as the convenience of the public service would allow, the whole of these official papers would be laid upon the table. Therefore, he would propose his Motion as a matter of form.

§ SIR J. C. HOBHOUSE
said, he was exceedingly glad that the hon. Member had taken the very discreet course of not pressing this Motion. Had it been pressed he should have felt it impossible, in the situation he held, to consent to the production of all the papers. The hon. Gentleman himself admitted that there were some, the production of which might be prejudicial to the public interest; and he could assure the hon. Gentleman and the House, that there would be no delay in printing any that were necessary for the public in-formation. If the subject of the proceedings in the Punjaub were brought under discussion at the proper time, after the papers were given, he doubted not that the hon. Gentleman and the House would absolve the Indian Government altogether from any improper conduct in this matter. He could not quite agree with the hon. Member as 1334 to the state of ignorance of the House relative to the causes of this war. The public newspapers had given a very fair account of the outbreak, and its causes, and nearly all the transactions of importance that had occurred had been detailed with considerable fidelity. He was certain that, when the proper time came, the Governor General and the Indian Government would be absolved from all blame, and it would be found that they had taken the only course they could take consistent with the security and honour of the British empire in India.

§ MR. BERNAL OSBORNE
said, he could easily conceive that there would be some inconvenience in producing the papers at present, as hostilities had not yet been terminated. But he hoped there would be no objection to the production of the despatch of Sir Joseph Thackwell to Lord Gough, which, as he understood, was in the hands of the Government, and which the friends of Sir Joseph Thackwell were anxious should be made public.

§ SIR J. C. HOBHOUSE
said, he believed that despatch was a letter written by Sir Joseph Thackwell to the Governor General. He knew there was such a document, but he thought it had not yet been forwarded to the Home authorities. He knew it had been alluded to, but he would not say for certain that it had come over. However, he would make inquiry, and let the hon. Gentleman know the result; and afterwards, if it were shown that there were special circumstances making the production of that paper desirable, and if he found that there was no objection to giving it, he would do so.

§ MR. G. THOMPSON
said, the papers relating to the military operations in Scinde had been laid before the House while the army was still in Motion.