§ MR. KINNAIRDsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary of the Board of Control whether it is the intention of the Government to give honorary distinctions not only to those in India who have distinguished themselves in the field, but to those persons, Natives as well as Europeans, who have through their wisdom and energy prevented mutiny or bloodshed, as, for example, Colonel Herbert Edwards, at Peshawar; Brigadier Sydney Cotton, in the Punjab; General Bell, in Pegu; Major Davidson, at Hyderabad; Brigadier Coffin, at Secunderabad; Mr. H. C. Tucker, at Benares; Mr. Montgomery and Mr. M'Leod, at Lahore; and General Roberts of Bombay.
§ MR. BAILLIEsaid, it was the intention 1990 of Her Majesty's Government to recommend that those Civilians who had distinguished themselves in the field in India should receive honorary distinctions. With respect to the honours to be conferred upon Natives who had distinguished themselves, he could only say that was a subject which must be left in the hands of the Governor General of India, in whom was vested the power of conferring honorary distinctions upon Natives. As to the various distinguished Officers, Civil and Military, whom the hon. Gentleman had mentioned, he might observe that some of them held Military command in the field in conjunction with their Civil appointments, and that, of course, any distinction conferred upon them would be in their Military capacity. He might add, in reference to those Officers who held merely Civil appointments, that they came immediately under the eye of the Governor General, who had the power of promoting them or of conferring upon them any other reward which he might deem proper.
§ SIR HARRY VERNEYsaid, he wished to know whether Her Majesty's Government had signified its thanks to those Native Princes who had remained faithful to British rule under the recent and very trying circumstances in India.
§ MR. BAILLIEsaid, his noble Friend the President of the Board of Control had, about a month ago, written a letter to some of the most distinguished Native Princes who had remained faithful to us, thanking them in the name of Her Majesty for the services which they had rendered this country in a moment of great difficulty.