§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether it is in contemplation to bestow honours or promotion upon any Officers who have been recommended for such rewards, in consideration of distinguished services in the suppression of the late Mutiny in India, but who have not yet been so rewarded; and to call his attention particularly to the case of the 2nd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry. It would readily be understood that the number of officers whom it would be thought right to reward for the services they had performed during the mutiny in India must be very large; and he begged leave to say that the 1163 Government had been very liberal in giving rewards to so many officers. But the circumstances were very peculiar; indeed, he supposed there never was an occasion when there was so great a call for the recognition of distinguished military services. In the crisis of the fate of India, when it seemed probable that the greatest blow that could be struck at the prestige of England would fall on it, our supremacy in India was maintained by the gallantry of a very small force in that country; and he thought that Government could not be too liberal in rewarding the services of those who aided by their zeal and self-sacrifice in the suppression of the mutiny. If that was so, then those who by their energy, courage, and forgetfulness of self succeeded in averting the horrors of mutiny in any particular station were still more deserving of reward. One particular regiment, and more especially the commanding officer of that regiment, did the most signal service, as had, indeed, been stated in several de-spatches from India. He alluded to Major Taylor, and the 2nd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry. The regiment was employed with the central field force of Sir Hugh Rose, whose services had been so justly recognized in placing him at the head of the army in India; and the actions in which it was engaged since 1857 were all very formidable, namely, attack on the fort of Neimbara, attack on the fort of Jeerun, defence of Neemuch, storm of fortified village of Rowah, siege and destruction of Awah, siege of Kotah, action at Chota Dodypoor, action at Pertabgur, fight at Byrana, fight at Parkier, field service against Tantia Topee from the 1st of August, 1858, to the 24th of May, 1859. Major Taylor was specially thanked for his services in the Guzerat Horse by the Governor of Bombay in Council in July, 1857. He was also thanked for his services while in command of the Guzerat Horse, by her Majesty's Government, in a despatch to the Bombay Government, by the Secretary of State for India, dated the 31st of August, 1859. He was again brought to the notice of Her Majesty's Government and the Secretary of State for India, for promotion and honours, by the Governor of Bombay and the Governor General of India, in their Minutes dated 18th of August, and 17th of September, 1859, regarding the services of officers during the late mutinies, and addressed to the Secretary of State for India, as published in the London Gazette, December 1164 1st, 1859. He would, with the permission of the House, read an extract from a despatch of Lord Elphinstone, dated the 5th of December, 1859, on the same subject:—
I now come to the last category, military officers who have done good service in their military capacity otherwise than in the field. Among military officers the name of Major Taylor, of the 2nd Light Cavalry, who was wounded in arresting the mutineers who tried to excite the Guzerat House to raise the green flag and join the rebel cause, should also be brought under the notice of the Secretary of State for India.He thought that an officer who had performed such services, which had been noticed so favourably, was entitled to some reward.