§ SIR PATRICK O'BRIENsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether the undertaking contained in a letter of the Rev. Mr. Krapp (one of the Dragomen to the Abyssinian Expedition), dated the 20th of September last, and expressed in the following terms:—
I think Sir Stafford's mind will be fully satisfied and tranquillized if I say that, as a leading rule of conduct, I must consider the object of the Expedition to be the primary point, to which every other private concern must bend, but that, on the other hand, I must not be expected to suppress my individual feeling if a case should appear in practice where I should have any occasion or be requested to enter upon religious discussion,is to be taken as referring alone to the rev. Gentleman's course of conduct as regards Abyssinian Christians, or is to be considered as likewise referring to the Hindoo and Mussulman troops and to the Roman Catholic soldiers in Her Majesty's regiments serving on the expedition?
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTESir, in the stipulations which, at the request of Sir Robert Napier, I thought it necessary to make in engaging Dr. Krapp, some reference is made to his conduct towards the natives of Abyssinia. With regard to the soldiers, of course Sir Robert Napier will take care that there is no interference with their religious opinions.