§ MR. HAVILAND-BURKEasked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether Deputy-Commissioner Cowan did, as stated in "The Times" of the 5th of February, and after the complete suppression of the Kooka Mutiny, select fifty men out of the number of prisoners to be executed by being blown from guns; whether such fifty men were so executed; whether Mr. Forsyth, the Commissioner at Umballa, caused sixteen other men connected with the same Mutiny to be executed; and, if so, whether there was any court or tribunal for the trial of the said sixty-six men, and what was the finding of such court or tribunal; whether, previously to such executions, any Communications were made 1158 by the officers above-named to the then Governor-General of India, and what Reply, if any, was received from his Excellency; and, whether he has any objection to lay upon the Table of the House all Papers or Correspondence relating to the Kooka Mutiny?
§ SIR DAVID WEDDERBURNalso asked, Whether it is the intention of the Government to institute any special inquiry into the circumstances connected with the Kooka insurrection near Loodiana?
MR. GRANT DUFFMy reply, Sir, to the hon. Gentleman's first Question must be, I deeply regret to say, in the affirmative. My reply to his second Question must be that the number was 49, the fiftieth having been cut down in self-defence by an officer of a native State. My reply to the first part of the third Question must also, I regret to say, be in the affirmative. As to the second part of it, I have not seen the finding of the Court; but I believe that Mr. Forsyth's proceedings, whether justifiable or not—as to which I give no opinion—were not on the face of them irregular. My reply to the fourth Question must be that, previous to the executions, there seems to have been no communications about the executions with the late Viceroy. When, on the 19th of January, he received the intelligence of what had been done, he telegraphed to the Lieutenant Governor of the Punjaub—"Stop any summary execution of Kookas without your express orders." As to the fifth Question, there will be no objection whatever to lay the Papers on the Table when they are complete. At present they are so imperfect as to add little or nothing to what hon. Members know already. In reply to my hon. Friend (Sir David Wedderburn), I have to say that a special inquiry has been instituted on the spot, and the Secretary of State in Council has informed the Government of India that he awaits with anxiety the Report of the Lieutenant Governor of the Punjaub.
§ MR. HAVILAND-BURKEsaid, the hon. Gentleman had not told the House whether any court or tribunal had been held for the trial of the 66 men before they were executed.
MR. GRANT DUFFI thought this might have been inferred from my statement that, so far as I have any information, Mr. Forsyth's proceedings were 1159 in proper form and were in no way irregular.
§ MR. HAVILAND-BURKEsaid, he was still unable to understand whether there was any trial before the execution of these men?
MR. GRANT DUFFMy answer related to the proceedings of Mr. Forsyth. So far as we are aware, there was no trial of any sort by Mr. Cowan; he executed without trial.