§ THE EARL OF ALBEMARLEsaid, that he had been intrusted with a Petition which rendered it absolutely incumbent on him to make a very few remarks. The Petition came from 12,000 of the Inhabitants of Manchester and Salford, and contained a request—probably the first of the kind ever made to Parliament—for the restoration of the Royal Family of Oude to the throne of their ancestors. Considering that British subjects had an unquestionable right to express their opinions to Parliament on any subject, provided their petition was couched in respectful language, he at once consented to present it; but he now stated, what he had before stated to the petitioners themselves, that it was not in his power to support the prayer. The annexation of Oude was a fait accompli, and restoration could not be made without shaking the British rule in India to the centre. Hence it became impossible. But at the same time he would guard himself from being supposed even for one moment to sanction the policy which led to the deposition of the King of Oude. No language could he too strong to express the abhorrence which he felt at the wholesale system of the annexation, or, more properly speaking, of the confiscation of the dominions of the Native Princes of India — that system which commenced particularly in 1848, and of which the deposition of this very monarch was the crowning act of folly and injustice. Considerable apprehensions were felt by those Native Princes who continued true to their allegiance in consequence of 1922 these annexations. During the last Session of Parliament it was intimated to him on their part that they would desire that there should be some expression on the part of that House discountenancing that policy; and accordingly he entered a notice on their Lordships' business paper for that purpose; but it was suggested to him that any expression of the opinion on the part of the House at that period of the mutiny might be construed into fear. He consequently abstained from bringing the subject under the notice of the House further than by placing a memorandum on the notice paper. But it appeared that the proper time had now arrived for assuring the Native Princes who had preserved their fidelity that their rights would be respected. This would teach them that they had a prospect of better government from a responsible Minister of the Crown than from an irresponsible Minister inextricably mixed up with the East India Company. When the measure for creating a responsible Minister would come before their Lordships he did not pretend to say. He had seen that four different measures professing this object had been produced in the other House, and he believed that none of them would effect that end. He therefore proposed to resume the intention of which he gave notice in last Session, and on Monday, May 10, to move that
It is the opinion of this House that the principle of annexing Native States in India for supposed default of ' heirs natural,' or under pretext of misgovernment on the part of Native Princes, is a flagrant violation of international law, opposed to the feelings of the people of India, derogatory to the Christian character, and dangerous to the stability of British rule; that this House, therefore, pledges itself henceforward to abandon such policy.
§ EARL GRANVILLEwished to ask the noble Earl at the head of the India Board a question respecting the despatch that had lately been sent through the Secret Committee to the Governor General of India respecting the treatment of the mutineers in India. With the principles comprised in that despatch he found no fault, though he apprehended there was a time not long gone by when the noble Earl was not disposed to be so lenient towards the insurgents. But it was satisfactory to find that the conduct which Lord Canning had all along pursued now met the noble Earl's approbation. But the point to which he wished to draw attention was this. The despatch had been sent through the Secret Committee. He apprehended this was a 1923 somewhat unusual, if not illegal course, as there was nothing in the despatch which required secrecy, nor did it relate to peace or war, or any of those matters for which the transmission of a despatch through the Secret Committee was provided. What he wished, therefore, to ask the noble Earl was, whether he considered the transmission of that despatch through the Secret Committee was legal, or whether he considered it an illegal step to be justified by some peculiar circumstances.
§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGHsaid, he had no doubt whatever that the despatch was transmitted in a perfectly legal manner, and that all the prescribed forms had been strictly observed. The despatch did require secrecy, for it referred to a matter which he thought at the time he wrote it had occurred, but of which he could not be sure; and nothing could have been more injurious than the publication of that despatch if the matter to which it referred—the capture of Lucknow—had not taken place.;—for he was sure their Lordships would sec that it was highly desirable to pursue a line of policy after the capture which might be very inexpedient before that event. And although news had been received of the fall of the town, yet he was not sure that that despatch even now would have been published had not a question been asked regarding it in the House of Commons; so that it was thought better to give it. He did not know on what ground the noble Earl inferred that he was at one time averse to a system of leniency; he was sure that he had once at least, if not twice, advocated such a course last Session.
§ Petition to lie on the table.