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    No. 397V October 31,1857.] THE LEADER. 1...

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    PUBLIC MEETINGS. THE INDIAN RELIEF FUND....

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    The Indian Revolt. —?— . ¦ Tall Of Delhi...

    The fire was coining fast , and the others all round were in flames . Not far from this , I saw four women . I ran up to tliera , and asked them to come and help the sick man and woman out , but they thought they had had enough to do , and so they had , poor things ; but , to save the woman and the dying man , I drew my bayonet , and told them if they did not I would kill them . They came , carried them out , and laid them under a tree . I left them . To look on , any one would have said that the flames -were in tie clouds . When I went to the other side of the village , there were about one hundred and forty women and about sixty children all crying out and lamenting what had been done . The old woman of that small family I took out came , and I thought she would

    have kissed the ground I stood on . I offered them some biscuit I had for my day ' s rations ; but they would not take it ; it would break their caste , they said . The ' assemble" sounded , and back I went with as many blessings as they could pour out on anything nearest their heart . Out of the prisoners that were taken , the man that the 2000 rupees weie offered for was taken by us for nothing . We hanged ten of them on the spot , and flogged a great many—about sixty . We burned another village that night . Oh , if you had seen the ten march round the grove , and see them looking the same as if nothing was going to happen to them ! There was one of them fell ; the rope broke , and down he came . He rose up and looked

    all around ; he was hung up again . After they were all hanged , the others were all taken round to see them . Then we came marching back to the carts . Left Benares with few' on the 6 th of July , or rather on the night of the 5 th . We had to turn out and lie with our belts on . On the 6 tb , we , a number of one hundred and eighty , went out against two thousand . We came up close to them ; they were all drawn up in three lines ; it looked too many for us , but on we dashed , and in a short time they began to run . We set fire to a large village that was full of them ; we surrounded it , and as they came rushing out of the names shot them . We took eighteen of them prisoners ; they were all tied together , and we fired a volley at them and shot them on the spot . "

    THE GRAVE AT CAWSPOKE . "H , C . " writes to the 7 'ivies : — "I travelled a few days since with a gentleman , aretired officer of engineers , who is a near relative of seven of the Cawnpore victims ; five of them were young ladies , one of them was the writer of that little ' chronicle of woe which , you published some weeks back , and over which thousands of tears ( not all feminine ) have been shed since then . Among many interesting things which this intelligent man said , there was one which , it strikes me , ought not to pass and perish with a casual railway journey . ' They talk , ' he said , ' of raising a monument

    over that well . They don't understand tlie natives , or they would do nothing of the sort . What does a Hindoo care for a marble pyramid or obelisk ? Now , what they should do is this : —Build above that well a Christian tempi * , as small as you like , but splendid , so that after generations of Christians shall say to as many generations of Mahomedans or Hindoos , " Look here ! On this spot your fathers wrought the blackest of their deeds to get rid of . Christianity from India . Sec what came of it ! Christian rites are now celebrated , and Christian worship presented , on the very site of that well , and above the ashes of two hundred martyrs ! " That would be worth one hundred missionaries ' "

    GENKItAL NKILI-. AND Mil . GRANT . The Calcutta correspondent of" the Daily Heics writes : — " General Neill will remain behind at Cawnpore . This gallant officer lias already experienced proof of Mr . J . I - Grunt ' s insolence and assumption of power . In my former letters I have mentioned that this gentleman bad been suddenly appointed Licutcnant-Govemor of the Central Provinces , with the avowed view of putting a stop to the work of retaliation on mutineers . It was pointed out by the local press at the time that the whole country being under martial law the appointment was not required . It was made , however ; and although Mr . Orant on arriving at Benares found himself compelled to ahut himself up in hia house on account of the temper of the European troops , who had hennl of his

    mission , still he lost no time . in transmitting onlertt to General Ncill to put a stop to all hanging until the sentences should Ixi trunmnittcd to Benares and continued by himself . The gallant Ncill , it is stated , replied that the country was under martial law , and that he -would take , his own coiu-hu . That that course ia a proper and correct one , tins present stato of the Oawnpore district has made evident , for in that alone luis any revenue been collected since , the commencement of the present insurrection . . . . TUe appointment of Mr . CJrant , the removal of Mr . Taylor from 1 ' atna , the ordera tu abstain from hanging mutineers , and the rewards .-hen to tli . s arm . ua rebels , and ' to doHcrtern , havu hud an effect upon the ininda of the European soIUUth , m well as upon the independent community , whi « Li cannot be Huflicicntly dowlorud . " J

    TUB INDIAN rrtKSH . Tho Ilwhtru was suppressed for five or six days on account of mi article and a letter oMensive to the auUioriUvs . Air . Sydney iLiiiiinn BlnncliArd , tho editor , thereupon gave in hia resignation , and , after much humble begging , tho proprietor got tho prohibition removed . *

    No. 397v October 31,1857.] The Leader. 1...

    No . 397 V October 31 , 1857 . ] THE LEADER . 1037

    Public Meetings. The Indian Relief Fund....

    PUBLIC MEETINGS . THE INDIAN RELIEF FUND . Sevkral large meetings have been held in the provinces in connexion , with the Relief Fund ; and the speeches at many of them have exhibited a political aspect . It has been remarked with regret that there have been but few meetings in Ireland , and that the sister country has contributed only a small amount to the collection . Even Dublin has joined the movement in a very cold and half-hearted manner . The fact appears to be attributable to the opinion which , whether correct or not , is very genexall 3 r entertained in Ireland , that the Roman Catholics were not fairly dealt with in the distribution of the Patriotic Fund . A . large meeting of the Worcesterslire nobility and gentry was held at the Shire Hall , Worcester , last Saturday . The chair was taken by the High Sheriff , Mr . E . V . Wheeler . A . cheque for 200 J . was sent by Lord Ward . Among the speeches delivered during the evening was one by Mr . Acton , a Roman Catholic magistrate , who repeated the assertions made by his coreligionists with respect to the Patriotic Fund . He said , " 231 , 000 J . of the capital was appropriated to Protestant orphanages and endowments , while the application of a party of Roman Catholic gentlemen in Ireland for an allotment for the education of Catholic children , was refused , although one-half of the Crimean army were Catholic soldiers . He hoped that the Roman

    Catholic noblemen and gentlemen in both Houses of Parliament would early next session raise the question of the distribution of the Patriotic Fund . At the same time he protested against their remonstrance with regard to the Patriotic Fund being confounded , as it had been by some of the public papers , with any supposed disposition of the Roman Catholic body to oppose the great purpose for which that meeting had been convenedviz ., to alleviate the distress which had been caused by the late terrible events in India . " These observations called up Sir John Pakington , who observed that , " as a member of the Royal Commission for the Administration of the Patriotic Fund he could not allow to pass unnoticed what had fallen from his friend Mr . Acton .

    From his Royal Highness the Prince Consort , who was its head , down to the humblest member of that commission , be was convinced that the feeling furthest from their minds was that they should be influenced in dispensing that noble charity by anything so unworthy as religious prejudices . ( Cheers . } On the contrary , he could say for himself , and he was sure also for every member of the commission , that one of their first objects had been to avoid any semblance of partiality on religious grounds , and when an investigation took places—for after such an allegation an investigation must take place—his worthy friend would find that he had been misled bA

    erroneous reports . " ( Hear , hear . ") Sir John , in a subsequent speechj which he made on moving an address tc » the Queen , observed that questions will arise with reference to the future government of India . " The first question will be— -Is the extraordinary idea that a vast country like India can be governed by a company of merchants to be carried out ; or is it a case in which the direct authority of the Crown of England ought to be exercised ? Twice has this double government been tried , and twice it has been found wanting . The next question will be—What is to be the mode of raising the revenues of . India ? Are we to continue to raise tho

    revenues by an oppressive land or salt tax , or from some unworthy and immoral source such as the sale of opium ? A . third , and not an easy , question will relate to the native army . Arc we to abandon the native army ? Are we to have a native army organized and recruited in a manner violating every dictate of common prudence and common sense , or an army organized on a different principle , so that it may be efficient , and so that we may regard it in England as an effective force ? Lastly , let mo refer to a question which is already deep in the minds of thinking Englishmen , and which is perhaps the most uilficult of all . Hereafter , in India , is the flag of England to lie prostituted to the support of the barbarous ritca of Indian superstition ? ( Hear , hear . ) Or are we to govern our Eastern Empire in a way which , without

    violating the prejudices of a people , shall do honour to and uphold that Christian religion which we believe and know to bt ! founded on divine truth ? ( Cheers . ) Tins is not a time for entering into a discussion of the important questionH to which I have referred , nor do I think that it is desirable . at this moment to enter into a statement of opinion with regard to what may have been the cuusi ! of the outbreak , although I find it very difficult to refrain from oommenting on such acts of infatuation us the establishment at Delhi , tho old seat of the Mogul Empire , of one of our largest and most important arscnalH , and then the leaving of that important fortress to tlio can : of notoriously ditmflccteri Sepoys . " The various resolutions having been carried , the meeting separated .

    At a county moating for Devonshire , held yesterday week at Exeter , Earl Fortescuo spoke in favour of tempering justice with clemency , and of thoroughly considering the question of Indian administration . " 1 hope and believe , " ho said , " that , with the sweeping march of our armies throughout the land , tho atern hand of British justice , while it makes strict inquiry and inflicts condign punishment upon all who enn bo proved

    to have been willing actors in the 3 ate dreadful mutinies , will at the same time be accompanied and tempered with . British clemency and justice . ( Cheers ) I hope that , wherever doubt exists , tbe benefit of that doubt will he given to the accused party—( hear )—and , while we inflict punishment on the guilty , I trust we shall acknowledge and reward the fidelity shown "by many of the native princes to our alliance , and that we shall also acknowledge and reward the unshaken allegiance which has been yielded to us by a large portion , happily , of the native population . And , gentlemen , wheu peace and order shall have been restored , as I trust , by God ' s help they will be restored throughout the length and breadth of British India , then , I hope , that due consideration

    will be given to some improvement in the administration of our Indian Empire . ( Applause . ) In the expression of that hope , let us not charge upon the present Government , or upon the present East India Company , or upon any past Government , ox any past East India Company , the blame of the disasters which have unhappily befallen us . ( Hear , hear . ) Whatever may be the shortcomings —and shortcomings I believe there have been—in the direction of the affairs of India , at least I believe that our Government has been based upon just and merciful principles . ( Rear , hear . ) But , after such a disaster as the present , the British public have a right to inquire , and the representatives of British interests in India have also the right to inquire , whether a form of government combining the rule of the British Crown with that of a

    mercantile body is the best form of government that can . be devised for that great portion of our empire . ( Sear , hear . ) To that inquiry the British Empire and the Indian Empire have a . right to receive an answer . " Among the resolutions assented to was one acknowledging the fidelity of various native princes . The Eight Hon . W . Beresford , at a gathering of the Conservative electors of the northern division of Essex at Saffron Walden , last Saturday , made some observations for the purpose of repudiating the idea that he had become a Whig—an idea derived from his recent

    promise to support Lord Palmerston during the present crisis—and of denouncing the plea put forward by several persons for treating tlie Indian rebels with mercy . lie also entered into some other matters personal to himself . Two more speakers were Lieutenant-Colonel Brise , who thought our military energies , as shown in recruiting , are ' equal to those of 1803 ; and Mr . Charles Ducahe , who , while willing to support the present Government in putting down the mutiny , ' did not feel bound to abnegate all his political principles , and bow the knee to this Palmerstonian dictatorship . '

    MR . UBOUCHERE ON THE INDIAN MUTINY . At a meeting at Taunton , last Monday , presided over by Mr . Kinglake , M . P ., the author of Eotliea , and at which Mr . Gore Langton , JVI . P ., Mr . Arthur Mills , M . P ., and a considerable number of the local gentry , were present , the Right Hen . Henry JLabouchere , M . P ., the Secretary of State for the Colonies , took occasion to advert to the great topic of the day , and to the determination of the Government to confront the rebellion and to re-establish British rule in India . He said he felt confident that the Government of this country would not fail to act up to their fearful responsibilities , which they believed were not lessened , but increased , by the in

    manner which they ( the Government ) had been supported by all parties in the country . He acknowledged that it was the duty of the Government not only to put down this rebellion and to establish law and order , but to look closely into the causes by which it had been produced , and to examine narrowly the circumstances of the Indian Government , not only in its military organization , but in the civil administration of the affairs of that country . That duty , he thought , the Government were prepared to undertake , and nothing , he trusted , would be wanting on their part to the fulfilment of it , in the full confidence that they would be supported by the country . " ( Cheers . )

    Mr . Arthur Mills , in addressing the meeting said : — " " We had had a dominion given us over 180 , 000 , 000 of people in that vast eo \ intry , which had for a century been committed to our care ; we have at this moment a Government maintained there at an enormous expenditure , and that Government is now deeply involved in . debt ; whiles the multitudinous population of India , after a hundred years of our rule , are now in a condition very little removed from tliat in which they were under the most corrupt and cruel member of the House of Tamerlane , lie did not impute the slightest blame to the existing Government of India ; but ho blamed all for ao

    long permitting a sta < c of things to exist which was a disgrace to the Cliristiun name . ( Hear , hear . ) When he adverted to that subject , he did so , not in a party spirit , but in the spirit of a true patriot , and he thought it was not too strong an expression to say that our rule in India had been used as a screen to protect tho natives from the contamination of Christianity . Ho stated , on . tlie authority of the late pious Bishop Hebor , that in one district in India Chri . ttiains wore precluded from holding cilice , mi ordur having been issued by tho British Government prohibiting any but Mussulmans and Hindoos from holding any oilieo . ' '

    TIIK AKX I'HKASUKICfl KXHIIII . TrON . A general meeting' of tho guarantee subscribers to tho lato Art Treasures Exhibition was held on Wednesday

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 31, 1857, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31101857/page/5/