even knew the features of his countenance | it incumbent on me to notice the principle through any other medium than a wood-on which the House of Commons proceeds cut in the Illustrated News, I would not in votes of this nature. have stood forward in his behalf on the present occasion. I am aware, that in so doing I am treading upon delicate ground. It has been not seldom said, that it is seldom wise to venture without authority to make reference to the private circumstances of an individual; but when a soldier has gone through such a series of successful services, who has taken more towns than, with my imperfect recollection, I can count upon my fingers, it may be to his credit to say that he is richer in honours than in wealth; but it would be more to the credit of his country to say that his wealth has increased with his honours. No churchplate has been squeezed into his portmanteau-no contributions have been raised by him, and all the precious metal he possesses consists of the medals that decorate his uniform. I am even afraid that he has made a partial sacrifice of these that a part of his baggage carried in advance has been lost, and that his Waterloo medal has not escaped the calamity. Upon these grounds -and, without venturing to trouble the House further, I beg leave to express my regret if it turn out impossible that Sir Henry Smith should be included in some practical demonstration of the gratitude of his country. I am disposed to think, at all events, that the House will hardly consider its own views of liberality satisfied in such a case. It will hardly consider its own views of distributive justice satisfied, if, when these subjects are under discussion, something be not done in practical acknowledgment of such indisputable claims. The claims to which my right hon. Friend has adverted are beyond all praise of mine; and I will only allow myself to say that long acquaintance, esteem, and friendship for the Governor General of India give me additional gratification in concurring in the proposal before the House; and I conclude with an earnest prayer that these good, brave, and distinguished men may long live to enjoy the honours and rewards they receive from their Sovereign and their country.

LORD J. RUSSELL: On a former occasion I cordially seconded the right hon. Gentleman opposite when he proposed the thanks of the House to these illustrious commanders; and I should, therefore, scarcely have thought it necessary to say a word now, had it not been for what has just fallen from the noble Lord, which makes

No doubt Sir Henry Smith is a most distinguished officer; no doubt the services he has performed are most eminent; but let us look at those of Lord Hardinge and Lord Gough in early life, on which the right hon. Baronet has dilated; let us look at the devoted services of many other officers who have conquered and perchance fallen in the cause of their country, at those of Sir Thomas Picton, for instance, and yet have received no pecuniary reward. I must own I think it advisable that the House of Commons should not be the originator of such propositions. The whole of the services of Lords Hardinge and Gough, detailed by the right hon. Baronet, previous to the late victories in India, were passed over unmarked by any vote for sums of money or annuities; still they were most distinguished men, and everybody must have felt grateful for the parts they acted at Albuera, and for the services that Barossa witnessed. I think the best course we can pursue is, to leave entirely to the Crown the dispensation of honours for military and naval services. When the Crown, in the opinion of this House, has fitly and properly bestowed the honours it has in its power to give, consisting of a Peerage, enabling the possessor of it to sit in the House of Lords, and to transmit the title to his descendants, the Minister comes down and asks us to consent to a grant competent to the support of the honour of the peerage; it then becomes our concern to consider, and, if we see reason, to assent to the grant; and this course is attended with this advantage-first, the Crown, as the fountain of honour, rewards the military and naval claims of those who in fact are its servants; and next, there is this check upon the improper bestowal of honours, from private favour or any other undue motive, that this House may refuse to concede the grant required at his hands, and object to carry into effect the corrupt wishes of the Minister. This I state as the general principle; but with respect to Lord Hardinge and Lord Gough, as no man can doubt for a moment the fitness of making a Viscount of the one and a Baron of the United Kingdom of the other, by the exercise of the Royal prerogative, so we shall be most willing to concur in the grant required at our hands. Not having heard until now what was to be the proposition of Ministers, but thinking it most just and reasonable,

did hope that some means might be taken that it should not appear as if a slur were were about to be cast upon the conqueror of Scinde by passing over his services. This mere mention of his name might possibly do him some service. But now a word as to the future. He hoped that while the noble Member for London (Lord

I am prepared at once to concur in it. I possible expenditure of blood? Yet nobody presume that the subject has been duly but one so humble as himself had menconsidered by the Government of which the tioned his name. He could have wished right hon. Baronet is the head; and I have that "the fountain of honour," as it was heard nothing from him, or from any other called, had flowed towards that gallant Member, which induces me to object to officer. Agreeing that the House ought the vote. It is far better to say so at not to interfere in the bestowal of honours, once, and plainly, than to give a silent and yet, as they were in fact conferred by the cold acquiescence. I think that Ministers advice of the Minister, whatever might be have fixed upon the proper amount, and I the form, the suggestion of the noble Lord have the greatest readiness in expressing was to be regarded as made to the Minister; my entire concurrence in the discretion and, without wishing to insitute any invithat has been exercised. When the noble dious comparison of merits, and with no Lord asks that votes should be taken for feeling of jealousy or envy at the distincother distinguished officers, I must reply tions conferred upon others, yet conceiving that if the Crown had sent down a Message that there was a name in every way deto this House to confer a reward upon serving from the country a meed not yet them, I should be quite ready to take the bestowed, by long service, and skill, and subject into consideration. No such mes-integrity, and actual benefit conferred, he sage has been received regarding Sir Henry Smith, although I agree with the noble Lord that he has rendered most important services in the course of his military operations. It is not for me to express a desire which I must say, differing from the noble Lord, does not properly belong to Members of this House. On the general subject of India, I may be permitted to add that IJ. Russell) spoke of " moderation" in the am most gratified by the intelligence recently received, and that I trust the brilliant encounters recognized by our thanks will be succeeded by achievements of a different kind, which the courage, capacity, and resolution of Lord Hardinge give me confidence he will not fail to accomplish. I trust that he will display equal vigilance, wisdom, foresight, and moderation, in the settlement of the affairs committed to his charge; and although these victories of peace may be less brilliant, and accompanied by fewer laurels than those by which he has been lately crowned, they are not less difficult, not less embarrassing, and do not less require the exertion of the best faculties of the mind and heart than the victories of war, for the attainment of which he has been recently engaged. For these reasons I cordially concur in the proposition of the right hon. Gentleman.

future councils of Lord Hardinge, there might not be an overdoing of moderation. Our Indian dominions had, unfortunately, been distinguished hitherto by a sort of double government, a real government of the East India Company, and a sham government of native princes. We had the Mogul until that pageant was obliged to be swept away; and there was the Nizam still. If we were to have any fresh territory at all, let it be taken at once in the name of England-let there be no taking under the name of a sham sovereign. When the Treaties should be upon the Table, he, if no one else did, would endeavour to found some Motion which should compel the adoption of this principle of straightforwardness in our Government in India. If the Sikhs, for crossing the Sutlej, were to be punished by our taking possession of their territory, it ought to be in open day, and in the name of the people of England. He had said two or three years ago in the House, that we should be possessors of Seinde and the Punjaub; we were so in reality now; let us be so in open day, and without any sham pretence of

MR. ROEBUCK, after what had just fallen from the noble Lord, rose with fear, lest he might hazard, not the honour, but the reward that was due to gallantry and skill unsurpassed in any transactions connected with war in India. Need he say, that he referred to one whose name was to" moderation." be found in the chronicles of British glory -he meant Sir C. Napier, who had seen fifty years' service, and had added a kingdom to our Indian empire, with the least

MR. HOGG felt, that if hon. Members were to enumerate the names of those who had been distinguished for a long course of military service and glory in India, this

same period. These pensions were granted irrespective of the Peerages; it was the duty of the company to reward the great services performed by these distinguished individuals-it was for the House and for the country to look to the due maintenance and independence of the Peerage; and therefore the suggestion of the right hon. Baronet seemed quite fair and proper, that when the matter came before the House in a further stage, the provision made by the Company should be taken into consideration. Undoubtedly it was not the desire of those distinguished individuals themselves that there should be anything approaching prodigality; and he hoped it would be considered becoming liberality on the part of the Company that these pensions should be granted, the Minister of the Crown looking to it that there was a provision adequate for maintaining the honour and station of a Peer enjoying a seat in the Upper House. With respect to Lord Gough, this was the first instance of the Company's granting a pension to a Commander in Chief; it would not be the less acceptable on that account; but the names of those two distinguished men had been so united throughout the operations, they had been so associated together, they had shown such instances of devotion to the public service, regardless of their own feelings and interests, and looking only to the interests of the public, that it would have been a painful duty to be called to propose a grant to the one, and omit all mention of the other. He was happy to say, that in the Court of Directors the grant to Lord Gough was as unanimously voted as that to Lord Hardinge. These grants would have to be confirmed by two general Courts of Proprietors, and a notice of fourteen days must be given before assembling the Court; but he knew the constitution of that body, and their desire to

debate would be very greatly prolonged; | for his natural life, commencing at the and even confining the commemoration to those who had distinguished themselves in the recent campaign, he could offer a goodly list of names which every one would own to have merited reward; but the inconvenience of this course had been strongly pointed out by the noble Lord (Lord J. Russell), and it certainly would place the Minister in rather an invidious and painful position if hon. Members upon these occasions suggested names, and left upon the mind of the public, and perhaps of the individuals themselves, an impression that their services had not been duly appreciated. For himself, he did not propose to enter into the details of these victories, but rose to state what were the intentions of the East India Company. Before doing this, however, he was naturally anxious, on account of Lord Hardinge and Lord Gough. that it should be known to the House and to the country that no suggestion or communication, direct or indirect, had passed between the Government and the East India Company with reference to the present grants. It must not be imagined for a moment that there was any understanding between them that the company were to provide for those gallant officers during their lives, and the Government for their families. It was his pleasing duty, as Chairman, to make to the Court of Directors the suggestion of what should be done; and he found that there was not a single member of the Court who would not have been ready to originate such a proposition; and after he had gathered the opinion of his Colleagues as to the services of these distinguished men, and the manner in which they ought to be rewarded, he made a communication to the Government; but the grants now proposed were of course the spontaneous proposal of the Government. Now, the Company had no means of bestowing honours; they could only reward public officers by a strong ex-reward merit so well, that he anticipated pression of gratitude and thanks, and by a pecuniary grant. The proper way to mark the sense of personal service was by a pension; this marked personal service much better than a grant of money. Accordingly, on Wednesday last, he had the honour of proposing, which was carried unanimously by the Court, that a pension of 5,000l. a year be granted to Viscount Hardinge during his natural life, to commence from the period when our troops arrived under the walls of Lahore; and a pension of 2,000l. a year to Lord Gough,

with confidence the same unanimity there. There was an Act of Parliament which would prevent the Governor General from accepting any pension in addition to his salary: that was never intended to be the meaning of the Act, but such was its construction; but he hoped for the ready consent of the House to a provision exempting Lord Hardinge from the operation of that restrictive clause, and permitting him to receive the pension in addition to his salary as Governor General. There never went out a Governor General who evinced a

greater desire for peace than did Lord | came down to the House and asked for a Hardinge in the commencement of his career, or who, when hostilities were forced upon him, acted with greater valour and determination. It was to be trusted, that he would be enabled to devote the rest of his administration to the development of the resources of that great country, and that he might long live to advance the social happiness and welfare of its people.

vote of thanks for them. The right hon. Baronet did the same when the despatches informing the Government of the second battle arrived; and every Gentleman knew with what enthusiasm those votes of thanks were passed by the House. But when they looked back to the manner in which his gallant relative was treated, they would find that a very different line of conduct was pursued. He did not receive a vote of thanks for one year after the news of his victory arrived in this country; and he remembered that when he spoke to the right hon. Baronet on the subject, he was told that it would be better to wait until his gallant relative had done something more. That brave officer, with only 2,000 men, attacked 24,000 of the enemy, in a strong position, and yet,-in spite of the inferiority of his numbers, he obtained one of the most brilliant victories on record. He afterwards, with 5,000 men, defeated 36,000 of the enemy; and, nevertheless, he remained a twelvemonth without having received the thanks of the House, and was afterwards only rewarded by a red ribbon being put round his neck and shoulder.

SIR C. NAPIER begged to assure the House that no man more heartily rejoiced than himself at the honours and rewards which had been conferred upon Lord Hardinge and Lord Gough. He did not think that any man, be he soldier or sailor, would grudge those gallant officers the rewards which had been announced to be in store for them; and it was a proud thing to think that, after a peace of thirty years, the blood which ran in the veins of the British soldiers of the Peninsula, ran as warmly as ever it did. He must agree with the noble Lord opposite (Lord F. Egerton) in thinking that a sufficient reward had not been conferred upon that gallant officer Sir Henry Smith. With but 12,000 men he defeated an army greatly superior to him in force, in the most gallant manner that ever such an exploit was per- SIR R. INGLIS said, that his single formed. When one read an account of object in rising to address the House, was Sir Henry Smith's action at Aliwal, and to express a hope that Her Majesty's Gothe manœuvres which he went through, in vernment would not, as his right hon. order to relieve Loodianah, it was impos- Friend had stated, give to the East India sible not feel impressed with the sense of Company the honour of first rewarding the very great value of which his services Lord Hardinge and Lord Gough. had been to the country. He knew it was could not but think that it was somewhat a general feeling that when an officer was shabby to deprive this country of the glory detached in command of a force by the and privilege of rewarding its gallant deCommander-in-Chief, the officer so detached fenders in their lifetime. Would any hon. was not entitled to a reward. It must be Gentleman rise in his place and say that remembered, however, that Nelson was not the cumulative pension would be more than a Commander-in-Chief when he was de- an equivalent and just reward for the sertached by Lord St. Vincent with a squad- vices which had been rendered? He apron, and fought the battle of the Nile, for prehended that there would not be found which he was rewarded with a Peerage. on either side of the House any individual He was most unwilling to enter into any who would make such a statement. After remarks upon the observations made by all, the amount proposed to be saved was the hon. and learned Member for Bath so inconsiderable, looking to the period of with respect to his (Sir C. Napier's) own life at which each of these distinguished relative; but he did not think that he should officers had arrived, that he could not but do his duty towards his gallant relative if he think that we ought not to surrender to did not say that, in his opinion, that gallant any other body that which was the disofficer had not received the reward to which tinguishing prerogative of the House of he was entitled. It was a most remark- Commons. If, therefore, it were possible able thing that scarcely had the despatches to make the grants which had been proof Sir Henry Hardinge and Sir Hugh posed by the right hon. Baronet irrespecGough arrived in this country, announcing tive of any other grant made by any other the result of the first battle with the Sikhs, body, he should have greater satisfaction when the right hon. Baronet immediately in voting for them, than if they were made

He

contingent upon pensions granted by the | a Peerage was conferred on the immortal East India Company.

Nelson, some remarks were made from the Opposition side of the House that a rank sufficiently high had not been bestowed upon him on that occasion. Mr. Pitt replied that posterity would never stop to ask what was the rank in the Peerage which the services of such a man had earned. And in like manner, he thought that, whatever the House might do, and whatever honours might be conferred on the two gallant officers, their names must ever be emblazoned on the page of history, and that from posterity they would receive a rich reward of gratitude and fame. But he had risen on the present occasion chiefly for the purpose of referring to certain points which, in his opinion, greatly en

MR. HUME declared that it gave him great satisfaction to concur in the votes proposed. It was not often that he concurred in votes of this kind; but, setting entirely aside the gallant achievements of Lord Hardinge, no officer in his time had stood before the public a greater advocate for peace and moderation, and on that ground he was very anxious to see this country confer a liberal reward. He could easily conceive what inducements an officer in his situation had to continue the war, and take possession of that which might be productive of great individual benefit to him. The speedy manner in which he brought to a conclusion the hostilities there, deserved from the Company and the Govern-hanced the merit of the victories gained by ment their highest thanks. Looking to what might have been the consequences of another campaign, he was on this ground extremely pleased to give this vote his support. He could not but believe, that looking to the very small amount the grants would come to, compared with the great benefit derived, the Court of Directors might anticipate a unanimous vote from the Court of Proprietors. Although on many points objections might be taken, we must not look to individual points, but hold out to others a motive to follow in the same general career. Allusion had been made to Scinde; he trusted the subject of that conquest would be brought before the House, for one of the greatest benefits to this country, and an act honourable to the Government, would be the restitution of that kingdom to its lawful rulers. He had much satisfaction in hearing that the East India Company had adopted a mode by which the European privates who had most distinguished themselves should be rewarded for their heroic conduct. He hoped they would also reward the native troops, on whom they placed so much dependence, and from whom they demanded such important services in these contests. In conclusion, he had much pleasure in stating that he entirely concurred in the vote now before the House.

MR. M. GORE cordially concurred in the proposal which had been submitted by the right hon. Baronet, and observed that, whatever might be done by that House with tho view of raising to still greater splendour the deeds of the gallant officers whose claims were now before them, those deeds must ever live in the recollections of their

grateful countrymen. Many Gentlemen must remember the circumstance that when

those distinguished officers, and which could not fail to be appreciated both by the House and the country. He referred not merely to the courage, not merely to the judgment and capacity which signalized their movements, and which had attracted the admiration, not only of all Europe, but of Asia; but he referred to the important results among eastern nations which must flow from the spirit of forbearance they had evinced after victory. If it was desirable that our influence should be extended in the east, there could not be two opinions on this, that our conquests there should be the means of disseminating Christianity among the people who fell under our sway. It would not, he hoped, be thought too presumptuous to suppose that, as the march of the Roman legions prepared the way for the diffusion of Christianity, so the march of our armies might also be such as to open up a course for the accomplishment of that great object in the east; and nothing, he believed, would tend so much to that important result as the spirit of such glorious examples in Christian morals as had been exhibited on this occasion. He was sure that that example had not been lost upon the eastern nations; but that it would induce in them the desire to be instructed in the principles of that religion which produced such salutary consequences.

Nor did he know if ancient or modern history gave any scene so touching as that in which the Governor General and the Commander in Chief, with uncovered heads and on bended knees, returned to God thanks for the victory with which he had blessed their arms. Such examples would not fail to produce the most favourable and salutary results among the