THE OMITTED PARAGRAPHS IN LORD ELLENBOROUGH'S DESPATCH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 606, 28 August 1858, Page 4

THE OMITTED PARAGRAPHS IN LORD ELLENBOROUGH'S DESPATCH.

The attention of the reader is especially directed to the singular circumstances connected with | the publication of the despatch, of Lord Ellenborough to the Governor-General of India, respecting the recent proclamation issued by that high functionary in Oude. This despatch, together with the proclamation in question, and a letter from the India Board to the Secretary of the Chief Commissioner of Oude, upon the same subject, will be found in another column; and the reader will not fail to be struck with surprise, as much at the character of its contents as at the peculiar circumstances under which it has been published. On Friday night Lord Ellenborqugh laid before the House of Lords a copy of this despatch — stating, however, that certain paragraphs, five in number, were omitted, as it was deemed their publication would be inconsistent with the interests of the public service at the present moment. These paragraphs, he said, ! contained reasoning upon the subject in question, which it was not, in the opinion of the Government, expedient to publish. Yesterday morning the despatch in question was published in accordance with the order of Parliament; and, 10, and behold! it contained the very paragraphs which Lord Ellenborough and the Government had specially excepted from publication. The explanation of this singular fact is not eas\', more particularly as the paragraphs proposed to be omitted, but subsequently given to the public, involve the whole scheme of British policy in the East, and quite prejudge the now at issue in Oude. In other words, they admit without reticence or concealment of any kind that the policy of England as regards Ou.de has been wrong iVom the beginning -"that the course we pursued in originally annexing that 'Kingdom was not a lawful course; that the annexation was an act of political ingratitude towards _a faithful political friend; and that substantially the people of that country wore justified in opposing a rule thus forced on them when the opportunity for so doing offered itself. All these fatal admissions it will be seen are made in the paragraphs in question, and there cannot be a doubt therefore that the empire at large will^ soon resound from end to end with angry and animated discussion on the subject. That these paragraphs were published by the Government is beyond a possibility of doubt. It only remains therefore, to divine the cause or their publication ; to ascertain, in fact, whether it was intentional or accidental. If it were accidental only, it involves a laxity of discipline m the offices of the Hoard of Control, whie.i, as it may lead to the continuance or even renewal of the internecine war now raging in India, and most certainly to a postponement of the pacification of Ondo, cannot he too loudly denounced or too strongly condemned. If, on .the other, hand, it was the deliberate act of the Government, whnfc can ho thought of men who not only throw such a firebrand into the midst

of a combustible population like that of India, a population still in arms against British supremaov, who do so in contravention ot their own statements ? The live omitted paragraphs will be found subjoined.