CONVEYANCE OF TROOPS TO INDIA.

Colonist, Issue 44, 23 March 1858, Page 4

CONVEYANCE OF TROOPS TO INDIA.

(From the Times, December 10 ) In the Houseof Lords on Tuesday evenring - Lord -Hard wicke - opportunely - introduced a subject which has never ceased to occupy a most prominent place in the eyes of the public, and which is still of the most anxious interest. The question concerned nothing less than the agency available for ,the conveyance of our troops to India, and the statement made by LordTanmurei on the occasion deserves particular attention and remark.

Our naval and military intelligence will have informed the public that the 94th Regiment, having made two false starts to India in a hired steam transport named the Austria, is now about to be despatched overland. The price to be paid for the use of this vessel—a vessel owned, manned, and officered by foreigners,—was about £30,000,' whereas so deplorable was the bargain that after the ship had twice put back to port in distress the attempt was given up altogether. Upon this.text Lord Hardwicke very sensibly observed that' the country would have gained largely by'employing the Royal steam navy for the transport of our troops, and that considering our marine included 270 steam vessels of all sizes, with a reserve: of 10,000 available seamen at hand, it was " inconceivable why recourse had not been had to those means," instead of engaging at a great cost vessels which, after all, could not be made to go; Lord Panmure's reply was exceedingly remarkable. He observed, in the first place, and as if to clear the Government of any accountability in the matter, that the conveyance of troops to India was1 one ofthe functions ofthe East India Company, and that the Company was responsible for its proper discharge. As regarded the case alleged, he did not deny the, miscarriage, but urged that it was a single instance of failure in a series of successful exeEtions, and that though the Company might perhaps with some degree of justice be ; debused of having taken up indifferent vessel&for the transport service just at first, they had latterly shewn: great zeal in repairing* the error. After this, exculpation of th c .(directors, he proceeded to state that, as the regiment in question would..now be. despatched' overland,' almost, all the time. lost by the mishaps of the Austria would be. made up, and finally delivered his opinion upon the main question by ".entirely concurring with his noble friend in thinking that there could be no valid objection to the. employment of the large class of vessels at the disposal of the Admiralty."

Now, as regards the particular case of the Austria, perhaps the plea of "first fault," may be allowed to carry a little weight; nor are we disposed to. insist much on the early bargains of the Company in the way of transport vessels, though we were taken to task once for saying what Lord Panmure now admits may be said without injustice. In this respect the directors did. but share the bliridness of other authorities both at home and in the East, and when they engaged the Areta and her consorts it was under the impression that the occasion called for no greater despatch. The important points of Lord Panrnure's speech concern conclusions of a far more comprehensive character. To begin with^ —let the reader observe the operation of the "double government" of India at a conjuncture when the most urgent demands are made upon the resources of the country at home. Nothing is more obvious than that the despatch pf troops is a point upon which everything—up to the very preservation of the Empire—may depend, and yet the despatch of troops is a matter with which the administration declares it has nothing to do; The Minister of War may provide the battalions, but by what means* they are to be sent out, or when they are likely to arrive, are questions within the control of the "Company." To complete ; the absurdity, although the Home Government has nothing to do with -the troops on; our own shores, it becomes, chargeable; with their transport-when they are on the shores of India, 15,000 miles off, arid awaiting their return.'

,-Sext, look at the confession at last pronounced' with* respect to the advantages or idisadvantages of the Overland1 .Route. After all we have heard about the : chances of delay and difficulties of trans-shipmentV. transit, and so forth; it is'how.'plainly stafced that the; despatch of a via Alexandria will be attended with such ex-pedition-that -nearly all;the'time'lost'sinte ■ the ,sth of October;in; fruitless endeavours to make the passage with-, a bad; steamer, may be recovered,: and that* the ibattalion "may' be expected to .'arrive in India-not long after th,e : period at vvhich it would Hayp reached' that country had it been cbriyeye.d by the -vessel in which.it had embarked'in the first instance.-' This- we'can"readily credit; but 'when then, *we beg to ask,might the 94th have been.^ expected to arrive, in Tndia^. if it had beeriat qnce^jcle^ spatchedi by this-expeditious route ,when it was first-ready*for departure? ..-. -\. :; - '*. . The .remaining point arTprds a still'jnore signal illustration of the tardiness ; .^iih which we attain to a knowledgeof-th'e_right course. ;We now hear the, Minister of War expressing his; decided opinion, that there could be "no valid.olpjectipn" to;employing the enormous : - resources, of .the.R^al Navy in carrying the , : Q.ueen's .regimeiits; from.one partof;her dominions ib another. But in the meantime, and before. this truth; was recognised, 35,000 soldiers.have been: despatched in transports of all descriptions, some of vvhich'may tumble about the ocean ; for.' four or five, months before making the .port of their' destination. : If this " concurrence " of opinion, had ,bqt| been forthcoming an June last,, tlie reinforcements now tardily pouring into Calcutta might have arrived.there six or eight weeks before. We remember.itheqldpbjections to the proposal—such -as the necessary protection of our OAvn-shores,;and the dislike of naval officers tobecomeoommanders of transports. But, surely,: with a steam navy 0f'270 vessels-we have quite force enough to defend ourselves-at home, and to .spare a squadrqn for the emergencies of pur empire in the East. Of the; objections of our ..naval .pfficers to ( cohvey troops, we can only say that if there are any Brahmins in the naval service who entertain such scruples, they, should be in 4 stantly dismissed. But. we •attaqh:, yery little weight to this pretext. Of course,, a post captain would rather go to sea on a seaman's regular duty than carry half his; guns in ballast;and see his decks turned into barrack-rooms; but he wouldl much rather do. this than /do ho service 'at-;'all. Anything is better than utter inaction or mere holyday cruising. Besides,;there was ample scope in; India for. the more regular servicesof the Navy. A. frigate' and two or three smaller vessels /insured the safety of Calcutta, and Captain Peel, with.his 300 or 400 blue-jackets, has been welcomed at every town on the Ganges. British sailors have been even sent into Assam, and if they have not been still more generally employed it was only because they were I were not at hand for the purpose.*; i

The whole. matter comes to this, that when ships are ; Wanted for national purposes, the ships'.pf the nation should be available for perfonnirig them, otherwise, Parliament is likelj*^ to look at the Navy: Estimates with' considerably less liberality than before. When' we talk of Britain's, ascendancy over the seas, we ought to mean not merely' that we pan fight naval battles, but that we cari command the waters for all purposes whatever. If great naval encounters are out pf date duties of |6ther kinds have Succeeded. them, and we bejieye that /th^.officers; of, the Navy are just as ready for jHose duties as any, .other.- What they naturally desire is active ( service and changes of 'distirictionj nor carj- it be agreeable to so,mar^y ener--getic minds,to see the.navy.anid..its, seamen condemned to ;idleness, .which;, would,; he y disgraceful if it:, were, .not r,rnvoluntary*ywhile the eyes of the country are 'strained in''following; the ,-marehof its soldiers, arid; the whole-natiori burning; withveagerness itp, reward; their;-achievements) ! 'Withf ythe ; finest Navy in the' world, 'd6irignp'thirig:but; scour.decks and square yards,'wehavekep't: a regiment; tossing about,. for; a' l couple of month's in want. of, a vessel;fo,c4rry it!tpj India, and, have, sent 4Q,Qiop'mjßi_Jri: ;^irJecl; transports.. We, trust .that, when nexi tlie ,Navy ; Estimates, hav.e, ,to n lf>e , moyed,) Sir Charles Wpoo^. will be brpught. to strict account as to theoqstof tra^nspprt of troops to India; and- that if, a,s * seems, but,, ioo possible^ as-great disaster should occur ijrpm * their tardy arrival, Parliament and the; nation will know upon whoni'to fix the r blame. ' ': 'A-

•IKDiA.-^'"'lf: l were asked whatadvaiitage would accrue to the people Pf India should they all/become . Christians, ]%. needpnly. reifer to the difference between a native arid

an,.Eurppean Government. * There can; be, no doubt .that the government efthe f East: India Company is capable of many great improvements; but; faulty .as .it: may Ipe it is asmuGh superior to; the native Governments as the sun is superior to a candle^; The/ government, aided; by, the 'Various Christian; communities; has introduced into Indiaimprovements of a most extensive- and beneficial character; and-if we were entirely,! driven out of India' to-morrbw, the godd effects of our rule 'would be Felt forages" to come. Nothing is more false than the statements pf many of the English .newspapers that we are hated arid detested by the people of .India.; on the contrary, all the more enlightened portion ofthe"population" agree that ; no former rulers have ;ever done so much to benefit the people as, the English. We have ; introduced law and order ;iiitO; a country that was before a scene of: anarchy and confusion ■■;• we haveafforded protection to life .and property as Coiriplete as iri England'; We have established courts of justice with sorriethirig niore than the. name; bribery is no lenger dperily'practised, the fees.of courts are fixed; arid the, decisions of the judges faithfully | observed. We established in the large'towns of India colleges, schools, hospitals, and dispensaries

for the sick; asylums".■ for^the;'distressed: and the aged ;..institutipns'ifor all kinds of jscience; workshops' for mechanical grades ; jbotanical, horticultural,!/ .and", zoological Igardens; public museums, concerts, colI leges for native languages and literature; j electric telegraphsj post offices/; and railjways : built' bridges";' made oahals and iirrigation channels; built.'bungalows I'for--- ---; travellers, and made fixed «hargesibr all ' kinds of service;- introduced a regular isystem' of currency, and weights and. measures, and opened exhibitions of agricultural and general industry ; all oyer, the country. No doubt at present India..is...vastly behind' England, arid but little is: done- compared to wnat is still undone; but then-it must be •remembered thajt the,, country is more than1 six times larger(;-.:.' •thaii' Great Britain;;, that, . we1 have not been complete master for; above seventy; j*-ears; that the. climate; is much against us, and the natives are too'ignorant and .top,- .bigpted , to .afford *Us. much assistance. The difficulties we have to encounter are immensej ;and: the'imprPvement '■-. is immense likewise." Nd people but; Christians could do such; things. '"The pagan religion-expressly forbids many of them and discountenances them; all the Mahom-: medah; coriquefdrs made• a^-few^eble; attempts, but with. \ the ..exception of their \ "vast !forts and castles,?left, the- country I .even -'worse-than they found;itw; JWe;have : Jabplisiied slavery,- the suttee,;arid thuggism,; :and allow all creeds and all classes equal i freedom*, both in religion and;politics;..we \ ;haye; introduced . printed books, steam; engines;; taught the --chemistry,: : astronpmy, t .-an4,-.;vgeog.ra_phyf;. - ., ! .educatepl: thousands of females who Were before left; in utter ignorance^ and -ma^e. ..the native! "soldiers five-times as efficient as they were: In'all the''large towns un9er the jEnglish rule the. population, is ; rapidly increasing, ,and -since I left.England,they; ;Mye ; cpmmenced'at CalCuttai-MadraSj and 3pmp.ay, to paye 1 arid-; clean thestreets/'tp •drain and "Water the rpa.ds,and hpuses, to day on)a supply of water,',.to,hayelap e|Scient police, to •'■ regulate public fairs iand x market,; gas is, introduced;' large.' J shops ■lare opened, arid' :factorj^r -Compared .with whait;England is^now^the country is iri aclespicably hackward state \ \ compared with what.lndia was Joo'<years \ ago,. M mus\-b^^para^ise. y_ Wfe'liay!e;rit ris true, much to .pi_t ; wp :.-vyith>.- ) biit-. wi^-iiaye also fmuch-to,be.thankmicfQr!j'^;^n(_,(.wi.th: t _in our inponveriiericesi;we have niany comforts and; enjoyirients...,. Jf.-yp.u could;;*visit „us • now; in this wild arid outlandish "couhtryi "you-wouldy—l- expect, -think that, in some' respects "at least, India was a jolly. ,pleaf [ san't Country.. Just compare us with the native States around here and you would: think that, with all the faults of the East Indiai .Gbyernmerit; they were one of the greatest blessings that ever Asia knew."-4-Extracted from Daily Neios Correspondence.