nd tendered for his
acceptance a new Treaty, whereby the transfer of the Government of
Oudh would have been made a matter of amicable agreement.

The King wholly refused to sign any Treaty. He declared himself ready
to submit to the will of the British Government in all things. He bade
the Resident observe that every mark of power had already been laid
down by His Majesty's own orders--the guns at the palace gates were
dismounted, the guards bore no arms, and, though drawn up as usual in
the Court, they saluted the Resident with their hands only; while not
a weapon was worn by any officer in the Palace.

The King gave way to passionate bursts of grief and anger--implored
the intercession of the Resident in his behalf--and finally,
uncovering his head, he placed his turban in the Resident's hands.
This act--the deepest mark of humiliation and helplessness which a
native of the East can exhibit--became doubly touching and significant
when the head thus bared in supplication was one that had worn a royal
crown.

The Government, however, had already borne too long with the wrongs
inflicted by the sovereigns of Oudh upon their unhappy subjects. The
clamorous grief of the King could not be allowed to shut out the cry
of his people's misery. The King's appeal, therefore, could not be
listened to; and as His Majesty, at the end of the three days' space
which was allowed him for deliberation, still resolutely refused to
sign a Treaty, the territory of Oudh was taken possession of, by the
issue of the Proclamation which has now been respectfully submitted to
your Majesty.

It is the fourth kingdom in India which has passed under your
Majesty's sceptre during the last eight years.[15]

Perfect tranquillity has prevailed in Oudh since the event which
has just been narrated. General Outram writes that the populace of
Lucknow, more interested than any other community in the maintenance
of the native dynasty, already "appear to have forgotten they ever had
a King." In the districts the Proclamation has been heartily welcomed
by the middle and lower classes; while even the higher orders, who of
course lose much in a native state by the cessation of corruption and
tyranny, have shown no symptoms of dissatisfaction.

There seems every reason to hope and expect that the same complete
tranquillity will attend the further progress of our arrangements for
the future administration of Oudh....

The Governor-General has only further t