toria._

PICCADILLY, _27th July 1857_.

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs
to state that Mr Disraeli this afternoon, in a speech of three hours,
made his Motion on the state of India. His Motion was ostensibly for
two papers, one of which does not exist, at least in the possession of
the Government, and the other of which ought not to be made public,
as it relates to the arrangements for defending India against external
attack. He represented the disturbances in India as a national revolt,
and not as a mere military mutiny; and he enumerated various causes
which in his opinion accounted, for and justified this general revolt.
Some of these causes were various measures of improved civilisation
which from time to time during the last ten years the Indian
Government had been urged by Parliament to take. Mr Vernon Smith
followed, and in a very able speech answered in great detail Mr
Disraeli's allegations. Sir Erskine Perry,[26] who evidently had
furnished Mr Disraeli with much of his mistaken assertions, supported
his views. Mr Campbell, Member for Weymouth, who had been many years
in India, showed the fallacy of Mr Disraeli's arguments, and the
groundlessness of many of his assertions. Mr Whiteside supported
the Motion. Lord John Russell, who had after Mr Disraeli's speech
communicated with the Government, expressed his disapprobation of
Mr Disraeli's speech, and moved as an Amendment an Address to your
Majesty expressing the assurance of the support of the House for
measures to suppress the present disturbances, and their co-operation
with your Majesty in measures for the permanent establishment of
tranquillity and contentment in India.[27] Mr Mangles, the Chairman
of the Directors, replied at much length, and very conclusively to Mr
Disraeli's speech. Mr Liddell, with much simplicity, asked the Speaker
to tell him how he should vote, but approved entirely of Lord John
Russell's address. Mr Ayrton moved an adjournment of the Debate, which
was negatived by 203 to 79. Mr Hadfield then shortly stated in his
provincial dialect that "we can never keep our 'old upon Hindia by
the Force of Harms." Mr Disraeli then made an animated reply to the
speeches against him, but in a manner almost too animated for the
occasion. Mr Thomas Baring set Mr Disraeli right, but in rather strong
terms, about some proceedings of the Committee on Indian Affairs
in 1853, with regard to which Mr Disraeli's memor