to his own unfettered judgment to carry out his scheme. At the
close of 1855, General Outram was ordered to assemble a large military
force at Cawnpore, and to enter into negotiations with the Oude
government, "for the purposes mentioned in the despatch of the
honourable court." On the 30th of January, 1856, General Outram summoned
the prime-minister of Oude to the residency at Lucknow, to inform him
of the decision of the governorgeneral. On the 1st of February the king
addressed "the Resident," protesting in mild but dignified language
against the subversion of his rightful authority. The resident declined
all discussion, informing his majesty that the determination of his
government was inflexible. He gave the king three days to decide. The
army and people of Oude were as one man in the desire to raise the
standard of resistance; and the sepoys of the Bengal army, being soon
made acquainted with the danger to the independence of Oude, their
native territory, heartily, but secretly, sympathized with its king and
people. His majesty did not dare, however, to encounter the superior
power of the British; he disarmed his troops, and dismounted his guns.
On the 4th of February, General Outram demanded that the king should
sign a declaration that his "infraction of the essential engagements of
the previous treaties had been continued and notorious." His majesty,
giving way to vehement grief and indignation, refused to sign this
condemnation of himself, and expressed his determination to lay a
memorial of his wrongs at the feet of the Queen of Great Britain. In
1858, he, by his agents, endeavoured to obtain from her majesty redress
of the grievances of which he complained. The king also refused to
sign a new treaty, abrogating that of 1801, submitted to him by General
Outram. On the 7th of February, the general issued a proclamation,
declaring that "the British government had assumed to itself the
exclusive and permanent administration of the territories of Oude." From
that moment the soldiery and people of the kingdom were resolved to take
the first opportunity of reasserting the independence of their country,
and taking vengeance upon those whom they considered its oppressors.
General Outram compelled many nobles _to give bail_ for their good
behaviour, and many were placed under surveillance. General Outram has
been much blamed for the part he took, but he merely performed his duty
as the governor-general's agent. He was ta