CONFIDENTIAL.
Miscellaneous
Au XVIII
Memorandum.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
TITT C.O.
885
1
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
HAVING been requested by Mr. Labouchere to submit to him my views as to the expediency of transferring to the West Indian colonies the mutineers and others now in rebellion in the East Indies, I must, in the first instance, take the liberty of stating in what manner | would suppose that Her Majesty's and the Indian Governments would be prepared to deal with them on the spot, in order to justify the recommendations I am about to make.
It is to be supposed that it will be the wish of the Government, according as they may re-establish their authority in different parts of the country, to revert to the ordinary administration of the law, for the purpose both of putting an end to indiscriminate military executions, and still more of convincing the population that no outbreak on their part can, for any length of time, succeed in subverting the ascendapey of our ordinary rule.
We may, therefore, assume that the usual tribunals will have to deal with vast numbers of offenders, whom, as regards the troops, we may divide into three classes :-
I. Those conspicuous either for their rank or their excessive atroci- ties, who must be individually tried and executed.
2. Those somewhat less conspicuous, but who must likewise be indi- vidually tried and sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour as felons, for terms of greater or less duration.
3. The great mass of the mutineers, who cannot all be individually tried, but against whom the fact of their having been in certain regiments at a certain time can be readily proved, and whom, with their wives and families, I would remove en masse to the West Indies.
This last proposal may be somewhat startling, and therefore I will endeavour to show what appear to be good grounds for it. It must be remembered that perhaps the only point connected with immigration on which there has been an agreement of opinion between the West Indian planters and the Government, consists in the deprecation of the introduction of numbers of males without a very considerable proportion of females; and therefore it is impossible to advocate the transfer of these mutineers, unless they are to be accompanied by their families. But we have to deal with a transaction probably without an exact parallel in history, and we are not called upon to treat it in an ordinary manner. We have to look mainly to the future, and to the guarantees which we can obain for the future peace of India.
We have a right to bear in mind that every man in these regiments has rendered himself liable to the heaviest punishment, if not for murder and robbery, at any rate for mutiny and desertion. If we do not inflict that punishment upon them, it is a mere act of grace. Wherever large bodies of men commit acts which involve them in great troubles, it inevitably happens that those dependent on them suffer too. And I would deal with these people as bodies who, for the good of their country, must be absolutely and once for all removed from it. Such a line of proceeding would be quite intelligible to the population of India; and its effect, as showing that we had both the will and the power positively to remove an obnoxious race, as they might be called, would, I think, be very powerful in deterring them from similar attempts in after years. that removal beyond the seas is regarded with great terror, as involving It may be urged Joss of caste. So much the better as regards those who remain behind
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